[ WP ] A new drug hits the clubbing scene - cheap , very addictive , a great high and seemingly safe .

Tom walked past the protesters holding signs, each of them yelling something incomprehensible into his hung-over ears. He squinted at one of the signs and saw a hastily written bible quote. He tripped as he read and slowly stood himself up, noticing no help from the protesters. `` God hates fornicators and whores,'' yelled a woman holding an especially large sign. The rest of the crowd heard this and joined in. Tom stood up and jogged towards the entrance of the clinic, cursing himself with every painful step. 
 
 He eyed the packed clinic, most of the people there were young and deeply dug into their smartphones. He sighed, buried his head in his smartphone, and nodded off. Twenty minutes later a nurse woke him and lead him into a small room. He sat on a chair as the nurse said, `` The doctor will be with you soon.'' She paused, `` Do you want some... coffee or something?'' Tom caught his refection in a small wall-mounted mirror and looked at his own bloodshot eyes for a moment. He replied, `` No. I'm good. Feeling more awake. I think.'' 
 
 The doctor came in the room already wearing a small surgical mask and latex gloves. He furrowed his eyebrows as Tom stood, `` No, do n't stand, do n't shake my hand.'' He paused. `` Just trying to be careful until we figure this out. We still do n't understand it. Nothing personal.'' He put a stethoscope onto Tom's chest and Tom flinched at the sudden cold. 
 
 The doctor abruptly stopped, threw his hands up, and said, `` I'll be frank with you Tom, I do n't know what I'm doing here. All I have are your blood test results from the other day.'' Tom leaned back and rubbed his eyes, still not used to the lit up room. `` All we know is that there's some anti-geriatric effect going on with some young people. What has changed in your life recently? Any new foods, drugs, behaviors?'' 
 
 Tom still rubbed his eyes and said, `` I uh... got hooked on Z-plus. Like three weeks ago -- almost every day. I just could n't get enough.'' 
 
 The doctor was silent for a moment. `` There are some theories that its caused by a recreational drug. Until more is fleshed out, there's not a lot we can say or do. Some people get an anti-aging effect on their skin and others get it on select organs. You seem to have the liver of a 10 year old, which is working overtime in your 26 year old body. There's a girl outside with the perfect skin of a 15 year old but with the overworked body of a 38 year old addict. There's a guy on the news with a heart half the size it needs to be. There's even a 20-something girl with the brain of a 10 year old. Its all a mess.'' 
 
 Tom bit his lip, `` How bad is it?'' He pictured himself turning yellow and tied to some machine like when his grandpa was dying. His eyes began to water thinking of himself dying and the effect that would have on his family, especially his mother. `` Christ, I'm such a fucking idiot,'' he said as he wiped away tears. The doctor handed him a tissue. 
 
 `` Thankfully the liver is the most resilient of organs. Your levels are off but still in the lower part of the normal range. It looks like this fluctuates as your liver exhausts itself. We can give you pills to augment liver function. For all I know that liver will grow into adult size eventually. Looks like you're one of the lucky ones.'' 
 
 Tom sighed in relief. Oh god, he thought, I was certain he was going to say I was going to die. 
 
 `` What about the others,'' he asked. 
 
 The doctor shrugged, `` Not sure. We are probably seeing a few fatalities soon. The guy with the tiny heart is n't going to make it. The girl with the child brain is n't going to bounce back, but she'll live.'' 
 
 `` Is that girl blondish, freckles, and about 5'7,'' he asked. 
 
 `` That's her. We put her in pediatrics last night. Do you know her?'' 
 
 `` I've seen her at the club. I think I saw, uhh, guys take advantage of her as her conditioned worsened. I thought she was doing some kind of'I'm a little girl' act. Was... was she raped? Did you guys check?'' 
 
 The doctor leaned back and shrugged. `` I ca n't tell you anything more about my patient. You understand, right?'' 
 
 `` Yeah, its just she was a friend of my little sister. I kinda watched her grow up. Then I watched her... grow down. She was n't capable of taking care of herself the past few weeks. No one seemed to care. I said something to her but she just giggled and ignored me. Then the Z-plus made me not care.'' He started coughing, `` I'm so weak. Its like being non-stop hung-over.'' 
 
 `` We'll get you pills, Tom, do n't worry. Then we'll do a follow up.'' He paused, `` Are you clean?'' 
 
 Tom gulped, `` Yeah, first time in a long time. I'm off drugs, even pot.'' The doctor handed him a brochure to a rehab clinic and then started writing onto his prescription pad. 
 
 `` Get these filled today. Two a day and come back Friday for another blood test,'' said the doctor. 
 
 Tom nodded, took the prescription note, and put his shirt back on. The doctor left the room. Tom stared at himself in the mirror again. Mom do n't be sad, he thought to himself, I'm going to be okay. Your little boy will be okay. He texted her, `` I'm okay. Do n't worry. Doc gave me pills. Tell Sarah, Jenny is in pediatrics.'' He turned his phone off, unwilling and too overwhelmed to explain everything. His face instantly turned into a frown and he found himself crying again, `` Oh Jenny,'' he said to himself. He pictured the freckle-faced teenage girl with the big smile who came over to do homework and then his memory flashed to seeing some guy grind on her as she looked scared and dumbfounded. He shook his head for a few seconds to clear that image. 
 
 
 He walked out of the clinic and saw a protester turn his head towards him, `` Death to deviants,'' he yelled as Tom held his own pounding head with his hands for a moment, unable to handle the sudden yelling. `` This is god's punishment,'' yelled a woman and the protestors began to chant. Reporters took position next to the protesters and pointed cameras at Tom. A pretty reporter he's only seen on television muscled in between the protesters and put a microphone in his face. `` They say this disease is caused by gay sex. Are you gay? Are you a needle drug user? Are you dying,'' she yelled at him. `` Answer me,'' she demanded, `` the public has a right to know for our own safety!'' He ignored the questions from the reporter and silently walked away while covering his crying face.
