INDULGENCE
Chapter One – The Offer

Roger Haggerty loved eating, but it was also his worst problem. Mostly hard- up in his early years, he had to keep within the limits of his meager income as a clerk in a small supermarket office. For Roger, the one advantage of his occupation was the allowance for staff to take home anything from the food and drink lines that were due to reach their expiration dates. The manager of the supermarket was always trying out new and exciting cuisine, so Roger was able to sample a wide variety of culinary delights. Naturally, being exotic and tasty, it was also loaded with calories; and after a while, as Roger grew older, his food exploits began to show around his waistline.

One day, he found he had a problem walking uphill. He became breathless and had to keep taking a rest. This was unfortunate, because his modest apartment was in an old building near the top of a hill on a side of the town where he lived, and his regular bus didn't go up that far, leaving Roger to forcibly trek the uphill journey on foot to reach his door. As the days went by, worrying about it made him feel even worse. After another month, his condition became so bad he decided to consult a doctor.

The medic took one look at him, made a few tests, then shrugged and exclaimed. "Your blood pressure is a bit up. You must take more exercise, and don't eat so much! Otherwise, your heart is seriously going to be at risk."

Easily said, he thought, panting uphill on his way home. His six-day-a-week job in the supermarket office was sedentary, and this uphill journey to and from the bus was getting him down. On Sundays, his only free days, he was always so exhausted that he spent most of the day in bed. He decided to give his problem some serious thought.

As to cutting back on his food, no way! He was a gourmet cook and lived alone, and with all the wonderful ingredients at his disposal from the leftovers at the supermarket, he thoroughly enjoyed indulging in all kinds of wonderful, but horribly fattening, delicacies.

He made up his mind to come to a more doable solution, and thereafter, he did manage to to cut out breakfast, other than coffee and an orange or some other fruit. Then, it still had to be the supermarket restaurant for lunch, but without the starter and the dessert. However, in Roger’s evenings, his hunger and his imagination knew no bounds. He continued to bring home food and create dishes that simply were not any good to him beyond his tastebuds. So, he continued to put on weight, and soon became even more breathless.

Then one day, while glancing through a magazine, he found what had to be the answer to his problem—an interesting article all about a new kind of operation for treating obese patients, recently developed in Romania. He read that the procedure involved bypassing a patient's stomach with a computer controlled device that automatically calculated what should be consumed and expelled anything in excess of a healthy diet. To achieve this, an aperture was opened up in a person's gullet, low down in the chest area, and a special pipe was inserted so that the unwanted extras being consumed would be deposited in a removable plastic sack attached to a special lightweight harness fitting snugly to the chest. At first, Roger was repelled by what he read; but he soon became enthralled at the idea, especially when, on reading further, he discovered that the clinic was seeking more volunteers - all expense paid, to boot. It seemed too good to be true, nevertheless, that very evening, he wrote a letter offering his services to the clinic and posted it on his way to work the next morning.

Ten days later, on his return from work, he found he had a reply. He opened it eagerly and discovered a two-page form to complete, with a lot of questions to answer. He decided to be honest about his weight and condition, so he had what he considered a hasty snack (though for most people, more of a meal), and began to fill in the paperwork.


Roger spent two nights filling in the extensive form. He worked out what he wanted to say on separate sheets of paper first and changed his mind several times, but was finally satisfied with his answers. He decided he really did want to be a volunteer to try out the new device. Apart from the benefits, there was an item on the questionnaire regarding his allowance to be featured in an extensive international publicity campaign, also all expense paid. Apart from the basic benefits of the gizmo if it actually worked and helped him to lose weight, the prospect of publicity and an "extensive campaign" sounded quite promising - like a a chance to get away from his humdrum job in the supermarket office. Roger had always fancied himself as some kind of presenter on TV, and maybe this was his chance.

He copied his best answers to all the questions onto the form and took it with him to the supermarket the following day. There, he used the office copy machine to make copies for himself to keep for security reasons and posted the form back to the clinic in Romania on his way home from work.

