New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live



While Alex and David were battling the army of rats in the underground passages of Montreal, somewhere across the Atlantic Ocean, a young boy was in a special hospital room for the fourth time in a single month.

Winston Jr. Was having another plethora of tests done on him again, this time about things a little more serious than just dust or pollutants. His doctor was introducing a very light strain of the cold into his system, to see how his regrowing immune system would react.

Of course, during the tests and for a few days after, he would stay right there, under perpetual observation. But if everything went well, Winston's doctor had promised him some serious changes to his lifestyle.

After inoculating Winston with the light cold, the nurses waited an hour before getting some blood samples to see how the virus was reacting and how his system was reacting to it. It took a while before the blood results came back, and in the meantime, Winston was getting slightly dizzy.

But these were normal symptoms of the cold, for now, and the doctor paid it no heed. As the results came back, he studied them ravenously, his eyes wide in excitement and anticipation.

He went through the results twice to make sure he missed nothing, and a smile beamed on his face.

"Mr. And Mrs. Owens, I have great news," he declared, turning to the parents.

The man and woman clutched each other, their hopes at a peak point in their lives. Winston Senior hadn't been this hopeful since he asked his father-in-law for his wife's hand.

"Is he…" the man started asking.

He couldn't finish the question, his throat already constricting with emotion.

"Yes. I believe your son is cured of his CEDS. Your son is finally healthy again."

Winston Jr.'s mother started sobbing in joy, hugging her husband tightly, as a single tear dribbled down the man's face. The joy these simple words elicited from them was unquantifiable.

Winston Jr. Who was on the other side of a glass pane, could see his parents crying, but couldn't hear what was being said. But from the smile on the doctor's face, he knew it had to have been good news.

He smiled to himself, sitting on the bed, still feeling slightly woozy and now getting a light fever, but he felt great. He pinched himself on the arm, making sure he wasn't dreaming.

'Am I really cured? Will I finally be able to go outside?'

A small tear rolled off his cheek as the realization settled in.

His life would finally go back to a normal one. No more staying locked inside the house.

No more talking to friends through a screen, or being stuck in a quasi-spacesuit when going outside.

He would be truly free for the first time in his life. Winston had been living with this condition ever since birth and had never experienced what it was like to go for a run outside and fall in the grass.

Or to breathe the air after a heavy downpour. He had never felt the sunlight directly on his skin, not filtered through a window.

All these things that most people considered mundane, Winston had never experienced in his life. What was it like to go down a street with food stalls, and have the smells waft up your nose?

Winston did not know.

To walk to the sea, feel the salty breeze on your skin, and taste the ocean's bounty in the air. Winston had never experienced this joy.

And that was saying a lot, considering he lived in England, which was an island.

He let his imagination run wild, seeing himself on a boat in the middle of the ocean, enjoying the warm sea breeze, feeling the water splash into his face as they crashed into waves.

He only snapped out of his reverie when he heard the door to the room open up. The doctor came into the room, only wearing a mask, instead of his big quarantine suit.

"I'm sure you have guessed it with the lack of precautions, Winston, but I have great news for you. You are cured, kiddo."

Winston's emotions finally reached a threshold where he could no longer hold them, and he burst into tears. His parents came into the room, also only wearing masks, and they hurried to his side, embracing him tightly.

The doctor let them indulge for a few moments before clearing his throat.

"Ahem! I know I said you are cured, but unfortunately, we still have to keep you here for a few days until your body fights off the cold. This will allow us to re-confirm our verdict and also make sure you stay safe all along. Once that is through, you can go back home; without your suit this time."

"Thank you so much, doctor!" Winston Jr.'s mother exclaimed.

The doctor chuckled.

"Don't thank me, Ma'am. I did nothing. Your son recovered on his own, and you could call him a miracle. I would love to get more samples of his blood, so I can study the change in depth, if you don't mind."

The mother nodded her head, still having a hard time talking, as she choked on her tears.

"I would also recommend you keep the filters in your home running for the meantime until we have our follow-up appointment. But all the other measures in place in the boy's room, you can remove safely."

The father nodded his head, glad to hear this. It meant his boy could finally live a normal life.

"Thank you, doctor. I will never forget the dedication you put towards our son's illness."

The doctor nodded his head, glad to hear those words. The Owens family had been big contributors to his hospital and research over the last decade or so, and he was happy to hear it wouldn't stop now that their son was healthy.

"I will leave you together now. If there is anything, you have my personal number. Do not hesitate. Call me."

And with that, the doctor left the room to go to his office. He still had much energy to dedicate to this miracle case.