I decided to challenge myself to write a short story each day for a week on the theme of infection. Each story is no longer than 500 words and 4 minutes in length. Some are serious others less so. Find the text of the third story below but you can also listen on my podcast. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Hopefully I will see you tomorrow for story 4.

Seven Fevers

On Wednesday a Cure was found

I found a cure for the virus. This is what happened. After my shift at the factory I walked by the river. It was a longer route to walk but more pleasant.

I sat for a while to watch the sunset. It was good to dream and to think. Sometimes I wished that my job was to dream and think. When I told my wife I loved dreaming, she left me. 

This virus made people very sick and could be fatal. Some of my neighbours had been infected. I tried to think about helping them. 

Near where I sat, nettles grew and beside them was a dock leaf plant. Every child knows a nettle sting can be cured by rubbing its underside on the affected skin.

Couldn’t a simple remedy cure this terrible infection? I pulled up some dock plants and took them home.

With a pestle I ground them into moist pulp and added jam because people would like that. I’d heard that the virus was to do with respiration so I put it on my toothbrush and brushed anti-clockwise.

Mrs Sueños lived on the ground floor with her daughter. 

‘You can’t come in.’ She shouted through the letter box. ‘You know Mama has the virus. She can hardly breathe.’

‘I have a cure.’ I said. 

‘How can you have a cure? You always say crazy things.’

‘I know.’ I said. ‘Just give it to your mama. Please.’

I pushed a ziplock with the paste and instructions through the door.

I was early shift the next day. As I passed the Sueños door was thrown open. The daughter kissed my cheeks. In the hallway Mrs Sueños was crying with joy.

‘Beautiful, crazy man I am cured.’

The door across from them opened. A dark eyed woman appeared.

‘I heard what you said last night to Mama Sueños. You know my husband is very sick. Help me please.’

I brought down some of the paste for her. That evening neighbours in the street were waiting for me. 

I made more paste. The dark eyed woman and her husband tried to give me money. I refused it.

‘You must tell the scientists.’ They said. 

‘Tell them your cure.’ Mama Sueños shouted from her window.

On my day off I went into the city. The Centre For Disease Control was near the subway stop. I told an official in Reception I had a cure for the virus. He asked me which Scientific group I worked for.

‘I’m not a scientist.’ I said. ‘I just used dock leaves.’

He spoke quietly into a small radio on his lapel. Two burly men appeared, grabbed my arms and launched me onto the street. I got the subway back home.

At my apartment there were bundles of food wrapped in foil at my door. I ate and watched TV. The newsman announced the virus had been declared a global pandemic.