_Approximate Word Count 1,000

2013;

Disposable Copy

Life Support

by

M. W. Meredith

Paul, Collins, Roger, Mark Cohen, Angel, Miss Marquez and Gordon all stood holding hands, in a circle saying the creed of the Life Support Group, support group, as Paul stated, "Let us begin. There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret".

Wait a minute. Gordon interrupted; I still have trouble with the credo of the group I think. He sometimes said this, Gordon would say, but always rescind soon after. He said, "What if there is time travel into tomorrow? What if some day they invent a time machine? What if tomorrow exists as surely and palpably as yesterday, today as well? What if there is a fate for all us"?

Paul said then, "Some people believe that but what's the reason in brooding over the past because you tried at some thing and you failed? Is that logical? If you are having something that you want to go back and change since you're feeling bad about it, perhaps you should talk about it and get bad emotions out of the your system with group instead of always thinking of it happening over and over inside your head and feeling regret all the time. Believing time merely is an invention of humanity to measure how far the day has passed so far. We at Life Support encourage taking a page from the book that those persons live by. We like to think of living for now. Perhaps there were Dragons in the Middle Ages; neither you nor I were there in this life-time. Perhaps there is some thing like magick. Perhaps there are such things as miracles. Who knows? Do you, Paul, have to necessarily believe so because rigidly in science? Perhaps you don't have to be so un-FLEXIBLY rigid. You don't have to think that you are going to die of AIDS exactly two years to the day and hour, minute, second that a doctor told you that you'd die".

After a long pause Paul said, "Look, I find some of what you teach suspect, because I'm used to relying on intellect, but I try to open up to things I don't know, because reason says I should've died". Paul counted four of Paul's own fingers.

Paul and Roger both said at the same time, three years ago.

Roger said alone, this time, "A doctor once told me when I tested positive for HIV that I only had two years to live, too. That was five years ago".

Gordon replied to that, "Sometimes doctors will tell you the wrong thing. Sometimes they tell you a diagnosis insensitively. Some-times they tell rape victims that they're pregnant due to the fact that they're sluts and they have had sex before marriage. Doctors are overly logical types that don't care about your feelings some times. Let us continue our motto. Paul, you don't have to continue. You can sit down if you want, Paul".

Paul continued with the rest, or life is yours to miss. No other road, no other way; no day but today.

Gordon then said, " Let us sit, now. Roger, Paul, those doctors shouldn't have told you that. People usually die generally two years after getting HIV/AIDS but only after getting a fever, too. There is A. Z. T. also, for those that can afford it or get it somehow. In addition, you can take care of yourself and keep away from germs so that you can stay well for as long as you can. I cannot advise this, but here's also alternative means of medicine such as Cannabis. You can join a lobby group to legalize Marijuana. Cannabis can help you to keep eating properly. If you can get a doctor to prescribe you legal steroid compounds that could keep you strong for as long as possible, if you could afford it".

Paul said, then, I'm not afraid of AIDS anymore, but I do know that I'm afraid of losing my dignity. Will I lose my dignity? Will someone care? Sometimes I feel like this is a nightmare from which I'll never awake.

Miss Marquez said I have a fear like that, too.

Collins replied, "Me too".

Angel in return said, "So do I".

Robyn replied, as well, "Me, too".

Roger paused, and finally admitted, "So do I, have a fear of something such as this".

Paul said, "You'd be surprised how a family will pull together, during a health emergency. Your friends will visit while you are at the hospital".

Gordon replied, "That's a comfort, thank you. I just needed to be told that by someone who knows what happens when someone gets sick and has to go to the hospital, that's all".

To be continued.

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Approx Count 300

2013:

_Disposable Copy

After-Words?

by

Mark Walt Meredith

That is the end of that act of the story so far. Do you think that's the end of the life of this main character? Not necessarily, if you don't want it to be, then write me a note about how you want to see the next chapter in the story of this main character's life! What happens next? Who knows what happens?

Tell me what you want to be happening in the story, next, OK? OK! Perhaps I'll write the next chapter very soon from now!

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