Death in Small Doses

8/8/2019 Death in Small Doses

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TINY TALES

20

OF TERROR



DEATH IN TINY DOSES

Tim sat in the hospital waiting room and worried. Shirley was sick.

Bad sick. She’d started vomiting at three over the kitchen sink and by four

he had her to the emergency room.The nurse told him to wait here. He thought they’d let him stay with

Shirley, see what they were going to do, see the test results, hold onto her

hand, maybe get that terrified look out of her eyes.

He tossed aside the copy of Newsweek. Didn’t know what it was

saying, anyway. He got up and paced the room. His heart started fluttering

again and he put his hand on his chest. Needed to calm down. Concentrate

on something. Twelve chairs. 1-2-3-4 --. He took a deep breath.

God! Shirley was everything to him. The only really good thing that

had happened to him his whole life. He shook his head. It’s probably

something minor. But when she was vomiting so hard she couldn’t evencatch her breath she gave him a wild-eyed look like she was going to die.

He’d slapped her back hard and she coughed and wheezed and looked up

like that breath was a gift from God and then she heaved again.

Tim stared at the table with the stack of outdated magazines. She’d

made a mess on the Beemer’s floorboard on the way here. Didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered except Shirley being all right.

The glass door opened and an Asian man in a white smock walked in.

“Mr. Curtis?:

Tim stopped. “Yes. How is she?”The man gave a thin smile. “I’m not the doctor. I’m a molecular

scientist attached to the hospital.” He held out his hand. “Chu Ming.”

“How is my wife?”

“They’re still studying test results. Lots of blood tests. That takes

time. Blood is a very complicated thing.”

“Then it’s serious?”

“That’s why we’re doing the tests, Mr. Curtis,. To see if it is,. Or not.

Actually, 80% of the patients who come in here with abdominal complaints



turn out to be simple heartburn or a food allergy. We recommend Rolaids

and a bland diet for three days and we never see them again.”

“That’d what you think it is with Shirley?”“As I said, I am not the doctor. But I have seen the first run of test

results. Could you come with me? I want to show you something.”

Tim hesitated.

“Mr. Curtis, the final tests will not be completed for another two

hours, and you will not be allowed to see your wife until then. A standard

precaution in case she has something contagious. Come, please.”

Tim followed him out the door and down the corridor to the elevators.

Dr. Chu Ming pushed the button and stepped back. “Tell me, Mr.,

Curtis, Do you believe there’s a difference between being alive and not

being alive?”Tim froze. “God!”

“Oh, I’m not talking about your wife.” Then he paused and pursed his

lips. “Not specifically.”

The elevator door opened and they waited until an orderly with a cart

full of medicines exited. The Asian took his place next to the buttons and

pushed “L”. “Animate and inanimate.” He glanced at Tim. “Does that

sound better?”

“What are you saying?”

“That we are alive, but,” he looked around, “this elevator is not.”Tim blinked.

Chu Ming caught his look and gave a small smile. “They gave me a

lab in the basement. At first I took that as an affront, but now I realize they

just don’t want my work leaking out to anyone above. That’s probably a

good idea, especially in view of what I’ve found.”

“Then this is about my wife.”

“Ah, here we are. Right down this way. There’s several labs down

here, all with their various Frankenstein experiments or dissecting ET or

whatever. Totally irrelevant.” He stopped and turned a key in a doorknob.

“All the Off Limits places in the hospital use those credit card type openers

they issue for security purposes. Not down here. Here we have reverted to

good old steel keys. One person, one key. And they can’t be duplicated.

Ironic that it turns out to be the ultimate in security.” He pushed the door

open and clicked a wall switch. The overhead fluorescents buzzed to life.

The room was no larger than a generous-sized bedroom.

“Small, eh?” Chu Ming went past him to the double row of burnished

steel tables that lined each wall. “But I don’t need that much room, really.

As I told you, I am a molecular scientist. All my little monsters are too



small for the eye to see.”

