Finding Maggie (Remade)

Breaking Mikhail

 "Reporting live from Mount Sinai Hospital, in New York City's East Harlem, Olivia Capozzoli has the scoop. Olivia, what can you tell us about this amazing turn of events?"

"Thank you, Lou. I'm here with Doctor Brummel who runs the E.R. here at Mount Sinai. Doctor Brummel, we have now entered our sixth day in this incredible story. What are your thoughts and has the medical community figured out what's going on?"

"Well, no, not yet. It's absolutely unbelievable. I've been a doctor for nearly thirty years and I've never seen anything like it. And it's not just us. Death rates all over the world are starting to plummet. It looks like whatever started here in New York is beginning to spread."

"We've received reports from several of the other hospitals here in the city claiming that they have begun sending staff home due to the lack of patients, has Mount Sinai taken the same kind of hit?"

"Oh yes. Our nursing staff has been cut by more than half over the last few days. Many of the physicians and . . . well we're all worried about our futures if this, whatever it is, continues."

"So from your perspective, maybe this isn't such a good thing after all. Would you agree, Doctor Brummel?"

"Well, I am quite fond of my job, Olivia. But I also have a ninety-six year old mother and for her sake, I hope this continues."

"Interesting stuff. Doctor Brummel, thank you for your candid insight. Well Lou, it sounds like we're soon going to be finding ourselves lucky for at least one more day!"

"Thank you, Olivia. Here in the newsroom with me is Professor Eugene Strawn, Global Economic Consultant for the U.N. Professor Strawn, thank you for joining us today."

"My pleasure."

"Professor Strawn, tomorrow will be our one week mark here in New York City and this phenomenon appears to be turning into a possible global situation."

"That's right, Lou, and purely from a financial standpoint, I have to say, this could turn out to be nothing short of disastrous."

"How so?"

"Well, the balance has been broken. The only busy unit in any of the hospitals here in the city is the maternity ward. Statistically speaking, the influx in the population growth is already bordering on astronomical. And using hospitals as an example, it's not just the doctors and nurses who are finding it hard to keep their jobs. Janitors, cafeteria workers, lab techs, the list goes on. All these people are soon going to find themselves struggling to get their next paycheck. Crime has plummeted over the last few days. Police officers and firefighters, all suddenly becoming unnecessary like this. Even the elderly. Many of them rely on their savings and benefits from the government to put food on the table and have planned for said savings to get them through a reasonable life expectancy. But think about it! If we suddenly have people living way past their normal life spans, where is the money going to come from?"

"But surely you don't think we've all suddenly become immortal. That we're going to one day sing happy birthday to our two hundred year old relatives."

"No. People are still dying. But it's statistically negligible when we're only talking about a handful a day. If this keeps up and does go global, as it seems to be doing, population wise, the world will become completely inhabitable within, I'd say, two to three years, maximum. Economically speaking, the stock market here in the U.S. might be able to cope for a month or two. Globally, I'd say we'd all be financial ruin by the end of the year."

"Are there any sort of counter measures that could be taken to hold off on this crisis?"

"Short of going out and murdering your friends and neighbors, strangers you pass by in the streets, no."