The Alternative

           It was a dreary sunday evening in that covid19 ICU. Dr. Vinothini clad in full PPE is adjusting the ventilator's breathing pressure of a patient. She is a third year PG student in general medicine. At the other side Dr. Rahul who is also a third year PG student in medicine, is jotting down the vitals of an another patient in his case sheet. Both of them didn't see the world outside the ICU for the past six hours. Another two more hours have to go, before they call it a day.

   Rahul turned towards Vinothini and signalled to come to the far end of the ICU. At the far end there is a small cubicle.

The professor of medicine Dr Fernandez is under ventilator support inside the cubicle. They both entered into it. The monitor is showing that the vitals are fine and he is stable now. But, he is under the grip of cytokine storm. A sad expression crept over both their faces. Professor Fernandez is a gem of a person. Though he did some private practice for a couple of hours in his clinic in the evening, he spent most of the day in the GH, serving poor patients and teaching the students. He is one of the most likable professors in GH. He strolled around the covid19 ward and ICU for the past two months. That brought him to this fearful cubicle. 

  Suddenly, the professor of surgery Dr Anwar stormed into the ICU. He is a good friend of Prof Fernandez. His face glowered inside the PPE and yelled at them. 

  "What the hell are you doing here? How is he doing?"

  They both understood the frustration he is under, partly because of the status of his good friend and partly because of the fear that he may also have the chance of contracting this horrid infection.

   "His vitals are stable sir" both echoed.

  "You both take care of him"he yelled with a scowl and left.

  "Vinu, what can we do to save our professor? He is on tocilizumab, remdesivir and all the drugs on earth for this damned viruses!" His voice came out with hell of a sadness.

  "There is only one thing that may work for our professor. But, that method is in its initial stage. So, we have to do it discreetly" Vinothini said decidedly.

  "What Vinu, I have no idea what you are saying" 

  She is always cryptical, highly informative and more intelligent in all fields. Her face illuminated like a fresh pristine morning rose without a hint of tiredness after so much hours of sheer toil even though inside the PPE. 

  "Do you know in how many forms carbon exists in nature?"

  "Why are you asking this question Vinu? What's the relevance here?"

  "Just tell me, do you know the answer?"

  "Yes, in two forms. One is very much stronger diamond and the other is much weaker graphite" Rahul answered expectantly.

  "Not only in two forms. Another form also exists. That's called the Bucky balls!"

  Rahul blankly stared at her.

  "I don't understand what are you talking"

  "Buckyballs are composed of carbon atoms linked to three other carbon atoms by covalent bonds"

  "Ok, How these will influence the treatment of our professor?"

  "Let me finish this. The most common Bucky balls contain about sixty carbon atoms. You may call it as C60. But, the number of atoms range between twenty and hundred!"

  "Still, you got me no where!"

 "I didn't finish yet. These carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal or pentagonal shape, usually like a hollow soccer ball"

  "I'm listening"

  "Ok, good. Don't zone out somewhere. These C-60 molecule is exceptionally stable and resistant to radioactivity and chemical corrosion. It greedily accepts electrons and not reluctant to lose them readily"

  "Why they are called Bucky balls?" Rahul wanted to show her that he is intently listening.

  "In 1985, the physicist Buckminster Fuller discovered these awesome stuctures. These are also called 'fullerenes'!"

  "Ok, fullerenes or Bucky balls. What they have to do in covid19 treatment?"

  "Do you know our microbiology professor Dr Ganapathy developed a microbivore using these Bucky balls?"

  "Again I got lost! What's a microbivore?"

  "The microbivore is an oblate spheroidal nanomedical device consisting of 610 billion precisely arranged structural atoms. You can call it as a nanorobot!"

  "How do you know that our microbiology professor developed it?"

  "During our UG program, I worked in his lab for six months"

  "Oh!" Rahul wasted so much time and effort during the UG program. 

  "Our professor is such a genius! He developed the microbivore using perfect combination of fullerene and diamondoid molecules to overcome the initial problems of using fullerenes alone"

  Rahul again lost track!

  "What are diamondoids?"

  "Diamondoids are cage like hydrocarbon molecules which are versatile in their actions like fullerenes"

  Rahul could only mumble,"Oh". He didn't heard about anything like nano medicine. It's beyond his grasp.

