Entry 12: Doctor Hatchet Man MD
A new
doctor has recently opened up a practice in town in a converted warehouse
which used to be a meat packers. By all accounts, the place
maintains its air of death and hooked carcass.
The doc, who used to run the place as his own business under the name “The
Hatchet Man”, has rather unfortunately become synonymous with his former
profession, which perhaps goes some way to explaining why only a handful of
locals have been brave enough to have sought out his services.
While working in the meat packing and slaughtering industry, the doc took a
part time six session fast track course in medicine in order to gain his
fully qualified medical status. I read in the paper that there’s
no money in butchery any more which has
meant many have had choose between retraining or working in garages
assisting people with petrol refilling and hawking Snicker bars at massively
inflated prices (the so-called Snickers Drag Effect). Unfortunately
he must still be paying back his student debts as he also keeps a portion of
his practice open for slaughter-based sundry activities.
I’m not too sure of his credentials to be honest; Bill from across the road
went there recently and hasn’t been seen since. He had his leg busted up
pretty bad the other week when a first edition fell on it and it
quickly became gangrenous. Shortly after
Bill’s disappearance I saw Nelly, a local 5-legged cow, hobbling past the
house, which surprised me as Nelly is renowned in these parts for having 6
legs in aggregate. I’m not sure, but I think the recent wholesale recall of
beef in our local supermarket, in which tainted meat was uncovered with bits
of human clothing in it, may be linked inextricably to the apparent demise
of Bill and his festering leg.
It’s possible that the doc hacked up and packaged
old Bill and amputated Nelly’s sixth leg in a mix up I suppose,
though I would be first to admit that sounds a little far fetched. Suffice
to say, though, the Hatchet Man, M.D. or otherwise, won’t be hearing from me
for a while!