Sword and Scale Nightmares - Surgeon

Episode Date: October 2, 2024

A long-time dream turns into a nightmare for a Virginia man trapped in a cabin in the Oklahoma woods. Kia Aster had the highest hopes when he met a stranger at the airport. But what he thought would be a quick and painless trip landed him in the emergency room bleeding, collapsed, and unconscious.

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For whatever you run, even orcas, go to Monday.com to dive deeper. On Tuesday, October 13th, 2020, a man gets out of the backseat of an SUV and stumbles into the emergency room in McAllister, Oklahoma. The automatic doors open with a swish, and a cool wall of air washes over him. Hospital staff notices him immediately.

The SUV that dropped him off speeds away. His complexion is pale, and his expression is disoriented. A little trickle of blood from his leg marks his path through the automatic doors. He collapses in the waiting room as he's surrounded by hospital staff. He clutches at his groin and mutters something incomprehensible as he starts to lose consciousness. The sounds in the room seem distant. It's hard to make out the voice calling to him, asking, What happened?

What's wrong? As his eyes start to roll to the back of his head, he's able to utter just a few words. I castrated myself. When Kai Aster awakes, it's the following day. His life has been saved, but he's still weak from a loss of blood. The doctor enters the room and draws his attention. He notices how dry his mouth is when he tries to ask if he is going to be okay. He gnaws on a few ice chips and decides to tell the doctor the truth. He is afraid that if he

tells them what really happened, he will be killed. And so will everyone he loves. hill, and so will everyone he loves. The doctor's bedside manner all but disappears as he listens to Kai's story. In a cabin in the woods are two men who performed this surgery on him. him to join in eating them. Welcome to Sword and Scale Nightmares. True crime for bedtime. Where nightmare begins now. Deputy Tyler Newby follows the directions given by Kai to the cabin in the woods. The fact that it makes a perfect horror movie setting isn't lost on him. It has been more than 12 hours since he heard Kai's tale and still, he can hardly believe that it's true. He drives through Leflore on South Booth Avenue for a few miles before he gets to Blake Loop. The sound of grinding gravel rises to his ears as his

car leaves the main road for the one lane gravel path. Another mile and another turn and there it is just like Kai said on the west side of the road. The driveway is marked with two orange safety cones on either side. On a post is what looks like a hand-painted multicolored sign. There's another one that had long since fallen off and came to rest on the opposite side of the driveway. Deputy Newby gets out of the patrol car and walks to the green gates guarding the driveway. He pushes them open. An eerie creak reverberates from the rusty hinges. He gets back into his car and slowly drives down the long driveway until he sees it.

About 75 yards from the road, a small tan two-bedroom oil field bunkhouse emerges from the trees. The sun is low in the sky, casting long dark shadows across the property. Deputy Newby notices there are no cars there as he tactically approaches the front door, he draws his gun and gets into position just to the side of the front door. He reaches out with his left hand and bangs the door announcing, Sheriff's office, search warrant. As loud as he can. He and the other deputies fall quiet and listen for any footsteps inside.

After what they assume is plenty of time for anyone inside to answer the door, Deputy Newby checks to see if the door is locked before taking a step back and kicking it right next to the door jam. The splintered door swings open forcefully, slamming into the wall behind it. They scurry through the home, clearing room by room. Deputy Newby hears the footsteps of the other deputies running through the house calling out clear as they evaluate each room. The home isn't large, so it doesn't take long. It appears to be empty. Now they begin

to search for any items of evidentiary value. Kai says they have recordings of the... procedure. So they collect the three laptops from the kitchen, one with an external hard drive still attached. The rest of the home presents like a lair of a mad scientist. A sheet of plywood used as an impromptu operating table leans against the wall in the kitchen. Deputy Newby finds two flash drives on a shelf in the living room and a box of restraints. Every step seemingly reveals more and more disturbing evidence of an underground surgeon. He finds a trash bag filled with doggy pads soaked in blood, a plastic medical sheet, and a needle and string. In the fridge are two syringes primed with a clear liquid.

