About Death (A story I wrote around 4:34 am 18 August 1999

Name of the book: About Death
          Author: Michael W. Bell
    Type of book: Pessimistic short short story

I wrote this charming little styory on Wednesday, August 18 1999 at 4:34:10 a. I did this on a midnight to 8 am shift at work. 

Now, for your reading pleasure, I present this forgotten little gem:

About Death

      The doctor went past her nurse, shaking her head.  The nurse asked: "How bad is it, Doctor?"

"Very bad", she told him, "their child is going to die."

The doctor entered a treatment room where an anxious couple waited.

"I have the results of your pre-natal testing.  You can be happy about them, some of them.  You are five weeks pregnant, Debra and the sonograms and cat scans show your unborn baby to be within norms; the child is healthy."

The doctor sighed.

"Please remember that the results of the blood tests we conducted are absolutely private.  In accordance with the patient protection act, neither we nor you can tell ANYONE what the results were."

             The young couple looked at each other in puzzlement and he asked:

"Why should we be worried?"

The doctor sighed again and wondered how these young patients could be so ignorant.

 

"These pre-natal tests are absolutely private and can not be divulged to anyone.  But, on the other hand, immediately after you give birth, your child will be finger and foot printed, his or her patient number will be written in indelible ink on his or her right arm and a federally mandated series of blood tests will be conducted.  The results of the blood tests will be confirmed and disseminated to medical insurance carriers and law enforcement agencies.  In particular, to the anti-drug agencies."

The young couple looked puzzled.

"Your child's DNA workup indicates a strong predisposition for heart problems in later life; the child has some of the markers tentatively believed to indicate a predisposition for diabetes; that can be handled with proper diet.  The insurance companies probably won't insure your child because of the potential heart problem."

The couple looked very upset.  "You could declare the child to be medically a ward of the state and he or she will be covered by Medicare from birth."

"OK."

"The real problem is the computer analysis suggests a significant chance that your child could become addicted to several different types of drugs.  The  anti-drug people have finally realized that the drug problem will be handled only when the demand is eliminated.  So, the anti-drug task forces will be assigning "minders" to both monitor your child and 'help' you raise your child.  This will mean anti-drug counselors will be visiting you frequently and randomly.  They will be watching everything you do.  They will be investigating your friends.  In fact, given the combination of potential medical problems and drug problems, they will probably take the child to a medical confinement/rehabilitation centre very shortly after birth."

“That's horrible," the mother to be said.

"The horrible part is that no one has proven that the gene markers tested for actually are precursors or indicators of future drug problems.  The ACLU and several pro-life organizations have been fighting this in court for years to no avail.  This won't make much difference to the Members of Congress who are being pushed by the public to fine a cure!  Thus, the anti-drug acts in the Congress will continue including these provisions in the fine print (the MD was guessing about the fine print) while talking about restoring "the Honor and Dignity of the United States" by making drug sentences even harsher.  I hear they've been early releasing violent prisoners to make room for the first time pot smokers."

"Is the, ah, fetus a boy or girl?"

"I can't tell you that. I wasn't even legally allowed to release to you the information about the potential drug problem. The sad thing is that the odds are you could have many more children without these gene markers. But, you wouldn't be able to afford it. If, or I should say when, the 'state' takes this baby, you'll be charged an exorbitant fee for child support."

"What about an abortion?"

"That is your legal right and will be added to the Medicare funded programmes. Medicare funding is being guaranteed by a rider on a bill the President absolutely must sign in order to win

re-election."

"Thank you."

The MD watched the young couple check out through her Nurse and enter the abortion clinic across the hall. She cried knowing that the anti-drug regulations which had required her to brief these kids in such detail had directly lead to the abortion. She faced “ten and ten” (a ten thousand dollar fine and ten years in jail) had she offered them any hope.

After all, the easiest to treat drug addict is one who dies too young to have become an addict...

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This is not a story I would think of today or write if I did for that matter..

