Chapter 14

Flashback – Ben and Tatiana – At the hospital

After we had a great time with our 'physical therapy' (!!!), Tatiana went into the bathroom even though I was restrained to the bed. She explained, "You benefited from the carrot and now you will experience the stick." I didn't know what she meant and so I patiently waited. After all I had been punished by the worst (my dad), so what could she do to me?

I waited for what seemed like forever, then I called, "Tatiana, where are you?" I received no answer. I pulled at my restraints in hope that I could escape but there was no way I was getting out of them.

I called again, "Tatiana?"

Hells bells, she had somehow disappeared and left me tied to this damn bed ... Ah, now I understood. This was the stick - being tied to the bed with no one to help me. I fought against the restraints without any luck then decided what the hell: I would just go to sleep. I was almost asleep when...

I left Ben's bathroom through the hallway door and now I watched him on the baby monitor I had strategically placed on the counter. It was hard not to laugh when he kept trying to escape from the restraints because that was simply impossible.

I watched until he started to go to sleep, then I pushed the talk button on the baby monitor, put the airhorn up to the microphone and pressed the button. I giggled as Ben practically jumped off the bed. Then he swore, "Son of a bitch! What the hell did that???"

Some SOB set off an airhorn in the room! Not only did it wake me up, it scared the hell out of me! I looked around the room then I noticed it - there was a fucking baby monitor on the counter. Now I understood more about what the stick was. I glared at the baby monitor and threatened, "You might think this is funny now, but you just wait because revenge is a dish best served cold."

I chuckled then the damn airhorn blew again. I decided I needed to do something about this so I began to think about how I could kill that fucking baby monitor...

Now this was interesting, what was my Ben doing? He was looking all around in his bed like he was trying to find something. He finally twisted his head around, took his pillow in his mouth and worked it down toward his hand ... What was he doing?

He finally positioned it into his hand and he began to swing it. I in turn determined what he was attempting so I activated the airhorn again. He jumped and dropped the pillow on the floor then demanded, "You son of a bitch, I've had enough of this bullshit! Now come in here and let me loose."

I pushed the monitor button, laughed and taunted, "Not until you promise me that you're going to stay in the bed."

He swore, "There's no way in hell I'm going to promise that when I'm restrained! Let's see how you like this."

I watched as he tossed his underwear at the baby monitor. His aim was perfect and I could no longer see what he was doing, however it sounded like he was destroying the room so I sounded the airhorn several more times...

Flashback – Mira, Ira, Safia and Naomi – in Israel

We observed the doctor as he began to treat Safia, while she loudly brayed that the doctor was going to kill her. When he held up a syringe I questioned, "Doctor which drug are you administering to Safia?"

He stated, "It's an antipsychotic medicine to help with her schizophrenia."

Safia again loudly brayed, "Mira, he's going to kill me."

I attempted to ease her concerns and questioned, "Which antipsychotic substance are you using?"

He became defensive, "Unless you are a doctor, I do not have to answer to you!"

I did not like the answer. I signaled Ira and she withdrew her katana and declared, "Doctor, that is not an appropriate response for my sister. While she is not a medical doctor she has extensive knowledge of medicines..."

The doctor looked at the katana shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, if you must know it's Risperdal Consta."

I questioned, "Doctor are you not concerned with the possible side effects such as tardive dyskinesia or even worse neuroleptic malignant syndrome? With the injection's long term release mechanism there would be no possible way to counteract such dangerous side effects. And from the look of the amount of Risperdal Consta in your syringe, it is close to the maximum dose."

Safia brayed, "I told you Mira, he is trying to kill me."

Naomi questioned, "Mira are you sure?"

I turned toward Naomi and explained, "With pharmaceuticals I do not make mistakes. It is very ill-advised to give Risperdal Consta without a prior trial of oral Risperidone because it continues intramuscular release for several weeks. The recommended dosage of Risperdal Consta is 12.5 to 50 mg and this doctor has chosen close to the maximum 50mg dose. The trial of oral Risperidone allows the patient to be treated quickly if they do develop tardive dyskinesia or neuroleptic malignant syndrome."

Naomi questioned, "What are tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome?"

I replied, "Tardive dyskinesia is a difficult-to-treat form of dyskinesia - a disorder resulting in involuntary, repetitive body movements. In this form of dyskinesia, the involuntary movements are tardive, meaning they have a slow or belated onset. This neurological disorder frequently appears after long-term or high-dose use of antipsychotic drugs. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is even worse: It is a life-threatening neurological disorder most often caused by an adverse reaction to neuroleptic or antipsychotic drugs. NMS typically consists of muscle rigidity, fever, autonomic instability, and cognitive changes such as delirium, and is associated with elevated plasma creatine phosphokinase. The incidence of neuroleptic malignant syndrome has decreased since it was first described, due to changes in prescribing habits, but NMS is still a potential danger to patients being treated with antipsychotic medication."

