11.
THE MARSTEN CLINIC
 An
underfunded
and understaffed clinic in the Zone, the Marsten
Clinic is overseen by Emmet Duncan. Duncan was a
former surgeon who lost his license after he was
proven to have purposefully let a patient die on an
operating table. The patient was a Monsanto
Executive who had been driving drunk and gotten into
an accident with an young female prostitute in the car
with him. While the critically injured girl was
being prepped for her own surgery, lawyers who had
obviously been hired by the executives corporation
showed up with a Do Not Resucitate order, supposedly
signed by the girl. While operating on the
executive, there were “complications” and he
died. Duncan was eaten alive by Monsanto
lawyers. His medical license was revoked and he lost
nearly everything.
Afterwards
he found his true calling in the Combat Zone.
Technically Duncan is a ripperdoc, operating
illegally. However his clinic is the cleanest
and most professional medical facility in the Combat
Zone. He spends most of his time treating
the sick and injured of the Zone, charging only what
he thinks the patients can afford, usually in trade…
and sometimes, particularly if the patient is a child,
he will charge nothing. He relies heavily on
donations, but to supplement the expense of running
the clinic he also performs illegal implantations and
augmentations. However, he will not augment
anyone he suspects of being on the verge of
cyberpsychosis.
Duncan
has attracted a small staff. A somewhat robust
woman named Marsha Weathers who handles reception and
security, a young woman named Candace Schubert is a
certified nurse and anesthesiologist, and an elderly
retired general practitioner with a drinking problem
named Horace Greenblume, who also serves as
pharmacist.
 The
building
itself is a well fortified sturdy building surrounded
by a high iron fence. It contains separate
apartments for the doctor and his staff with a shared
kitchen and common room, and the downstairs has a
small reception area, 2 examination rooms, 2 ICU
rooms, and a surgical suite. The clinic has made
a deal with Hard 8 for protection in exchange for free
medical care, though the bar often makes donations of
money, equipment, and pharmaceuticals as well.
Saint Helena’s church often engages in donation drives
among its parishioners.
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