Who? Ritchie & Dr Cuddy Where? Medbay When? Sunday afternoon What? An appointment Open? No Warnings tw: HIV, AIDs, homophobia
Ritchie was a bundle of nerves and excitement. It was absolutely thrilling to know that people here could actually help him to get better, that he actually stood a chance at not only treatment but a possible cure. He knew, there were a lot of steps and possible obstacles still to come, but hope was something that had been seriously lacking in 1988.
But he was nervous, too. No matter what people had said, or what he had seen so far, that fear of going to the doctor was still very real. It instantly conjured up images and memories of friends in hospital, friends in coffins, friends locked away. You couldn't trust every doctor to actually want to help someone like him. He had no reason to doubt Dr Cuddy, and if she'd been disgusted by the very thought of him she wouldn't have asked him in so quickly. It was fine.
If he did nothing, he'd be dead before the year was up, that was a simple fact. He had to try, he had to fight to live. Ritchie Tozer was no quitter. Still, he paced anxiously, not sure if he should knock, or walk in, or wait to be called.