For three long weeks, anxious Roger heard nothing, as he became more breathless and had more trouble with that hill each and every progressing day. Then, the magic day he longed for finally came. A thick, heavy letter package was awaiting him on the front door mat when he arrived home. At first, he was too apprehensive to open it. He put it on his dining room table and gazed at it for several minutes before finally finding the courage to slit it open and remove the pile of things it contained.

The first thing he noticed was an airline ticket . With trembling fingers, he opened it and discovered it was for an economy flight to Bucharest, just five days away. Then, he noticed that the ticket was for one-way only. This seemed a bit strange, at first, but Roger decided that could only mean that the clinic was not sure how long he'd need to stay there after the operation, and he would have to sort things out fast. He had his annual holiday time to come from the supermarket, but it was only for two weeks. How long would he need, anyway?

He opened the letter that came with the ticket. It was written in excellent, perfectly articulate English, informing him that he had been accepted as a volunteer patient for the new treatment. He scanned down the page rapidly, but was unable to find anything about how long the whole thing would take. There was nothing either about a hotel or what other kind of accomodations would be provided, so he assumed his stay would be directly on-site at the clinic.

At the end of the letter, there was a note stating that if he had any questions, they would be answered when he arrived. Meanwhile, he should read carefully the attached document, which would probably answer anything he was not sure about.

It took him over a half-hour to read the pages, which he then perused twice more to be sure he hadn't missed anything. Most of it was highly technical, with diagrams showing how the human digestive system worked. Still, much to his disappointment, he could find nothing about how long the operation or recovery time would take.
He thought about writing a letter to ask them, but he realised he'd never get a reply before he had to leave. He looked at the letter again, and was surprised to find there was no telephone number, or even an address for the place. He turned the sheet over and saw some small print on the back of it. It read…

It is our policy, at this stage, not to reveal our address and telephone number, as we have to be careful regarding adverse and unwanted media publicity. Everything else you need to know will be explained to you soon after your arrival at the airport, where transport will be waiting to bring you to our clinic

Chapter Two – A Long Journey

Roger’s curiosity finally persuaded him. He decided to go ahead and see what the clinic could do for him; but he knew that if he ran into the slightest disagreeable problem, he'd demand to return right away…and worry about the cost of the return ticket later.

He explained everything to his Chief at the supermarket, who was not happy to be given such short notice of Roger's absence, especially as he knew he'd have to fill in a lot of extra time himself to keep all the records in order. There was nobody else he could trust to do the work. Nevertheless, he gave his overweight employee a reassuring smile. "Roger, maybe we could discuss a small increase in your salary when you return."

It was his way of reacting to a nagging thought he had. He didn't like the way Roger became vague when asked about his return flight details. Eventually, he had to accept the fact that Roger didn't know when he'd return, but he truly hoped he would need his job more than ever when he did get back, especially with a raise in the works.

The fateful day came, and Roger arrived early at the airport by taxi. It was expensive, but it was the only way he could be sure of catching the plane on time. Perhaps I’ll be able to claim some extra expenses, he hoped, as he sat back in his window seat. For the most part, his flight was relaxing and enjoyable, especially as the seat next to him was unoccupied. In the aisle seat, there was very thin, crochety old lady, who regarded his bulk with distaste, but she said nothing in reply when he bade her good morning, so he thereafter he ignored her. The hot meal the stewardess served him was not as bad as he had feared it would be, what with all the rumors about airline meals. He ate it all quite eagerly, but he couldn't help wondering what and when his next one would be like. Apart from occasional turbulence, the flight was uneventful.

When he landed, after all the formalities, he found his luggage waiting for him in the baggage hall; just the one suitcase which he'd hoped would be enough. There was nothing much in the documents from the clinic to indicate what he should bring with him beyond a warm overcoat and two changes of clothes.

