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Description
“What? You can’t be serious!”  Keiko’s jaw was dropped as she stared at the women sitting across from her.  The paper sheet crunched underneath her as her hands gripped the blue seat.
“I’m sorry Keiko but we ran the test three times to make sure.  The results are correct.”  The women placed her hand gently on Keiko’s knee.  “Keiko, you have HIV.”
Keiko couldn’t breath, she couldn’t speak.  Thoughts began running through her head.
‘This can’t be right, I can’t have HIV.  How did this happen?  Derek and I were so careful.’
Tears streamed down her face but she couldn’t move.
‘I’m dying!’
Her eyes looked up at the doctor she had known for over ten years.
“Dr. Monroe, am I dying?”  The look of terror on her face shot an arrow into Carol.  She had known Keiko’s mother since they were in high school together.  How could this be happening to Keiko?  To little Keiko whose diapers she had changed.  To Keiko who had been friends with her son since they were both born.
“There are medicines you can take Keiko.  We caught it soon enough that you should be able to live for a long time.”  Every word torn at her heart until the tears began to collect and burn her eyes.  “Have you told your mother about coming to see me yet?”
“My mom!  What is she going to do to me?  What is dad going to do?”  Her hands moved to her face.  She began to sob.  “What am I going to do?  I’m dying, I’m dying.”
Dr. Monroe stood from her chair and put her arms around Keiko.
“It’s going to be okay Keiko, it’s going to be okay.”  She held her tight and rubbed her back.  No matter how many times she told Keiko everything was going to be alright the fear and pain in her heart grew and she knew, everything would not be alright.

***

“Mama!  Mama!”  The young girl reached for her mother.  “Mama!” She fought the hands holding her back, trying to drag her out of the tent.  “MAMA!”
She tried to push their arms out of the way but they were too strong.  The men she had known all her life, her father and brother, pulled her out of the tent and into the open compound, her mother disappearing behind the white canvas.
“Adanne!  Stop it!  Stop fighting!  There’s nothing we can do.” Her brother yelled as he set her on the dirt and walked away.
She sat on the ground weeping.
“Mama…”

***

“Keiko-chan, you haven’t eaten anything today.  Finish your soup.”  Aiko was a small, traditional Japanese woman with long black hair that she always kept tied back except for her bangs that always sat directly above her eyebrow line.
Keiko stirred her miso soup gently with her chopsticks.  She hadn’t been able to speak to her parents since she got back from seeing Dr. Monroe.

Description
“What? You can’t be serious!”  Keiko’s jaw was dropped as she stared at the women sitting across from her.  The paper sheet crunched underneath her as her hands gripped the blue seat.
“I’m sorry Keiko but we ran the test three times to make sure.  The results are correct.”  The women placed her hand gently on Keiko’s knee.  “Keiko, you have HIV.”
Keiko couldn’t breath, she couldn’t speak.  Thoughts began running through her head.
‘This can’t be right, I can’t have HIV.  How did this happen?  Derek and I were so careful.’
Tears streamed down her face but she couldn’t move.
‘I’m dying!’
Her eyes looked up at the doctor she had known for over ten years.
“Dr. Monroe, am I dying?”  The look of terror on her face shot an arrow into Carol.  She had known Keiko’s mother since they were in high school together.  How could this be happening to Keiko?  To little Keiko whose diapers she had changed.  To Keiko who had been friends with her son since they were both born.
“There are medicines you can take Keiko.  We caught it soon enough that you should be able to live for a long time.”  Every word torn at her heart until the tears began to collect and burn her eyes.  “Have you told your mother about coming to see me yet?”
“My mom!  What is she going to do to me?  What is dad going to do?”  Her hands moved to her face.  She began to sob.  “What am I going to do?  I’m dying, I’m dying.”
Dr. Monroe stood from her chair and put her arms around Keiko.
“It’s going to be okay Keiko, it’s going to be okay.”  She held her tight and rubbed her back.  No matter how many times she told Keiko everything was going to be alright the fear and pain in her heart grew and she knew, everything would not be alright.

***

“Mama!  Mama!”  The young girl reached for her mother.  “Mama!” She fought the hands holding her back, trying to drag her out of the tent.  “MAMA!”
She tried to push their arms out of the way but they were too strong.  The men she had known all her life, her father and brother, pulled her out of the tent and into the open compound, her mother disappearing behind the white canvas.
“Adanne!  Stop it!  Stop fighting!  There’s nothing we can do.” Her brother yelled as he set her on the dirt and walked away.
She sat on the ground weeping.
“Mama…”

***

“Keiko-chan, you haven’t eaten anything today.  Finish your soup.”  Aiko was a small, traditional Japanese woman with long black hair that she always kept tied back except for her bangs that always sat directly above her eyebrow line.
Keiko stirred her miso soup gently with her chopsticks.  She hadn’t been able to speak to her parents since she got back from seeing Dr. Monroe.