Date: May 1, 1981

     Will had just passed his final exam yesterday and Dr. Asclepius was hinting that he would be offered a job at the hospital. Will should've been thrilled, but as he made his way to Valhalla ward, he couldn't help feeling guilty. Why was he healthy when do many other young, gay men were not? Why was life looking up for him? It seemed crass to feel happy when others were having their lives fall apart.

"I can't believe it," Mallory was saying as Will walked into the ward.

The redhead was sitting on her cot criss-cross applesauce and speaking in loud, strident tones. Whenever she made a particularly important point, she'd flare her nostrils or squint her eyes. Halfborn watched her with the captivated expression of someone admiring a chained tiger.

"He's been president for four months and he's still said nothing about the outbreak," she continued.

      "Well, I can believe it," Alex cut in. "He's an actor — a celebrity — not a politician. He doesn't know a thing about serving his country. He only knows how to look in front of the camera."

      "That's not it," Magnus said wearily.

    The whole ward went silent and turned to him. Magnus had been getting more ill in the past week. His skin had taken on the color of cottage cheese and he had barely an appetite at all. Only today, he had eaten scrambled eggs and sausage links for breakfast and Will was hoping he was finally getting better.

     "Reagan isn't a bad president because he's a celebrity," Magnus said. "He's a bad president because he doesn't care about people like us."

      "He's right," Will said. "Reagan hasn't acknowledged the epidemic because he doesn't care about the gay community. He wants us dead."

     Mallory nodded. Although she, Halfborn, and TJ were not gay males, they had contracted the disease. Dr. Asclepius has been unable to tell them for sure how they contracted the disease, but he guessed that Mallory and TJ's drug habits had given them the disease. He told Will not to judge them for it, though. "This disease has a way of making everyone more judgmental," he had said darkly one March day. "We're stepping backwards socially to explain this epidemic."

     "I don't get why Nico calls you Mr. Sunshine," Halfborn said. "You're gloomier then my mother."

   "I miss my mom," TJ cut in. "I haven't seen her in weeks."

     "At least you have a mother who still loves you," Alex said.

    The entire room went quiet. Magnus and Mallory has no parents they knew of; both Halfborn and Alex had been disowned from their respective families.

     "We still got a family here," Mallory finally said. "We have feisty Alex, my idiot of a boyfriend, TJ, and Beantown."

    She pointed to each person in turn. When her gaze landed on Magnus, her eyes widened. She was soon shouting for a doctor, but Will was already there. He bent down beside Magnus and felt his pulse. There was nothing. He looked up at met the devastated eyes of Alex Fierro.

     "He's dead, isn't he?" she asked and there was nothing Will say to comfort her.