This is my second attempt at writing a story. The first was last year when I did a short story (Fiction) on the ebola outbreak. You can check it here: https://www.nairaland.com/1873274/amberacious-diary . Before I kick start this story, first of all introduction.

BEYOND MEDICINE BY AMBERACIOUS





DISCLAIMER:
This work is an imaginative expression of the author’s medically inclined mind on some true life stories. It is certainly not the real story and should at no point in time be regarded as one. It is only an amberacious view of the real story.

DEDICATION:
This work is dedicated to a friend in need of a miracle and to everyone that believes in miracles.

PHOTO CREDITS:
Pictures courtesy of Google Images

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This work exclusively belongs to the author and is protected under copyright laws. No part of this work, either in parts or in whole should be reproduced in any format, electronic or otherwise without permission of the author.
© 2015 by amberacious

PROLOGUE


The Valley of the Shadow of Death

84 AD
Boeotia,
Greece.

Dr. Luke could feel his body ache. His age induced backache seemed to be aggravated by the terrors he passed through in recent days. His low back ached seriously and he could feel some shocking sensation down his legs. His ankles bled with each step he took from the shackles tied around them. His feet felt heavy and the shackles limited the width of his pace. He walked in short pace, slowly and sluggishly. The crowd behind him pushed him as his feet became too heavy to walk. He stumbled on a lying log of wood and staggered for balance which he did not achieve, before falling against a pile of stones by the roadside. The impact was more on the right side of his face where he suffered some bruises and bled from.

His tormentors seemed not to have had the last of his affliction as they dragged him down the country road after the fall. Numbering in hundreds- majorly made up of generation younger than Luke’s, they chanted along some ritual incantations foreign to Luke. At this period, understanding what his tormentors were saying was the least of Luke’s problem compared to the thought of the fate that awaited him.

As he struggled along, he reflected on one of the psalmist line “though I walked through the valley of shadow of death.” He doubted the psalmist’s or any of his colleague’s experience was as horrible as his.

“No! None could have suffered this much,” He convinced himself as he spat out the salty fluid that found its way into his mouth. He could not tell if it was tears from his agony or sweat from his misery as both body fluids harmoniously navigated through his cheeks to the corner of his lips.

Dr. Luke looked at a yonder. His vision was blurry. But when he strained his eyes he saw the rope dangling on the famous Olive tree
.

“Death is near,” his soul whispered.



CHAPTER ONE
THE EXECUTION

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CHAPTER ONE: THE EXECUTION

Luke 1:1-4


The Crucifer

At the base of the olive tree the leader of his tormentors stepped forward. He has a burning in.cest in his hand. He looked fierce with a circular mark around his left eye. On the right side of his face he wore a huge scar that Dr. Luke judged must have been caused by a previous burn injury. He has three long feathers tucked into a head band on his hairless head. He was in his 80s at about the same age as Luke and Luke pictured that he must be the famous Crucifer.

The Crucifer, has rumored, defiled death when he was seven years of age. It was rumored that his father threw him inside a pot of boiling oil for his refusal to deny the gods of sun and stars and embrace the gods of his. How he survived such cruel treatment from his father remained a mystery but he did. It was then that he sustained the scar of his face which extended to the right side of his body. He also lost his right eye to the unfortunate incident. However, myth has it that the gods of sun and stars spared his life.

This mysterious story did not only make him popular among the worshippers of the sun and stars but it also made him feared as people regarded him as the chosen one of the gods. He rose quickly in the ranks of the council of the sun and stars worshippers and was made the leader of the executioner wing of the worshippers. He however earned the title the Crucifer because of his meanness and lack of regard for human life.

The Crucifer was flanked at both sides by two boys who have similar circular mark around their left eye, instead of having feathers tucked into headband like their leader they have swords tucked into their waist band girdle. The Crucifer lifted up the in.cest and spat heavenward as the smoke journeyed upward before disappearing into thin air.