After the rest of the formalities,. he emerged into the arrival hall and began looking around. There were several men and women holding up cards with names on them, but none were holding his. Then, he noticed a small elderly lady with a large card that had several names on it. He went over towards her and saw that the third name from the top was his. He greeted her apprehensively. "Hallo, I'm Roger Haggerty."

The woman eyed him up and down, then gave him a stern look. "Please wait here; there are some others to come.''

Sure enough, there were others, and he could already tell who they were - two other men and one woman, all definitely overweight and gazing around as if lost. He waved and called to them. "Over here!"

With looks of relief, they came over to him. The girl spoke first. "Hallo, I'm Lucy Summers." She exclaimed cheerfully. "What's your name?"

Roger told her, and his answer was overheard by the other two prospective patients, who introduced themselves as Fred Allbright, and Charlie Daniels. They shook hands all around, except for the stern, slim lady who was there to meet them. She kept her distance and began to move further away from them after a curt instruction. "Follow me now, please. Our transport is waiting outside."

They followed her out of the terminal building and over a couple of parallel roads to where, in the distance, they could see waiting a medium-sized white vehicle that looked like an ambulance, except without any markings - not even a red cross. It's noisy diesel engine was turning over slowly, and the twin back doors were open. They all climbed in and sat down. Their hostess banged twice on the front wall, and the vehicle moved away.

The journey to the clinic seemed endless. The seats in the vehicle were arranged along each side, presumably to leave room for a wheeled stretcher in the center. The windows of the ambulance were covered, other than the two small ones at the back. The visitors took it in turns to occasionally get up and look through them at the scenery, but Roger could tell by the disapproving look on her face that their hostess was not pleased at this behaviour. He tried to engage her in some conversation, but she was not at all cooperative. "You will learn all you need to know when we arrive at the clinic." She seemed robotic, because this is all she ever said, no matter how many attempts Roger made to converse with her.

Some time later, it became dark, and from the labored way the engine of the vehicle was sounding, they were travelling uphill. It reminded Roger much of the way he used to sputter and struggle up the hill to his house. Every now and again, it would suddenly swing to the right or the left, indicating the steep bends of a mountain road. They had no seat belts, so it became essential to hang on to the metal rails fixed to the sidewalls of the ambulance. On one occasion, Lucy Summers lurched across and over onto Roger`s lap. In spite of her often unappreciated girth, he nevertheless found the weighty experience pleasant, but it was not long lasting as she staggered off him and back over to her seat again with a gasp of embarrassment.

About half-an-hour later, their hostess rose from her seat and looked out of the rear windows. She turned and spoke to them. "We are almost there now. I`m afraid it will begin to snow soon. When the ambulance stops and the doors are open, you must get into the clinic as fast as possible. You should have a warm overcoat with you in your luggage as we requested. Please take it out and put it on now, so as to be ready. Apart from the snow, it can be very windy up at this altitude."

Fortunately, the twisting and turning had ceased as she spoke, so they were able to grab their cases and take out their coats and put them on. Their hostess inspected them, in turn. She spoke to Roger, severely. "Your coat does not have a hood, Mr Haggerty. That is quite unfortunate."
Roger gave her a shrug. "I`ll just have to manage, I didn`t know it would be necessary."

The vehicle slowed down, made a right turn and stopped moving, but left the engine idling. The prospective patients got to their feet and waited for the door to open. Their hostess waved them back down . "We are only at the main gates. The clinic is at the end of the driveway."

They sat down again and waited. After a while, they heard the squeaky sound of some heavy iron gates being opened. The ambulance started up again.

It was clearly a long driveway, but eventally they stopped, and the driver switched off the engine. Its noise was replaced by the howling of a very strong wind and the chattering of snowflakes on the sides and roof of the ambulance. The luckless passengers gazed at each othe in alarm. Sally voiced their thoughts. "I hope it`s not always like this." Roger couldn't help thinking that this was going to be a difficult place to escape from, if it became necessary.

