You have spent the last month, Doctor, setting up your new state-of-the-art Space Age Laboratory. You have
received your genetic testing equipment from Quantum Bio-Technologies and have it all in place. You will use electrophorisis to determine molecular weights and size, and use will use your new argon laser to calibrate expensive measuring devices. Most of the equipment has never been tested in a research laboratory before, because it is so new! You are on the cutting edge of research and technology. You have three assistants and you manage the careers of 42 researchers. Most of your researchers were "tops" in their standings at school, just as you were. You have the cream of the crop to assist you, and Harvard's resources and name to back you - a solution should be only months away. Or is it?

John, in San Antonio, reports to his Personnel Supervisor the following morning after receiving the notice.
John has been working in the Operating Room of a Major Burn Center. The Personnel Supervisor, Mrs. Allen,
asks John to close the door and have a seat upon entering her office. She pulls John's personnel records from her desk draw and opens the folder slowly. As she opens the folder she begins with, "how are you feeling today?". With a puzzled look John replies, "fine, thanks for asking". He is lying. He has been injecting himself with Interferon for months now. "We have a conflict", she begins. "The policy of this institution, concerning infectious diseases, is a clear-cut policy, due to the nature of the patients we serve here". She reminds John that burn patients are highly susceptible to infections because of their greatly depressed immune systems. John is confused, and looks bewildered from this statement. "Mrs. Allen, I have been a Nurse here for almost..", before he can finish, Mrs Allen interrupts, "John we have to let you go." John stands quickly and demands "Why?"

In Washington, D.C., the Heads of the CDC, NIH and major Research facilities meet in secret to improvise a plan or strategy that will deflect criticisms from the U.S. Government. It is agreed that most acquired this affliction through their own misconduct. This will be the strategy then; We will emphasize the Intravenous Drug use angle, and they as a group (HCV) even refer to their disease as "the Dragon". All agree that this will be much too easy. The image of Drugs, and Dragons, will not earn the support of mainstream America, everyone at the conference agrees. "We have time", the Director of the NIH states. "we will remind the public of who these people are, and what they represented", referring to antiestablishment, antiwar protesters. Of course all of these "smart men" obtained deferments themselves from the Vietnam War, but that will not be broached by this group meeting today. A concerned voice asks from the back of the room "isn't true that a lot of Vietnam Vets have it also?". This remark quickly draws angry stares from the others attending the conference. "If you are going to be difficult, then we will have to ask you to leave!", the director shoots back, angrily. The embarrassed researcher sits down and no more opposition is noted, or encountered, during the remainder of the conference.

In mid December, 1997, Kevin pees into a urine specimen cup and has a routine tube of blood drawn and sent out to be tested at a medical laboratory. One week later he see his first Medical Doctor in years (as a patient). He is given a complete physical to include an Electro Cardiogram, more blood taken and a "complete" digital prostate exam. Kevin's dignity recovers slowly and the Doctor (Internal Medicine) tells him to get dressed and to meet him in his office when finished dressing. Also that he has asked Kevin's wife to join them in his office. While dressing Kevin wonders what the Doctor will say. He knows he has been very ill and is thinking "what could it be" in his head. "maybe cancer" Kevin thinks. Kevin would rather have cancer than what the doctor has to say to him in just a minutes time. Finally, he will learn why he is no longer "Kevin"!

It takes you a month to set up the laboratory and another month to have all of the special equipment calibrated - that will be needed for Molecular Hepatology. You and your team are ready to go! You have your top assistant retrieve the "Adenovirus" from the refrigerated unit that it has been stored in, now for two month period. Your other assistants have been busy with the rest of the team setting up a series of culture dishes and mediums to encourage protein development and nucleotide sequencing. Carefully, you place the Adenovirus in the contamination exhaust hood and turn on the exhaust system. Adenovirus requires a biological hazard level of 1. Meaning if you inhale the virus you may become very ill and eventually infected with a nasty respiratory virus, akin to a pneumonia. Extreme caution will be used in handling this virus.

