A Lonely and Curious Country by Matthew Carpenter, Steven Prizeman, Damir Salkovic Page A

became paranoid and spoke obsessively about “The Eleventh Plague.” Despite concerns of both family and colleagues, Mr. Denton continued to see patients in his clinic. Indeed, it is noted that in the final weeks leading up to his arrest, the former Dr. Denton was seeing upwards of fifty patients per day, often remaining in the office after hours and holding appointments on weekends. It wasn’t until later that it was discovered the doctor had been soliciting patients to bring themselves and their children in to the office for “urgent treatment.”
    Using the panic surrounding the current Simian Flu epidemic to his advantage, the former Dr. Denton administered injections—which he described to patients as a new, more effective vaccine—to nearly two thousand individuals, including hundreds of children. It is still unknown precisely what Mr. Denton injected into his victims, only that after several weeks, a subset of his patients became acutely ill and died.
    Among the victims were Mr. Denton’s wife, Cecilia; their son, Nicholas; and his granddaughter, Lily.
    Deemed unfit to stand trial by the courts, he was remanded to our care.
    Objective : Patient is a Caucasian male in no acute distress.
    Physical Exam: Heart, lung, abdomen, and neuro exams all within normal limits
    Labs:               CBC, BMP, Urine - within normal limits
    Tox Screen - Negative
    Medications: None
    Family History: Noncontributory
    Assessment : Patient is a 42-year-old male admitted for homicidal tendencies and delusions.
    Plan : Enroll in Project Handbasket.
     
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    Informed Consent form for Subject #314-69-4245
    Part I: Information Sheet
    INTRODUCTION: My name is Dr. Harper, and I work for Shady Acres Neuropsychiatric Institute. I am doing research on the effects of life after death on the behavior of subsequently revived individuals and its application as a rehabilitation tool. I am going to give you information regarding Project Handbasket as you are now a participant in this research. There may be some words you do not understand. Please feel free to ask questions as we proceed through the information, and I will answer your questions on a need-to-know basis.
    PURPOSE OF RESEARCH: Violent crime has been a problem for as long as man has roamed the earth. Various modes of punishment and rehabilitation have been implemented over the centuries; however, few—if any—have resulted in long-term behavioral changes, and recidivism rates remain high. The purpose of this research is to determine if short-term exposure to the afterlife is superior to traditional sentencing penalties in achieving and maintaining reformation in serial offenders.
    TYPE OF INTERVENTION: This research will involve a series of sessions during which a single infusion of potassium chloride will be administered intravenously (IV) into your arm, followed by a period of brief observation, resuscitation, and appropriate clinical follow up.
    PARTICIPANT SELECTION: All patients remanded to the Shady Acres Neuropsychiatric Institute by the courts are eligible to participate.
    VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION: Your participation in this research is mandatory. You have no choice regarding the duration of enrollment in this study and may not withdraw at any time.
    DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS: During the study you will make between one and seven visits to the research theatre.
    On the first visit, baseline data will be obtained during a one-hour, pre-treatment interview and administration of psychometric testing. The interview will include questions regarding religious beliefs, past criminal offenses, the presence or absence of remorse, and intent to reoffend.
    Following the interview, you will be secured to an operating table, and a single infusion of potassium chloride will be administered to you intravenously, resulting in arrhythmia and subsequent cardiac arrest. You will remain clinically dead for a period of no less than ninety seconds.
    During this time, your soul will exit