Chapter 1
‘The medicine of the future! Scientist creates the cure for diabetes!’
Perry almost spat out his coffee upon reading the new alert that flicked over his tablet. Pressing hastily on the article, Perry scanned through every word of The Washington Post. Dr. Susan Malik had created a shot that could be given to eliminate the sugar illness completely- boosting the health rates of patients by 60 percent. Taking another sip of his coffee, Perry let a smirk simmer across his face. “Wow, she didn’t even know the ingredients to make insulin.” He said.
“I spent years studying the samples of different blood types- seeing if one worked better with the medicine than the other, but eventually, I tweaked it and now it became officiant with all blood types. One of my friend’s daughters has type one, so- with her permission- I tested one of the demos on her and within a week, it was already a change. Now she no longer has the disease.”
Perry squeezed his eyes- glancing between Dr. Malik and her family that was positioned behind her. Her oldest daughter had a small sadness to her eyes. She looked at her mother before looking down at the trimmed carpet beneath her. A twinge of empathy sprinted through Perry. Shaking his head and exiting out of the page, Perry just stared for a bit at the now black screen. “Spent so many years for one medicine…. but at what cost?” He mumbled to himself.
Perry’s eyes met with the clock; 9:00 had come by and his breakfast was finished. Setting his coffee cup into the sink, Perry didn’t waste time rushing upstairs to his bedroom and changing into his pristine white dress shirt and black slacks. Scuffling down the stairs in his dress shoes, Perry grabbed his files and folders from off the living room table and made it down to his lab.
“Shoot!” Perry says, as he accidentally grazes his finger against the edge of the desk. A nail was curved under the desk- hidden away like a twig under a branch. A frown fell over Perry’s forehead as he sucked on his finger- tasting the little metallic taste before running it over cool water from the sink and walking back to his desk. The blueprints seemed all over the place. An idea for this, an idea for that, it was all so scampered around the notes that Perry swore made sense to him, but was now recounting that as a fatigued midnight mistake- a conference was the following morning and it was stamped that Perry needed to catch even just a few hours of sleep.
Scrutinizing the blueprint, Perry took one thing that he thought might be what he was trying make sense of all along: a scar removal medicine. It would erase all scars: surgical ones, thick eschar ones that form from severe burns, or the minor ones from a scraped knee or a…. paper cut on the finger.
Perry lifted one eyebrow before scanning his cut finger. “The perfect test subject.” He declared aloud to himself.
Grabbing his petri dish containers, Perry stared at the two dishes- not knowing exactly where to start. Skimming over his pointer with his thumb, rising this burning twinge like a spark pinch from fire wood. Perry scrutinized his thumb, looking over every cell from his spiral shaped fingerprint, finally decided the pinch off a centimeter of a piece for testing. Perry placed a sterile glove over his left hand, grabbed a saline cloth and the syringe. Perry held his cut finger under the microscope after cleaning it. Using the syringe, he carefully extracted the skin from his finger- biting his lip until the syringe had collected enough. Placing it under the scope, Perry gazed at it.
Just looked on at the little piece of flesh that was illuminated by the bright surgical lights of the lamp. Grabbing the Hexafluxide from the side, Perry grabbed another the pasture pippet, and let two drops hit the skin on the dish. Perry waited at the dish for two minutes. Slowly, the flesh started paleing- turning white. Then it slowly healed itself again- making the flesh thicker yet, still narrow. It sauntered like that until, eventually, it slowly became regular flesh again. A mellowed pink with the blushy tan complexation of Perry’s palmar skin.
Ring!
Perry grabbed his cell phone after the first ring. “Hello?” “Hello? Dr. Crusoe?”
“Yes?” “There’s been a new discovery down at the office! Dr. Saxon claims to have created a cancer curing medicine- I have the team all here and we just need you to come down and see for yourself.” Perry smirked. He glances toward his side before coming back to the call, “Alright, I’m on my way now.”
“Thank you..... it’ll be really nice to have your opinion on it.” A smile escaped through Perry. “No problem.”
