“Take a seat Mr. Martin.”
The doctor, Franklin Wright, smiled reassuringly as he gestured to the exam table. Martin shifted forward anxiously, gingerly taking his place on the sinking plastic. He started at the cold.
“These things are never comfortable, are they doc?”
Franklin smiled. “Afraid not, Mr. Martin. The cold help keeps down the risk of infection. It's for everyone's safety.”
Martin gave the doctor a sardonic grin. “Well, let's get on with it. Get out the needles and knives.”
Dr. Franklin gave him a scolding look. “You know we don't use anything so barbaric. Don't be dramatic. This is just a final exam, to make sure you’re healthy and disease-free.”
Martin leaned back, lying down on the table with his hands laced behind his head. “Right. Don't want me infecting anybody with something nasty. I guess that means this'll be the last time I see you then, huh doc?”
Dr. Franklin patted him on the shoulder. “I'm afraid so, Mr. Martin. Don't fret; I'm sure there are many more cold exam tables in your future.”
Martin took a deep breath. “I guess so. I guess so.”
Dr. Franklin rolled up Martin's sleeve. The starched orange fabric crumpled and compressed, leaving the man’s arm bare. He applied a tourniquet, quickly and efficiently.
“What are you going to do first?” Dr. Franklin asked. He had learned it was best to keep their minds off the pain. They were supposed to be happy, after all.
“I'm going to go home. Spend time with my wife, hug my kids. Just be with my family, you know? Do you have any family Dr. Franklin?”
Dr. Franklin forced a smile as he withdrew the needle. He moved away from the table and inserted the blood into a testing chamber. “Nothing for it now but to wait.” He turned around to face Mr. Martin. “My wife is, unfortunately, no longer with me, but I have two sons. They mean the world to me.”
Martin smiled and nodded. “There's no other feeling like it is there. Being a father?”
Dr. Franklin pulled off his glasses and began cleaning them idly with his shirt while nodding. “Nothing like it in the world, Mr. Martin.”
“And now I get to see them. Go home and see my kids. Marissa, my wife, she didn't believe, but I knew they'd make the right decision. I knew they'd find me innocent.”
Dr. Martin finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on. “Nothing short of a miracle Mr. Martin. Nothing short of a miracle.”
The testing machine finished its work. A slow, monotonous red light began blinking on and off. Dr. Franklin moved over to the machine.
Martin was nervous. “What does that mean? Do I have something?”
Dr. Franklin smiled. “Just a small cancer, Mr. Martin. Nothing serious. Let me see....” He began paging through a small binder of medicine tables on the counter. Eventually, he stopped. “REX23.” He opened a cupboard and pulled out a small, pink vial. “Here it is. You should be right as rain in a just a moment, Mr. Martin.” Dr. Franklin inserted the vial into a syringe, flicked the needle to make sure there were no bubbles. “Hold still Mr. Martin. In a few minutes, this will all be over. You'll be able to go see your family.” The tourniquet was still on. Dr. Franklin gave Mr. Martin his injection, and then solemnly put the needle away, still smiling.
Jacob Martin was declared dead 30 seconds later.
A voice came on over the intercom. “Dr. Franklin, is the procedure complete?”
The Doctor moved over to the voice panel on the wall. “Jacob Martin has passed on. He didn't suspect a thing; he went peacefully.”
“Good work, Doctor. We can at least show them a little kindness before their release.”
“Of course.”
A few seconds later the door slid open again, and a young woman in an orange jumpsuit looked in nervously. “Take a seat Mrs. West.”
The doctor, Franklin Wright, smiled reassuringly as he gestured to the exam table. Martin shifted forward anxiously, gingerly taking his place on the sinking plastic. He started at the cold.
“These things are never comfortable, are they doc?”
Franklin smiled. “Afraid not, Mr. Martin. The cold help keeps down the risk of infection. It's for everyone's safety.”
Martin gave the doctor a sardonic grin. “Well, let's get on with it. Get out the needles and knives.”
Dr. Franklin gave him a scolding look. “You know we don't use anything so barbaric. Don't be dramatic. This is just a final exam, to make sure you’re healthy and disease-free.”
Martin leaned back, lying down on the table with his hands laced behind his head. “Right. Don't want me infecting anybody with something nasty. I guess that means this'll be the last time I see you then, huh doc?”
Dr. Franklin patted him on the shoulder. “I'm afraid so, Mr. Martin. Don't fret; I'm sure there are many more cold exam tables in your future.”
Martin took a deep breath. “I guess so. I guess so.”
Dr. Franklin rolled up Martin's sleeve. The starched orange fabric crumpled and compressed, leaving the man’s arm bare. He applied a tourniquet, quickly and efficiently.
“What are you going to do first?” Dr. Franklin asked. He had learned it was best to keep their minds off the pain. They were supposed to be happy, after all.
“I'm going to go home. Spend time with my wife, hug my kids. Just be with my family, you know? Do you have any family Dr. Franklin?”
Dr. Franklin forced a smile as he withdrew the needle. He moved away from the table and inserted the blood into a testing chamber. “Nothing for it now but to wait.” He turned around to face Mr. Martin. “My wife is, unfortunately, no longer with me, but I have two sons. They mean the world to me.”
Martin smiled and nodded. “There's no other feeling like it is there. Being a father?”
Dr. Franklin pulled off his glasses and began cleaning them idly with his shirt while nodding. “Nothing like it in the world, Mr. Martin.”
“And now I get to see them. Go home and see my kids. Marissa, my wife, she didn't believe, but I knew they'd make the right decision. I knew they'd find me innocent.”
Dr. Martin finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on. “Nothing short of a miracle Mr. Martin. Nothing short of a miracle.”
The testing machine finished its work. A slow, monotonous red light began blinking on and off. Dr. Franklin moved over to the machine.
Martin was nervous. “What does that mean? Do I have something?”
Dr. Franklin smiled. “Just a small cancer, Mr. Martin. Nothing serious. Let me see....” He began paging through a small binder of medicine tables on the counter. Eventually, he stopped. “REX23.” He opened a cupboard and pulled out a small, pink vial. “Here it is. You should be right as rain in a just a moment, Mr. Martin.” Dr. Franklin inserted the vial into a syringe, flicked the needle to make sure there were no bubbles. “Hold still Mr. Martin. In a few minutes, this will all be over. You'll be able to go see your family.” The tourniquet was still on. Dr. Franklin gave Mr. Martin his injection, and then solemnly put the needle away, still smiling.
Jacob Martin was declared dead 30 seconds later.
A voice came on over the intercom. “Dr. Franklin, is the procedure complete?”
The Doctor moved over to the voice panel on the wall. “Jacob Martin has passed on. He didn't suspect a thing; he went peacefully.”
“Good work, Doctor. We can at least show them a little kindness before their release.”
“Of course.”
A few seconds later the door slid open again, and a young woman in an orange jumpsuit looked in nervously. “Take a seat Mrs. West.”
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