Some people would say that doctor Coxotl had it easy.
Unlike others in the medical profession he had not to worry about his patients dying. His patients were supposed to die.
It had been almost 25 years since the hard political debate about granting Euthanasia to people who suffered from fatal and incurable diseases.
He had joined the diseases on invitation as a doctor and saw himself now in a position of much too great responsibility.
He looked at the piece of paper he had gently removed from the woman's hand. Then he looked at her. She tried to smile but failed without lips or much of a face left.
What hair had not burned had fallen off due to radiation sickness together with her teeth and nails.
“Ill it urt?” she asked.
“No Miss Chen “ he said with a soft, gentle voice. He had done this so often but every time his mouth went dry and a lump formed in his throat making it hard to talk.
The piece of paper was a signed agreement. He would administer a deadly dose of an anesthetic that would make her sleepy, relaxed and finally stop her heart.
“You will travel lightly” he told her “In a short time no one will hurt you Miss Chen, never again”
He had some difficulty to apply the infusion needle to her arm. The skin was almost gone and the burned flesh had begun to harden with scare tissue.
He had seen her passport. He had to check to make sure she was the person she claimed.
She had been young one. Beautiful once.
“ank u dotor” she whispered while she closed her eyes.
He attached the infusion bag and opened it. The clear fluid ran into her veins. Within a few seconds the undiluted substance would do its work.
First the pain left her, then the anxiety and finally she departed this world.
He stood there waiting for 10 more minutes while the life support system beeped it´s flat-line signal.
The nurse shut off the alarm and monitor.
“Come doctor we have other patients waiting. Mister Huang is next. He has a drainage in every lung to pump out the blood and he is under heavy life support.”
“We should not let him wait” she said while gently placing the sheet over the woman's head.
Doctor Coxotl pulled out a cigarette and took a deep breath “Sometimes” he said to the nurse “I wish I had it as easy as those other doctors.”
I will post a little story here from time to time to make it less statistical. If you have something to put up, go ahead