Quote
From the 1971 David Bowie song, "Life on Mars?". The lines are about a "law man" punishing "the wrong guy", as a hint as to what is coming in the chapter. I removed the last two words of the line, so that the question simply asks, "Is there life ...?"

"Life on Mars?" features in the 2006-2007 television series of the same name. It is the song playing on an iPod in the protagonist's car when he is run over, and on an 8-track in the car when he wakes up in 1973. I can't say much more without giving away spoilers for both sources, but Life on Mars is a bit of an inspiration for Between Life and Death.

The song "Life on Mars?" is a parody of "My Way", made popular by Frank Sinatra in 1969, which is often chosen as a funeral song.

https://youtu.be/AZKcl4-tcuo

The Wrong Guy
When Chief Justice Dharmayama launches an immediate investigation into how Julian, a living person could have been brought to the Waystation, it turns out to be due to a case of mistaken identity. Julian Barratt Pettifer's records were mixed up with those of someone with a similar name, Julian Peter Barratt.

As well as being born in places with the same name, and residing in the same city, the two Julians had birth dates that could be confused – Julian Barratt Pettifer was born on 4/5/1968, while Julian Peter Barratt was born on 5/4/1968. Because Marcus' assistant Eleanor was an American before she died, she immediately spots that the second Julian's birth date could be understood, using the US system, as May 4th 1968, rather than the actual date of 5th April 1968.

Furthermore, the two Julians were both brought to the same hospital on the same night after a drowning – The Other Julian slipped in the bath and hit his head, falling under the water. You might remember that Our Julian falls into an almost dreamlike state when having a long, deep bath with Noel.

This (possibly outrageous?) plot line is inspired by the "Bollo" episode of The Mighty Boosh TV show, where Howard/Julian is taken by a Grim Reaper who confuses him for the gorilla Bollo, who is on his death bed. Zookeeper Howard/Julian has been forced to fill in for the terminally ill Bollo by dressing up in a gorilla costume, and even dedicates himself to method acting so thoroughly that he throws his own excrement on a zoo visitor!

When Phil Denn, our resident taxi driver and Reaper, is sent to pick up a man named Julian Barratt who is in a coma after a drowning at a certain hospital, he takes Our Julian to the Waystation instead. When Phil explains what happened to the assessment room, he says of his mistake, "I feel like a right flapjack". This is straight from the TV show, when Phil the Reaper says it after realising he actually picked up a man in a gorilla suit, rather than a gorilla.

Leeds in Kent
In real life, Julian Barratt Pettifer ("Our Julian") was born and grew up in the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire. Julian Peter Barratt ("The Other Julian") was born in Leeds, Kent. Leeds in Kent is a village of about a thousand people, five miles from Maidstone, the county town.

The village of Leeds [pictured above] doesn't have a hospital, so The Other Julian must have had a home birth. These were accessible using the NHS during the 1960s (as today) – the poet Sylvia Plath, who lived in a village, had home births for her children in the UK in the early 1960s.

The Fate of the Other Julian
I think this might have confused some readers, because it's not an easy concept to grasp. Both Julians were in comas, in a state between life and death, their bodies kept artificially alive by machines. Our Julian's soul was taken by mistake to the Waystation while he was still alive, which has caused him a number of problems in the story.

The Other Julian, who was slated for death, had his soul left behind, trapped in his comatose body, unable to move on. Chief Dharmayama's horror when he discovers this lets us know that this is a nightmarish situation for The Other Julian to be left in for even a few days. If the narrative had been told from The Other Julian's viewpoint, this would have been a very dark story indeed!

Phil is sent to pick up The Other Julian straight away, to bring him to the Waystation and his House of Healing. At least now the ordeal is over, and he can begin to heal.

The Healer's Oath
Mary quotes her sacred vow as a Healer: First, protect from harm. This is based on the maxim, First do no harm (Primum non nocere), a principle precept of bioethics taught in healthcare. It is sometimes cited as part of the Hippocratic Oath, although these exact words do not appear in that, and it seems to date to the 17th century.

The modern medical aphorism suggests that it is better to do nothing than to make a patient's situation worse by adding to or prolonging suffering needlessly. The Healer's Oath is active rather than passive – it demands that the first principle of a Healer must be to take steps to protect their patient from harm and suffering at all costs.

Mary's Mystery Medicine
Chief Justice Dharmayama's investigation into how Julian has managed to survive so long at the Waystation reveals that his Healer, Mary Gideon, suspected that Julian might have been alive. She helped him by giving him general lifestyle tips, such as watching his diet and getting plenty of sleep.

(By the way, you can see why Julian didn't need food and became full very quickly – he was attached to a machine giving him sustenance. And of course he needed a lot of rest – he was in a coma! This also explains why Julian says he has been sleeping very well at the Waystation, unlike his usual night time pattern.)

More importantly, Mary gave him a medicine which he needed to take every few hours. She now reveals to the assessment room that it contained essence of holy basil, snowdrop, and four leaf clover; Dennis, the Head Shaman, explains the probable purpose and use of these herbs. (Dennis is said to very knowledgeable of herbs; a joking reference to the Shamen Council on The Mighty Boosh TV show, as they were very often stoned on marijuana).

Holy Basil, or Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) is a leafy shrub native to India [pictured above]. It is regarded as a sacred plant, a threshold point between Heaven and Earth. Particularly important in women's worship, it is offered to Vishnu, the creator and protector. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is considered to be an elixir of life, able to treat almost every illness. In Christian legend, holy basil is said to have grown abundantly around the tomb of Jesus, giving it the moniker "the resurrection herb".

