Dialogue: Crohn's

- I can't sleep.
- Why?
- Because I feel sad.
- About what?
- AIDS.
- You feel sad about AIDS? You don't have AIDS.
- I feel sad about people who have AIDS.
- Because it makes you associate sex with disease and death?
- Maybe. I don't know.
- You know... uh, did you read that thing on the news about treating AIDS for babies?
- What thing?
- They found a way to prevent mothers from giving AIDS to their babies during pregnancy so that the babies are born healthy.
- Who's they?
- Cubans, I think. Scientists in Cuba.
- Oh. That's really good.
- Does knowing that make you feel less sad?
- I wish it did although I'm happy for the babies and the parents.
- Is something else bothering you?
- Probably.
- What is it?
- Stomach cancer.
- Why stomach cancer?
- Well no, not stomach cancer really just stomach.
- Just stomach?
- Crohn's disease.
- Why?
- When I was a teenager, I wished for Crohn's disease so that I would always be skinny.
- That's horrible. That's really fucked up.
- I know.
- I mean, come on. People out there are actually suffering and you wish for digestive inflammation or whatever so that you will be forced to eat less? Don't you have any self-control?
- I was young.
- I know someone with Crohn's.
- I'm sorry.
- Go to sleep now. Just close your eyes.