I was thinking about a logical consequence of gene marking and insurance companies.  I was obviously in a pessimistic mood…

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test

Crystal

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• b

Years in Sanctuary

1. Years since birth Gaius Julius Caeser
2. Years since birth of the Nazarene
3. Years since founding of the Empire
4. Founding of Crystal Calandar (Year Zero)
   Dent

   Arrival Dent Clan Year 1 of the Crystal Calandar

Crystal attempt

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I am thinking of restarting the Sanctuary side of my story. This mans a section of the life of Crystal and thenlives of the people who wre raised at the Lebonan People. === Crystal Crystal born Did I write earlier than Crystal had breatihng problems around time of his birth Sanctuary had three calandars 1. Based on birth of the Glorius Gaisus Julius Caesar 2. Based on birth of the Glorious Nazareen (AKA Jesus the Christ) 3. Based on date Chleopatria and Mark Anthony made Peaeee Treaty with Rome. 4. The creation of a Nubian Royal Family in the Highland of the Southern Nile 1800 years prior. 5. People of Sanctuary and the people of the House of the FIsh (settle on a name!) decided on a new calandar: Winter Solsitis of the Year Crystal was born. Crystal was regarded as the perfet embodiment of Half Orc baby features by every one who saw hin and they ccalled this date Year Zero of Crystal (they used an old Orc spelling of Crystal''s Name and that knowledge later became something to be passed down onlto to the various people when they were decled adults.) Dent and surviving family arrive in Year 1 of Crystal. Mating scheme created Year 2 of Crystal Given each of the 4 men had 5 wives who each bore A set of twins (1 boy, 1 girl) Thus the community suddenly had 20 new horns Said new borns had Half-Elven and half-Orc minders as well as the occasional Den sack an who visited from The Home Of Fish. Crystal's breathing problems Year 4 of Crystal Crystal has serious breathing problems Purging from the mines Medical affairs lead to "outing" of Dents People Year 8 of Crystal Crystal becomes responsible for caring for five four year olds.

Crystal's Kids: Two of Tens Children

His Sister Old Chef's Delight (named for the Old Chef's Joy at the thought of Crystal havng A sister...she insisted on calling herself Diamond and so the name was changed One of the Denasavian families moved to Sanctuary after A problem with a foreign fishetman Emma, daughter of two gigantic Elves Crystal washed his kids in s large tub. None were bashful This later became A source of jokrs...

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I am thinking of restarting the Sanctuary side of my story. This mans a section of the life of Crystal and thenlives of the people who wre raised at the Lebonan People. 

===

Crystal

Crystal born 

 Did I write earlier than Crystal had breatihng problems around time of his birth

 Sanctuary had three calandars

1.  Based on birth of the Glorius Gaisus Julius Caesar

 2. Based on birth of the Glorious Nazareen (AKA Jesus the Christ)

 3.  Based on date Chleopatria and Mark Anthony made Peaeee Treaty with Rome.

 4. The creation of a Nubian Royal Family in the Highland  of the Southern Nile 1800 years prior.

5. People of Sanctuary and the people of the House of the FIsh (settle on a name!) decided on a new calandar: Winter Solsitis of the Year Crystal was born. Crystal was regarded as the perfet embodiment of Half Orc baby features by every one who saw hin and they ccalled this date Year Zero of Crystal (they used an old Orc spelling of Crystal''s Name and that knowledge later became something to be passed down onlto to the various people when they were decled adults.)

Dent and surviving family arrive in Year 1 of Crystal.

Mating scheme created

Year 2 of Crystal

Given each of the 4 men had 5 wives who each bore A set of twins (1 boy, 1 girl)

Thus the community suddenly had 20 new horns

Said new borns had Half-Elven and half-Orc minders as well as the occasional Den sack an who visited from The Home Of Fish.

Crystal's breathing problems

Year 4 of Crystal

Crystal has serious breathing problems 

Purging from the mines

Medical affairs lead to "outing" of Dents People

Year 8 of Crystal

Crystal becomes responsible for caring for five four year olds.

<dl>Crystal's Kids:

<oi>Two of Tens Children</ou>

<oi>His Sister Old Chef's Delight (named for the Old Chef's Joy at the thought of Crystal havng A sister...she insisted on calling herself Diamond and so the name was changed</oi>

<oi>One of the Denasavian families moved to Sanctuary after A problem with a foreign fishetman</oi>

<oi>Emma, daughter of two gigantic Elves</oi>

<oi>Crystal washed his kids in s large tub. None were bashful This later became A source of jokrs...</oi>

</dt>

 

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Mediterrean

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Crystal

one

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three