The twin doors opened slowly, one at a time. A tall, dark figure, presumably their driver, in a thick, black fur overcoat, appeared and beckoned everyone out into the snowstorm. They held on to each other grimly, as it was almost impossible to see anything. The large man led the way, holding Roger`s hand, while he held Lucy`s. Fred Allbright was last in line, followed by their hostess who held his hand tightly. They staggered along against the wind, until they reached some steps and proceeded to climb them. There must have been about thirty steps altogether, and it was tough going, but they made it. The wind, previously hard against them, died as they came to an illuminated large double archway. The welcoming light coming from the door behind it it was a deep orange color, and they were soon through it and inside a large porch, rubbing the snowflakes from their eyes. Roger, who had not been protected by a hood like the others, had developed a nasty headache from the icy cold . His ears and nose seemed frozen. Thankfully for Roger, the small reception room they were standing in soon led to a larger one that was warm and cozy. The others threw back their hoods and took in deep breaths of relief. With his teeth chattering, Roger turned to the others and spluttered. "Well, we're here at last. I wonder what comes next?"

They were soon to find out as an inner door at the end of the room slowly opened revealing a tall, slim, bearded man dressed in a white coat with trousers to match. He was followed by a nurse, similarly dressed, carrying a tray holding an assortment of large hypodermic syringes.

Chapter Three – TAfter the Operation

The tall man bowed and gave them each a smile as he introduced himself. "I'm Dr. Wyceka, and this is your nurse, Olga. Welcome to our clinic. You are now high up in the Carpathian mountains, not far from Transylvania actually, but don't let that worry you."

His smile widened, which made it look sinister. The patients looked at each other but said nothing, so he continued. "We want you to have a comfortable night, so that you will be amply ready for your operations in the morning. For this reason, we need to give you each a little injection which will enable you to sleep and restrict your appetite. This is because you will be unable to eat any normal food until the grafts have taken, and that will take several days."

Roger had to interrupt. He was horrified at the thought of nothing more to eat for several days; and so were his hefty companions. With a groan of despair, he exclaimed, "Can't we just have a quick snack or something . We haven't eaten a thing since the meal we had on the flight … and what kind of grafts do you mean?"

The doctor smiled again. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to eat anything more tonight … or tomorrow either. But you'll soon discover that you don't need anything more, after the injections. Everything is explained in these booklets I am about to give you, telling you all about the grafts and the rest of the treatment you have agreed to have."

He picked up three copies of a small booklet from the reception desk, and gave them one each. Lucy took a look at hers, thumbing through the pages, and was the first to complain."But these are not even written in English! What good does that do?"

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. We are awaiting copies in your language, as you are the first English patients to be accepted for the treatment." He cleared his throat and continued, "No matter, Nurse Olga will translate anything you want to know later."

The prospective patients began muttering to themselves and each other. Then they thought about the weather outside and how they really did desperately want to lose weight. Lucy spoke out loud first. "Well, I'm game, there's no future for me if I don't do something drastic about my weight. I've tried everything."

Roger and Fred shrugged and reluctantly agreed that they had the same problem. The other patient, Charlie, was more cautious, and became agitated."I'm not so sure that I want to go on with all this now." He stuttered nervously. "Couldn't I have some time to think it over?"

The doctor seemed to grow taller and more ominous. He spoke sternly. "Mr. Daniels, you have already signed a contract agreeing to the treatment. However, I do understand your apprehension; but I am sure that you will want to go ahead after you've read the booklet, er … I mean Nurse Olga has answered any of your questions.. Meanwhile, I must insist that you have the injection, as it will give you a good night's sleep and calm your fears, I assure you."

Roger couldn't help suspecting that the doctor was trying to prevent everything from sounding sinister. After all, he thought, depending upon what the injection did to a patient, it might make us unable to refuse anything. Nevertheless, taking a deep breath, Lucy volunteered to be first. She sat down in the large chair by the reception desk and bared her right arm; then she closed her eyes and waited.

It was soon over, and apart from a slight tingle, as the needle went home, she felt nothing. "There you are boys, nothing to it!" she chortled.

