Pain Killer

For long pain killers have been a subject for research. These medicines work by suppressing the active part of brain which let us feel pain. But as the amount of medicine is increased slowly brain starts responding to it in different ways it can be in terms of affecting ones thought processing, brain behavior and psychological mannerism, people have also complained having hallucination. Recently I came to know that various researches are going on to make these medicines side effect free. As I am a curious child I found a link through one of my old doctor friend and got a permission to visit one such experiment.

I visited a medical research institute where a group of scientists were conducting an experiment on the same. As a part of non-disclosure contract, because such experiments on humans can be categorized as inhuman and Indian law along with human rights organizations does not permit experiments on man, I was not allowed here to name the institute but finding a loop hole in the agreement I am free to document the events and the procedure of the experiment.

Doctors involved in this experiment are highly confidential about the people used as subjects. In all I could find that there were three person on whom the tests were going on. A hushed voice told me that these men are criminals, one of them a serial killer and other two rapists. I guess this kind of selection is because it will reduce the guilt of going to an extreme level of testing on them.

In paper it was a simple paragraph stating what exactly they need to do. All three of them were kept in different closed chambers and were given a healthy diet at regular intervals. There oxygen intake, heartbeat rate, blood pressure and brain activity were continuously monitored through different instruments which were attached to their bodies through various channels and fibers. Front wall of the chamber was made of glass so that they can be watched. I was allowed to stay in the corridor from where I could see the glass clearly. But I could not see any of them as the chamber was kept in complete dark. They said this new medicine gives desired result only in absence of light. The dose of medicine was given daily twice and each day the amount of drug was increased by 10% concentration. Once the medicine was given they were asked questions in order to know the effect. This is what the experiment was to check the maximum amount of the medicine which does not affect the brain.  

When I reached there, fifteen days of the experiment was already over from the overall schedule of three months. I used to be there only at the time of questioning session to know their experiences. Five days were passed and there was nothing weird, I could hear them saying, ‘when I will be getting out of here’ or ‘yes, your medicine is working, I feel nothing weird’ or ‘I still feel the pain you idiots’ or similar kind of statements coming from the room. I was not able to see them but behavior felt normal. Till now the medicine was working as they wanted. ‘Increase the dose by 25% tomorrow’ I heard the doctor saying to the assistant’.

It was twenty first day of the experiment and we all were curious as the dose concentration was increased. ‘I feel good’ was the reply from the murderer. There was no reply from the second chamber there was just tapping of foot and humming of an unknown song. From the third chamber reply was like previous, ‘when will I get out from here’. But nothing was weird. Next day it was similar and replies were same. Each day there was increase of 25% concentration. ‘Can I have more?’ the murderer asked while questioning. We felt he was chewing something.

‘What do you want more?’ one of the doctors asked him.

‘Medicine’ he replied still chewing something.

‘What are you eating?’

‘Nothing’ and then there was no reply from him. He didn’t reply any of the questions after. The monitor showed everything normal no increase or decrease in blood pressure. We all moved to second chamber.

‘How are you today?’

‘I am fine, just bit hungry’

‘But you just now had food’

‘Its not enough’ then again he started humming the same song.

Third one was still the same.

‘Come to the front so we can see you’

‘No, first promise me you will take me out’

‘Ok’

‘No, I won’t come, go away’

We heard him walking at the end of the room. It was weird for all of us why he refused to come in front of us. 

Next day all three of them were asked to come to the glass wall but none of them agreed to it. The instruments were showing normal readings for all three. But the first one always kept chewing something and second one kept humming and tapping his foot. Now for two days there was no sound coming from the third chamber.  All the doctors were worried of the third subject.

‘Ok you can come out, you are free’ one of the doctor said to the third subject. There was no sound.

‘Don’t you want to go home?’ he asked again. With a long pause a slow voice said ‘no’. We all were surprised. Before he could ask him more, there was a loud screaming from the second cell. We could feel he was running from wall to wall and screaming. We turned to the instruments, blood pressure was shooting high, heart pumping rapidly but the brain was showing no activity. And within few minute it all went silent. All measures normal again.

They noted the concentration and decide not to give him tomorrow. No change for other two.

Next day, the first subject did not reply anything, just kept chewing something. Second subject was briskly walking from wall to wall beating his foot, but there was no humming of song now. There was no sound from the third subject. Only change they felt was increase in oxygen intake and rise in blood pressure. After 29 days they decided to take the second subject out. Lights outside were made dim so that sudden light should not harm his eyes. Two security guys were sent inside the compartment to bring him out and they came out almost running. One of them started vomiting and other without saying something ran out of the room. Looking at the situation it was decided to light the cell a bit to see the situation. A ten watt bulb was lit and the scene was horrifying.

The subject was completely naked. He had broke chunks of cement from the wall and had cut his skin from everywhere on his body. His thigh was missing flesh and those flesh chunks were lying here and there on the ground. His intestine was hanging from his stomach and those chunks of cements were put there in his stomach. He was still walking from wall to wall. There was no flesh left under his feet because of walking.

Looking at the condition doctors decided to inject him with anesthesia and operate his injuries. To surprise any dose of anesthesia didn’t work on him. More guards were called and finally he was tied up on an operation bed and was operated to keep back his intestine back in his stomach. Unfortunately he died in mid operation. We came to know that not a single sigh of pain came from his mouth may be because he has broken his vocal cord while screaming and was unable to speak anything.

This was shocking enough for the panel to decide and bring out other two too. Another team of security guards were called as none of the member of previous team was ready to go inside. We all were in front of the third cell and like yesterday there was no sound coming from it. A dim light was lit and within no time subject started screaming to switch it off. His situation was no different from the person who was dead. But in this case he seemed more violent. The security people were struggling to control. And started hitting him with their sticks. We could hear him laughing and screaming ‘more’ ‘more’. One of the guard took out his rifle to threaten him but instead he snatched the rifle and shot himself in his chest and kept laughing till his heart stopped beating. There was smile on his face after he was dead.

As both of the subjects were dead, the team of doctor decided to take the third subject out immediately. Third subject, the murderer was in worst condition of all, still chewing his own flesh. One of his leg and a hand was completely out of flesh and we could see the bones peeping out of it. There was a big cut on his side chest from where the ribs were visible and he kept peeling the skin from it and putting it in his mouth. Only surprising thing was that he was not at all violent but was sitting in the corner calmly.

As he was brought out of the cell, he kept asking if he would get more medicine. Once he was on the operation bed so that his wounds could be sealed, he started smiling like other two. As the anesthesia was not working on any of them, one of the doctors started cutting the hanging flesh. Seeing him smile another doctor asked, ‘why are you smiling?’

 Ignoring his question he turned to the first doctor and said smiling, ‘keep cutting…’