Short stories: Fade Into the Sunset.
Someone was knocking at the door. Smiling, Sophie pulled back the curtains and saw that it was Bob, the mail carrier. She was surprised; in the ten years he had delivered their mail he had never knocked on their door. Sophie opened the door and took the envelope from his hand. Without a word, he shook his head slowly, turned and walked off the porch.
Sophie gasped as she saw the envelope addressed to her and to her husband Sam from the Health and Welfare Department. Several of her friends mentioned getting these letters and it put the fear of God into all who received one. No one wanted to talk about them and certainly, no one spoke of the counseling by the Committee that made all the decisions about the health care of senior citizens. A friend told Sophie that at the end of their session they had been ordered by the Committee not to discuss the procedure by penalty of law, which meant immediate incarceration in a Senior Citizen Health Care unit setup for such use around the country.
With trembling hands she opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper. It was dated January 2, 2013.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN it read in large capital letters, You are required to appear before the Committee on National Health care for End of Life Counseling at, Sophie could read no more. She recalled watching the couple down the street drive away without a word to anyone few weeks after they went for counseling. It was as if they just faded into the sunset.
Sophie remembered the day when Sam held her close many years ago on their honeymoon when she said, I hope we never die, I want us to fade into the sunset together. With their whole lives ahead of them, she never dreamed that someday it could actually be ordered by her government.
The morning of their scheduled session was a dismal day. A steady downpour had evolved as the morning wore on. Nervously, holding hands, Sam and Sophie walked into the appointed room. They sat in two folding chairs in front of a table. Seated at the table was a panel of four men and a rather pleasant looking woman. While the panel did not look very compassionate, she was encouraged to see the woman was about the age of their daughter.
With little fanfare to accompany his pompous gestures, the large fierce looking man in the middle stood up and identified himself as the Chairman. There had been no discussion, no questions; he slowly unfolded the crisp piece of paper he held in his hands and began reading. It is the finding of this committee that because you have reached the age of 70 and our new National Health Care Plan is in place and in consideration of your previous health problems set forth in medical information entered in our database from your treating physicians during your natural life, you are not eligible for coverage under our new National Health care Plan. He didn't look up as he spoke. They had not even been offered a copy of the report to read or an opportunity to respond. Sophie thought the Chairman seemed almost robot-like as he read. Was it because he read the same words over and over each day?
What previous health problems? she asked herself. Then she remembered the lung surgery she had more than twenty years ago. The biopsy was not conclusive and surgery became necessary. The conclusion was that the tissue removed from her lung was scar tissue from histoplasmosis, now dormant. She had not even known she had the disease when it was active. Of course, they both suffered with arthritis, but who didn't at their age? Yes, there was lots of back pain and their hips and knees did hurt, but Ibuprofen and Icy Hot seemed to take care of that.
Sophie glanced at Sam. She could hardly listen as the Chairman continued to read. The Committee further finds that should you need any kind of invasive surgery such as hip replacement, knee replacement, any other invasive surgery or treatment that will prolong your life it will not be provided. Should you become ill, you will receive adequate medication to make you comfortable. Because of your age and the poor quality of life you can expect during your few remaining years, the cost of such treatment is not warranted. Should your discomfort become unbearable during this period there are alternatives that can be offered.
The Chairman looked at Sophie and Sam and asked, Would you like us to continue?
Sophie and Sam looked at each other then back to the Chairman and shook their heads. Sophie wept as Sam took her hand as if to say, There, there, it will be okay. Sophie knew it would never be okay. She didn't want to hear the last paragraph stating they were eligible for euthanasia or that if at some point they became a burden to their family or to society they would have the right to apply to the Committee for the lethal dose of medication that would assist them to fade into the sunset.
Holding hands, Sam and Sophie walked from the room.