Tim followed him slowly. There were a dozen microscopes on each

of the tables.The doctor stopped at one halfway down and turned to him. “I told

you my name is Chu Ming. We Chinese have a habit of putting the family

name first and then the given name. Family comes before an individual,

always.” He smiled. “You can call me Ming. And I will call you Timothy.”

he paused. “That is because we are going to be together for awhile.”

Ming sat down on a stool in front of the microscope and scooted over

another for Tim. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Have you heard that

phrase? Yes, I thought so. Those three simple words categorize everything

on our planet. Simple enough any child understands it.” He nodded. “But

it’s wrong.” he peered into the microscope and made a small adjustment onthe dial, then he looked back up. “What constitutes something being alive,

Timothy?”

Tim frowned. “They eat, they grow -- they have babies.”

Ming smiled. “That’s half of it. There are six things actually needed

to pass the test for life. They eat, they grow, they reproduce -- that’s correct

-- but they also must breathe, move and make waste.” Ming sat back. “If

anything can’t do all of these then it simply is not alive. That is the way it

is.”

Tim frowned. Where was all this leading? “My wife.”“Yes, of course. Just hear me out, please. All minerals are classified

as non-living, yet there are thirteen known to be essential to our bodies for

us to live. Isn’t that interesting? The living depending on the non-living to

survive. Doesn’t that somehow strike you as somewhat illogical? I mean,

does a rock need living tissue for it to be a rock?” He stood up without

waiting for an answer and slid the microscope over. “This is a sample of

your wife’s blood. Just turn the dial on the side if it’s not in focus for you.”

The door suddenly slammed open.

“Dr. Chu!” A tall man in a black suit stood there. Two white-

uniformed orderlies moved in behind him. “This is the second time, Dr.

Chu! You were told the rules! No unauthorized personnel on this Level!”

He turned and glared at Tim. “Get out! Now!”

Dr. Chu pushed in front of Tim, knocking over the microscope. “But

he has a right to know! His wife --”

The tall man shoved him aside and centered his stare on Tim. “I said

out ! Now!”

The two orderlies came up suddenly and grabbed Tim by the arms.

Tight. He felt himself being dragged to the door, out into the corridor, down



to the elevator.

“My wife is a patient here!” Tim protested. “She’s in the Emergency

Room!”They pushed him into the back of the elevator and took it up to the

floor marked “G”. They shoved Tim out the door.

“Leave!”

“But -- my wife --”

“You are not allowed in this hospital! Leave! Now!”

“But --”

They grabbed his arms again and dragged him all the way to the front

doors. He saw the people in the foyer all stopping to stare. They gave him a

final shove and he stumbled outside into the night.

Tim looked back as the automatic doors hissed shut. The orderliesstood there behind the glass watching him.

“What about my wife?” he screamed back at them. They just stared.

“You bastards!” Tim gave up and turned to the parking lot, the evening chill

cold against his skin.

He got into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut and took a

deep breath. His arms ached from where they’d clenched him. He shook his

head firmly. They couldn’t keep him from Shirley. No wild horses could --

God! -- He hadn’t done anything wrong! It was that doctor -- that damn

crazy Chinaman! He slammed the steering wheel and the little string of Rosary beads over the rearview mirror wobbled.

He looked up at them. Shirley’s. He reached up and silenced them,

feeling the smooth plastic against his fingers. Shirley was one of those

devout Catholics who never went to church. But when they bought this car

she’d fished those out of her jewelry box and hung them over the mirror and

said it was good luck. He started the engine and sat there. PT Cruiser. Not

his kind of car. But Shirley liked it. She called it “cute”. He shifted into

drive and sped away. Shirley.

He knew what he was going to do before he reached the apartment.

He slipped out of his windbreaker and dialed in the number.

“Dr. Chu, please.”

“I’m sorry, sir, there’s nobody here by that name.”

Tim blinked.

