The Decaying Dream of America: I Assemble Corpses and Confront Madness

Chapter 111 Bitter Medicine

"What do you mean by 'they're telling the whole story'?" Arthur's deep, weary voice broke the brief silence.

Evelyn sighed softly, shifting her gaze from Lin Zheng's face to the still-dark sky outside the window.

"This usually refers to remains that have not been dissected, have minimal damage, and have undergone initial embalming within a specific timeframe."

"When we brought Murphy's body in, although he had died from a serious illness, there were no obvious external injuries on his body, and his major organs, bones, and nervous system were all intact."

"Such 'samples' are the most valuable on the black market and are most sought after by high-end buyers."

"They might be used for more sophisticated medical research, anatomy teaching, or even—"

She didn't continue speaking, but her brows furrowed, as if she was trying to suppress her disgust.

Lin Zheng looked down at his hands, the old scars on his fingertips particularly noticeable under the pale light.

He was all too familiar with this definition of "complete".

This is not an affirmation of his work ability, but a ruthless stripping away of the last dignity of a dead person, completely objectifying him into a commodity waiting to be sold.

He pictured Murphy's thin, calloused body in his mind, the marks of long-term labor deeply etched on every inch of his skin.

Murphy worked himself to the bone for money, and ultimately succumbed to illness.

Now, his remains will be sent to an unknown place for money.

"Murphy—if he had had enough money back then, he wouldn't have ended up like this." Lin Zheng's voice was soft, but it carried a hint of suppressed anger.

"The continuous high-intensity work completely broke down his immune system, and then he contracted the coronavirus."

"When I was working on his lungs, I found that the fibrosis there was very severe, which is a typical late-stage symptom of pneumonia."

"If we could have used broad-spectrum antibiotics earlier, or even just anti-inflammatory drugs, the situation would have been much better."

Arthur's face suddenly darkened. He clenched his fist and pressed it against the wall, making a barely audible thud.

"Antibiotics? I remember Murphy went to the community clinic several times before, and all he came back with were complaints that the doctor had prescribed some painkillers and fever reducers, saying there was no other way."

"Could it be that the doctor at the clinic made a mistake?" Arthur asked, his voice filled with resentment.

Evelyn shook her head, her glasses reflecting the light and obscuring the complex emotions in her eyes.

"No, Arthur, this isn't a misdiagnosis, it's the system."

She walked to the dissection table and meticulously wiped the surface with a disposable cloth, her movements mechanical and calm.

"In the United States, antibiotics are strictly regulated prescription drugs and should never be prescribed arbitrarily."

"Doctors must be extremely careful when prescribing medications, not only to avoid drug resistance, but also, more importantly, to ensure that every medical procedure meets the system's profit requirements to the greatest extent possible."

"Doctors are even less likely to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, because it means the treatment process may be too fast, reducing the patient's potential subsequent medical expenses."

"Even if you get a bacterial infection, if you don't have enough insurance, don't have a private doctor, and just go to a community clinic, their first step is often to tell you to go home and observe, drink more water, and get more rest."

Even if they see that you have pneumonia symptoms, they are more likely to prescribe symptomatic relief medications, such as painkillers and fever reducers, rather than antibiotics.

"Because for patients without sufficient medical insurance, if the course and cost of antibiotics are too high, hospitals are worried about not being able to collect the bills. More importantly, if minor illnesses are cured quickly, it will be impossible to keep patients in the medical system and generate more follow-up treatment revenue."

"Unless you are very ill, or even life-threatening, you will not be hospitalized for a more comprehensive examination and antibiotics will not be considered."

"But by then, it was too late for many working-class people like Murphy."

Arthur leaned against the wall, slowly slid down to sit on the ground, and hugged his head with his arms.

"So, you're just waiting to die, is that it?" he asked, his voice chillingly cold.

"In order to maximize the profits pursued by doctors, and for the benefit of insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, are the poor left only to wait to die?"

Evelyn stopped wiping the dissection table and looked at Arthur with a rare look of sorrow in her eyes.

"You can understand it that way, Arthur." Her voice was soft, but every word was piercing.

"In this country, the primary goal of the healthcare system is to generate profits and mitigate risk, not to heal and save lives."

"A worker without health insurance, or with very poor health insurance, is a liability to the hospital."

"If the doctor over-treats him, the hospital may not be able to collect the bill."

"And what about pharmaceutical companies? They monopolize the production and sale of antibiotics, driving up prices so high that the poor simply can't afford them."

"Therefore, cases like Murphy's, statistically speaking, represent either voluntary forfeiture of treatment" or a result of the disease progressing too rapidly."

"They have countless reasons to make Murphy's death seem plausible."

"The only thing we can do is clean up his body and use the price of 'intact' to buy his daughter's freedom." Lin Zheng continued, his voice devoid of anger, only numbness remained.

Arthur slowly raised his head, his gaze somewhat unfocused, finally settling on Lin Zheng's scarred hands.