"Of course not." The doctor sniggereded, "We always add a little anaesthetic to the cocktails here. So, who will be next?"

Roger put up an arm, just as Fred did also. "Okay, after you!" He exclaimed politely and stepped aside, as Lucy got up from the chair, still smiling.

His turn soon came, followed by a distinctly pale Charlie, who sat down in the chair somewhat reluctantly. Nevertheless, all seemed to go well, and the nurse left by the way she had came. The doctor looked at each one of the patients in turn and seemed satisfied. "Now, your hostess here, my wife Madame Wyceka, who met you at the airport, will take you to your rooms. Meanwhile, I wish you a good night, and look forward to seeing you in the morning. Rest well."

He turned and left the reception room. Their hostess beckoned them to follow her through the same doorway. Roger led the way and glanced at the others. He was slightly alarmed to notice that Lucy still had the same fixed grin on her face. Turning to the other two, he noticed the same thing. Strange, he thought, I don't feel any different, why are those three looking like that? Suddenly, he felt his face muscles begin to go slack. His jaw dropped, and then his face muscles abruptly tightened up into what he could only assume was the same fixed grin as the others. Without a word, the four apprehensive, eerily smiling patients followed the elderly lady along a long corridor and into a large open plan room that was filled with a row of beds on each side, mostly empty.

She stopped at the second vacant bed on the left side of the room and indicated to Lucy that this was to be hers. Then, she turned and walked further down the room to where three more vacant beds were waiting. Roger and his two companions followed her over to them and sat down in turn. Abruptly, she turned and snapped her fingers. Two large nurses appeared. The female one attended to Lucy, and the male one dealt with Roger and the others, one after the other, helping them to undress and swiftly replace their clothes with white operating gowns. Then they departed, taking the clothes with them. Madame Wyceka left, too, once she was satisfied that all four of the new patients were safely in bed. Less than a few minutes later, the four patients were sound asleep.

Roger woke up at dawn the next morning. He had to because the big female nurse from the night before was leaning over his bed and shaking him. He gave her a welcoming groan, then sat up and began rubbing his eyes. As she moved away from him and went over to the next bed, he noticed the trolley she had brought into the room with her…with a tray of more hypodermic needles on it. He realised suddenly that somehow he felt different. Slowly, the realisation came to him thathe didn't feel hungry at all. This was most unusual, but exactly as the doctor had promised.

He watched the nurse give Fred an injection, then Charlie, both of whom seemed still asleep. With a start, he realised that he must have had his injection already. Perhaps that was what had made him wake up so early. He decided that must be it, because the others sat up, too, and began rubbing their eyes. However, just as he was thinking about turning around to see how Lucy was doing, the ceiling fell in on him; or rather that was the impression he received as the new injection took effect and neatly blacked him out.

He came awake again slowly and, opening one eye, he realised that he was still in the same bed; and flat out on his back. There was what seemed to be a heavy weight on his chest. He tried to raise his head to look down at what it might be, but he couldn't tilt his head forward enough. He tried turning his head sideways, and that was more successful. He could see a drip-feed unit standing by the side of him, presumably attached to his left arm.

Focusing his eyes with dificulty, he became aware of Fred in the bed next to him. There was definitely something big on his chest, under the single clear plastic sheet that covered him. A large, round object with a curved top was strapped to his body. It was shaped like a huge bowler hat, but with a short length of pipe coming out of it. Roger tried to feel around his chest, but he couldn't move his hands. He found he couldn't move anything except his head.

There came a whimper of fright from somewhere across the room. He guessed it came from Lucy, but he couldn't see her no matter much he strained to turn his head. He suddenly became aware that Madame Wyceka was on the other side of his bed. He gazed up at her as she began to speak. "You will get used to the attachment in no time, and you will be grateful for what it has done for you. The operating procedure has been most successful, all of it; you will be able to return home in about ten days, all being well. Thereafter, you will be able to lead a normal life, with the added advantage of being able to eat as much as you like."

