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Pre-existing Conditions, by Peggy Gerber

23/10/2020

14 Comments

 
Jake awoke to the sound of his wife sobbing in her sleep. As he gently patted her shoulder she turned to him crying, “Jake, I had such a nightmare. I dreamed that we lost our health insurance, and we couldn’t get new insurance because of my breast cancer, and we went bankrupt and had to move into a homeless shelter. Our children couldn’t stop crying.

Jake shushed her and said, “Honey, that won’t happen. I won’t let that happen.” As Angela drifted back to sleep, Jake lay there, staring up at the ceiling, a single tear spilling down his face.
14 Comments
Swapan k Banerjee
23/10/2020 05:00:28 pm

Heart-rending. Peggy, you pulled it off with great dexterity. Its a chilling concern that scares the daylights out of everyone.

Reply
Janice Siderius
23/10/2020 05:33:26 pm

VOTE

Reply
Nicole
23/10/2020 06:43:25 pm

I hope this doesn’t become part of our reality. 2020 already has enough going on!

Reply
Jessalyn
23/10/2020 06:45:28 pm

Hopefully this can stay a matter of our nightmares and not of our reality.

Reply
Candace Arthuria Williams
23/10/2020 06:52:30 pm

Peggy, in a few gripping words, you lassoed the fears of so many people. And the burden borne by heroic husbands every day. I'm with Janice. VOTE.

Reply
Pamela Kennedy
23/10/2020 07:18:55 pm

Your fiction is so close to reality for so many people. Good story.

Reply
Marie Johnson-Ladson
24/10/2020 12:32:33 am

We all may be shedding a tear soon, this fiction story may become true. Great story!

Reply
Bobby Warner
24/10/2020 01:38:28 am

Realistic. The older one grows, the more things like this cause sleepless nights. Liked it.

Reply
DiAna
24/10/2020 01:40:40 am

Story has a great flow.

Reply
Peggy Gerber
24/10/2020 02:38:42 am

Thanks so much for all your comments.

Reply
Sandra James
24/10/2020 03:10:09 am

Very frightening situation and very well put! In this age,quality healthcare should be accessible to all. I wonder how many hospital beds could be funded for the cost of all the pre-election Hoo-Ha :(

Reply
Marianne
24/10/2020 04:02:20 am

I read this immediately after I’d read a long FB thread from Americans living in Perth about how grateful most of us are for the healthcare here. I don’t really get why socialised medicine is seen as a bad thing. I’d rather pay higher taxes so everyone in the community benefits.

Reply
Sue Clayton
24/10/2020 04:09:22 am

Oh Peggy, this was sob-worthy. Whoever gets in on Nov 3 I do hope they can provide the health care the US so desperately needs. I agree with Marianne; surely a country's citizens should be willing to pay a bit more to ensure their fellow countrymen and women receive good health care.

Reply
Eunice Pruitt
24/10/2020 05:12:37 pm

Very well written and so pertinent at this time..

Reply



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