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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40845
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/40845
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

### It depends on your **_real_** problem. Does it hurt for the guard to just _know_ him?

If it doesn't hurt for the guard to know the psychiatrist, then in third person _omniscient_, you can have the guard refer to the psychiatrist and his father by their first names, and the other guard knows this is his habit.

Cast: Roger and Sam are guards, Bill is the psychiatrist, Mike is Roger's father and Bill's brother. But Roger refers to both of them by their first name.

setup: The MC is not watching the guards, he is distracted by his thoughts and looking out the window.

> Bill looked at the photograph of the psychiatrist, and gestured with it to Sam. "I haven't seen Bill in eight years; It will be great to see him again."
> 
> Sam said, "How do you know this guy? You got a little history I should know about?"
> 
> "Idiot. But yeah, he's Mike's brother!"
> 
> Mike was Roger's father. Sam knew that and his eyebrows rose in surprise, and Roger laughed a bit. "Maybe I should have led with that."
> 
> "What? You never told me Mike had a brother! Why so long between visits?"
> 
> "Just the distance factor. He'll be all business on the clock, but maybe we can get some beers later."
> 
> "Count me in if you want company. I've got a few stories for him!"

I think this is the kind of conversation that might slip by your MC. First, doctors would usually be referred to by their last name; not a nickname. Bill is a nickname for William; and the MC knows the psychiatrist as "Dr. William Goldman". "Bill" doesn't register.

Second, the word "uncle" is not used. MC cannot be sure the guards are even talking about the psychiatrist, "Bill" could be anybody the guard knows and is going to see later.

Fourth, we depend on 'secret' knowledge shared by the two guards; they are friends and know _"Mike"_ means Roger's father, but the MC doesn't know that or suspect it, and being distracted the MC doesn't see the start where they are clearly talking about the psychiatrist. So the idle conversation between Roger and Sam, including the fact they aren't trying to hide anything, raises no attentional flags and the MC doesn't try to understand it.

Original score: 3