The drive for Perry was just like any drive to work on the weekdays.... except it was Saturday. The traffic was busy, the sun kept poking through the little narrow spaces between the skyscrapers and the streetlights, people on their phones- walking their dogs, with grocrey bags in their grasp or their purses slung over the other shoulder. Taking his usual right turn, Perry took a quick peer at the building. This big building; E.G.L (Eco Genics Lab) etched on the front stone in front of the building. This tall flat like building built into a soaring structure of three, as they circled only a little around the property. ′A futuristic peer of the future’, as Mr. Wentworth had put it to Perry only a little after he first started working there. Pulling into the parking deck, Perry- like always- zipped from his car, scanned his badge in at the front desk and took the elevator all the way to floor 15. It held some of the most elite conference rooms where big decisions from Pfizer would be made. Antidepressants, Zoloft, Xanax- all of the major medicines that topped the world with it’s effects, originated with the company from the very beginning.
Heels clicking against the marble- striding to the conference doors, Perry opened them, letting a wasp of wind tickle the little bangs of his styled strains. “Hi,” Perry walked in, eyeing every member of the room. But he focused in on Dr. Saxon the most. Jade Saxon- long red hair, piercing blue eyes to challange his green ones, and a slim made body that her hips, breast and rear filled into a feminine balance. But even her absorbing linger couldn’t engrave itself into Perry. To him, she was very young- too young. Too childlike. An abstract mess of high ambition and self obsession mixed in this teenage angst of bitter competitiveness and frowzy pettiness. Yet, Jade was only three years younger. 29 was usually the age of composure to settle into the routine you would develop at entering into your 30′s. Not Jade. She was forever at 18.
Passing through the room, Perry made small eye contact with Jade; eyes pierced and focused, yet twinkled diffident. “So, I hear Dr. Saxon has made a cancer cure?” He spoke, as he took his seat. “Well...” Mr. Wentworth shot Jade a look; the look of a proud father who recently found out his son was going to make the football team or got accepted into a prestigious college. Jade sat up from her chair, shooting a side eyed look to Perry. Mr. Wentworth had given her the floor, allowing her to explain herself. She pulled this liquid tube from her pocket and held it up for the conference to see. “This is the future,” She cleared her throat, “I have created this liquid- among many others- to cure one of the world’s most deadliest diseases. Cancer. Maybe your mother has it, maybe your grandmother has it, maybe you have it.... and as you know, it takes grueling lengthy treatments to cure this illness and sometimes the effects of it leave us scarred- mentally and physically.”
“So I’ve created this,” Jade held up her liquid tube like a trophy. Showcasing it for everyone to see... especially Perry, who gawked at it with furrowed eyebrows- but of curiousness- not the tight lipped jealously Jade hoped. “This is the cure for any cancer of any type, no matter how aggressive. Stage one, stage two, stage three and four, this is what will cure within the instant it reaches the body and makes contact with the cancerous cells.” Jade went to her laptop and projected the animation on the screen. “Once the liquid is injected into the body, it immediately reacts with the cells, pinpointing the cancerous cells and starts destroying them- and only them. Unlike radiation and chemotherapy, this medicine solely interacts with strictly the cancer cells.” Jade clicked her next image, “Here you can see how it works- it directly attacks the cancer, sparing the healthy cells, which decreases the effects significantly. It promotes speeding healing and it records up to two months. No chemo, no radiation, no surgery- just this medicine that you take daily for two months, and then you’re comepletly cancer free.” Applause filled the room as Jade clicked off her demonstration. Perry sat clapping loudly eyeing the liquid.
No painful chemo or radiation. But what about lost hair, or fertility, or amputation from bone cancers or masectomies from breast cancer? Patients who have already been inflicted with this and have had to suffer the effects already... what about them?
