Shouldn’t Have Done That

Summary

A man named Mickey Ferguson is resurrected by Lawrence, a scientist, only to kill him after discovering the scientist's lack of caution in choosing his resurrection subject.

Abstract

In the short story "Shouldn't Have Done That," Lawrence, a scientist, successfully resurrects Mickey Ferguson, who was previously murdered. After being brought back to life, Mickey is treated to his favorite meal by Lawrence, revealing that the scientist had learned about Mickey's preferences from his obituary. However, Mickey harbors a dark secret: he is a murderer. Realizing that Lawrence has unwittingly brought a dangerous individual back to life, Mickey takes advantage of the situation by killing Lawrence and stealing his identity to start a new life. The story underscores the unintended consequences of playing with life and death without fully understanding the nature of the individual being resurrected.

Opinions

The story suggests that Lawrence's achievement, while significant, was carried out without proper judgment or consideration of the potential risks involved in resurrecting someone.
Mickey's character is portrayed as opportunistic and ungrateful, as he betrays Lawrence's trust and kindness by killing him after being given a second chance at life.
The narrative implies a critique of the scientific community's possible disregard for ethical implications, as Lawrence is described as an "outcast" pursuing "insane" experiments, yet his disappearance is expected to go unnoticed.
The story conveys a moral about the dangers of hubris in science, particularly when it comes to the power to give life, without the wisdom to foresee the consequences of such actions.

A short story for your enjoyment

It was the accomplishment of a lifetime. Lawrence raised a man from the dead. Mickey Ferguson, the man he raised, was in a daze. The last thing he remembered was the cold metal barrel of the gun at the back of his head and then nothing. Until he woke up here.

“How did I get here?” Mickey asked.

Lawrence smiled at the man he raised, “I stole your body from the morgue, and brought you here. The fiftieth time I tried to raise someone, and it finally worked.”

Mickey sat up and looked over at the mirror. He felt the back of his head, no injury there. That was a shock considering how he died.

“All of your injuries have been healed.”

“I suppose I should thank you,” Mickey said.

Lawrence asked his resurrected patient if he would like something to eat. Dying and being raised can sure work up an appetite. Mickey swung his legs off the bed and followed Lawrence out of the room.

A minute later he was seated at a table, before him was his favorite meal. Steak cooked medium rare and fries. How did the doctor know this? He didn’t really care one way or the other, because if the doctor knew that about him, he surely would have known other things and would never have raised him from the dead. Mickey stifled a laugh, well it will be his undoing.

“What exactly do you know about me?” Mickey asked.

“Just that you were killed. The meal thing, that was in your obituary.”

Mickey cracked a half smile, soon he would make his move. They finished the meal, and when Lawrence moved to the take at Mickey’s dishes, Mickey drove the knife into the man’s heart. “Why?” Lawrence cried, “I saved your life!” “I did thank you for that didn’t I? You should have been a little bit more careful in who you raised from the dead.”

He left the man lying dead on the floor.

Mickey found the man’s computer and begin searching through his files, he wanted to steal his identity and start his life anew. Lawrence was one of those mad scientists you see in the movies, always up to something insane. That’s why they were called mad scientists. Nothing he would want to do, but since Lawrence was an outcast in the scientific community, the man being missing would go unnoticed. Assume his house and his bank account, the fool left his PIN numbers to all his accounts right on his desk. For all his intelligence, the mad scientist wasn’t smart enough not to raise from the dead a murderer. Mickey’s new goal was to avenge his killing.