Luke gazed to the sky with the hope that heaven was looking down too. The thick blood stained brown rope was now around his neck. He could feel death nearer than ever. He cast his mind on the pathogenesis of his own death and wondered which would kill faster the obstruction of his airway resulting in anoxia or the obstruction of blood vessels carrying blood to his brain. Before his medically inclined mind could settle for an answer, the Crucifier removed his leg support. Luke could feel his lungs struggle for oxygen. His entire body convulsed for few minutes then became still and dangled to the blow of the wind.


To be continued............

The Missing Secret Book



A young lad ran through the crowd that watched as Luke gave up the ghost.

He struggled through the crowd shouting, “Wait, wait, wait!”

But no one was listening until he got to the base of the olive tree where the Crucifier was. He was an emissary of the council of the sun and stars. Panting in an attempt to compensate for the increased oxygen demanded by his body, he handed over a sealed scroll to the Crucifer. The Crucifer removed the seal with his knife and read through the content of the scroll.

He turned to the emissary and asked, “What sort of book are they talking about?”

The emissary explained that the council of the sun and stars just got informed that Luke had a secret book. The content of the book was unknown but they believed it was worth sparing his life if it would give them access to the book.

He described the book saying, “written on it is the inscription Beyond Medicine.”

Then he added, “some say it contains medical secrets that could make humans live forever.”

He curiously asked if they saw it on him as he has been instructed to retrieve the book before they put Luke to death. However, with the look on their faces he could infer that they have not seen the book.

He turned to the Crucifer, “We must find this book.” He said in a demanding tone.

The Crucifer ordered his two boys to get Luke’s body off the rope and search it for the secret book. After a thorough search of Luke’s body for the book proved futile, the Crucifier shook his head and ordered his boys to leave the lifeless body of Luke. He then turned to the emissary.

With an emotionless affect he said, “It seems your secret book is missing forever,” as he walked away.

The emissary looked at the faces of the crowd as they turned away from the remains of Luke.

“All of you are suspects as he could have passed the book to any one of you on the way to this place,” The emissary accused in his mind.

On a second thought, “It could have also dropped on the way to this place.” He thought.

“Where ever it may be this book must be found!” He assured himself as he walked away from Luke’s lifeless body and joined the crowd as they journey back home.



To be continued...........

The Courier



“Knock, knock, knock.”

“Peace be unto this house”, a baritone voiced person greeted.

Theophilus went for the door confused.

“The person at the door knocked the way Luke would have knocked but the voice….. Definitely not Luke’s,” Theophilus thought as he went for the locks behind the wooden door.

Opening the door, he saw this scary tall figure. He couldn’t appreciate his face well as he was wearing a black hood but copious features about this stranger were a big scar on the left side of his face and his baritone voice. Theophilus quickly figured the scar must be from a deep cut left to heal by secondary intention.

“This man must be dangerous”, his inner man cautioned.

“You must be Theophilus,” the stranger asked

Theophilus had hardly nodded when the stranger continued.

“I am the Courier.”

Then he brought out a book buried beneath the girdle around his waist.

“I was sent by Luke to protect this book with my life and get it delivered to you.”

He handed over the book to Theophilus. Theophilus looked keenly at the book, it looked dusty and bulky. He wondered what the content in it could be but before he raised his head to ask the strange man, the Courier was gone. The wiped off the dust on the book cover and saw the title “Beyond Medicine” written on it.

Theophilus was an Italian, a native of Rome the capital city. However, he had lived in the Jewish country side all his life. Initially, he was an aspiring medical doctor. He was a medical student assigned to Dr. Luke for clinical tutelage. However he had a change of mind and left for law school and that was how he became a lawyer.

Theophilus looked at the book and wondered if the book could in anyway revived his first love for medicine or provide evidence for a case he has at hand. Luke had before his arrest, promised him some evidences to help him settle a case in court. He placed the mysterious book on a table and settled on a wooden chair next to it to unveil the mysteries in the book. He opened to the first page and his eyes fell on the first few lines that read thus:

“So many others have tried their hand at putting together a story of the wonderful harvest of the Scripture and history that took place among us, using reports handed down by the original eyewitness who served this Word with their lives. Since I have investigated all the reports in close detail, starting from the story’s beginning, I decided to write it all out for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can know beyond the shadow of a doubt the reliability of what you were taught.”



