Thursday, January 15, 2015

Words from the World of “Night Clinic”

                      

1. That’s all your precious Andromeda is; Minotaur dung and that’s all you deserve.” - Medusa

2. “And, what is this truth? Just three things: you are born, you struggle for a brief period of time, and you die, and on the day an individual accepts the reality of this truth, real freedom begins.” – The Raven


3. “Let the pregnant lady have the last word.” – Dr. Barnes

4. “Mom, you know how you always give me things, toys and stuff to play with? And, you know I take them and play with it for a few minutes? But a lot of the time I bring those toys to school with me and give them to other kids. And you what? I feel much better giving the toys away than getting them.”-Andrew

 5. “True second chances should be cherished. They are a rare and precious gift.”  


6.“…sex just gets better and better even when you’re no longer spring chick­ens. When you’re young it’s all hurry up and then what? When you get older you can take the time to be indulgent…” - Cupcake

7. “God touches our lives in mysterious and unexpected ways.” – Caleb

8.“…please, stay away from Tribbles. You know they’re nothing but trouble.” – Dr. Barnes

9. “Come, come, Dr. Barnes, with everything that has happened since you’ve been working here? Besides Madame, I’ve also got a Priest, a Rabbi, a Buddhist Monk, a Hindu Shaman, the FBI, the CIA, the Fire Department, Animal Control, the Police Department, the Sheriff’s Office, and Ghostbusters on my contact list.” – Nurse James

10. “…there are only two types of politicians, those that are in jail for corruption and those who haven’t been caught yet.” – Dr. Barnes

11. “…for all the acts of kindness you and the people at this Clinic perform, we are all grateful and indebted to you.” –Medusa

Eleven memorable quotations from the world of “Night Clinic” provide a glimpse into this unique and bizarre world.

Unique? Who is Caleb or Medusa or Cupcake? Dive into “Night Clinic” and you will meet them and many more.

There is no other book that I’ve found which combines the medical and the supernatural, magical and mystical. Think about it. There are medical thrillers which combine medical expertise with a murder, or a rare disease or disaster. There is medical fiction which just means the setting is in a hospital or the characters are doctors and nurses. But, bringing the medical, mystical and magical together opens the doors to a world never before conceived.

I did search for a similar story and could find none. Thus, I invented a world where the only commonality among a bizarre mixture of characters is their need to receive medical care. And, where can Roachman or Medusa go when they are sick or injured? Where can a depressed delusional vampire turn when he finds himself fantasizing about being a werewolf? Surely not to a big city hospital or world famous clinic, places where he would face the ridicule of the medical establishment. No, it is to the anonymous, understaffed, storefront night clinic, where they will be treated with care and skill, and without any unnecessary questions.

Dr. Barnes and Nurse James do their best to mend the motley collection of  sick and injured patients who pass through their doors. In the process they are often healed themselves and make their small part of the world a better place.

“Night Clinic” started as a single short story, but the setting was perfect for story upon story until the climactic finale. But, then again, is it finished, done, terminated? As the poet once said: “It’s never over until it’s over.” People, monsters, aliens and ordinary people will always get sick or shot or stabbed at all hours. “Night Clinic” can never truly end. Maybe, it’s just moving down the road a few blocks.