In the back bedroom is a pack of adult diapers. In the hall opposite the bathroom is a six-foot tall medicine cabinet. The cabinet is full of different medications, some in prescription bottles and some not. One bottle is reused to store dried mushrooms. The shelves of the cabinet are littered with various medical utensils. In a military style bag, deputy Newby finds the cottery tool, covered in dried blood and a bottle of medical grade lidocaine. In the second bedroom, more utensils are tucked away in a red and black medical bag. At the foot of the bed is a locker and inside Newby finds more bags of mushrooms. In the corner there is a deep freezer. Deputy Newby isn't sure he wants to open it. After all he's seen so far. I mean, would you? But it's his job, so he does.

He reaches out his hand and lifts the lid. The seal releases and a dense fog of cold air pours over the top. He fans the air lightly with his hand clearing his line of sight. At the bottom of the freezer, he sees a ziplock bag that sends a chill down his spine. He grabs the bag and holds it up between the light and his face. His expression changes when he realizes what's inside. The bag contains a pair of testicles. Three weeks earlier in Virginia, Kai was searching for a place to belong. He ventured online and soon found those who shared his feelings

The site was called the unique maker Dot-com I shit you not Isn't it incredible what technology has done for us? Kai desperately wanted to feel comfortable in his own skin and His testicles were in the way while searching for castrations, he stumbled across this site and a man named Bob Allen. Bob called himself a cutter. They chatted for a few days through the site's encrypted messaging system and then talked face to face on Skype.

Bob assured Kai he had over 15 years of experience performing castrations and had the video recordings to prove it. When Bob told Kai that the surgery wouldn't cost him anything, he booked a flight to Dallas for October 11th. Kai is giddy as he looks at his boarding pass waiting in line at the gate. The chilly air seeps in through the cracks of the gangway as he boards the plane. The rain and the cold remind Kai of the life he's leaving behind. When I get back to Dallas, I will be a new person, he thinks. Kai finds his seat and sits down. He tucks his carry-on

under the seat in front of him as instructed and lays his head back, closing his eyes. It won't be long now, he reminds himself, trying to shake off his nervousness. Soon I will be who I've always wanted to be, who I've always been, who I am. As the plane prepares for takeoff, Kai quickly falls asleep. He suddenly awakes as the plane touches down in Dallas. Kai opens the window shade and peers out. He squints his eyes against the bright sun. As he disembarks, he feels the staunch heat that Texas is known for. He wipes beads of sweat off his brow, surprised by the difference in temperature between Texas and Virginia. Which, you know, is quite a bit. As he walks through the various gates and personnel, he eventually makes his way out

of the airport. Bob greets him carrying a sign with his name on it. Kai hopes he doesn't notice his surprise by how Bob looks in real life. You see, on Skype, he didn't seem so short, nor did he seem so fat. In the bright light of the Dallas sun, Bob's gray hair lets on that he's every bit of 53 years old. Kai's excitement starts to wane, but Bob smiles and helps him with his bag. Bob's smile seems to hide something behind it. His eyes, although kind, also harness something else, something sinister. Kai convinces himself that he's just imagining things.

Everything's fine. This man obviously has years of experience and all of his underground surgeries have gone just fine after all, right? Bob leads Kai to his SUV and then they both get in. Bob throws the SUV into drive and they begin their long journey into the Oklahoma hills. The hours tick by as the terrain changes from relatively flat to a gradual climb into the Washita Mountains. The SUV lurches from side to side. They have long since left the paved roads and now venture into the single-lane backroads that lead to Bob's cabin. The sun is beginning to set and the surrounding forest is cast in ghostly hues of blue and

black. Then, the SUV slowly rolls into a stop in front of a green double gate. Kai watches as Bob steps out of the SUV and walks over to the gate. His form is lost in the darkness until he breaches the beam of the headlights. Kai notices the rainbow sign next to the driveway and it puts him a little bit more at ease. At least he thinks I'm with kindred spirits. When they pull up to the house Kai finds it underwhelming. The home is less of a cabin and more of a trailer. He reminds himself again that this was illegal surgery

and that seclusion was more important than amenities. He walks up the steps to the front door and follows Bob inside. Inside he introduces Kai to Tom, his husband. Kai shakes the taller man's hand. He can tell he is younger than Bob. His hair is fuller and darker except for a patch of gray on his chin.