Perry’s brain ran rapidly against the new formula of his co-worker. The ‘what ifs’ seemed to plauge him more than what Jade had just laid out on the table. Jade met eyes with Perry once again, only to be met with a polite smile and a genuine silent compliment. As the team left the conference room, Jade kept her focus on Perry as he was the last of the table to leave, leaving herself and Mr. Wentworth behind. “Very good Dr. Saxon. I’m astonished myself at how amazing this medicine is! I must extend a congradulations to you and this company will be more than honored to sell this medicine. Injection form I believe?” Jade nodded, “Yep. I can only be given by an oncologist and the treatment plan revolving around it will be in their hands,” grabbing the last of her papers, Jade looked to Mr. Wentworth with a smile plastered to her face. “Just imagine.... cancer treatments will be a thing of the past. Anyone who gets cancer, will now have something better to hope for rather than just percentages for survival... but real hope.” Mr. Wentworth patted Jade’s shoulder, “And you gave it to them.” He smiled before leaving the room. Jade walked out to the hallway, only to spot Perry taking a sip from the water fountain.
“I think I wheeled them in good, don’t you think?” Perry looked up and turned around to meet Jade’s aqua blue eyes. Standing a few feet taller than her and looking her up and down with fervent was enough to shake Jade in her flats. “Yeah, I think so.” He repeated. “That’s a pretty big product you have going there- it could really change millions of lives.” Jade’s smile tightened. “How’s your skin healing project coming along?” Perry cleared his throat. “Good, it’s coming just fine.” Jade bit her bottom lip with a smile still etched across her face. “Well, I’m sure Mr. Wentworth will be fond of it- once it’s done. I know projects like that take time.”
“Your’s only took a few months I see, as I’m sure everyone knows that.”
Perry snapped from his thoughts. “Of course.... it usually does. You have to get everything just right- like editing. Sprinting out the kinks and what not when it comes to medicine.”
Jade smirked. “Well... it always does.” Perry gave Jade a blank expression. “Well, I gotta go now, but I hope everything fairs well.”
Perry smiled again. “It always does.”
Jade downed her smile before walking off- hair bouncing against her back like a spring. This time, Perry eyed her up and down- scanning her like she was under a microscope. And maybe she was....after all, to Perry, it seemed like he noticed everything no else did. He always did.
“Perry!” Mr. Wentworth caught up with in the middle of the hall. “The team were going out for drinks tonight, wanna come?” Perry sighed, “I don’t know... I have to work on my project- I have a lot to work on.” Mr. Wentworth tightend his lips, “I know... It’s just, you being there would seal it in for this company to launch Jade’s medicine. I mean- this is something big, really big and the whole team would need to see some commitment to it in a sense right?” Perry looked to side to the side. “Perry, you know how much I appreciate your support on things like this.... launching this would put us at the top for trillions..... oh will please be there? Even just for a few minutes?” Perry bit one half of his lower lip. He met eyes with Mr. Wentworth again, “Okay.”
The Velvet Lounge’s cheers were buzzing. Tables only midly packed and full, but the E.G.L team had the middle table- members all around celebrating a new sendoff with fuzzy drinks and fuzziness. Perry didn’t drink much, only one scotch and soda, while he scanned the entire table. Jade sat only two spaces from Mr. Wentworth. A martini in one hand while the other was fetching attention from Lila - Dr. Jameson, for brownie points. Perry shook his head silently while giving dazed artifical smiles to his table. Jade- a recent graduate from University was now going to become one of the city’s most adored biologist because of her creation. Maybe it did bother him more than it should’ve. After all, all biologists of the E.G.L are on the same team right? They all slave away for the same cost and pay the same price?
“Okay, okay! How about this? A woman is a body painter. She paints her own body blue, giving it this avatar look making all the guys think that it’s just clay or sculpture under there. But when she peels away the cast- the biggest boobs of Illinois pop out- boucing everywhere!” The table roared in laughter. Mr. Wentworth was quite the comedian. Perry laughed uncomfortably, taking the last swing of his drink before grabbing his suit jacket. Perry grabbed his boss’s attention before getting out of his chair. “Okay, everyone! It was a pleasure having Dr. Crusoe with us this evening, it was very kind of him to come down here with us all, let’s show some of that appreciation.” Everyone clapped as Perry sended himself off. Everyone clapped, except Jade who just kept drinking her martini. Perry pretended as if he didn’t notice. “Thank you everyone, I’ll see you all at work Monday.” Perry walked out of the bar, grabbing his car keys from his pocket and clicking his doors unlocked.