Roger turned his head again and regarded Fred and the lump on his chest, which looked enormous. "How … how can you expect me, us, to go around wearing that enormous thing, whatever it is, all the time?" he stuttered, weakly.

"Don't worry, that device is only temporary. It's a local sterile environment cover, sealed down to your chest area. After a few days, my husband will replace it with a new and permanent slim prosthetic unit. Meanwhile, you will stay here to recover from the operation."

Roger slowly became aware of several other things that he could now feel were attached to him. While he was trying to work out what they might be for, Nurse Olga appeared, together with another trolley full of hypodermic syringes. He closed his eyes with a sigh and waited for the inevitable thrust.

Chapter Four – The Aftermath

Roger woke up at dawn the next morning. He had to because the big nurse, he remembered her name was Olga, from the night before was leaning over the bed and shaking him. He gave her a welcoming groan, then began rubbing his eyes, with his one free hand. As she moved away from him and went over to the next bed, he noticed the trolley she had brought into the room with her…with more hypodermic needles on top of it. Then he realised that he felt different somehow. Slowly, the realisation came to him…he didn't feel hungry. This was most unusual, but exactly as the doctor had promised.

His eyes wouldn't focus properly, but he thought he saw the nurse give Charlie an injection, then Fred. With a start he realised that he and Lucy could have had the injections already. Perhaps that was what had made him wake up so early. He decided that must be it, because the others now seemed to be rubbing their eyes, too.

However, before he could think about getting out of bed, assuming it was possible, the ceiling fell in on him, or that's the impression he received as the injection took effect and neatly blacked him out.

He came awake again slowly, and opening one eye he saw that he was still in the same bed, flat out on his back. There was a drip-feed gadget fitted to his left wrist and what seemed to be a heavy weight on his chest. He tried to raise his head to look down at what it might be, but he couldn't move. He tried turning his head again, and that was more successful.

Focusing his eyes carefully, he could see more of Fred and Charlie in the beds next to him. There was definitely something on their chests under the single clear plastic sheet that covered them. A large, boxlike object with a curved top was strapped to each of them. It was shaped like a bowler hat, but with a short length of pipe coming out of it. Roger tried to feel around his chest, but for some reason his free hand wouldn't move that far. He found he couldn't move anything else except his head. Then he saw Nurse Olga with her trolley again, brandishing an even larger syringe than last time. He watched her do something with it to the drip feed unit.

There came a whimper of fright from across the room. He guessed it was Lucy, but he couldn't see her, no matter how much he strained to turn his head. He was about to try to call out to her, when the ceiling fell in on him again. That's how it felt when the injection took hold and blacked him out for the second time.

The following seven days were similar. Roger kept careful count of them. A brief waking up period, the feeling of bodily contentment, and then the blackout again.

The next day, though, was different. When Roger he awoke, he could see that the thing on his chest was now lighter and smaller. The sterile environment cover had been removed, revealing a pink plastic lightweight unit firmly attached to his chest. Nurse Olga was there, but no trolley. She was soon joined by the Doctor himself, wearing his usual slightly sinister smile
"Can you all hear me?" he asked, in a loud, penetrating voice.

The four volunteers were awake and they nodded weakly; Roger and Fred even managed a shaky "Yes, Doctor."

"I have good news for you. The operations were all successful, and you will be able to leave in about eleven more days. Your travel tickets are ready, and all the necessary arrangements have been made for you to return home. This afternoon, we will begin your daily weight check, which should please you, and meanwhile, I think we can let you have your first meal since the operations. After that, Nurse Olga will show you how to dispose of the waste products from your attachments."

He snapped his fingers and the large male nurse appeared, together with another smaller one, each trailing two wheelchairs behind them.

Half-an-hour later, the four eager patients were being wheeled along a corridor and into a pleasant catering area, fitted with tables in the centre, but no chairs. A kitchen unit and serving bar were on the right hand wall, and there was a large panoramic window on the opposite side. The view was spectacular. Snowcapped mountains and valleys with conifers, with the sun shining brilliantly through them. An appetising odour was coming from a large saucepan bubbling in the kitchen. Madame Wyceka was stirring it carefully and still wearing her stern look.

