Let's Give It Up for Gimme Lao!

by Sebastian Sim

  Skye was still pressing the teenager for an answer when he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Jason, and he wanted to speak to Skye in private.

  “What are you trying to do?” Jason asked once they were back in their room.

  Skye stared at Jason in disbelief. The accusatory tone in his voice was unmistakable. Surely it was not possible that Jason did not see how wrong the group’s action was? Skye felt a chill as a thought crossed his mind. He had to know. “Did you throw the punch?”

  Jason hesitated a little. “He would have gotten punched sooner or later the way he went around taking candid photos of guys. He’s a creep.”

  Skye did not know what to make of what was happening. He had blindly fallen for this boy who not only denied his own gay identity, but would go to the extent of harming another boy just to prove he wasn’t gay.

  “What if—” Skye bit his lip. It was a dangerous question to ask, but he needed to know. “What if the guys asked about us? What would you say?”

  “Why would they ask? We haven’t given them any reason to suspect anything,” Jason insisted.

  “What if I don’t feel like hiding anymore?”

  When Skye saw the fear and horror in Jason’s eyes, his heart sank. He listened in a daze as Jason threw a tantrum. Why would Skye want to jeopardise their relationship? There was an army of bigots out there who would tear them apart if they made their relationship known. Why court hardship when they could stay in the comfort and safety of these four walls? What was he trying to prove?

  Skye felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. He was too exhausted to hold any thought in his mind. After Jason stormed out of the room, he crawled under the blanket and shut his eyes. Sleep did not come, but he made himself lie still till the digital clock flashed 5pm and it was time to head home for dinner.

  Slumped in his seat on the bus, Skye realised that things had irreparably changed. The Green Lantern he thought he knew had crossed over. As much as he loved Jason, he could not imagine a future with him. He would have to end the relationship. He was aware that the other passengers were watching, but he could not hold back his tears any longer. He cried into his tee shirt and mourned for the loss of his first love.

  Skye stopped by the changing room at the pool to wash his face before he took the elevator up. He knew his eyes were still puffy. If his mother asked, he would have to come up with a story. But there was a chance that she might not notice. Wei Wen had successfully paired up two clients with their Vietnamese brides on her last trip and was in high spirits when she got back the night before. Skye knew he could expect steamed salmon fishhead for dinner. Wei Wen always cooked his favourite dish when she wanted to celebrate.

  The phone rang just as Skye stepped into the house. It was his father.

  “I need you to help me pack my toiletries and enough clothes for a week. Leave the suitcase outside along the corridor. I don’t want to step into the apartment. I will swing by after midnight to pick it up. Don’t wait up for me.”

  Skye froze. He found Wei Wen in the kitchen busy preparing dinner.

  “Dad called. There is an emergency at the hospital, so he can’t make it back for dinner.”

  Wei Wen shrugged,“That’s too bad. But you should be used to his surprises by now.”

  “There’s more.” Skye wore a frown of deep concern. He repeated Gimme Lao’s request to have his suitcase packed and saw Wei Wen’s back stiffen.

  “Did he say why?”

  “He said he was in the midst of an urgent meeting and couldn’t explain.”

  Neither of them spoke as they sat through the solemn dinner. Skye studied his mother. She was plain looking to begin with. Although the success of her Vietnamese matchmaking agency had given her an air of confidence as a businesswoman, it had also distracted her from her grooming and exercise routine. She had put on considerable weight around her waist, but her face looked stretched and tired. It would not surprise him at all if his father had a woman on the side. If this was the case, Skye knew his mother would need his moral support to tide over the crisis. He had to stay strong, both for himself and his mother.

  Wei Wen wondered if there was another woman. This was not the first instance she had been plagued by the suspicion. Her business venture had kept her busy and fulfilled for the last few years. Weeks could go by before she realised she hadn’t had sex with her husband. In the past, Gimme Lao would grow irritable when intimacy was missing from their routine. He would likely pick a quarrel over the most insignificant issue and keep up the tantrum until Wei Wen recognised the root cause and made her move. The fact that his tantrum was long overdue worried her. Wei Wen wanted to believe that her husband was as distracted by a demanding medical career and his promising political ambition as she was by her business venture. It couldn’t possibly be the age factor; they were both merely 38. Then again, they had been married for 17 long years.

