Disclaimers: I don't own ER, Kerry Weaver, Henry, or any other characters there of. etc… I don't own Vioxx or Merck, and take no stand on the current bit going on with them, just see them as a potential plot device.
Author's notes: Not trying to piss people off with this... Anyhow... Enjoy.
"In other news, Merck, the international pharmaceutical company," Kerry tuned in, she'd probably already read whatever it was somewhere, and could probably get more complete information on this great, urgent news story within a week in one journal or another, but it was medical, "has made a decision to pull it's popular Cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx, which has been used to treat arthritis..."
Kerry glanced over at the medicine cabinet, then returned her attention to the news, her book now forgotten.
"... as new studies suggest it may double the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients taking the drug for over eighteen months."
Peachy. Absofuckinglutely peachy. How long ago had her orthopedist talked her into it... two and a half years sounded about right, or was it more like three? Easier on the stomach than ibuprofen, possibly a way to avoid any new ulcers. She was reasonably healthy though, watched what she put into her system with the exception of an occasional glass of Scotch, swam every other day. She'd be fine, besides, new studies were always disproving one another. It was how knowledge of science was amassed, some sort of a greater good. Hadn't she told Carter something similar not long ago? Okay, maybe screamed, but that was beside the point. It'd blow over. Still, something made her slightly uneasy about being a human guinea pig.
Now, it was just paranoia, people still drank things with saccharin, most didn't get cancer, ate fubu without being poisoned (though that was more a matter of the skill of the chef than luck or the tendency of the media to sensationalize), swam in the sea without their skin turning colors and sloughing off, nuclear power hadn't caused everyone to sprout third arms (though there were times when a third arm seemed useful. Wishful thinking, it didn't quite work that way anyhow). Causing problems in a lab rat or frog didn't guarantee the same problems would materialize in humans. But they might. Probably wouldn't. But might.
She flipped off the news and switched on her stereo. In a moment, the sound of the Patti Smith group filled the room. Breakfast... Smoothie. Banana, apple juice, blueberries, tomato, yogurt, soy protein powder, et voila, a reasonably potable breakfast beverage.
After a wonderfully long, hot shower (one of the perks of waking early, there was time for such luxuries) and a few moments in the dressing room (green button down shirt, black suit) followed by a few more in front of a mirror coaxing uncooperative hair into a pull through and applying a touch of makeup, it was time to wake Henry. She checked her watch, seven, which gave her half an hour to drop Henry with his grandmother and another twenty minutes to fight traffic to the hospital before another budget meeting. One of these days, she'd have to get through to cardiology that their own CT scanner just wasn't feasible.
"Hey sweetie." she said quietly as she turned on the lights and scooped her son up into her arms, he gurgled sleepily.
"Awake, awake ye dreamer, the coo coo loudly calls. The sun shines in the meadow and falls on garden walls..."
Stupid little ditty, but whatever made the kid happy. She tried to imagine the looks on her coworkers' faces if they saw her doing monkey tricks to entertain her son. Couldn't quite picture it. Oh well.
"Let's get you a bath and some food, sound good kiddo?" she whispered, Henry chirped in response. She mentally started running through the contents of his dresser while she ran water for his bath, what wasn't stained, too small (He was growing like a weed), or waiting to be run through the wash?
Review please.