Mark has been feeling lethargic in Michigan for the last few months and decides to go for a physical himself.
His wife schedules one for him and they wait for 2 weeks. Mark's employer has recently been pushing for
completion of the project that Mark heads. He committees himself to completing this project even at his own
expense. The following day of the appointment Mark calls home and clearly states that "there is no way I'm
getting out of here on time", he continues with "maybe I'll be home around 9 or 10pm tonight", it is 9:30 am
when Mark calls home. As he hangs up the phone Mark shrugs and thinks to himself "I'm feeling better today,
so no problem". In fact Mark has been feeling better each day, soon he will not.

The Director of the Hepatitis C branch, at the NIH, Dr. William Block, receives an alarming phone call from the
CDC Head of infectious diseases, in Atlanta. "Bill" he starts, "we have a problem developing at Harvard". Dr.
Sam Green, the CDC head, recognizes the stress he just placed in the word "developing". "How do you want
to handle it this time? Standard procedures?", Bill asks. "I think we better convene a meeting of the core
members" Sam bluntly states. "alright, I'll get right on it". Dr. Block hangs up the phone and opens his rolodex to a series of numbers, he starts from the top and reads the numbers into a cassette recorder. Once finished he replays the tape to verify the numerical sequencing. "Ok" he thinks to himself, and departs his office with the tape player in his hand. He has just entered a code that will notify the "Hot Team" to go into action.

"I don't understand", John pleads desperately with Mrs. Allen.

"John", she begins, "you have lied to us as your employer".

"How!" John demands. "When your physical was processed in administration, we noticed elevated enzyme levels", Mrs. Allen confidently stated. "SO?", John knew it was all over now.

He tried for years to hide his sickness in the operating room. However, the long hours standing for complex surgical procedures was beginning to take its toll on his body, and strength. Recently, he had begun to call in sick more frequently. At first the Nursing Supervisor, of the Operating Room, thought that maybe John had a drug or alcohol problem, but once she saw his sick days begin to steadily rise she went to Mrs. Allen in Personnel. Mrs. Allen had spoken with Mr. Hill (the Assistant Hospital Administrator) earlier that morning, after meeting with the Nursing Supervisor. It was agreed to counsel John, and to advise a "workshop" for him to attend. Prior to calling John in, Mrs. Allen had contacted the Medical Information Bureau (MIB) and had faxed over a copy of John recent medical exam, to include a serology report. The MIB is a "information sharing clearinghouse" for employers and insurance companies. All medical information concerning Health, Life and Disability Insurance is sent through this facility in Atlanta, Georgia. They sell information about you! Mrs. Allen had purchased some information this morning from the MIB- that would end John's career as an O.R. Nurse.

"We have learned, John", Mrs. Allen now peering over her bifocals and leaning slightly forward, "that you are part of a research study involving Hepatitis and Interferon". John knew it was coming. "is this true?" she inquired with a demeaning glaze.

John sunk his head and mumbled "Yes".

"Then you lied to us on your last medical about medications, and any infectious diseases that you might have. Isn't that true?", she demanded.

As John drove out of the parking lot, later that afternoon, he could see in his review mirror the Burn Center's front entrance reflecting back at him. "Nine years down the drain, what now?" John thought to himself. He didn't go right home to his wife and children that day, instead he went to the river walk in downtown San Antonio, and contemplated suicide. Later that evening he quietly entered his house and while everyone slept he "stealthily" slipped into bed undetected by his sleeping wife, for another restless, and sleepless night.

Kevin and his wife meet in the Doctor's office after his physical exam and are told by his Internal Medicine
Doctor that he has "Hepatitis C"! "LIVER?" Kevin responded incredulously.

Again he cried out loudly "LIVER? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Kevin asked with a rising tone of anger. "Everything else hurts, BUT the liver!" Kevin proclaimed.

Upon asking where this could of come from, the Doctor replied that it "probably" came from the "old B that you had in Germany". "WHAT?" Kevin thinks of all his friends in Germany more than twenty years earlier. If this is true, "how could it be?", Kevin thinks to himself.

The doctor speaks of Kevin having Chronic Liver Disease, mentions liver transplants and talks about antiviral therapies. It is four days before Christmas. Kevin and his wife go home that evening and tell their three daughters what they have been told by the Doctor. All are stunned and unsure of what this means to the family. He searches on the internet that night and begins to understand that he has been sicker than even he was willing to admit. The family was in trouble.