But Tom weirdly carries himself. His mannerisms are awkward and his physique seems disproportionate. Kai shakes off these thoughts as well. Who might a judge? Wouldn't want anyone judging me, after all. Bob turns to Kai and offers to show him his room. He tells him it's late and they'll do the surgery tomorrow. Kai agrees with a yawn and retires to his room. As he drifts off to sleep,

he thinks about how different his life will be after tomorrow. The next morning Kai's eyes spring open. The sun has already risen and in the daylight the house seems a lot more run down and less spooky. He opens the door to his room and joins Bob and Tom in the kitchen. The guys that live there, not the nationally syndicated radio show from Ohio. As soon as the usual niceties are exchanged that morning, Kai can't wait any longer and asks Bob to perform the surgery. Bob declines, saying he has to go to work until five, but he'll do the surgery afterwards.

Kai reluctantly agrees. He wants to do it now, but what could he do but wait? He's a guest in the cabin in the woods, but he's starting to feel a little bit trapped. He waits patiently, and by 5 p.m. Bob tells him that they are ready. Kai walks into the kitchen and spots the operating table set up by Bob and Tom. It is a piece of plywood lying across two supports. The top is covered in surgical gowns and puppy pads. It is too late to back down now, he thinks to himself as he strips from the waist down. He lays on the table and feels it flex under his weight.

He can sense Bob's excitement and sees a smile spread across his face as he turns on the livestream camera. Bob explains that this is how he funds these surgeries as he cleans the surgical area with disinfectant and turns to Tom to ask for the lidocaine. Tom quickly hands him a syringe already prepared. Bob takes it in his gloved hand and injects it into Kai's scrotum. He grimaces for a moment, but then the pain is gone. Tom hands Bob another syringe and Bob injects Kai a second time. By now, his genitals are completely numb.

The surgery lasts about two hours and Kai lays awake the entire time. He stares at the low ceiling as Bob cuts away his scrotum. He feels a tug when Bob pulls one and then the other testicle taught as he severs their connection. Bob and Tom's movements turn into a blur as Kai waits for the procedure to end. Bob will call out for a piece of equipment and Tom will hand it to him. Kai smells what he could only relate to as fresh meat hitting a hot pan when Bob cauterizes his wounds. Kai snaps back into reality when Bob announces that he's done. It's done?

Kai asks. Bob shakes his head and tells Kai he's going to eat the parts he removed. So he lets out a guttural laugh that makes Kai uncomfortable and tells him he's a cannibal. You can't tell if Bob's just trying to get a rise out of him or if he's serious. Bob then relays a story about a previous surgery. He describes the man as crazy, and because of this, he left him open overnight to bleed

out. Kai's head is beginning to spin. He can't tell if it's from the story or the surgery. Bob continues, seemingly opening up after the surgery. He brags he has six more clients on the way and they're all having the same operation. He tells Kai that he has a freezer full of testicles. He whips out his phone and starts scrolling frantically. He holds a screen to Kai's face and shows him pictures of the body parts. Kai turns away.

He's starting to feel sick. Bob offers to let him watch other surgeries he's performed, but Kai doesn't want to see that. Kai can hear Bob continue to speak, but the voice sounds like it's getting further and further away. He turns his head to look at Bob, but his vision has gone from blurry to dark. He tries to look at Tom Tom but his head feels heavier and heavier. His blurry vision gets darker and darker until he passes out. Kai slowly comes to, still lying on the makeshift table in the kitchen. He struggles to sit up and look at the results of the surgery. His body aches, but he musters the strength to sit up and remove the thin sheet lying

on top of him. His expression contorts when he sees the mess between his legs. There's a lot of blood. A lot of blood. Kai screams for Bob. He hears the shuffling of feet as Bob approaches the room. When he enters, he immediately notices the change to Bob's face. His disarming smile is gone, replaced with worry. He tells

