Sunlight filtered through the blinds of the lonely hospital room. Six-year-old Tommy Morsley lay in his bed, surrounded by sterile white walls and machines with coloured lights and dials. Above Tommy’s bed hung a sign saying “Home for Christmas”. The hospital room had been his home for the past three months. Next to him sat his father, Doctor Ian Morsley, a Professor of Antiviral Engineering working for the Health Department of the South Pacific Government. Tommy looked at the large needle in his father’s hand.
“Is that going to help me, Dad?” he asked.
“I’m not sure, Tommy. I hope so.”
Tommy stared into his father’s eyes. “Will I be home for Christmas?”
“Yes, Tommy,” said his father with a smile. “Of course you will. I promise.”
Tommy tried to smile, his eyes drowsy once more. “Are you staying, Dad?”
“I have an experiment to complete,” he said. “Then I’ll bring you some food. How about fish and chips?” Tommy didn’t answer. He was fast asleep. “Get some rest,” whispered his father.
Clouds blocked the sun, leaving the room dull. Tommy’s father thought back to when he was ten, and the story his grandfather told him. It was the story that inspired him to study Antiviral Engineering and become a doctor. The events his grandfather described changed human history and shaped the future of mankind.
His grandfather, Franklin Morsley, was nine years old in 2047, the year of the event now referred to as “The Great Death”. He suffered from a rare and crippling cancer attacking his spinal cord. Franklin’s father, Doctor Oliver Morsley, an Associate Professor of Viral Engineering at the Canberra University of Biological Science, was one of fifty-four cutting-edge doctors around the world working together on a cure for all forms of cancer. They managed to engineer a viral infection, C124-T17, that successfully attacked and neutralised cancer cells in the human body. The final rounds of testing showed incredible results.
Following the customary media appearances and press conferences, they split up and took the C124-T17 virus across the globe, infecting cancer sufferers everywhere. The miracle cure succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. Cancer patients across the world were cured. What they didn’t take into account was the ability of the virus to evolve, or mutate, into something far deadlier than cancer.
The transformed virus became airborne and quickly infected the rest of the globe in a harrowing, murderous spread never seen before. Within nine weeks, almost eight billion people around the world were dead. The way the virus attacked those with cancerous cells left them immune to the mutation effects. Ironically, if you had cancer, you lived. If you didn’t, you died.
The survivors had to act quickly. New leaders and governing bodies were established. Securing clean water and stockpiling uncontaminated foodstuffs became a priority. The biggest threat was the potential release of disease from the rotting bodies of eight billion people. In the larger cities, sports stadiums were filled with bodies and set on fire. Entire cities, in extreme cases, were abandoned and set ablaze. In less civilized areas, forests were filled with the dead and burned to the ground. The stench of smouldering flesh lingered in the atmosphere for months.
Since those days, Antiviral Engineering sat at the forefront of medicinal scientific research. Antiviral treatments were constructed in laboratories to fight both naturally occurring viruses and those created by man. This was the area of expertise in which Tommy’s father, Dr Ian Morsley, developed his skills. Treatments were mostly successful, but not always. And not in the case of the XV93-H virus, the virus attacking his son, Tommy.
Doctor Morsley’s phone rang, shaking him from the memories of his grandfather’s words. “Yes, Doctor,” he said. “I’ll be right there.”
He scanned his security card to access the lift. It took him five levels down to a basement area. In this area were cells containing prisoners serving life sentences for crimes against humanity. They’d been offered a deal. If prepared to receive the XV93-H virus, then a test antivirus, and were cured, they’d be released with a clean record. This was, of course, a lie, but they didn’t need to know that. Five men had already died in the experiment, unbeknown to other prisoners.
Outside cell seventeen, Doctor Morsley joined two other doctors. “Is this the one?” he asked.
“Yes, Doctor,” said one of them. “Is that the antivirus?”
“V93-TS14, ready to test.”
Inside the cell, a large angry man covered in tattoos rolled off his bunk, hitting the floor hard. He crawled toward the doctors, barely breathing. “Let’s do this!” he grunted.
Three security guards entered the cell, grabbing the prisoner firmly. Doctor Morsley stepped in, jabbing the needle into the tattoed man’s shoulder, emptying its contents. All bar the prisoner retreated, locking the cell door behind them.
Nobody made a sound. The prisoner stood up. His brow furrowed. A glaze came over his eyes as he glanced around the room. He took a deep breath, grabbed his throat and collapsed to the floor. Blood spilled from his nose. He was dead.
“That’s the end of TS14,” said Doctor Morsley.
“Okay,” said one of his colleagues. “Let us know when you have the next antivirus ready.”
“I already have it,” said Doctor Morsley, to the surprise of his team. “We’ll try it this afternoon. Line up the next prisoner for TS15. I’ll bring it down after visiting my son.”
Doctor Morsley pushed the ground floor button in the lift. He was running out of time. His son was running out of time. He’d promised he would be home for Christmas and had only nine days to fulfil that promise. Approaching his son’s room, a nurse burst into the corridor. “Hurry, Doctor,” she yelled. “Please hurry!”
Tommy’s father ran in. “I’m here, Tommy. I’m here.”
“Dad?” said Tommy, staring directly at his father. “Is that you?”
“It’s me, Tommy. I’m right here.”
“I don’t feel so well, Dad.” Tommy’s voice weakened. “Please help me, Dad.”
He pulled Tommy into his arms, stroking his hair. “Stay with me, Tommy,” his father pleaded. Tommy’s eyes began to wander. His breathing slowed. “Stay with me, Tommy. Give me one more chance.”
“Home,” said Tommy softly. He breathed in. “Home for Christmas,” he said, exhaling his last breath. Tommy went limp in his father’s arms.
Tommy’s family buried him in the backyard of the family home three days before Christmas. Doctor Ian Morsley’s colleges successfully trialled the new antivirus, V93-TS15, late in the afternoon of Tommy’s death. The test prisoner recovered from the XV93-H virus before returning to prison. The South Pacific Government spread the antivirus across the globe. All traces of XV93-H were eliminated. Tommy made it home for Christmas, just as his father promised.