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The Mad Scientist / O Cientista Louco

6/12/2025

In honor of my final immunotherapy treatment, I wrote a very short story for my beloved nurses at Hospital da Luz. They have been incredible through this whole journey and I feel very blessed.

They requested my story be in Portuguese, so here goes. I'll admit to having used DeepL to translate it, then I read through it to see if there were any changes I could make. I read the language better than I speak or write it.

Where I'm thrilled to be done (hopefully) with my treatment for my lymphoma, my Portuguese needs a lot of work. So much to still learn. Much like the lady in this story.

Here's the English version for you, followed by the European Portuguese version.

Enjoy!

Em homenagem ao meu último tratamento de imunoterapia, escrevi um pequeno conto para as minhas queridas enfermeiras do Hospital da Luz. Elas foram incríveis durante toda esta jornada e sinto-me muito abençoada.

Elas pediram que o meu conto fosse em português, então aqui está. Admito que usei o DeepL para traduzi-lo e depois li-o para ver se havia alguma alteração que pudesse fazer. Leio a língua melhor do que a falo ou escrevo.

Embora esteja muito feliz por ter terminado (espero) o meu tratamento para o linfoma, o meu português precisa de muito trabalho. Ainda tenho muito a aprender. Tal como a senhora desta história.

Aqui está a versão em inglês para vocês, seguida da versão em português europeu.
Aproveitem!

The Mad Scientist

It all started because of an advertisement on the internet. I know, I shouldn’t be reading those, but who can resist one that said, “What Do You Want Most In Life?”

And now I’m in some scientist’s laboratory, wondering what I was thinking. Honestly, this guy looks crazy, his hair sticking up in all directions, his white lab coat wrinkled. And he twitches a lot.

The Word of Zed (Part 7)

4/13/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

The Word of Zed
Part 7

Zed sat on the stairs in the observatory, arms propped on his knees, chin in palms. Above him the great wheel moved fluidly toward the moment when he'd have to face the Magi. For once, the twin dragonets were nestled in the chains, totally silent.

The Word of Zed (Part 6)

4/12/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

The Word of Zed
Part 6

The fun hadn't lasted very long and now Aiden wanted to go home. He'd spent all day writing words he didn't understand. He'd learned about dragons with sails on their backs and other strange stuff. He'd expected to open his eyes and find himself in the bookstore, but he'd never woken up.

Word of Zed (Part 5)

4/11/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

The Word of Zed
Part 5

The moment he stepped inside the observatory and saw the small figure hunched over a scroll, Zed clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a shout of glee. It had worked! The new Scribe wasn't an imp, more like a little human, but that didn't matter.

All Zed needed was one day.

The Word of Zed (Part 4)

4/10/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

The Word of Zed
Part 4

Zed rummaged his mind for some way to solve his dilemma. The truth was he had no time to get a genuine Scribe to take his place. If he could find someone else, just for a day, then maybe it would be all right.

The Word of Zed (Part 3)

4/9/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

The Word of Zed
Part 3

By the Time of the Scorpion, Zed was noticeably fidgeting with his quill, keen to finish with the day's work. Nothing about the Black Knights was interesting. They didn't wear black because they were evil or even tending toward nasty, but because the color didn't show dirt.

They spent their time talking to trees. They didn't seem to notice that the trees didn't talk back. Each one lived in a clearing in the forest. They never left their clearing and rarely saw anyone unless a stray King of the Britons wandered by and challenged them to a duel.

The Word of Zed (Part 2)

4/8/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

The Word of Zed
Part 2

Zed cracked an eye. He thought he'd heard a noise. He didn't often wake in the middle of the night. His fingers usually fell asleep first, he was so exhausted.

Swizzz…

He opened the other eye and stared out into the Scrollery. The scrolls were usually pretty dormant unless his master was reading one. Then the selected one would hop out of its diamond-shaped cubby hole and glide through the air like a parchment bird, winging toward the Magi's chambers.

The Word of Zed (Part 1)

4/7/2025

The Astronomer
(c) 2008 Melissa Gay

Many, many years ago I had the opportunity to write a novelette for an anthology and the requirement was that the story be based on this wonderful artwork created by artist Melissa Gay. The Word of Zed was the result.

Please do check out Melissa's work at her website. She's incredibly talented.

I was deeply into my Sir Terry Prachett years at that point, so there is some Pratchettian nuances here. The cat, Bobkins, was a stray in our neighborhood, and Paris Impton is a takeoff on a certain celebrity. The real life version is a lot more caring and kind, and is currently doing charity work for the victims of the LA fires. Bless her!

So seventeen years later, here's that story, serialized (seven parts). I hope you enjoy it!

Health Update - Amazing NEWS!

9/25/2024

Great news here. Received the results of PET-TAC scan (a radioactive exam that eyeballs anything that looks remotely suspicious). This test was done because I'm halfway through my immunotherapy treatments.

The results show no active lymphoma in my person. I'm in remission. Or the acronym used in lymphoma circles is NED (no evidence of disease).

We are so relieved. I will continue to have the Rituxin treatments every 8 weeks (5 more to go) as that kills off any rogue cells that might want to set up housekeeping. And no doubt once all those are done, another PET scan. I'm getting to be a pro at those.

This cancer is chronic so there is always a chance of relapse. Still, we're celebrating where I am at the moment and are so very grateful for everything.

Onward!

Bitter Magic - Chapter 4

9/19/2024

BITTER MAGIC
Demon Trappers Series Book 9

FOUR

Something magical bumped against Riley’s mind and she opened her eyes, blinked, then slowly sat up. The cemetery was as dark as one would expect in the middle of the night. Darker, because the streetlights near the parking lot were out. They hadn’t been that way when she and Katia had gone to sleep.