He took a deep breath, as if he were making an extremely difficult decision.

"Lin Zheng, do your best," he said, his voice hoarse.

Lin Zheng did not respond, but simply nodded.

He walked up to Murphy's locker, the cold metal handle sending a chill down his spine.

With a gentle pull, the cabinet door slid open slowly, revealing Murphy's body lying inside, which appeared exceptionally pale in the dim light.

He took off his gloves and pulled a brand new set of surgical instruments from the instrument cabinet.

Disinfected, unsealed, the blade gleamed with a cold light under the lamp.

He walked to Murphy's body and bowed slightly before it.

"I'm sorry, Murphy," he said softly.

He removed Murphy's hospital gown and examined every tiny wound and scratch on the body.

Although Murphy's body had no obvious external injuries, the complex state of his tissues due to prolonged illness required Lin Zheng to use more professional techniques to thoroughly clean it and stabilize its internal fluid circulation to ensure that no residual tissue fluid would seep out, in order to meet the quality requirements of the "sample".

Every step was meticulously considered to ensure that the body was not only anatomically complete but also visually impeccable.

Only in this way can it be ensured that it can fetch a high enough price on the black market, justifying the price Selena will have to pay.

As dawn broke, the first rays of sunlight shone through the high windows of the morgue onto the cold floor.

Lin Zheng's work is finally nearing its end.

He put on a clean hospital gown, carefully placed Murphy's body into a specially made white body bag, and slowly closed the zipper.

The sound was like a long and oppressive farewell ceremony, carrying an indescribable sorrow.

After wiping away the last drop of blood with a cotton ball and disinfecting all the instruments, Lin Zheng slowly exhaled.

He turned around and found that Evelyn had picked up the phone again and was having a final conversation with the other party.

Her voice was much calmer than before, and every number she announced struck the other person's heart.

Lin Zheng could imagine the buyer on the other end of the phone weighing every penny, calculating how much profit this "complete" sample could bring them.

And all of this will ultimately translate into the hope that Selena will be redeemed.

Every number Evelyn called out sent a jolt through Lin Zheng and Arthur's hearts.

They were on edge, waiting for the final result.

During the long wait, even the air seemed to freeze.

Finally, Evelyn slowly put down the receiver, a faint smile appearing on her tired face.

That smile contained too many complex emotions: relief, sorrow, but more than anything, an indescribable weariness and helplessness.

"It's done," she said softly, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

"They ultimately agreed to acquire it at three times the market price and promised to transfer the funds to the designated account as quickly as possible."

Lin Zheng and Arthur's tense bodies relaxed instantly, like two strings that had been suddenly pulled from their strings.

Overwhelmed by immense joy and relief, they almost lost their footing.

Arthur leaned against the wall, slowly sat down, and let out a long breath.

Lin Zheng simply closed his eyes, savoring the hard-won peace, the outline of the Virgin Mary statue still seeming to ache faintly at his fingertips.

Selena is saved.

This thought was like a warm current, instantly dispelling all the chill in the morgue and temporarily relieving the three of their burdens.

They succeeded, the girl was free, and this brief joy made them almost forget all the bitterness they had experienced before.

Murphy's body will be secretly removed, and Selena will regain her freedom—it seems like a cruel yet beautiful ending.

A barely perceptible worry lingered on Evelyn's face, a concern that crept silently up to the corners of her eyes and brows.

Although she forced a smile, Lin Zheng keenly caught that fleeting moment of hesitation.

She picked up the tissue on the table and gently wiped the disinfectant off her hands.

Then, she slowly walked to the cabinet next to her and took out a bottle of cheap coffee and three disposable paper cups.

She skillfully brewed coffee, and the bitter aroma of coffee filled the duty room, temporarily dispelling the formaldehyde smell unique to the morgue.

"Have some coffee, it's almost dawn." Evelyn's voice was still tired, but it had softened a bit.

Lin Zheng and Arthur took the coffee, the warmth spreading from the cup to their hands.

The steaming hot coffee, bittersweet with a hint of caramel sweetness, melts in the stomach, seemingly able to briefly dispel physical fatigue and the gloom in one's heart.

Outside the duty room window, the sky was already turning a pale white, and the chirping of a few early birds broke the silence of dawn.

The world seemed to be slowly awakening, but they knew that the darkness of this city had never truly fallen asleep.

Arthur took a sip of coffee and suddenly spoke up, "Doctor, now that we've successfully disposed of Murphy's body, is there any way to get some inexpensive antibiotics?"

"As you know, there are too many poor people like Murphy. They can't afford medicine when they get sick, and they don't dare to go to the hospital."

"If we could get a batch of cheap antibiotics, we could save many people like Murphy and save them from dying."

Evelyn's coffee cup froze in mid-air, her expression suddenly changed, and the weariness in her eyes was instantly replaced by a deep fear.

Before she could even ask any questions, she slammed the coffee cup down on the table with a sharp, jarring sound that seemed particularly jarring in the quiet duty room.