As soon as their wheelchairs were up against the middle table, one on each side, the nurses served them large bowls containing what appeared to be a thick brown soup. Their hostess explained that it was goulasch, and they would enjoy it, after having nothing but drip-fed nutrients for a week. They all did enjoy it, and left nothing, but no second helpings were offered.

The Doctor, who had been watching them in silence through their meal, then announced that it was time for the demonstration.

“You will get used to your attachments in no time,“ he assured them, “And you will be grateful for what they will do for you. The operating procedures have been most successful, and you will all be able to return home in about a week. Thereafter, you will be able to lead a normal life, with the added advantage of being able to eat as much as you like. Now, it`s time to show you the waste disposal procedure.“

Nurse Olga took out a small clear plastic bag from a cavernous pocket in her apron and held it up for them to see. Then she leaned over Charlie and placed it around the end of the small pipe coming from below his attachment, securing it with a rubber band. She then proceeded to similarly equip the others. The doctor continued. “Your units are already working, but the meal you just consumed contained less than the right amount of food that you need in a day, so your built-in computer did not reject any of it. However, as soon as your disposal bags have been secured, we will serve you with some dessert.“ He paused, and gave his wife a signal. She lifted up a tray with four large plates resting on it. Each was filled high up with what looked like a big slice of fruitcake, topped with a thick custard sauce. The four patients could hardly wait to get at it and were soon tucking into it eagerly. While they were eating, the doctor explained that the units were battery powered, but did not need replacing. Any body movement by the wearer automatically activated a tiny charging system.


There came a sudden humming noise from Charlie`s attachment. He was the smallest of the four patients, and at least half of his dessert began to squeeze out into the disposal bag. The others soon had the same experience, but with different amounts. The doctor beamed. “That was most successful, I`m sure you will agree. Now, are there any questions?“

Roger had a big one, that had been nagging at him ever since they had arrived at the clinic. “Doctor Wyceka, I am very grateful for what you have done for me, and I`m sure the others are, too.“ He paused while they all nodded enthusiastically. “However, it must cost a fortune to run this place and provide all the treatment and everything. I don`t understand how you can do it. You must want us to pay something towards it.“

The doctor smiled again. “You do not have to pay anything for the treatment; as what we removed will repay us for that. You will not miss what we have taken from each of you. For example, I can promise each of you that your remaining kidney is perfectly healthy, and we have patients here who desperately needed a replacement.“

Lucy gave a little shriek; Fred and Charlie went pale, and Roger gulped.

“So, I suppose those other patients we saw in the same room with us were all waiting for transplants?“

The doctor`s smile widened. “You are very astute, Mr. Haggerty. Yes, those patients were here waiting for treatment in our transplant department ...“
Fred had to interrupt him, looking grim. “At a high price, I suppose?“

“What we charge them has to be sufficient to pay for your operations, too … that's only fair. However, the prosthetic attachments are donated by a distant relative of mine.“ He paused and pointed across the room to one of the big windows. “He lives in a castle up on that highest mountain, you can see there in the distance.“

Lucy had recovered enough to butt in faintly. "We were not told that you were going to remove anything. What else did you take?"

The doctor`s smile became even wider, this time revealing most of his teeth. “So, you did not read the small print in the contract you signed carefully enough? What a pity that is. It stated that you agreed to us surgically removing anything in the way of sucessfully completing the operation. You were each selected carefully, and as you were unable to pay with cashcash anything, how else could we complete the operation successfully? As to anything else, you will certainly not miss the amount of surplus blood we removed from each of you. We will be giving it to the donor of the attachments before you leave us. T, considering that`s all he ever wants in payment; but do not fear, he never visits our clinic nowadays. He`s far too old now to travel by air ... safely.“

The End

©2008 Tony Thorne MBE

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 07.10.2010

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