Common Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) are nodding white flowers native to Europe which bloom in winter and early spring. They were brought to Britain in the 16th century by Italian monks, regarded as sacred to the Virgin Mary, and are often planted in churchyards. Perhaps for this reason, folklore says that their presence will protect the souls of the innocent dead. A compound taken from snowdrops can be used to treat Alzheimer's, so it does seem to offer some protection of the mind at least. Christian legend relates that when Eve was thrown out of the Garden of Eden, it was snowing, and she wept at the barrenness. Then an angel showed her that her tears had become a patch of snowdrops, to demonstrate that life and beauty can survive, even in the harshest seasons (the delicate looking snowdrop is extremely tough). For this reason snowdrops are symbols of hope, consolation, and new beginnings.

White Clover (Trifolium repens) is a herbaceous ground cover with small white flowers, a member of the Bean family, which is native to Europe, including Britain and Ireland. It is said to be protective, a holy herb that shields against dark forces, and a magical doorway to the spirit world. Usually three-leafed, explaining its other name of trefoil, it can occasionally have multiple leaves. Because it is relatively rare, finding one with four leaves is considered lucky. What the luck is supposed to consist of depends on who you listen to. Some say it brings fame, wealth, love, and good health, while others see it as hope, faith, love, and luck. Either way, it's lucky!

I did a lot of research for this, taking in flower symbolism, herbalism, folklore, mythology, and magic to choose plants for Mary's Medicine. This holy trinity of plants seemed to me to provide powerful protection for both body and soul, as well as a strong measure of pure luck.

When we discover the lengths Mary has gone to in order to save Julian's body on Earth and his soul at the Waystation, it becomes clear that Julian may be the protagonist of the story, but it is Mary Gideon who is the heroine of Between Life and Death.

The Touch of His Soulmate
Mary tells the assessment room that even with the help of the medicine she gave him, Julian would probably not have been able to survive at the Waystation if he hadn't met his soulmate, Noel. Julian has been sustained by Noel's touch (thank goodness they've done a lot of touching!), and in a sense, he has been sharing Noel's Afterlife energy.

When questioned, Mary admits she doesn't know for sure what effect this might have on Noel, but her educated guess is that it would propel Noel into a supernal (celestial, heavenly) state faster than normal. She notes that she has observed Noel's beauty as more luminescent than is usual in someone who has yet to go Forward.

Julian feels terrible at this news, to the point where he faints. Although Julian can only see himself as an 'energy vampire' sucking away at Noel's soul, Noel has freely shared his soul energy with Julian, and would have done so even if he knew of the consequences. He has been Julian's 'guardian angel' throughout their time at the Waystation.

Write What You Know
I have only ever found one four-leaf clover, when I was twelve. I was pretty excited, because I'd just read a children's story from Ireland about a magical four-leaf clover bringing luck and making dreams come true. I couldn't help hoping, although logically I knew it was only a story and it would be silly to believe in a superstition.

In the month after finding the clover, I was chosen to write and give a speech at school for Arbour Day while planting a tree. I was selected to take part in an advanced class covering philosophy and critical thinking (yes, I can see the irony). I also won a major poetry award given by the Department of Education, which saw my work published in a book for the first time.

Biggest of all, my parents agreed to buy me a pony, something which I had dreamed of since I was five years old, but never thought would ever happen. He was a beautiful sweet-natured dapple grey pony with a white star, and I called him Lucky. (Readers of Raven and Rue may recognise him as the inspiration for Pip's pony from Ireland, Finn).

Three pieces of luck and a wish come true within four weeks, just like the four leaves of the clover. So do I really believe four-leaf clovers are lucky? You bloody bet I do! At least for children, who are pure in heart.

Characters
Mary and Marcus
This is the first time we see Mary and Marcus interacting together. Although they are being very professional, they are so attached to each other they cannot help slipping up and calling each other by their first names, rather than Healer Gideon and Mr Hoffman. It is clear that they are very close and dear to each other.

An intelligent reader said that Mary and Marcus seem quite asexual, and I can totally see them as a devoted ace couple. I wonder whether the desire for sex, like the desire for food, might gradually fade away the longer you are Forward?

Head Healer Bainbridge
The Head Healer at the House of Healing where Mary works. We never see him, but he did not listen sufficiently to Mary's concerns, and discharged Julian so he could begin preparing for his assessment. Although this was negligent of him, if he hadn't, Julian would never have met Noel. Head Healer Bainbridge is based on Dixon Bainbridge, the owner of the zoo in Series 1 of The Mighty Boosh TV show. He is a pompous blowhard with a ruthless streak, and one of the 'villains' of the show. Bainbridge is portrayed by Matt Berry, who was the star of the 2013 sitcom, Toast of London. In the show, actor Stephen Toast constantly asks, "Who the hell is John Simm?". John Simm plays the lead role in Life on Mars, as a weird connection in this chapter.

Mr Fossil
The head of the Records Office at the Waystation. His incompetence led to the mix-up where Julian's records were confused with those of another man with a similar name and birth date, leading to Julian entering the Afterlife as a living person. He is based on Bob Fossil, the manager of the zoo in Series 1 of The Mighty Boosh TV show. Bob is very bad at his job and knows nothing about animals – not even their names – which seemed to track with a certain level of failure as an administrator. Bob Fossil is played by Rich Fulcher; note that Rich is an American, to suggest why he may have read Julian's birth date incorrectly, using the US system. [Picture shows Bob Fossil and Dixon Bainbridge on The Mighty Boosh, Bob on left].  

I think we can feel confident that Chief Justice Dharmayama will order a complete investigation into both the House of Healing and the Records Office to ensure another mistake like this cannot happen again.