The medicine
mentakethesenoxioussubstancesand gointo convul-
sive states. Their twitchingsand mutteringsare thought
to have prophetic significance." )
"IhadaYagehangover,me, andin nocondition to
takeanyofBrowbeck'sshit.Firstthing hecomes on
with I should start the incision fromthe backinstead of
thefront,mutteringsomegarbled nonsenseabout being
suretocut outthe gallbladder itwould fuckup the
meat.Thoughthewasonthefarm cleaninga chicken.
I told himto goput hishead backin theoven, where-
uponhehadtheeffronterytopushmyhandsevering
thepatient'sfemoralartery.Bloodspurtedupand
blindedtheanesthetist,who ranout throughthe halls
screaming.Browbecktried toknee mein thegroin, and
Imanagedtohamstringhimwithmyscalpel.He
crawledaboutthefloorstabbingatmy feetand legs.
Violet,that'smy baboonassistant --only womanI ever
cared a damn about-- reallywigged. Iclimbed upon the
tableandpoisemyselftojumpon Browbeckwith both
feet and stomp him when the cops rushed in.
"Well,thisrumbleintheoperatingroom,'thisun-
speakableoccurrence'astheSupercalledit,youmight
saywastheblowoff.Thewolfpackwas closingfor the
kill.A crucifixion,that's theonly wordfor it.Of course
I'dmadeafew'dumheits'hereandthere.Whohasn't?
Therewasthetimemeandtheanesthetistdrankupall
theetherandthepatientcameuponus,andIwas
accusedofcuttingthecocainewithSanifiush.Violet
did it actually. Had to protect her of course....
"Sothewind-upiswearealldrummedoutofthe
industry.NotthatVioletwasabonafidecroaker,nei-
therwasBrowbeckforthatmatter,andevenmyown
certificatewascalledinquestion.ButVioletknewmore
medicinethantheMayoClinic.Shehadanextraordi-
nary intuition and a high sense of duty.
"SothereIwasflatonmyasswithnocertificate.
ShouldIturntoanothertrade?No.Doctoringwasin
myblood.
Imanagedtokeepupmyhabitsperforming
cutrateabortionsinsubwaytoilets.Ievendescendedto
hustlingpregnantwomeninthepublicstreets.Itwas
positivelyunethical.ThenImetagreatguy,Placenta
JuantheAfterBirthTycoon.Madehisinslunksduring
thewar.(Slunksareunderagecalvestrailingafterbirths
andbacteria,generallyinanunsanitaryandunfitcon-
dition.Acalfmaynotbesoldasfood untilit reaches
aminimumageofsixweeks.Priortothattimeitis
classifiedasaslunk.Slunktraffickingissubjectto a
heavypenalty.)Well,Juanitocontrolledafleetofcargo
boatsheregisterundertheAbyssinianflagtoavoid
bothersomerestrictions.Hegivesmeajobasship's
doctor on the S.S. Filiarisis, as filthy a craft asever sailed
the seas. Operating with one hand, beating therats offa
mypatientwiththeotherand bedbugsand scorpions
rain down from the ceiling.
"Sosomebodywantshomogeneityatthisjuncture.
Can do but it costs.Bored withthe wholeproject, me.
...Here we are.... Drag Alley."
Benway traces a pattern inthe airwith hishand and
adoorswingsopen.Westepthroughandthedoor
closes. A long ward gleaming with stainlesssteel, white
tile floors, glass brickwalls. Bedsalong onewall. No
one smokes, no one reads, no one talks.
"Comeandtakeacloselook,"saysBenway."You
won't embarrass anybody."
I walk over and stand in front of a man whois sitting
on his bed.I lookat theman's eyes.Nobody, nothing
looks back.
"IND's,"saysBenway,"IrreversibleNeuralDamage.
Overliberated, you might say... a drag on the industry."
I pass a hand in front of the man's eyes.
"Yes," saysBenway, "theystill havereflexes. Watch
this."Benwaytakesa chocolatebar fromhis pocket,
removes the wrapper and holdsit infront ofthe man's
nose. The man sniffs. Hisjaws beginto work.He makes
snatching motions with his hands.Saliva dripsfrom his
mouthandhangsoffhis chinin longstreamers. His
stomach rumbles. His wholebody writhesin peristalsis.
Benwaystepsbackandholdsupthechocolate.The
man drops to his knees, throws backhis headand barks.
Benwaytossesthechocolate.Themansnapsatit,
misses, scramblesaround onthe floormaking slobbering
noises.