Simmons, Dan - The Offering by Simmons Dan

Author:Simmons, Dan
Language: eng
Format: epub

FADE IN on: ACT III

8. INTERIOR. RADIOLOGY TREATMENT AND CONTROL ROOM. DAY.

Louis has been wheeled into the Radiology Control Room in a wheelchair but now he stands to peer through a thick window into the Treatment Room where Jack Winters lies on the treatment couch under the overhanging eye of a massive supervoltage cobalt 60 machine. Jack Winters looks small and frail and terribly vulnerable as he lies on the treatment couch—parts of his body shielded by lead "molds", his upper torso bare with a target outline drawn on his upper chest in bright dye, an unsubtle + centered where the powerful X-rays will penetrate. We can see Jack breathing rapidly, shallowly, his emaciated chest rising and falling, his skin offering almost the only color in a vast Treatment Room which is mostly white machinery and black and white tile fading into black shadows. Dr. Hubbard is in the Control Room with Louis and a RADIA-TION THERAPIST who stands next to the complicated controls.

DR. HUBBARD

This will be Mr. Winters' next-to-last session. We believe that the tumors are responding very nicely to treatment.

(glances at Louis)

Radiation treatment and chemotherapy have come a long way since the days of your father's illness.

The therapist taps controls while watching his monitors and the massive machine above Jack Winters hums, moves, and lowers its ominous "eye" to a firing position just above the + on the old man's upper chest. A light from the machine snaps on and illuminates the target area.

LOUIS

(clearing his throat, obviously impressed

and a bit frightened)

How much radiation does Jack have to receive to beat the cancer?

DR. HUBBARD

We estimate that seven thousand rads should be sufficient to sterilize this tumor.

LOUIS

(turning away from the window)

Seven thousand rads? That sounds like a lot. How much is a rad?

DR. HUBBARD

Well, to give you an idea ... a regular chest X-ray ... such as you received when you were brought in after your accident the other day ... would expose you to about five millirem . . . that's a total of about five thousandths of a single rad.

LOUIS

My God ... and Jack has to receive seven thousand rads ... a million times as much.

(he looks back through the window

at the waiting man)

How can he take it?

DR. HUBBARD

In small doses. A single dose of seven hundred rads would be fatal to about half the people who received it. So we parcel it out... a bit at a time ... and still there are side effects.

(quickly, to avoid Louis dwelling

on the negative)

But the principle of radiation treatment is well-proven, Louis. The benefits are well-documented.

LOUIS

(lost in thought as he stares at Jack

alone in the other room)

And my mother will be receiving these treat-ments?

DR. HUBBARD

Depending upon post-surgical recovery and re-sults of other biopsies ... yes.

(he nods to the radiation therapist)

We're ready...

The radiation therapist throws the switch. Louis is startled as violet radiation fills the window, bathes his face in light.

LOUIS

I see it!

DR. HUBBARD

The actual radiation is invisible, of course.

The radiation is visible. Visible to Louis, at least. We share his

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