To be continued..........

CHAPTER TWO
MENOPAUSAL CONCEPTION

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interesting story with matured lines continue Bros

drtwist:
interesting story with matured lines continue Bros

Thanks for breaking the silence. #winks. I appreciate ur comment.

CHAPTER TWO: THE MENOPAUSAL CONCEPTION
(Luke 1:5-25)


The Waiting Room


Dr. Luke walked into the Jewish Community Hospital through its main entrance door. He looked around; nothing seemed to have changed since he started working at the hospital. Initially, Luke was employed as an intern after his completion of his medical training but was subsequently granted permanent employment when he proved himself as an indispensible asset to the hospital management.

He remembered his first day at work when the hospital secretary took him round the hospital in the spirit of introducing him to other hospital staff and familiarizing him with the hospital structures. Then, he wondered if he could get his way around the complex hospital building without getting lost. But after spending his last ten years literally living in the hospital he could boast of getting his way around to anywhere in the hospital even with his eyes blindfolded.

He made a left turn after passing the health records section by the entrance door and headed for another door above which post was written OUT-PATIENT SECTION. He then entered into a large space they called THE WAITING ROOM. The waiting room has about ten rows of pews for patients and a Nurses’ station. It was the room patient stayed before they were been attended to by the doctor on duty.

Dr. Luke looked at his wrist watch for the knowledge of date as he walked into the waiting room. The date was 24th Sivan.

“Oh we have just 6 more days before the month of Tammuz,” he thought as he raised his head to see the crowd of patients in the waiting room.

“Today is going to be a busy day,” he assured himself.

He quickly scanned through the patients on queue to see him as if he was doing some form of triage, and then his eyes fell on a familiar figure, Mrs. Elizabeth Zachariah.

Elizabeth had being a regular face at his clinic for the past three years. She looked pretty and very much alive unlike her previous visits. She had this well curved oval face which was highlighted by the pink veil which failed in its purpose of covering her entire head as it revealed few strands of her red hair. Her pink veil was well matched with her pink free flowing gown which length reached her ankle and looked relatively new.

He gave an acknowledging smile as his eyes met hers and she replied with a warm grin as Dr. Luke made his way to the door with the door post title DR LUKE (THE PHYSICIAN).


To be continued...........

Patient 082



Dr. Luke just saw about nine patients with different complaints and the next folder before him was folder number 082. He knew it belonged to Elizabeth and the name on the folder also confirmed this. He needed no one to remind him about her case yet he opened the folder to her first visit to refresh himself about how she has been managed so far.

The first page revealed that her first visit was about three years ago when she complained of inability to conceive after several years of marriage. It was while taking her history that Dr. Luke found out her last menstrual period was two years prior to that time. She further revealed that she has started experiencing hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness which are menopausal symptoms. Though she could not tell what her age was but by her physical appearance one could tell she has passed child bearing age.

Aside the routine general examination, Dr. Luke performed a thorough Pelvic examination so as not to miss any piece necessary for reaching a diagnosis. With Nurse Abigail as chaperon he systematically examined his patient starting with the abdominal examination, then he moved on to the speculum examination after which he had the cervical smear done before proceeding to bimanual examination and ended with a rectal examination.

He noted his findings and made an assessment of menopause. In his plan, he listed some investigations to confirm his clinical diagnosis though he was almost certain he was right.

Still reading through the folder, Dr. Luke flipped to the page where the results came in confirming his earlier assessment. He remembered that it was at that point that he gave to her some options if she still wanted a child. After outlining all the options, he explained that her best option of having a child close to being hers was via a procedure called Invitro Fertilization, IVF, a medical-wonder breakthrough in which she would need an egg donor as her ovaries has stopped producing eggs. He concluded his counseling section by stating the medical fact that it was medically impossible for her to spontaneously conceive in life.

