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Jack Grayson
Meteorite
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2025
The Cure
(Novella)
They were both stunned by the diagnosis, but they were floored when the doctor told them the cure. Jack (MC) and Mia felt like they didn't understand. It didn't make any sense!
Mia cleared her throat and nervously toyed with her hair in a futile attempt to calm herself down before saying, "Can you please explain again."
The doctor sighed regretfully and scratched his forehead. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I'm afraid there is no other way. Your daughter (YC) has a very rare, degenerative disease. As a result, there hasn't been much research into it, unfortunately. Her body will start deteriorating rapidly. She'll lose all motor function. She'll lose the ability to speak. Then, her mind will go. Most patients with this disease don't live past 21. And as you've noticed the degeneration has already begun. If we act quickly, her tremors and fatigue will most likely stop and she'll essentially be cured. If we wait, there's a chance she might lose function in those trembling limbs. From there, she'll quickly lose function everywhere else."
"The cure!" Mia shouted. "I want you to explain the cure! Again!"
Jack tried to calm his wife down by placing his hand on her knee, but she swatted him away. "I'm sure you understand how stressful this is for us?" He said to the doctor, feeling his own anxiety creep up on him.
The doctor nodded before clearing his throat. "Essentially, your husband is the cure. Less than one percent of men carry the protein that can alleviate your YC's symptoms. It just so happens that your husband carries that protein. And…"
"The delivery method! Explain that again!" Mia shouted, her voice becoming more and more unhinged.
"Like I said, there is only one possible method of delivery. The protein is so sensitive that any other delivery method could destroy it, rendering it useless. Your husband needs to… " The doctor nervously stumbled over the right word. "He'll need to… inject it… directly… himself…"
Mia broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as Jack just sat there dumbfounded, staring blankly at the doctor. He couldn't seriously believe any of this either
"There has to be another way!" Mia said through choking sobs. "You can't expect my husband and daughter to do THAT! He's her father!"
The doctor sighed once again as he lifted his glasses to rub his eyes. "The only other option is to make her as comfortable as possible until she–"
"STOP!" Mia shouted. "Don't say it!" Then she looked at her husband, her sobs becoming more and more pathetic with each passing moment. "What are we going to do, Jack?"
That was the big question. Could they actually give YC the treatment she needed? What happens when they find out that this isn't just a one time thing? That YC will need ongoing treatment for the rest of her life? What happens when YC starts becoming addicted to the rush of energy and vitality she feels after her treatments? How will this change the family's dynamic?
If you're interested, let's brainstorm. We can take this in a bunch of different directions.
(Novella)
They were both stunned by the diagnosis, but they were floored when the doctor told them the cure. Jack (MC) and Mia felt like they didn't understand. It didn't make any sense!
Mia cleared her throat and nervously toyed with her hair in a futile attempt to calm herself down before saying, "Can you please explain again."
The doctor sighed regretfully and scratched his forehead. "I know this is a lot to take in, but I'm afraid there is no other way. Your daughter (YC) has a very rare, degenerative disease. As a result, there hasn't been much research into it, unfortunately. Her body will start deteriorating rapidly. She'll lose all motor function. She'll lose the ability to speak. Then, her mind will go. Most patients with this disease don't live past 21. And as you've noticed the degeneration has already begun. If we act quickly, her tremors and fatigue will most likely stop and she'll essentially be cured. If we wait, there's a chance she might lose function in those trembling limbs. From there, she'll quickly lose function everywhere else."
"The cure!" Mia shouted. "I want you to explain the cure! Again!"
Jack tried to calm his wife down by placing his hand on her knee, but she swatted him away. "I'm sure you understand how stressful this is for us?" He said to the doctor, feeling his own anxiety creep up on him.
The doctor nodded before clearing his throat. "Essentially, your husband is the cure. Less than one percent of men carry the protein that can alleviate your YC's symptoms. It just so happens that your husband carries that protein. And…"
"The delivery method! Explain that again!" Mia shouted, her voice becoming more and more unhinged.
"Like I said, there is only one possible method of delivery. The protein is so sensitive that any other delivery method could destroy it, rendering it useless. Your husband needs to… " The doctor nervously stumbled over the right word. "He'll need to… inject it… directly… himself…"
Mia broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as Jack just sat there dumbfounded, staring blankly at the doctor. He couldn't seriously believe any of this either
"There has to be another way!" Mia said through choking sobs. "You can't expect my husband and daughter to do THAT! He's her father!"
The doctor sighed once again as he lifted his glasses to rub his eyes. "The only other option is to make her as comfortable as possible until she–"
"STOP!" Mia shouted. "Don't say it!" Then she looked at her husband, her sobs becoming more and more pathetic with each passing moment. "What are we going to do, Jack?"
That was the big question. Could they actually give YC the treatment she needed? What happens when they find out that this isn't just a one time thing? That YC will need ongoing treatment for the rest of her life? What happens when YC starts becoming addicted to the rush of energy and vitality she feels after her treatments? How will this change the family's dynamic?
If you're interested, let's brainstorm. We can take this in a bunch of different directions.