Read Online Peace Out (The Futures Trilogy Book 1) by G.M. Whitley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: G.M. Whitley
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close.”
Sophie laughed. “How about some lunch?” she asked. “Then I ’m borrowing Olivia for the afternoon,” she informed Joe. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he said. “I downloaded a new book this morning and that lounge chair over there is calling my name.”
Olivia had been down to the hospital with Joe, but never into the chemo ward. She sat with Sophie while the nurse hooked her up to the machines. The doctor came by to chat and check things over.
“It takes about an hour,” Sophie said, leaning back and closing her eyes.
“Can I ask you something?” Olivia was hesitant. “Is there a chance?”
“That I ’ll live?” Sophie asked. “A very, very small one. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I honestly think if Ned wasn’t able to pay for all this that the doctors would have told us to give up. Ned isn’t the giving up kind.” Sophie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “These treatments make me nauseated. Usually Ned talks while I focus on keeping my lunch down.”
“I ’m sorry,” Olivia said. “What should I talk about?”
“Tell me about your kids,” Sophie said. “Jake is the oldest right?”
ANNA AND SCOTT
“In the ten years since Peace Out was authorized to operate in the United States, incidents of elder abuse have gone down significantly. We have seen the rise of the Enclave and the fall of the nursing home. The number of homeless has dropped. These are all great things for society.”
“Euthanizing the mentally unstable and infirm is a great thing for society? Are we are heading down a slippery slope? First we get comfortable with this idea of Peace Out. Then we get comfortable with making decisions about who deserves to live or die.”
“Peace Out is entirely voluntary. There is a rigorous screening process to ensure that our system cannot be abused.”
“Some would say your system is inherently abusive.”
“Our system is empowering.”
“How about this: Can a guardian choose to Peace Out his charge even if the charge lacks a directive?”
“If that charge meets the criteria for Peacing Out and if the guardian does not stand to benefit from the death of his charge.”
“How about the benefit of no longer having to care for that charge? Does that count as a benefit?”
“Is this an interview or an inquisition?”
CNN Interview with Daniel Keller, 8/16/2037
Anna stepped out of the shower. She dried off with a fluffy blue towel, then wrapped it around her still dripping hair. She walked into the bedroom. “Your turn,” she said, opening the blinds. Scott rolled onto his stomach and put the pillow over his head. Anna yanked the covers down and climbed on top of him. “Get up,” she said.
“But I can ’t move,” he protested.
Anna got off of him and went to her closet. It really was nice that the internship started on a Friday. It gave them the weekend to recover from the mixer and digest everything they had experienced. She flashed to an image of a pale toddler in the arms of his crying mother. Anna closed her eyes and thought about Scott ’s fingers interlaced with hers during the movie and how much she had wanted to kiss him right then. But she had waited, letting the tension and anticipation build.
She gave a little shriek as Scott wrapped his arms around her.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Great morning,” Scott said. “Do you always get ready like this or is it for my benefit? Because I ’m really benefitting.”
“I can tell,” she said. “I put a toothbrush out for you. Go take a shower.”
“Is that a hint?”
“More like an order.” He let go of her and went into the bathroom. She listened for the sound of the shower turning on.
Anna was good at picking good boys who would follow her rules and not try to pull any crap. Like trying to pressure her. Anna was a proud virgin and she made sure the boys she fooled around with knew it.
Sophie laughed. “How about some lunch?” she asked. “Then I ’m borrowing Olivia for the afternoon,” she informed Joe. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” he said. “I downloaded a new book this morning and that lounge chair over there is calling my name.”
Olivia had been down to the hospital with Joe, but never into the chemo ward. She sat with Sophie while the nurse hooked her up to the machines. The doctor came by to chat and check things over.
“It takes about an hour,” Sophie said, leaning back and closing her eyes.
“Can I ask you something?” Olivia was hesitant. “Is there a chance?”
“That I ’ll live?” Sophie asked. “A very, very small one. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. I honestly think if Ned wasn’t able to pay for all this that the doctors would have told us to give up. Ned isn’t the giving up kind.” Sophie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “These treatments make me nauseated. Usually Ned talks while I focus on keeping my lunch down.”
“I ’m sorry,” Olivia said. “What should I talk about?”
“Tell me about your kids,” Sophie said. “Jake is the oldest right?”
ANNA AND SCOTT
“In the ten years since Peace Out was authorized to operate in the United States, incidents of elder abuse have gone down significantly. We have seen the rise of the Enclave and the fall of the nursing home. The number of homeless has dropped. These are all great things for society.”
“Euthanizing the mentally unstable and infirm is a great thing for society? Are we are heading down a slippery slope? First we get comfortable with this idea of Peace Out. Then we get comfortable with making decisions about who deserves to live or die.”
“Peace Out is entirely voluntary. There is a rigorous screening process to ensure that our system cannot be abused.”
“Some would say your system is inherently abusive.”
“Our system is empowering.”
“How about this: Can a guardian choose to Peace Out his charge even if the charge lacks a directive?”
“If that charge meets the criteria for Peacing Out and if the guardian does not stand to benefit from the death of his charge.”
“How about the benefit of no longer having to care for that charge? Does that count as a benefit?”
“Is this an interview or an inquisition?”
CNN Interview with Daniel Keller, 8/16/2037
Anna stepped out of the shower. She dried off with a fluffy blue towel, then wrapped it around her still dripping hair. She walked into the bedroom. “Your turn,” she said, opening the blinds. Scott rolled onto his stomach and put the pillow over his head. Anna yanked the covers down and climbed on top of him. “Get up,” she said.
“But I can ’t move,” he protested.
Anna got off of him and went to her closet. It really was nice that the internship started on a Friday. It gave them the weekend to recover from the mixer and digest everything they had experienced. She flashed to an image of a pale toddler in the arms of his crying mother. Anna closed her eyes and thought about Scott ’s fingers interlaced with hers during the movie and how much she had wanted to kiss him right then. But she had waited, letting the tension and anticipation build.
She gave a little shriek as Scott wrapped his arms around her.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Great morning,” Scott said. “Do you always get ready like this or is it for my benefit? Because I ’m really benefitting.”
“I can tell,” she said. “I put a toothbrush out for you. Go take a shower.”
“Is that a hint?”
“More like an order.” He let go of her and went into the bathroom. She listened for the sound of the shower turning on.
Anna was good at picking good boys who would follow her rules and not try to pull any crap. Like trying to pressure her. Anna was a proud virgin and she made sure the boys she fooled around with knew it.
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