Kai, no ER, no morgue. Kai begins to worry even more and asks what happened. Bob explains that the surgery didn't exactly go according to plan. You're still bleeding, a lot, and you passed out from the blood loss, he tells Kai. His head begins to spin when he realizes he'd been asleep all night. He lays back down and quietly begins to sob. He listens to Bob and Tom pacing back and forth. He doesn't know what to do, so he just lays there, fixing his eyes on the low ceiling. Eventually, Bob comes to him, positioning his head over Kai's face and tells him, let's go, we're taking you to the hospital. Kai doesn't have the energy to fight. He can only hope that this statement is true. Bob and Tom carry Kai down the front steps and place him in the back of the SUV. Kai lets out

a grunt, hitting the backseat a little too hard. Both men jump into the front of the truck and Bob starts down the driveway. Kai rests his head against the window peering up at the tops of the truck and Bob starts down the driveway. Kai rests his head against the window peering up at the tops of the trees against the pale blue sky. He lets out a little moan every bump and sharp turn they hit. Time loses all meaning to Kai as he drifts in and out of consciousness. He hears bits of conversation between Bob and Tom during the brief moments of awareness. Startling him awake is Bob speaking in a commanding voice. If you pass out or die, I'll dump your body in the woods. Kai's eyes widen as a surge of adrenaline floods his system. He feels short of breath as his eyes dart around

trying to find a way out. He looks at the pavement below rushing past and considers for a moment jumping from the vehicle. His hand is inches away from the door handle when Bob makes a sharp turn, throwing Kai backwards. Then the SUV comes to a stop. Kai lies in the back seat, wondering what is gonna happen to him next. When Bob announces, we're here. Kai uses all his strength to pull himself upright. Outside of the window, he sees the sign

for McAllister Regional Hospital Emergency Room. He starts to get out. The last thing Bob says to him, if anyone asks, you did this to yourself. Kai practically falls out of the SUV, blood marking each step towards the fluorescent glow of the entrance. The following day, it didn't take long for Kai to decide to tell the truth to doctors. With fresh blood, fluids, and the feeling of general safety, he wasn't so afraid that he was going to die anymore. Bob and Tom were both arrested at the hospital the following day when they tried to visit

Kai. They were each charged with five felonies and three misdemeanors. The felonies included conspiracy to commit unlicensed surgery, practicing medicine without a license, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, distribution of controlled dangerous substances including possession, with intent to distribute, and unlawful use of a communication facility to facilitate that distribution and maiming. The misdemeanor charges were for the failure to bury the, how should I put it... the dead human member, let's say. Also for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and

unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Interestingly though, there was no evidence that Bob and Tom ever ate any human body parts or ever let anyone bleed out on their makeshift operating table. Tom would take a plea deal to testify against Bob. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of failure to bury a dead human member, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to time served in order to pay a fine in court costs. Bob wasn't as lucky, but he'd already resigned himself to his fate. To help Tom escape any

serious punishment, he too agreed to a plea deal. He pleaded no contest to five of the nine charges. Maming the most serious with a potential life sentence was dropped, something that could have only happened in this day and age, along with unlawful use of a communication facility, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to two one-year terms in county jail for the failure to bury a dead human member. Again, they really want you to bury that dick for some reason. Also for possession of drugs and you know, you know all the rest.

He was sentenced to another five years in state prison for the attempted distribution of a controlled substance, a four-year sentence for practicing medicine without a license, and a 13-month sentence for conspiracy to commit unlicensed surgery, all to be served consecutively. It's weird that the charge with the most prison time is the drug one, isn't it? I would say that's a sign that there's probably something very wrong still with our criminal justice system, although that's probably not a big surprise to you. Tom would be released on September 21, 2021. He returned home to his family in Texas, and by December 8th of that year, he would die

of cancer. Bob remains in Oklahoma State Prison to this day. There is one more person I'm sure you'd like to know about, and that is the so-called patient. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, there is no information about what happened to Kai Aster. We can only assume that he's out there somewhere without a dick living his best life. If you enjoyed the show, please consider joining PLUS at swordandscale.com at swordandscale.com slash plus. But if you can't, consider leaving us a positive review on your preferred listening platform.

Sweet dreams and good night.