13-12-2010, Dear diary,

I’m writing this in the morning, just before I go to the medical lab again. Last night I realized how auntie really thinks of me and other girls. She doesn’t think that we can do this kind of thing which is really stupid. She and uncle accept Sunni’s career of a fashion designer because that’s still fairly girly with the fashion and all, but they don’t want a niece who is a medical researcher.

Mind you, I don’t care. I’m here to follow my dream for as long as I can, and if I can save people’s lives then so much the better. I’m not the same delicate little girl they rescued and I’m not going to give up just because they want me to.

I love working with Taesun, we understand each other and he has confidence in me and believes in my ability—unlike others. I feel that we might have a chance making a difference to the cures, or if I do end up not being cured, I think we will at least set things in motion. He’s a great substitute father and I’m proud to be his honorary daughter and his work assistant.

If I die I’ll miss him the most. Oh well, three hundred and sixty-four days left…

I closed the diary and hid it once more before rushing through the shower and into a pair of blue jeans and a grey t-shirt. I’d already had breakfast so I packed and left to get to the lab just before nine. My relatives weren’t up yet so I could thankfully avoid them.

The roads were just starting to get busy with people heading to work or wherever they needed to be, so I wasn’t stuck in traffic much. As soon as I parked I sped inside, briefly pausing to greet the secretary before heading to room three as usual.

“How much sleep did you get?” Taesun asked.

“Eight hours—almost nine.” I answered.

“Good, can’t have a tired worker.” He grinned.

“How will we collect samples?”

“We don’t have to worry about that, hospital folk have done that and categorized the samples them for us. There are perks when it comes to being me.” If I didn’t know any better, he looked a bit smug…couldn’t blame him though!

I spent the next while looking through microscopes at the samples, I also had a “pure sample”, one without tuberculosis, for each category which I would compare the samples against and note down any significant differences that weren’t due to the environment they lived in. Taesun was looking at samples too, from the same people, but he was testing the components of various attempted cures to see what worked and what didn’t and why.

Every so often I would pause to give my eyes a brief rest and stretch…being bent over a microscope wasn’t so good for my back, but stretching regularly helped. I noticed a few differences for each sample group and noted them down and added how they differed between groups and why. I would leave no stone unturned in my search for a cure.

Eventually I finally finished studying the samples and I turned to find Taesun watching me. “It’s interesting watching you work. Would you like to go over your findings now?”

“The main obvious difference between the diseased samples and the pure ones is that the diseased ones have something destroy them slowly from the inside, but I was unable to identify what. That would explain the destroyed tissue linings; I think…also something’s eating away at the fat cells. I have two theories: either parasitic cells from the illness are consuming it, or the illness is making the body work that hard to fight it, that the fat cells are being used up by the body itself however the latter is less likely because it would show through a fever.” I listed.

“Excellent work!” He smiled. “Well I found that none of the cures work; some have components that would work, but they are cancelled out by other components. The main reason some people survived is that they had more minor doses of the disease that their bodies could eventually fight off.”

We bounced theories and ideas of one another to get something to work from. But eventually we had to stop and work on other things that had to be done for the research centre. Because this wasn’t very official and wasn’t labelled as an urgent project by those in charge of us, we had to find time for it amongst all the other things we were given to do which was a shame, but it was necessary.

The rest of the time I spent there, after we stopped for lunch and a rest, was spent on the other tasks we had. I got a few servant tasks from other researchers, but they were better than they would’ve been if Taesun hadn’t taken me as his aid.

As we were packing up for the night, he asked me a question I hadn’t expected. “What are the things you wish to do before you eventually die?”

“I would like to see a band performing live and that’s about it.” I admitted.

“Okay, well goodnight Ariane, get a good rest.” He smiled.

I nodded before driving to what I considered as home again. I got a feeling of déjà vu as I walked in and found the light on again. Surprisingly, my aunt wasn’t in the lounge. However, my uncle was.

The stern look on his face made me gulp nervously before I made myself appear calm, schooling my features into neutrality. “You’re up late, uncle.” I stated.

“You’re home late.” Oh dear. He really didn’t sound happy with me.

“Yes I am, it’s quite normal for those who work at the research centre.” I shrugged.

“You’re only an aid, you’re not even working. And you’re just a girl; girls have no place in that line of work.” Oh boy, that was one sure-fire way to annoy me.

I bristled and sent him a glare. “Girls have no place? You ist pig! Why do you think there are female nurses, female physicians? Have you seen the number of females who become doctors and other types of medical professionals? And I may be only an aid, but I am learning so much and making use of my time. Get used to my long hours and late returns because I find them better than bothering with you.”

With that I my heel and went to my room, falling asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. I slept well for the time I was asleep and woke somewhat early to get ready for another day at the research facility.

There were no significant discoveries in the short time we spent working on our own project. The rest of the time we had to do other tasks. I arrived home late again, to find my aunt and uncle together waiting for me in the lounge.

Entering some situations, we get a feeling of utmost dread at events yet to come. I got that as soon as I saw them together…that could never be a good thing.

“What do you want this time? I’d like to go to bed.” I glared at them.

“Neither of us like you coming home at such late hours and leaving so early. You’re dying; you need to be looked after.” My aunt said, playing the fake sympathy ‘we’re worried about you’ card. Needless to say, I wasn’t taking any of it.

“I have nearly a year left to live, and I don’t need looking after. I did a pretty good job of looking after myself for the past nineteen years and I’ll manage it easily for the next one. Sure you may not like what I’m doing with my time, but I’m at least making use of the rest of my life!” I replied.

“You can spend your year taking care of yourself…here!  You won’t need your Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences when you’re dead so we forbid you to leave the house without either of us and we forbid you to continue at the research centre.” She said.

Those words each pierced my heart, leaving agony behind. I wouldn’t cry, wouldn’t lose face. “You can’t control me.”

“No, we can’t. But we can control if you live here or not. You stop helping at the medical centre, or we kick you out.” My uncle took his turn.