Crossposted from To Us All. Permission NOT granted to use at this time without express author’s consent.
I’m working on a novel outline for this year’s National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo.
Something wicked this way comes. A synopsis of the plot I’m working on:
A very conservative senator who may or may not resemble Inhofe from OK – known for untreated strain of Bush rabies, anti-science and boot strapping non-torture has a businessman Bush pioneer brother-in-law. B-I-L has an auto accident (he may or may not have imbibed a beer or two hours before the accident). He is med-flighted to his state’s premier level one trauma center where he is treated for his traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures, blunt chest and abdominal trauma (of course he doesn’t wear a seat belt, and yes there is a gun rack in his dually -why do you ask?) by a crew of conservative emergency department physicians and nurses.
After maxing out his insurance bennies (with lots of hilarity during the claims denials and appeals process), he incurs enough debt and slowly goes bankrupt. The senator, meanwhile, of course, is still voting to kill children via S-CHIP vetoes. He follows the twin religions of fundamentalist xtian dominionism and Bush boot strap conservatism.
As B-I-L is discharged and tries to get into a rehab facility to treat his TBI, he rooms with an Iraq veteran who is also suffering from untreated TBI’s who was drummed out of the Army with a Chapter 5-13 general discharge.
More hilarity ensues.
The ending?
Haven’t decided yet – but consider the possibilities: red state turns blue, homelessness, joblessness, homicide, suicide, domestic violence, conversion of the heathen from Repubs to progressives….
Whaddya think?
Also – in the hospital subplot, patient delays based on reimbursement source and diagnosis will predominate, the schism of faux nurse leaders who are organizational prostitutes instead of nurse advocates will have a supporting role, and passive aggressive nurses who blame everyone except themselves for their working conditions (who needs collective bargaining or self-governance?) will get some face time.
Who’s the hero/ heroine? Stay tuned.
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Senators have voted themselves one of the best health care packages ever.
They won’t vote for children’s heath care, but when it comes to themselves they are all for affordable heath care.
I think this will make a great book, maybe the anti-hero could be first ejected from the Senate? Maybe then he would have to rely on an HMO, and in retrospect he could realize the the folly of his actions.
Ok, back to read your post – I enjoy your writing so much but just had to say Hi first!
world of diminishing reality from all sides of the political spectrum this sounds plausible to me. Sadly no heroes insight! Looks like we have to do it ourselves.
Hope you are well and your problems resolved, or at least at bay, the most we can hope for now days. Good to read your always astute essays, on the health care fiasco.
Author
Can’t stay – closing time.
If you have plot, character, etc. suggestions, please state whether you give permission for me to use them in the novel. I will respect all decisions and will assume permission is not granted unless specifically stated otherwise.
BTW – Peace rally was well attended, LOUD (got many patrons in the library out of their chairs and to the windows – the message was clear) and not rained out -just foggy.
If only the troops were heard as loudly and were working in foggy, gentle weather without the fear of IEDs and bloodshed….
Part one of my first novel written last year, Division 70, is still being revised, and suggestions and critiques are welcome. Not political, but healthcare issues abound.
If this weren’t so true, I’d laugh it all off. Don’t forget the ensuing housing market collapse with mortgage call ups…hense homelessness. Or the economic collapse hense joblessness, or the privatization of all public schools, hense children with nothing to do since their parents can’t afford schools anymore…plus the mandatory attendance at a local “Fundie” church to be indoctrinated in the divinity of Lord Bush/Cheney or the privitization ofhe military who have become a special Praetorian Guard to protect the “elected” government officials in these uncertai times with all the bad vibes coming from wiretapping and internets control.
Then a samll spate of inclement weather that destroys farmland and cities in which private contractors shoot on sight anyone in their line of fire….You have more than enough for a novel of epic proportions! The possibilities are endless.
Have fun laughing while you can.
physically and…..mentally through the conversations with nurses and iraq vets. He is released and runs against The Senator and wins.
Feel free to use.
And it is REALLY good to see you!
as for the novel- stuff like that couldn’t happen in real life, could it? i mean the part about an iraq vet getting adequate medical treatment…
As the long suffering B-I-L is reading medical and science journals in the rehab hospital, he comes across articles that detail promising new therapies that relate directly to overcoming his specific trauma an symptoms.
Two problems. The treatment is not available in the U.S. will not be for the foreseeable future. Instead it is in the early stages of testing and development to satisfy FDA approval criteria for use in the U.S. and further hampered by an acute lack of necessary stem cell research protocols.
The promising new treatments are available in Europe. Since the treatment is available in the European health system, it carries a nominal fee for citizens of Germany, France, the U.K. etc. The B-I-L’s financial situation, and the fact that U.S. citizens cannot get their U.S. health plans to reimburse costs for the advanced, more effective and otherwise less expensive than the less effective U.S. therapies, he cannot receive the treatments.
He can no longer afford to travel and stay in Munich/Paris/Amsterdam. He is left sitting in frustration in the hospital lounge reading about European patients successfully being treated and achieving results that are unavailable to him. He feels trapped, alienated and used by the corporately managed and floundering U.S. health care system that has become a tool for the insurance and pharmaceutical industry.