they’ll hear in my voice that I want to help. Hoping that they’ll understand that I can’t.’
‘We won’t be the only ones, Anne. We aren’t the only ones. But this doesn’t define us. Not being help doesn’t make us terrible people. We’re just trying to survive just like anyone else. We’re trying to live through the experimental stage.’
‘They’ve got to find a cure. They just have to. This has gone on for way too long now and this stupid, stupid virus has claimed way too many lives. You know, I heard in the news that they’ve got some kind of experimental drug that they’re withholding because it hasn’t been FDA approved yet.’
Finally, Anne had turned around, allowing her eyes to meet Stewart's.
He scooted himself down to the end of the bed to get a bit closer to her without wanting to seem over-elated by the eye contact. ‘Didn’t they treat some doctors with that drug in the beginning stages? In Atlanta, I think it was?’
‘Yes, exactly that. But here’s what I don’t get.’ Anne paused, collected her thoughts and continued, ‘I don’t get why they have to wait for FDA approval when it’s already worked. I don’t get why they don’t just go right ahead and administer it to all those people who are dropping like flies right before their eyes.’
‘Backlash,’ Stewart answered.
‘Backlash? What kind of backlash?’ Anne asked, confused.
‘Well… I think there’s two parts to this. Firstly, maybe those drugs really aren’t ready for the market yet. Maybe they have some kind of side effects that are a lot more detrimental than the virus itself. And on the other hand, maybe it’s best that the FDA is holding off. After all, they’re the authority. They’re the responsible ones and the minute that they start slacking on their procedures is the minute that each and every drug that might work for an illness will pass without being thoroughly examined.’
‘Hold up. Let’s go back a minute. You’re telling me that the drugs probably have side effects worse than Ebola? The side effect of Ebola is death, it can’t get any worse than that.’
‘Well, maybe they’re afraid that it will prompt the virus to mutate which could be a lot more serious than anything we’re dealing with now. I mean, if it does, they’re looking at losing all the research they’ve done and the possibility of the virus becoming airborne. And, of course, there are the side effects. If it cures one thing but brings on an abundance of other ailments, they’ll be looking at more lawsuits than their lawyers are equipped to handle.’
Anne’s hands flung to her mouth. ‘You don’t think that would be possible, do you?’
‘I think they’ll do everything in their power to ensure that it doesn’t happen.’
‘But like you said,’ Anne’s face went pale, ‘they’ve already given the drug to that one doctor in Atlanta.’
‘Yeah, but I’m sure that they’re keeping a good eye on him.’
‘I dunno, Stewy. It’s all just very odd. I think maybe they do have a cure. I think maybe that drug the doctor received was the cure and now that they have proof it works, they’re just making sure that when the general population has access to it, they’ll be making bank.’
Stewart was startled to see that his wife had adapted his way of thinking. ‘Umm…’ he stuttered. ‘Well…’ He wasn’t going to give in. He wasn’t going to instill even more panic in her. If she started thinking this way, she’d probably start painting signs and develop a meet to go around patrolling with the protestors.
‘Makes sense, doesn’t it. Like the same way that I’m sure they’ve got a cure for Aids…’
She did it again. ‘A cure for HIV,’ he forced a laugh. ‘Now you’re just being silly, Anne.’
‘Tell me you don’t really think they haven’t got a cure for that.’
It wasn’t that Stewart liked lying to his wife. It’s just that he didn’t see the reason that both of them needed
‘We won’t be the only ones, Anne. We aren’t the only ones. But this doesn’t define us. Not being help doesn’t make us terrible people. We’re just trying to survive just like anyone else. We’re trying to live through the experimental stage.’
‘They’ve got to find a cure. They just have to. This has gone on for way too long now and this stupid, stupid virus has claimed way too many lives. You know, I heard in the news that they’ve got some kind of experimental drug that they’re withholding because it hasn’t been FDA approved yet.’
Finally, Anne had turned around, allowing her eyes to meet Stewart's.
He scooted himself down to the end of the bed to get a bit closer to her without wanting to seem over-elated by the eye contact. ‘Didn’t they treat some doctors with that drug in the beginning stages? In Atlanta, I think it was?’
‘Yes, exactly that. But here’s what I don’t get.’ Anne paused, collected her thoughts and continued, ‘I don’t get why they have to wait for FDA approval when it’s already worked. I don’t get why they don’t just go right ahead and administer it to all those people who are dropping like flies right before their eyes.’
‘Backlash,’ Stewart answered.
‘Backlash? What kind of backlash?’ Anne asked, confused.
‘Well… I think there’s two parts to this. Firstly, maybe those drugs really aren’t ready for the market yet. Maybe they have some kind of side effects that are a lot more detrimental than the virus itself. And on the other hand, maybe it’s best that the FDA is holding off. After all, they’re the authority. They’re the responsible ones and the minute that they start slacking on their procedures is the minute that each and every drug that might work for an illness will pass without being thoroughly examined.’
‘Hold up. Let’s go back a minute. You’re telling me that the drugs probably have side effects worse than Ebola? The side effect of Ebola is death, it can’t get any worse than that.’
‘Well, maybe they’re afraid that it will prompt the virus to mutate which could be a lot more serious than anything we’re dealing with now. I mean, if it does, they’re looking at losing all the research they’ve done and the possibility of the virus becoming airborne. And, of course, there are the side effects. If it cures one thing but brings on an abundance of other ailments, they’ll be looking at more lawsuits than their lawyers are equipped to handle.’
Anne’s hands flung to her mouth. ‘You don’t think that would be possible, do you?’
‘I think they’ll do everything in their power to ensure that it doesn’t happen.’
‘But like you said,’ Anne’s face went pale, ‘they’ve already given the drug to that one doctor in Atlanta.’
‘Yeah, but I’m sure that they’re keeping a good eye on him.’
‘I dunno, Stewy. It’s all just very odd. I think maybe they do have a cure. I think maybe that drug the doctor received was the cure and now that they have proof it works, they’re just making sure that when the general population has access to it, they’ll be making bank.’
Stewart was startled to see that his wife had adapted his way of thinking. ‘Umm…’ he stuttered. ‘Well…’ He wasn’t going to give in. He wasn’t going to instill even more panic in her. If she started thinking this way, she’d probably start painting signs and develop a meet to go around patrolling with the protestors.
‘Makes sense, doesn’t it. Like the same way that I’m sure they’ve got a cure for Aids…’
She did it again. ‘A cure for HIV,’ he forced a laugh. ‘Now you’re just being silly, Anne.’
‘Tell me you don’t really think they haven’t got a cure for that.’
It wasn’t that Stewart liked lying to his wife. It’s just that he didn’t see the reason that both of them needed
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