Sitting in his car and just sauntering in the silence, Perry grabbed his phone. “Come on, pick up,” He whispered. “Hello?” “Hi, is this the lab of Eco Genics Lab?”
“Yes.” “Okay, I’m Dr. Cruesoe and I was hoping to speak to Wendell- A Dr. Wendell Hale?” “Sure... lemme connect you.” A pregnant pause stood for a few seconds. “Hello?” “Hey Wendell, this is Perry.” “Perry? Hey what can I do for you?”
“I was wondering- about the skin cell project.... the scar removal project I was working on.... does.... no.... Hexafluxide- does hexafluxide reverse scars... like- I’m working on it down in my lab, but does the formula have a history of reversing certain permenant injuries like for example- if someone’s hair had been ripped out from an accident, I know the medicine could take away the scars from the surgery- but what about the extensive damage done to the scalp and the person’s hair?..... I’m asking because you know the chemical better than I do, so I was just wondering as a science question.”
Another pause held, “Uh.... I don’t think so. If you made the medicine hypothetically- it would reverse the scars or scar tissue from let’s say, a severe burn injury. But if that person had lost their vision or their eyebrows or hair because of it, then no, it wouldn’t reverse that. Sorry.”
“No, no, it’s good. Thank you very much. Have a good night,”
“Thanks, you too.”
Perry sat in more silence for a few seconds before finally driving off.
It had been months now. Jade’s success was global, earning her millions from the company and other hospitals and pharmaceuticals that wanted even just a pinch of what was selling off the medical markets. Every news channel had Jade’s medicine- Interfepex. It highlighted The Washington Post, The New York Times, American Journal of Emergency Medicine, American Journal of the Medical Sciences- it went on. And Jade held front and center of it all. Perry sat against his couch, scribbling down the last of his notes in his notebook.
“This medicine is the future! Children with leukemia, women with breast and cervical cancer, men with prostate or testicle cancer- these are all things of the past! Interfepex is the world changer of medicine ever since the invention of vaccines-”
Perry set the remote down and continued jotting. Alzheimer’s. A illness of the brain that must be stopped. Perry had pock- marked the subject for more research. If the Hexafluxide couldn’t reverse damanged cells, then this formula would have to: Erogene. Perry had created this only a week after the conference. It would have to work- he spent nights- endless sleepless nights creating this masterpiece. It had to give back the lost damaged cells that were affected from those destructive illnesses. Grabbing his laptop, Perry typed in the notes from his notebook. Every line of the virtual page was being filled from top to bottom- Perry adjusting his computer glasses from time to time- eventually- the notes were set. Perry knew exactly where to start this time. This time, Perry would be number one.
That same morning, only a little before 7, Perry was front and center at the office, giving his presentation to Mr. Wentworth, allowing him to see what he was planning. Mr. Wentworth sat back, taking in all the details of Perry’s proposed project. “So, if you make this, it’ll cure Alzheimer’s- and reverse the effects of it, making the patient, not only regain their memory, but also make them more intelligent than they were before?” Perry nodded. “Yes... it is designed to produce more brain cells, while also regenerating their old ones that were lost from the disease.” Mr. Wentworth took an internal breathe in. “Okay... my concern is, what if the medicine is abused? People who don’t need it suddenly start using it for their own reasons- such as, increased intelligence for themselves? Young people who do not need the treatment, might abuse it in the same way antidepressants are abused or opioids or diet pills? It would give them high energy, which is something most college kids need for tests or to study....and then there’s the percentage that younger people do need it, like childhood Alzheimer’s.”