"Don't touch that!" Evelyn's voice was tinged with suppressed anger and trembled slightly.

"Arthur, Lin Zheng, the transaction you just completed, though risky, was a private matter, and the goods involved were 'special.'"

"If you dare to venture into the field of antibiotics, you're courting death!"

Her gaze swept across their faces, her eyes resolute and cold, like two sharp blades.

"Do you think I'm exaggerating? Do you think antibiotics are just simple drugs?"

"I'm telling you, that's not medicine. That's the largest and most bloodthirsty profit chain in this city. Touching it means certain death!"

Evelyn's breathing was a little rapid. She gripped the coffee cup tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Do you even know how many forces are vying for this piece of meat?"

"The gangs that sell expensive controlled drugs on the streets control the drug market in the slums through violence, and also run businesses selling counterfeit drugs and expensive antibiotics."

"They don't care whether the drug is effective or not, they only care whether you can pay enough money to save your life."

"They wield more than just fists and knives; they also have connections with many politicians and police officers, making their power far beyond imagination."

"And hospitals, whether it's the public hospital where I work or those high-end private clinics, they are all beneficiaries of this system."

"Every expensive prescription they write and every hefty hospital bill they pay makes them a fortune."

.

"If cheap antibiotics flood the market, who would want to buy from them? Who would want to incur a lifetime of debt just to buy one dose of medicine?"

"Their interests will be directly impacted, and they will never allow such a thing to happen!"

Lin Zheng and Arthur exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes.

They felt as if Evelyn had ruthlessly shattered a hard shell around the world, revealing the bloody truth beneath.

Evelyn ignored their reactions and continued, her voice growing colder and colder, each word sounding as if squeezed out from between her teeth.

"Not to mention the pharmaceutical companies that occupy the top of the food chain, they monopolize the research, development, production and sales of the vast majority of antibiotics."

"They invest heavily in controlling drug regulatory agencies and establish strict sales regulations to ensure that antibiotics can only be legally purchased and used through their certified channels."

"They created a scarcity of drugs, making doctors cautious in prescribing them and patients eager for expensive medications, thereby maximizing their profits."

"If anyone tries to bypass them and privately import or produce cheap antibiotics, it is undoubtedly a direct challenge to their authority and source of income."

"They will use every means to crush these people, leaving not even ashes behind!"

"So, do you know what this means?" Evelyn's voice rose several decibels, filled with uncontrollable anger and despair.

"This means that secretly providing cheap antibiotics to the poor would simultaneously threaten the interests of three powerful groups: street gangs selling expensive controlled drugs, hospitals profiting from high-priced medical services, and pharmaceutical companies that monopolize antibiotic production and sales!"

She took a deep breath, her tone becoming even colder and harsher.

"Arthur, anyone who dares to disrupt this intricate chain of interests will be wiped out by these three forces, with no chance of survival."

"They won't even leave you a name; they'll just make you disappear as if you never existed—"

Evelyn's gaze pierced through Lin Zheng and Arthur, as if she saw those who had been silently erased.

She whispered the fates of some of the "troublemakers" who were "accidentally" eliminated, each word dripping with blood and each sentence chilling.

Lin Zheng suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. The focus and composure he had accumulated while dissecting Murphy's body completely crumbled at this moment.

Evelyn's warning was not just words, but a bloody reality forged from years of personal experience.

In every corner of this city, unseen networks of power and interests are weaving a giant web.

It captures everyone who tries to change the rules, and then devours them completely.

Lin Zheng recalled Murphy's weathered face, and how, for Selena's freedom, they had no choice but to sell Murphy's body to those "high-end buyers," becoming accomplices in this cruel transaction.

However, this is only the surface layer of soil in this abyss.

To actually touch that forbidden zone regarding cheap antibiotics would be to directly puncture this festering sore in the flesh.

"It's not worth it," Evelyn said hoarsely, as if she were trying to persuade them, and herself as well.

"You've done your best. Selena will be safe from now on, and that's enough."

She didn't want to see the two of them get caught up in that vortex of despair and become the next "accident".

However, both Lin Zheng and Arthur fell silent.

Evelyn's words, "to wait to die," echoed repeatedly in their minds.

Murphy's death is just a microcosm, representing one in millions of the countless struggling people at the bottom of society in this city.

The statue of the Virgin Mary in Murphy's pocket seemed to grow heavier.

The Virgin Mary's blurred face and the "I'm sorry" etched on her back seemed to be silently questioning him.

That apology is for Selena, and also for the countless souls in this world who cannot find redemption.

They knew Evelyn was telling the truth; that road was fraught with peril, even certain death.

But if they just stand by and watch this injustice continue, how are they any different from those indifferent bystanders?

As dawn broke, the morning light bathed the windowsill.

The cheap coffee in the duty room had gone cold, and a depressing atmosphere permeated the air.

Lin Zheng and Arthur were gripped by immense fear. For the first time, they truly felt that in this city, even the smallest act of kindness could lead to their deaths.