  Wei Wen and Skye kept themselves awake watching a Hong Kong drama series on DVD. It was close to one in the morning when they heard Gimme Lao’s familiar footsteps approach. Skye sprung to open the door.

  “Stop. Do not step outside. Stay where you are, Skye.”

  Wei Wen and Skye felt a collective chill as they stared at Gimme Lao, who stood a distance away with his hand held up to discourage them from approaching. He was wearing an ominous looking decontamination mask.

  “Why isn’t my luggage in the corridor?” Gimme Lao sounded stern.

  “I told Skye to keep it inside. It might get stolen if we leave it out in the corridor,” Wei Wen explained, worried. “What is it? Are you down with some virus?”

  “At this point I do not know for sure, but I would rather be safe than sorry,” Gimme Lao sighed. “One of my junior doctors diagnosed a patient running a fever as a possible case of atypical pneumonia, a virulent strand that we were earlier alerted to by the World Health Organization. The hospital is putting together a team to prepare for the worst-case scenario. It may escalate to become a national emergency. I will be staying in the hospital over the next few days. Now I want you two to step back to the balcony so that I can come in to retrieve my luggage. I do not want either of you within one metre of me.”

  Wei Wen and Skye watched from behind the curtain as Gimme Lao collected his luggage and waved goodbye. Both of them felt unworthy. There he was, their husband and father, taking precautions so that his family would not catch the virus from him. Yet the first suspicions that crossed their mind was that he was having an extramarital affair. The two felt deeply ashamed.

  It was another two days before they read about it in the papers. SARS. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Three Singaporean ladies had returned from vacation in Hong Kong, unaware that they had caught the deadly virus from an infected elderly Chinese doctor staying on the same floor in their hotel. One of the three turned out to be a super-spreader. By the time her condition was correctly diagnosed, she had infected 17 others, including 10 healthcare workers at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

  The Ministry of Health immediately designated the hospital as SARS Battleground Zero. The Emergency Department was shut down and all ambulances were instructed to divert their emergency cases elsewhere. Tan Tock Seng Hospital was to focus solely on combating SARS. Architects and building contractors were hastily engaged to construct a huge, open-air screening tent in the adjacent field and tasked to convert four blocks of dormitory wards into isolation wards almost overnight. All the healthcare workers were given strict instructions to don the N95 mask throughout their shifts. Initially, some found the stifling masks unbearable and would steal a moment or two in the toilet or storeroom to remove them for a breather. But when the infection rate among the hospital staff inched up and the first doctor succumbed to it, everyone panicked and realised it was a brutal battle they were confronted with. That stolen moment of relief removing the mask in the toilet might prove potentially fatal.

  The death of the doctor was not reported in the media. The Ministry of Health decided it could not afford natio
nwide panic. But Wei Wen knew. Gimme Lao had been sending her texts and emails to update her daily. She knew the doctor who succumbed was a junior doctor barely one year into his induction in the Communicable Disease Division. His name was Gordon. Gimme Lao told her that Dr Gordon was all of 28 and had just begun dating a nurse in the division. His death was devastating for the morale of the team at the hospital.

  Wei Wen waited with trepidation for these texts and emails from Gimme Lao every day. Hours could go by without the inbox icon flashing, and Wei Wen would have to convince herself that Gimme Lao was too caught up with his overwhelming workload to text. Even when he did, Wei Wen had her misgivings. For all she knew, Gimme Lao could be running a fever and not be telling her. It drove her crazy that there was nothing she could do to help share his burden.

  At night, her thoughts ran wild as she lay sleepless in bed. Unlike the rest of the population, who were cushioned by the calculated omission of details that trickled down via the state controlled media, Wei Wen was fed raw daily updates by Gimme Lao. She learnt about the horror of battling a brutal, but unfamiliar, disease. Gimme Lao confessed that the team was practically stumbling about in a maze of confusion, blindfolded and shackled. There was internal panic when several patients with no apparent SARS infection were diverted to other hospitals, only to subsequently develop symptoms and went on to infect others. By the third week, these cases of late developing symptoms had resulted in infections in four other hospitals. It was especially disheartening when frontline healthcare workers crossed the battle lines and became casualties.