“I was just with him half an hour ago! He’s a molecular scientist --

he’s on the ‘L’ Level.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

Tim heard the line go dead and frowned. Maybe the guy didn’t use

his real name. Or maybe Tim got it wrong. No … the tall man had called



him “Dr. Chu”.

He shook his head and dialed the number again,. “Emergency Room

please.”“I’m sorry sir, Emergency Room cannot take outside calls.”

Tim sucked in his breath and tried to rub the strain off his face. “Then

check on a Shirley Curtis. She’s a patient in there.”

“One moment, please.”

He wasn’t going to be shut out. Shirley needed him. And he needed

Shirley. And if he had to go back in there swinging a damn baseball bat,

he’d --

“I’m sorry, sir, no patient registered here by that name.”

“Then she’s still in Emergency! I need to talk to somebody in the

Emergency Room!”:“I’m sorry, sir, no outside calls are --”

“Damn it!”

The operator was silent.

Tim rubbed his face. “Okay, then. Who’s the doctor whose been

assigned to her case?”

The phone was dead.

“Jesus!” Tim screamed and threw it across the room. “Damn!”

It started ringing.

He blinked. Maybe he broke it. No -- it was ringing! He ran acrossthe room and snatched it up.

“Hello?”

“You need to see your doctor.”

“Dr. Chu? Thank God! I’ve been trying --”

“First thing in the morning. Tell them you need a mineral analysis.

He’ll know what you mean.”

“What are you talking about? I need to see my wife! They --”

“Check in the pocket of your jacket. Wait for the results. I’ll call

tomorrow night.”

“But -- wait !” The phone went dead. “Damn you!” He almost tossed

the phone again and then realized he was gong to need it. He didn’t have a

cell. Shirley didn’t believe in them. He frowned and went over to the sofa

and picked up his windbreaker. He thumbed through the pockets and then

felt something hard. He pulled it out slowly.

It was the lab slide. He could see the tiny red dot wedged between the

twin rectangles of glass. Shirley’s blood. He frowned. The doctor must

have slipped it in his pocket when he shoved against him to face off the tall

man.



Mineral analysis?

What is that?

First thing in the morning, Tim. That’s what it is.

Tim didn’t get even three hours worth of sleep and his head was

splitting as he went into Dr. Powell’s office.

“Good morning, Mr. Curtis,” Jenny smiled from behind the desk.

“Running a little late, are we?”

Tim blinked. “What do you mean?”

“The doctor’s been waiting for you since eight.”

“Waiting for me?”

“You can go right in.” She pressed a button on the phone console.

“Timothy,” Dr. Powell got up. Tim noticed the microscope on hisdesk. “May I have it, please?”

Tim pulled the slide out of his pocket. “How did you know I was --”

“Dr. Chu.” He sat down and tucked the slide under the lens. He was

quiet for a moment, then he got up. “Excuse me,” and he went into a back

room and closed the door behind him.

Tim bit his lip. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Dr. Powell came back and gave Tim one of his practiced smiles. “The

analysis takes about ten minutes.” He sat down at the desk and folded his

hands.Tim waited. “It’s Shirley’s blood.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“Is she all right?”

“She’s under good care, Tim./”

“That’s not what I asked you.”

Dr. Powell only nodded and smiled.

“I need to see her!”

“Yes, Tim, I know you do.”

“Why the hell are you acting this way? Shirley and I have been

coming to see you for the past -- what? -- five years. You’ve always been

straight up with us -- with me.”

There was a soft ping. “Ah,” Dr. Powell got up, “it’s finished.” He

exited then in a moment was back with several sheets of paper. He stood by

his desk and studied them seriously. Then he put them down and looked at

Tim. “I’m afraid it is serious. Or at least it should be.”

Tim frowned. “What?”

“Extreme amounts of copper in her blood. Tell me, Tim, has Shirley

done anything unusual lately, been to any places outside of her normal



routine?”

