CHAPTER 3
"You can open your eyes anytime now Mr. Watson. We know you're
awake."
"I was just trying to collect myself and remember what
happened," said Joe.
Opening his eyes he saw an older man wearing a white coat and
carrying a stethoscope. Glancing about he noticed he was restrained
in what appeared to be hospital bed. Furthermore, he saw wires
leading from his bed to a bank of monitors that were meaningless to
him."
"What happened? I have a heart attack or something."
"No. Nothing that simple I'm afraid." Let me get the director
to explain the situation to you.
Several minutes later Joe looked up as a pretty blonde entered
the room. "Mr. Watson, welcome back to the world of the living. My
name is Dr. van Damme and I'm sure you have many questions..."
"You bet I do babe. What happened, where am I, and when can
I leave." Joe interrupted.
"To answer your questions in order. You were drugged; slipped
a mickey I think the vernacular is. You are on my private island,
far removed from the United States, and I don't know when, if ever,
you can return there. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"
"What the fuck is going on here? Who the hell do you think you
are?" Joe exploded.
His answer was a slap from Dr. van Damme that rocked his still
woozy head.
"I'll thank you to keep a civil tongue in your head. The story
your associates will put out is this; as a result of your notorious
womanizing, you have contracted AIDS. You have secreted yourself at
a private clinic outside the United States to undergo experimental
therapy, much as a famous actor did not to long ago. Eventually you
will succumb to your illness and your remains will be cremated.
After that, it won't be long before the world forgets that Joseph
Watson ever existed."
"How could this be happening to me?" Joe wondered.
"Who put you up to this?" He demanded to know.
"The answer, Mr. Watson, is that you did. The way you treated
your ex-wife, and the way you've treated women all your life,
caught my attention. That, and the fact that you were vulnerable."
"That goddamned bitch Gloria. Figure her to get mixed up in
something like this." Joe thought for a minute. "What do you mean
vulnerable?"
"You were such a disagreeable person that no one cared for
you. We were able to influence every individual who might be
concerned over your absence. They all sold you out. You were a
failure as a person Mr. Watson. That and your miserly penny-
pinching did you in."
"What are you talking about?"
"You were too cheap to keep a good law firm on retainer. I'm
sure if you had, that they would have advised you to change your
will immediately after your divorce. As it was, you didn't, and
have created all manner of potential difficulties for yourself.
Such as the one you're in right now."
"Let me go. Look, whatever she's paying you I'll double it, no
wait..., I'll triple it."
"Lets understand one thing Mr. Watson. Your wife didn't put us
up to this. We put her up to it."
"So what's going to happen?"
"When you die, your wife will become executrix and
administrate of your estate, at least until your son becomes
twenty-one. She's going to pay us for our 'treatment' of you and a
good portion of the fees will be rebated to her via overseas bank
accounts."
"And how much is this treatment of mine going to run."
Inquired Joe.
"About five million dollars to start, but that's just the
beginning. The Institute provides many services; psychological,
surgical, behavior modification, anti-aging, and infertility just
to name a few. Many of these treatments are unsanctioned in the
industrialized countries, such as injecting fetal cells to reverse
the aging process. Our many affluent clients come here, where any
treatment they desire can be provided. Whether or not their
nation's medical authorities consider them effective or ethical.
Even so, these treatments have to be tested somehow and that's
where you come in. Your wife made you available to us to perform
research on as part of your punishment. In addition to the base fee
of five million, your wife guarantees us a profit of thirty-five
percent on all procedures performed on you."
"But what exactly is it you plan to do to me?
"The bad news, Mr. Watson, is that we are going to create a
new you. We will change both your appearance and your personality.
The good news is that you have shown a definite preference for the
design we are going to use."
At this point Dr. van Damme retired. Leaving Joe to
contemplate her cryptic announcement as he drifted off into
unconsciousness.
