Day 15: The Fat Virus

Out of earshot, Vivian Charmain watched her daughter Veronica eat breakfast with disdain.  "Why does she let herself go like that?"
"It's not a choice," Mike replied between coffee sips.  "It's her genetics, you vain cow."
Reflexively, Viv's hands went to her sides, for the reassuring feel of the definition between her lower ribs.  "She's a child, and a young woman who needs to take responsibility for her appearance."
He tilted his head and gazed analytically at Ronnie.  To Viv, he muttered, "She's got your cheeks and my nose.  Your silhoutte from middle school, as I recall."
She pulled him away from the breakfast nook, hissing.  "She looks nothing like me!"  Vivian was right; before he was her husband, he was her surgeon.  Ten years later, he had adjusted over 65% of her surface area.  "This is your fault!  You are failing her!"
"I am not putting her under my knife!  She is not even menstruating yet!"  Mike crossed his arms.  "There is nothing I can do-"
Viv stopped his words with a wag of her finger.  There was one way that wouldn't involve a scalpel.  While Mike was in school, researchers discovered that the success of gastric-bypass surgeries was entirely dependent on the micriobiota displaced in the procedure.  In the following years, an industry was grown from the farming of stomach bacteria from covetously thin individuals, to inject into the BMI-challenged.  Mike had jumped on that train right out of med school; he now had three clinics to show for it.
"Fix her," Viv hissed.
Mike was crumbling.  "But she's not broken..."
"Fix her."  Viv dropped the Mike.
***

That evening, Mike checked in on Ronnie.  She was in her room doing homework, but otherwise carefree.
"Ronnie, you know your mom loves us, right?" "Yup."
"Even when she's worried and grumpy, right?" "Yup."
"She just wants what's best for you, right?"  "Yup."
Mike exhaled and produced a syringe.  "Okay; got a flu shot to give you now."
Ronnie looked up from her book, and let out her mother's whine, "Whyyyyy?"
"Just the luck of being a doctor's kid.  Come on..."  Mike removed the cap, while Ronnie lifted her shirt, exposing her belly.
Confused, Mike almost finished saying, "What are you doing?..."
Ronnie pointed at the three entry points surrounding her belly button.  "Mom said I have to do this until there's no more."


inspired by Discover Magazine article, "Gut Surgery Spawns Slimming Microbes"