Without taking her time to process through the options given to her, she refused all the options stating that if her God cannot help her then no man can. She continued her life, childless but would return to the hospital whenever her menopausal symptoms became disturbing and Dr. Luke would prescribe for her some pills that would take care of the symptoms.

Dr. Luke was sure she was here for the usual pills, so he closed the folder to invite Elizabeth in and called out, “NEXT!”

To be continued........

Good start. The reader is bound to be drawn in by the dramatic opening and want to read further. But story is be deviled by the punctuation problem that seems to be an epidemic around here. You should work on that.

amberacious:
CHAPTER TWO: THE MENOPAUSAL CONCEPTION
(Luke 1:5-25)


The Waiting Room


Dr. Luke walked into the Jewish Community Hospital through its main entrance door. He looked around; nothing seemed to have changed since he started working at the hospital. Initially, Luke was employed as an intern after his completion of his medical training but was subsequently granted permanent employment when he proved himself as an indispensible asset to the hospital management.

He remembered his first day at work when the hospital secretary took him round the hospital in the spirit of introducing him to other hospital staff and familiarizing him with the hospital structures. Then, he wondered if he could get his way around the complex hospital building without getting lost. But after spending his last ten years literally living in the hospital he could boast of getting his way around to anywhere in the hospital even with his eyes blindfolded.

He made a left turn after passing the health records section by the entrance door and headed for another door above which post was written OUT-PATIENT SECTION. He then entered into a large space they called THE WAITING ROOM. The waiting room has about ten rows of pews for patients and a Nurses’ station. It was the room patient stayed before they were been attended to by the doctor on duty.

Dr. Luke looked at his wrist watch for the knowledge of date as he walked into the waiting room. The date was 24th Sivan.

“Oh we have just 6 more days before the month of Tammuz,” he thought as he raised his head to see the crowd of patients in the waiting room.

“Today is going to be a busy day,” he assured himself.

He quickly scanned through the patients on queue to see him as if he was doing some form of triage, and then his eyes fell on a familiar figure, Mrs. Elizabeth Zachariah.

Elizabeth had being a regular face at his clinic for the past three years. She looked pretty and very much alive unlike her previous visits. She had this well curved oval face which was highlighted by the pink veil which failed in its purpose of covering her entire head as it revealed few strands of her red hair. Her pink veil was well matched with her pink free flowing gown which length reached her ankle and looked relatively new.

He gave an acknowledging smile as his eyes met hers and she replied with a warm grin as Dr. Luke made his way to the door with the door post title DR LUKE (THE PHYSICIAN).


To be continued...........

thumbx up sir

Writeditor:
Good start. The reader is bound to be drawn in by the dramatic opening and want to read further. But story is be deviled by the punctuation problem that seems to be an epidemic around here. You should work on that.

Thanks, would work on it.

professorbea:
thumbx up sir

Thank you.

The New Complaints



Luke listened attentively, as Elizabeth explained her new complaints to him. The chief complaints were morning sickness, nausea, and vomiting.

“Those are pregnancy symptoms,” Dr. Luke thought aloud.

“But it could be many other things,” he tried to convinced himself.

“It could even be Plasmodiasis,” he continued.

“Plasmodium vivax is very prevalent in this our environment, you know?” He continued to justify his line of reasoning before his medically novice patient.

Then he asked if she was experiencing a list of other symptoms, to which she answered NO.

The history he took revealed he was dealing with a confusing case, as the clinical information gotten was conflicting with her past medical history. He carried out the routine examination as quickly as he could, because he was sure the process was not going to be contributory to quest to reach a diagnosis. He knew his best shot now was the laboratory investigation. So he ordered for a list of investigations, among these was Pregnancy Test.


To be continued.......