Perry sighed. “Well, true... there’s always that percentage who abuse drugs like that. But that shouldn’t stop us from selling it. There are risks that are printed on every bottle of asprin or painkillers or even allergy medications and even inhalers. But for the people that need them- they should be readlily available. And plus... this is going to be a prescribed medication- only people diagnosed with the illness would be allowed to the medication. For those who get their hands on it without a doctor’s supervision, will inevitably face the consequences of their choices. It might kill them.” Mr. Wentworth shrugged his eyebrows and pouted his mouth. “True....”
“Alright.... if you’re working on the medicine right now, then it’s approved. But if not, then my answer still pends.” Perry gathered his suitcase. He stopped before heading out the door, “What if it’s in injection form?” Mr. Wentworth looked up, “Maybe. But my answer’s still the same.” Perry gave a tight lipped smile before leaving. The click of heels soon became the second sound across the hall. Jade was walking up in her lab coat. Slim red dress, gray heels, and a gold watch pressed against her dainty wrist. “Perry,” She smirked. He stopped and turned, “Didn’t know we were on a first name basis, Dr.” Jade cleared her throat, “Sorry, I just wanted to say hello. I heard that you were forming an Alzheimer’s medication- how’s it coming?”
“It isn’t. I haven’t started yet- I have another meeting-” “Oh yes, sorry to hold you. It’s just been the first break I’ve gotten since the product drop. The Washington Post sure does want a lot of interviews.” Perry gave a flat smile, “Then I’m sure you must be very busy. I have to go; I’m going to be late for an important meeting.”
“Of course, I have to go too. Mr. Wentworth wants to know my other plans. It’s all so much- but I know deadlines are excruciating especially in biology cases like these. Good thing I prepared.”
“Yes. Every good doctor must.... at least, when The Washington Post isn’t banging at your door.” Jade furrowed her eyebrows, “Well-” “Well, I have to go now. But by all means, I hope your meeting with Mr. Wentworth goes well. Don’t forget, he’s your first reference.” Perry walked off, leaving behind an agitated Jade.
Perry was sheltered in his labratory, straining himself on mixing chemical after chemical. Carefully adding in Eurogene, the beaker burst- sprinkling glass all over the surrounding floor. An arch hit between Perry’s eyebrows. This was the sixth attempt, and yet nothing. Not formula, no little piece of sizzling liquid that could be used for possibly even so much as a flu vaccine.... nothing. Perry ripped off his saftey googles and sat himself in his chair gruffly. He pounded his fists on his lap and threw a hand over his hair, combing through it roughly. Shoving his face into his palms, Perry thought. He thought and thought and kept thinking harder and harder. Then he thought Jade. Smug, arrogant, rude, condesending.... the list went on. Oh, how Perry forced his piercing eyes to want to stab right through hers when they were in the hallway. The Washinton Post probably thought Jade was full of it. Perry did. Maybe Mr. Wentworth did too. But it didn’t matter. Perry needed to show something to let Jade know how much he could really be as a biologist- to show his boss how much he could thrive as the top notch biologist he built him up to be- that Perry himself, built himself to be. He needed something. He needed something to bring the point home- it had to change the revolution of medicine forever.
The scar removal. It couldn’t erase the effects- the loss of limbs from a car accident, loss of hair from chemo or a scalp injury, lost vision from an explosion. Maybe a burnt face from a fire, but the loss of a nose or mouth from it would be forever lost- a patient doomed to relive their pain of the past every single day they look in the mirror.
No more. Not for Perry.
Flinging himself out of the chair, Perry cleared away his desk. He grabbed two freshly cleaned perti dishes and put Eurogene and Hexafluxide in the other. He sealed them off and put them aside before taking out a DNA kit that he had stored away for a proper use. A lightbulb shot through him. “Tomorrow,” he said. Grabbing his phone from off the desk, Perry cleared away the to do list that he set up for chores. Instead, he replaced it with a morning reminder to visit the hospital. Shoving the phone back into his pocket, Perry gave the lab one last glance- winking at the little DNA kit on the desk before turning off the lights and going upstairs.