“I -- don’t know. I think she would have said something. I work all

day. I don’t know for sure what she does with her time. What’s going on?”“Hear me out, Tim. Copper is a trace mineral in our bodies. A very

necessary one, because it helps our immune system to function.” He sat on

the edge of the desk and folded his arms. “It’s called a trace element

because the body only needs 100 to 150 milligrams of it to do its work.

That’s too tiny an amount to even be seen with the naked eye. That’s all we

need -- but we have to have it. The body gets it through many different

foods on a daily basis. In fact,” he grinned, “beer is one of the best sources.”

The smile faded. “Because it is so readily obtainable, copper deficiency is

an extremely rare occurrence.” He paused. “Copper over-abundance is --

beyond rare. And extremely dangerous. Too much in our bodies and itbecomes a poison. In fact, as little as one gram -- about the weight of a

single paper clip -- is absolutely lethal.”

“My God!” Tim stood up.

The doctor went to one of his desk drawers and pulled out some

folders. “Shirley makes the fifth similar case I’ve had in the past two

weeks.” He looked at Tim. “The specialists keep referring me to Dr. Chu.

Because copper is a mineral, not a virus or bacteria. The specialists don’t

have any answers.” He took a deep breath. “Shirley has maybe ten times

that amount in her, and it’s growing, Tim. It’s growing and apparentlyreproducing itself. A mineral can’t do that, Tim. It’s as inanimate as this

bronze paperweight.” Dr. Powell waved his hand. “No, Tim, it’s not hurting

her, although Lord knows why it isn’t. It’s apparently not interfering with

any bodily functions. It’s just -- there.”

“What the hell are you saying?”

“Frankly, I don’t know what I’m saying. It goes against all medical

knowledge.”

“Damn it, you’re not making any sense!”

“No, and neither do Dr. Chu’s theories. To believe him we would

have to change everything we know about what is alive and what is --”

“I want to see Shirley!”

“Yes,” Dr. Powell; nodded. She’d be better off out of that hospital.

There’s nothing they can do for her.”

“You can get her out?”

“No, I can’t -- but you can. Under the Right of Life law. You can

demand her release and they have to give it -- unless another family member

objects.”

“No -- no other family. Not Shirley or me. We’ve just got each



other.”

“Then do it, Tim. I have a private clinic on the South side where we

can put her. Have Dr. Chu see what he can come up with. Do it today,Tim.”

Tim nodded and then hesitated. “You said you’ve had six other cases

like Shirley’s?”

“I said I’ve had six others similar. They all are suffering from a

sudden burgeoning of trace minerals, but they’re all different. Selenium,

chromium, magnesium, phosphorous --”

“Like they’ve all just come to life or something?”

“They’ve never been alive, Tim. They’re inorganic minerals.” He

paused. “Or maybe they’ve always been alive and we just never took the

time to notice.”

Tim felt uncomfortable at the hospital. He was afraid any minute the

orderlies would come and kick him out again. But they didn’t. He was led

to two different offices where he had to sign some papers absolving the

hospital of any responsibility if anything happened to Shirley. Then he was

led back to the front foyer and told to wait.

Five minutes later the elevator doors opened and Shirley was rolled

out in a wheelchair. She saw him and jumped up and ran to him.

“Oh, God, Tim!”“Why are you in a wheelchair?”

“Stupid hospital rules. Oh, Tim, get me out of here!”

He held her tight against him and led her out and into the Cruiser. She

let out a huge sigh as she settled into the seat and then reached up and

fondled the Rosary beads. “That you, God. Thank you, Jesus. Look what

they did to me!” She rolled up her sleeve and Tim saw the nasty blue blotch

on her arm. “Just kept on sticking me with needles! And nobody would tell

me anything! What did they tell you, Tim? What’s wrong with me?”

Tim took a deep breath. “I think it’s just a bad case of stomach flu.”

