Chapter 4

           Alltheusualbrainparasitesarehere,tonight. AboveandBeyondalwaysgetsabigturnout. ThisisPeter. ThisisAldo. ThisisMarcy. 

           Hi. 

           Theintroductions,everybody,thisisMarlaSinger,andthisisherfirsttimewithus. 

           Hi,Marla. 

           AtAboveandBeyond,westartwiththeCatch-UpRap. Thegroupisn’tcalledParasiticBrainParasites. You’llneverhearanyonesay"parasite." Everybodyisalwaysgettingbetter. Oh,thisnewmedication. Everyone’salwaysjustturnedthecorner. Still,everywhere,there’sthesquintofafive-dayheadache. Awomanwipesatinvoluntarytears. Everyonegetsanametag,andpeopleyou’vemeteveryTuesdaynightforayear,theycomeatyou,handshakehandreadyandtheireyesonyournametag. 

           Idon’tbelievewe’vemet. 

           Noonewilleversayparasite.They’llsay,agent. 

           Theydon’tsaycure.They’llsay,treatment. 

           InCatch-UpRap,someonewillsayhowtheagenthasspreadintohisspinalcolumnandnowallofasuddenhe’llhavenocontrolofhislefthand. Theagent,someonewillsay,hasdriedtheliningofhisbrainsonowthebrainpullsawayfromtheinsideofhisskull,causingseizures. 

           ThelasttimeIwashere,thewomannamedChloeannouncedtheonlygoodnewsshehad. Chloepushedherselftoherfeetagainstthewoodenarmsofherchairandsaidshenolongerhadanyfearofdeath.