  As the infection rate and death count inched upwards, fear spread among those working in the battlefield. The staff canteen operator had to deal with kitchen workers who refused to turn up for work. Deliverymen from suppliers unceremoniously dumped their load outside the hospital gate and drove off. Healthcare workers were worn down by the emotional strain of dealing with loved ones who begged them to quit their jobs. Patients in denial clamoured to discharge themselves at their own risk. There was simply no let up to the tension and exhaustion.

  Wei Wen hoped that Gimme Lao could perceive her deep concern when he read her email replies. In their 17 years of marriage, the two had never been apart for this long. The irony did not escape Wei Wen that this was the closest she had ever felt towards her husband in a long while. Through his daily updates, Wei Wen could sense his palpable fear and frustration. She encouraged him and told him how proud she was that he was manning the gates against an enemy that could annihilate the entire nation. She shared that Skye initiated a project at his college to collect words of encouragement for the hospital team in the form of a quilt. In the media, it was reported that Singapore, together with Hong Kong and Southern China, were the hotspots for SARS outbreaks. Gimme Lao needed to know that the entire international community was behind his team. He needed to have faith.

  The turnabout came two months into the crisis. Infection rate peaked at a headcount of between 7,000 to 8,000 worldwide before it slowed down drastically. By the end of the third month, the World Health Organization declared Singapore free of SARS. The battle was finally won.

  When Gimme Lao stepped into the house for the first time since the crisis began, Wei Wen broke down and sobbed with bitter relief. For five whole minutes she hugged him tightly and would not let go. Gimme Lao chuckled and ruffled her hair with affection. It was all right. She was not destined to be a SARS widow after all.

  The entire nation celebrated wildly. SARS was the most threatening epidemic to hit Singapore since its independence nearly 40 years ago. The Tan Tock Seng Hospital team was hailed as an exemplary warrior in the battle. During the crisis, while hospitals in Hong Kong and Vietnam had to operate at half the usual strength because many healthcare workers refused to turn up for work, the Singapore team stood strong and committed. Although the prime minister was sombre as he led the population in mourning the 33rd and last SARS fatality, Nurse Hamidah Ismail from Tan Tock Seng Hospital, he reminded everyone there was much to be thankful for. He promised that the frontline warriors who had toiled and made sacrificed would receive due recognition.

  Tan Tock Seng Hospital made plans to throw a celebratory party. The prime minister was invited as the guest of honour. Gimme Lao urged Wei Wen to shop for a proper evening gown and hire the services of a professional makeup artist. He wanted to reserve a surprise for her, but she ought to be prepared for a little media spotlight.

  The celebratory party was held at the prestigious Ritz Carlton Hotel. Wei Wen, Skye, Mary Lao and her husband were astounded to find themselves seated right in front of the stage, adjacent to the prime minister’s table. Professor Eleanor Moh came over and personally shook Wei Wen’s hand. She ought to know that her husband Gimme Lao had done the nation proud. There was a surprise coming up during the award segment, but Gimme Lao had made her promise not to tell. She could only reveal that Wei Wen was about to become the most envied woman in the ballroom that night.

  The four of them were kept in delightful suspense throughout the night. After the seventh dish of the 10-course feast had been served, the prime minister was invited on stage to honour the team at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He waxed lyrical about their sacrifice and contribution and mourned those who fell victim to the enemy. After handing out several awards to top management and frontline staff, he mentioned that the next recipient was someone special. Not only was Dr Gimme Lao the very doctor who had correctly identified and diagnosed the first SARS patient in Singapore, he was a valiant warrior who spearheaded the critical task force that successfully tracked down all the 238 cases of infection before they could further spread the epidemic among the population. Were it not for his efficiency, the SARS crisis could have blown up into a pandemic and the death toll possibly tripled. Born the same year that Singapore attained its independence, Dr Gimme Lao was truly a remarkable son of Singapore. The prime minister professed that he would be neglecting his duty if he did not rope in such a talented and committed warrior to serve the nation in a bigger capacity. He had personally invited Dr Gimme Lao to join his political party and was thrilled to have him accept his offer. He was thus proud to announce that Dr Gimme Lao would be groomed and fielded for contest in the next general election before his own impending retirement as the second prime minister of Singapore.