She turned away and shook her head. “Yeah, that’s what they finally

said. ‘Take some Rolaids and drink plenty of liquids and’ “ her voice trailed

off.

“How’s your stomach?”

“The pain’s gone, so I guess this whole thing did some good. Oh,

God, Tim, get me home!”

Tim thought about Dr. Powell’s clinic and decided against it. Shirley

just needed some rest. Maybe later.



He pulled into the asphalt parking lot that faced the apartment

building and helped Shirley up the flight of stairs and into the bedroom. He

offered to help her off with her clothes. They were the ones she had onwhen he took her there. Bastards hadn’t even washed them. Still had those

yellow vomit stains streaked down the front. She let him do that, but shook

her head about a nightgown or anything else. She closed her eyes and pulled

the covers over her face and in a minute was breathing deeply.

Tim smiled down at her. Good to have you home, baby. And we’re

going to fix you, I guarantee --

The phone rang.

Tim reached down and unplugged the extension on the nightstand so

Shirley wouldn’t be disturbed and took the call in the living room.

“Did you get the analysis?”“Dr. Chu.”

“I needed for you to call me as soon as you got it.”

“I got Shirley, Dr. Chu, which is a lot more important. Besides, I tried

to call you and the hospital said they didn’t know you.”

There was a silence. “I didn’t realize they’d even resorted to that.

I’m an embarrassment to them, Tim. I know things they refuse to accept.

They don’t like it when they get a patient they can’t cure and anybody

hearing my suggestions would probably decide the whole hospital was crazy.

They do have their reputation to protect. Do you have it with you?”“No, Dr. Powell kept it. But he told me what it said. Copper. Lots of

copper.”

He heard Dr. Cho take a deep breath. “So it is copper.”

“Yes, so what do we do to get it out of my wife?”

“I think it would be better if we talk in person.”

Tim frowned. “You think they’re bugging my phone?”

“Not yours. Mine. Can you spare me some time? Like now?”

Tim glanced back at the bedroom. He could hear Shirley’s relaxed

breathing. “If it’s here. I’m not going to leave her for anything.”

“I am here,” Dr. Chu said. “Downstairs in the parking lot. I’ve been

waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?” Tim thought and then nodded. “I’ll press the door

release.”

He went back to the bedroom and straightened the covers over

Shirley. She stirred for a moment, but then went back into a deep sleep.

Then he went to the front door and opened it. He didn’t want Dr. Chu

knocking on it. Didn’t want anything to disturb Shirley.

Dr. Chu nodded a hello and then looked past him. “May I see her?”



“No. Besides, why? You’re not a medical doctor.”

Dr. Chu looked at him and then motioned to the sofa. “May I sit?”

Tim sat at the other end and laid a finger across his lips. “Keep itlow,” he whispered.

Dr. Chu nodded and took a deep breath. “Your wife is not the first.”

“Dr. Powell told me. Six others, he said, but none of them with

copper.”

“Fifty-seven others, Timothy. Dr. Powell is just speaking of his

patients.”

Tim blinked. ‘Fifty-seven?”

Dr. Chu nodded. “All with an overabundance of one trace mineral or

another. All well past what should be fatal amounts.”

Tim winced at fatal. “My wife -- what can we do?”“That’s what I’m working on. But with so many minerals I’m having

a problem trying to find a common denominator.” He paused. “But they are

alive. All of them. That much I know for sure.”

“How can that be? They’re just damn rocks!”

“So we’ve all been taught. Science decided a long time ago just what

constituted living matter and then shut the book on it. That was gospel. No

further discussion warranted.” He shook his head. “We scientists are

supposed to keep an open mind about things, but at the same time we’re

human. If a problem is solved, why go back over it again? Right,Timothy?”

Tim glanced at the bedroom. “Can you please just tell me what you

can do for my wife?”

“Please just hear me out.”

Tim felt an anger rising up. “That’s what you said back at the hospital

and I didn’t get a damn thing out of it.”

