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In the Larry Niven/Edward M. Lerner novel "Juggler of Worlds", Sigmund Ausfaller, ARM Agent, notes Beowulf Shaeffer was smaller in stature and now had the body mass of a missing crewmember after regenerating in a Carlos Wu designed "Autodoc". Did the autodoc recycle the dead crewmate in order to heal injured Beowulf Shaeffer when he was placed inside of it?

Juggler of Worlds

autodoc

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    The incident is covered in more detail in one of the short stories.
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented May 8, 2012 at 1:11
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    Wouldn't be the first time; I haven't read Juggler yet, but it was used to do that in one of the earlier stories. I forget the name, but it occurs on a mostly sea-bound planet, and, as I recall, only the head is put in the machine; the rest of the body is rebuilt from sea stuff, his body, and an enemy.
    – K-H-W
    Commented May 8, 2012 at 1:25
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    @KeithHWeston Actually that's the same incident. Juggler retells it from Simon's point of view instead of Bey's.
    – Mark Beadles
    Commented May 8, 2012 at 1:41

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This is related in "Procrustes" from Crashlander from Beowulf Shaeffer's point of view, and Juggler of Worlds from Sigmund Ausfaller's. Wikipedia has a good synopsis:

Sharrol kills Feather, feeds her body into Carlos’ autodoc as biomass material, and removes Shaeffer’s head and places it in the intensive care cavity of the ‘doc. The ‘doc rebuilds Shaeffer over a four-month period, but his height is adjusted to match the intensive care cavity and his rebuilt muscles are adapted to Fafnir’s gravity

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