  As the ballroom thundered with congratulatory applause, Wei Wen could feel tears of pride welling up. Although she knew her husband had political ambitions, she never imagined that his prospects could escalate so dramatically. To have the prime minister of Singapore personally announce Gimme Lao’s upcoming candidacy could only mean that the cabinet had big plans for him. Wei Wen looked across the table and saw that both Mary Lao and her husband were similarly shaken. She felt Skye take her hand and squeeze it. Wei Wen returned the squeeze. This was possibly the happiest moment she had ever felt collectively with her son and in-laws.

  “Mum, your mascara is running,” Skye cautioned with a mischievous grin.

  Wei Wen burst out into a paroxysm of giggles. She grabbed her purse and sneaked out of the ballroom before the spotlight could follow Gimme Lao back to their table. Rounding the bend, Wei Wen slipped into the powder room. She smiled apologetically when a young lady in front of the mirror looked startled at her cosmetic disaster.

  Moments later, as Wei Wen cleaned up and began to reapply the mascara, she suddenly realised that the young lady was still staring at her in the mirror. Wei Wen grinned and mused aloud, “There are moments in life you need shock-proof mascara. Especially when your husband fails to warn you of the magnitude of the surprise in store.”

  “You must be very proud of your husband, Mrs Lao.”

  Wei Wen looked up startled. “Do you know my husband?”

  The young lady gave a faint nod. “I am Nurse Shemin. I work for your husband.”

  There was a morbid cheerlessness about the young lady that Wei Wen found unnerving, but she decided there was no reason not to be cordial. “I can only imagine how tough it must
have been for all of you during the crisis. It is a blessing that the team pulled through. You deserve all the commendation and awards bestowed tonight.”

  “Not all of us pulled through, and some are not totally deserving of the accolades either,” Nurse Shemin said deliberately. “Did your husband ever mention a certain Dr Gordon, Mrs Lao?”

  Wei Wen was slightly alarmed. She was certain she detected a measure of animosity in the young lady. “Is that the young doctor who died of SARS? Did you know him well?”

  There was a glimpse of pain as Nurse Shemin blinked fiercely and said, “We were dating. I guess you can say we were close.”

  Wei Wen relented. The poor girl. “I am so sorry.”

  “I feel sorry for Gordon too,” Nurse Shemin said. “He was the one who identified and diagnosed the first SARS patient. Had it not been for his timely diagnosis, the epidemic could have been uncontainable. And yet because he is gone, the top management decided to confer the honour to your husband. It is a win-win situation for both parties. It helps to catapult your husband’s political ambition, and the hospital is guaranteed a patron when your husband eventually makes it to the cabinet. I understand how it works, but I have to say I feel sick about the whole arrangement.”

  Wei Wen felt a knot in her stomach. She vaguely recalled Gimme Lao mentioning that the young doctor was indeed the one who identified the first SARS patient.

  “At least for Dr Zhang Lei’s case there was an agreement. For Gordon’s case his honour was simply stolen,” Nurse Shemin said bitterly.

  “Who is Dr Zhang Lei?” Wei Wen felt compelled to ask, even though she was almost certain she did not want to know the details.

  “Dr Zhang Lei is the one who headed the task force that successfully tracked down all the 238 cases of infection.” Nurse Shemin watched Wei Wen coldly. “But he was from China on contract employment and had no use for the accolades. So Professor Eleanor Moh struck a deal with him. Dr Zhang Lei was promised a contract extension. In return, Dr Gimme Lao became the hero who spearheaded the tracking task force. It is all neat and tidy politicking, and it makes me sick to the bone.”