Intellectual Insanity



Dr. Luke removed his pair of glasses, as if the glasses were changing texts written on Elizabeth investigation results. He was dumb folded. He had earlier requested that Elizabeth should repeat the tests, after the initial results came out as all normal, but for the Pregnancy Test that was positive. Therefore, for the second request he added an abdominopelvic ultrasound test.

However, to his wildest imagination, both the Pregnancy Test and the ultrasound confirmed that Elizabeth was pregnant. The ultrasound result showed a viable fetus at 12 week gestational age.

While he wondered at what kind of intellectual insanity, and clinical knowledge embarrassment, the result findings were, his gaze fell on the waiting eyes of Elizabeth, who was not surprisingly, anxious to know the result of her tests. Then the inevitable struck him.

“How do I explain this to this woman,” He thought.

“Well Madam …” He finally summoned courage to speak.

He spoke slowly, carefully choosing his word.

“Your test result revealed that you are three month pregnant.” He finally let out the bird out of the cage.

He watched as the expression on Elizabeth face changed from that of anxiety, to confusion,then to excitement.

Then, she asked the most feared question.

“But doctor, how?” she asked in excitement.

Dr. Luke in his cluelessness simply shook his head and responded, “This is beyond medicine.”


To be continued.....

CHAPTER THREE
PARTHENOGENESIS

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CHAPTER THREE: PARTHENOGENESIS

(Luke 1: 26-56)



The Family Tree


Dr. Luke was returning from lunch break. He walked past the Nurses’ desk. Sitting at the desk was Nurse Abigail, his all time health team member. Nurse Abigail dutifully reported to him, as he made his way to the door, that he has two patients waiting for him in the consulting room. He opened the door, and saw Mrs. Elizabeth Zachariah. Absent minded about the young lady sitting next her, he asked

“Mrs. Zachariah, I hope there is no problem? “

“I saw you three days ago on your antenatal visit, if am correct?” He asked curiously, as he removed his ward coat hanging on the wall behind his seat.

While he made effort to put on the coat, and resume working, Mrs. Zachariah answered

“Yes, you are right, my last visit was three days ago,” she confirmed.

“There is no problem”, she reassured.

Then continued, “It’s my cousin here that has come to see you,” she said, grinning at her said cousin; she reached out for her hand in the spirit of comforting her.

“Oh, I see!” Dr. Luke sounded relieved

Then he continued, after successfully putting on the ward coat.

“Didn’t know you have a cousin, or any close family member in this town, I have always known just you, and your husband, Rev. Zachariah.”

“You are right doctor," she confirmed again

“She does not stay in this town, she came around from Nazareth. She is here to help me out with house chores, because of my advanced pregnancy, and to escape from the shame she is currently experiencing back at her place,” she revealed

“Hmmmm,” Dr. Luke groaned as he wore his pair of glasses. He looked into the new folder in front of him with patient number 452, and patient name: MARY.

Yes Mary, what’s the problem,” he asked confidently

Before Mary could search for the right words to state her complaint, Elizabeth cut in and dropped the bomb shell.

“She is pregnant, yet she’s a virgin!”



To be continued.......

Virgo Intacta



Dr Luke looked perplexed!

“Indeed this is a mystery,” he thought.

Then he turned to Elizabeth.

“Ma, kindly excuse Mary and I while I ask her some private questions.” He said politely pointing at the door.

“No she can stay,” Mary quickly objected

“It’s no problem, you can ask whatever you want to ask while she’s here,” She reassured.

“I feel better having her around,” she concluded, smiling at Elizabeth, as she reached out for her hand, soliciting for her comforting presence.

“Alright then,” Dr. Luke gave in.

“You said you have been betrothed to your fiancé?” Dr. Luke asked, trying to get her bio-data right.

Mary confirmed this by saying a simple YES.

Then Dr. Luke asked frankly “And you are sure that you and your fiancé never had any coital activity that could have resulted in this pregnancy.”

“Nor did you and your fiancé at any time played around sex … you know the pre-intimacy…….even if it did not end up in actual sex?” Still asking same question, but this time subtly.