We all glared at the doctor and the doctor said, "Well, your knowledge of pharmaceuticals is like having a PDR (Physicians' Desk Reference – a commercially published compilation of manufacturers' prescribing information {package inserts}on prescription drugs, updated annually) in my hands, but I still feel this is the best course of treatment for this patient."

I smiled at the doctor and related, "Thank you. I have memorized the PDR but I unfortunately vociferously disagree with you and will not allow you to inject Safia with Risperdal Consta because the risk is too great."

The doctor scoffed, "I highly doubt you have memorized the entire PDR, that's over two-thousand pages of highly technical material."

Ira defended my skill but warned the physician, "Doctor, my sister does not tweak the truth; she has indeed memorized the entire PDR. In contrast, that is something of which you seem to lack detailed knowledge."

He looked to Naomi and pleaded, "Naomi, who is the doctor here and haven't I always served you and your master well?"

I interjected, "Naomi, before you respond to his plea be aware that Akhmed's excessive weight could possibly be due to this man's malpractice."

Naomi glared at him but then questioned me, "Mira, why would you say that?"

I explained, "Naomi, it is obvious Akhmed's weight gain is due to a severe hormonal, and I do not mean relating to Safia's terrible joke, imbalance. Such a reaction is either being caused because he is taking some medication which interferes with his normal hormonal balance or he needs hormonal supplementation."

The doctor obviously lied and sarcastically declared, "This girl does not know what she is talking about. What medical training has she had to compare with superior training I received from John Hopkins in the USA."

I gleefully baited the trap, "John Hopkins is the institution located in Boston Massachusetts, is that correct?"

He continued his untruthful assertions, "Yes, in the fine city of Boston."

I impeached his assertion, "Excuse me, but John Hopkins University is in Baltimore Maryland, not in Boston, Massachusetts." I turned toward Naomi and stated, "This man is a charlatan and I would not let him treat a dead female saluki."

The charlatan complained, "Naomi..."

Ira raised her katana and ordered, "Charlatan, depart haste of post."

He began to remove his medicinal bag and I interjected, "Without your medicinal bag."

He began to argue as Ira's katana sliced through the air and stopped less than one centimeter from his arm. He quickly snatched his hand back and swore, "Somehow, I will get even with you two bitches."

I countered, "Charlatan, you can shove it up your ass..."

Ira continued, " ... sideways until it rips you a new asshole..."

I clarified, " ... and then you can kiss our asses."

Ira got in the spirit, " ... and if you do not depart immediately we will bitch slap your ass..."

I finished, " ... because your ass is grass and we kick grass asses!!!"

He again swore as he departed haste of post! Naomi looked at me and questioned, "What should I do now? He was supposed to be the best doctor in town."

I laughed, "No, he was the best charlatan in town. If you do not object, I will treat Safia and then tend to your injured knees."

Naomi reminded us, "What about the injuries to my master from being raped."

I had made a tactical error when I forgot Akhmed's injuries. I had no desire to observe or treat his injuries however it appeared that I was up the defecation rivulet without a bladed rowing device.

I quickly developed a path through this conundrum and submitted, "Naomi, because I do not wish to refabricate a friction reducing rotary transportation instrument using the algebraic equation x squared + y squared equals radius (i.e. reinvent the wheel). I will observe his injuries and impart to you sufficient knowledge to minister to them..."

With Mira ministering to everyone except myself I stated, "I wish to check the computer again for further messages." Then I departed down the stairs.

I sat at Naomi's desk, connected again to our e-mail server and was not surprised when we had a reply from Masha. I occulated the reply, smiled and decided I would repair Masha's tiny wagon of red...

Flashback – Masha – At the apartment

I was busy preparing dinner for us and also watched Jack sleep. He seemed so peaceful in his sleep and I loved watching him. I anticipated the nature of our married life and smiled...

The computer dinged which meant I had a new e-mail. I walked over and it was a reply to my e-mail. I opened it and swore some more. It read:

Masha,

Your support is not required, in fact it is complexly cumbersome so you can take your support and shove it up your ass sideways until it rips you a new asshole! We will not depart Israel until the Mossad have been thoroughly chastised.

If you attempt to force exfiltration upon us, we will bitch slap you like the female saluki you are. We calculate that our mission will require a few weeks to a month before completion. At that time we will confront one another, façade to façade.

I leave you with a conundrum: 'How do you make a hor-mone?'

I

I was surprised because this e-mail was individually from Irina and made me question what Miranda was doing. And what in hades was this conundrum she added at the end? I decided that two could play this game so I dashed off a response that I was sure would get the twins attention, and I even added a threat at the end.