“That’s because we were uninterrupted by Mr. Blair. Please, Timothy,

if I explain perhaps you can help me find a solution.”

Tim sat back and folded his arms.

Dr. Chu nodded. “This started a long time ago. There’s no way of

knowing exactly when, but there was a sudden rush of people with

incredibly high sodium levels. The doctors were at a loss for the cause, but

at least they reacted to it. They put the word out that sodium was bad for

you. That’s when you saw all the new food being packaged touting ‘Low

Sodium” or ‘No Sodium’. It didn’t go any further than that. Nobody knew

where to take it from there. And then other trace minerals started showing

up in people in vast amounts. At present there are more than two million

worldwide that have been documented with them. God only knows how



many haven’t been documented. And for all I know even those figures

could be downplayed. Medicine does not like anomalies, Timothy.”

Tim let out a sigh. “All right, so what do we do?”“I thought you’d be shocked at the numbers.”

“I don’t know those people, Dr, Chu. I’m just concerned about my

wife.”

“Yes, of course. Then you won’t like what I have to say.”

“Your theory, right? Dr. Powell said you were going down a totally

different track.”

“I have to. There is no other track left to go on.” He paused.

“You’ve heard the phrase that the Earth is a living planet.”

“And?”

“I have come to believe it truly is. That everything -- everything -- onEarth is somehow alive. In fact, I believe the Earth itself may be a living

organism all its own and everything on it are just parts of its body, like our

arms and legs and organs are --”

“Where are you going with all this?”

“Man is a Johnny-come-lately to this planet. It was around for billion

of years before man appeared on it. And looking at what we’ve done to

Mother Earth I don’t believe we’ve outlasted our welcome.”

Tim frowned. “I just want to know about my wife.”

“We’re consumers and ruiners, Timothy. We use up things and thenthrow them away and leave the Earth the worse for it.”

Tim got up. “You don’t have any answers, do you? Maybe Dr.

Powell can find something. He wants me to take Shirley to a clinic he has.”

“I’m sure he does. Where her condition can be kept quiet. Timothy, I

believe mankind is being set up for a fall. I think the Earth is preparing itself

to take a final solution with us. I don’t know what will trigger it -- one tree

felled too many, one smokestack belching out that last straw of poison, the

one car put on the freeway spitting out carbon monoxide that is just too

much for nature to absorb.”

“I think that’s enough,. And you’re getting loud.”

Dr. Chu got up. “If I’m right -- and I really hope to God I’m not --

those minerals are being placed in everybody so when the time comes, when

the Earth says enough, we will all be snuffed out in an instant.”

“Sell it to the Sci-Fi Channel, Doctor. I’ll see you to the door.”

“Timothy, when you were in my lab you touched the microscope. I

pulled your fingerprint off it. I ran a spectral analysis on the sweat you left

behind. Timothy, your body is full of fluorine. In lethal amounts.”

Tim glared at him. “I don’t believe you!”



Dr. Chu pulled out a paper. “Here are the results. Have your Dr.

Powell look at them. He’ll see it’s from your body. One of the symptoms is

heart palpitations, Timothy.”“Get out!”

“Timothy, it‘s not just you! I have magnesium!”

Tim stopped. “You --”

“Yes, yes! And like everybody else, it’s just laying in my body, just

waiting, Timothy! In everybody! They’re just waiting for the signal!”

He pushed him out the door and slammed it, and then cursed himself

for the noise. He hoped it didn’t wake Shirley. He turned and went back to

the bedroom. Her legs were stirring slightly. He crawled on top of the

covers and laid down next her, felt the cool scent of her hair against his face.

“Everything okay?’ she mumbled. “That sounded like that Chinesedoctor from the hospital.”

Tim nodded. “Everything’s fine. Just a stomach flu.”

“Oh, good,” she sighed and rolled over toward him.

Tim held her close and listened to the rush hour beginning outside.

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Death in Small Doses

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