"No, never!" Mary said defensively

Dr. Luke was not surprised at her defensive tone, he had expected it. From his wealth of experience, he knew in encroaching to another man’s privacy, one would be faced by serious opposition from the one whose territory has been encroached. From her replies, he noted that she sounded genuine and truthful, but his years of practice has taught him not to completely trust information patients give in matters pertaining to issues like this.



To be contiued...........

get a chair, pop corn and black star... invite fembleez1

Sageez:
get a chair, pop corn and black star... invite fembleez1

I pitch me tent here

Fembleez1:


I pitch me tent here

yah welcome boss, i've got some pop corn, do you mind?

Sageez:
yah welcome boss, i've got some pop corn, do you mind?

No

Sageez:
get a chair, pop corn and black star... invite fembleez1

Welcome on board. Please, kindly take the reserved front row seat.#

Fembleez1:


I pitch me tent here

See who we have here! D famous fembleez1 of love, lust and lost. You r welcome.

Fembleez1:


No

Popcorn is free.

The Hallucination



Dr. Luke listened keenly, as Mary explained her supposed experience with an angel. Dr. Luke was not new to such hallucinating experience shared by patients. Most claimed to see person not seen by other people in clear consciousness, or hear voice, not heard by other people in clear consciousness. Sometimes, such voice was said to instruct them on things to come, or things they must do.

Mary ‘s story had similar pattern, she claimed she had an encounter with one angel, called Gabriel, who came to inform her that she was to conceive, and get birth to God’s son.

Dr. Luke wondered how she expected him, or any other right thinking individual to believe such deluded story. In an attempted to make sense from what Dr. Luke tagged as out pour of nonsense, he asked

“So how did this Gabriel say you were going to conceive, since you are a virgin,” Dr. Luke mocked

Clearly, Mary was so engrossed in her story that she did not sense her audience was not just doubting her story, but also doubting her mental state.

She innocently replied, “the Angel said the Spirit of God would over shadow me.”

Dr. Luke thought that he has heard enough, but before he could label Mary as mentally unstable, he has to prove either one of these two points, or both points: that Mary was not a virgin, as she claimed, and that she was not pregnant, as she assumed. These, Dr. Luke did not think would be hard to prove.

Then he announced the next line of his plan.

“You will be doing some tests ma,” he said politely

“The first is a virginity test; the second is a pregnancy test.”


To be continued............

The Two Finger Test



Although, Dr. Luke has reservations for the two finger test, he had to do it anyway. The controversies that surrounded the test ethically, were enough reasons of avoiding the procedure whenever he could. But when the benefit outweighed the risk, like in a situation like this, then his options would be limited. Being conscious of the medical ethics guiding his practice, he had ensured a written consent form got signed, before he performed the test.

Nurse Abigail who was the chaperon during the procedure, led Mary away from the side couch, back to her seat, before heading back to her nurses’ post.

Dr. Luke wore this countenance of a loser. His finding revealed an intact hymen.

“One down, one to go,” he thought in his heart, as he disposed his examining gloves into the sanitary bin by the side couch.

“Your claim of being a virgin is certainly not debatable.” He reported confidently.

“The test revealed you still have your hymen intact.”

“So now you will do this test at the lab,” he said as he filled an investigation form, and handed it over to Mary.



To be continued..........

amberacious:


Welcome on board. Please, kindly take the reserved front row seat.#

thanks for your kind gesture sir

Wow!!!! You've got a really nice, captivating and interesting story going on here...............

Keep it flowing......... Following till the end. * Takes front seat* Pls i need popcorn.

adeh39:
Wow!!!! You've got a really nice, captivating and interesting story going on here...............

Keep it flowing......... Following till the end. * Takes front seat* Pls i need popcorn.

i would have loved to share but mine is almost finished

Sageez:
i would have loved to share but mine is almost finished

Why did you mention it when you know you won't give me, Can't you be a gentleman and give me the rest of the popcorn