He noticed that their relievers had arrived. Vinothini and Rahul completed their handing over rituals and came outside the hospital. Devoid of their PPE, though it's summer, they felt a soft evening breeze caressing them.

  "Rahul, we should see our microbiology professor today itself"

  Though the prospect of traveling with Vinothini made Rahul's heart skip a beat, he cautioned,"Didn't you forget that we are quarantined?"

  "I know. But, we have to sneak out from our rooms to meet him" Vinothini said with a determination.

  "Ok, whatever you say" a small amount of bliss started to circulate in his blood vessels.

  They went to their rooms in different hostels, freshened up and put on the masks. They came out and went directly to Rahul's car. Nobody seemed to notice them! Rahul was wondering how the department was maintaining the quarantine!

   Vinothini climbed behind the steering wheel. She always do the driving when they're traveling by Rahul's car. Rahul silently watching her delicate features and wondering what a lucky man he is! They started loving each other a year and a half ago. He was just enjoying her company, her excitement, and her remarkable beauty with her almond-shaped eyes; incredibly long dark eyelashes; delicately sculpted nose; and absolutely flawless skin.

   She sped along the highway, turned into small lanes without reducing speed. Every time they turned, he reflexively pressed his left foot against the floor pan as if he could influence what the car might do with an imaginary foot brake!

   Finally, the mixed emotions of fear and bliss had come to an end in front of the professor's house.

  Rahul was emotional inside the car. "Vinu, will you allow me to kiss you only once?"

  "Rahul, how many times I have told you that everything will be only after marriage?" 

  Rahul noticed a stern look on her face.

  "Ok, ok sorry"

  When he tried to open the door, he sensed a soft peck on his cheek! A million lightnings started electrifying him. A billion thunders exploded inside. A large bolus of adrenaline started to circulate in his blood vessels. He felt a little dizzy by that unexpected extreme bliss and took few seconds to gather his gait. He noticed Vinothini was already at the door pressing the calling bell switch. He got down fastly and joined her at the door.

   After a few seconds, the door opened. The clean shaven, moderately built and physically strong retired professor of microbiology Dr Ganapathy stood there. Suddenly, the edges of the professor's lips are pulled back into a broad smile when he saw Vinothini.

  "Hey, smart girl, how is that you are here? And by the way who is this gentle man?" The professor clearly disclosed that he didn't remember Rahul. With little embarrassment, Rahul introduced himself to the professor that he also belongs Vinothini's batch. 

  "Ok, come inside" after they entered, the professor closed the door behind him. 

  "Let me give some coffee to you both" he ordered the maid to bring coffee for two and turned towards Vinothini,

  "Ok, spit it out. What's up?"

  "Sir, you know our professor of medicine Dr Fernandez is under ventilator support. We have to revive him fast"

  "Oh! That poor fellow!"

  He thought for a moment.

  "You both follow me to the lab"

   They entered into a large room behind the house. Rahul saw a lot of weirdly looking machines and monitors, he couldn't understand.

  The professor guided them to a large monitor and pressed some keys. Suddenly, an image appeared on the screen. The professor gestured toward the image. The image was black and white showing multiple dark, shiny microbivore and a large doughnut shaped object.

  "That's a red blood cell" the professor pointed over the doughnut shaped object. "And the dark, stuctures are microbivores"

   "They look like space ships with a big mouth" Rahul blurted out. The professor smiled at his comment.

  "Do you see the circular objects arranged around the hull?"

  "Yes, sir"

  "Those are the sensors that detect the targeted microorganism. They also contain reversal binding sites to cause the target to stick"

  "What are the tiny circles surrounding the sensors, sir?"

  "They are the grapplers that come out to move the target along the microbivore in a kind of bucket-brigade fashion before pulling it into the digestion chamber"

  "Is that the big hole, the mouth, sir?"

  "Yes, Once the target has been swallowed, it is enzymatically digested into harmless by-products, which are then pushed back out into the bloodstream"

  "Vinothini, do you know the size of the microbivore?"

  "It's six times smaller than the width of a human hair"

  "Yes, you are right. It is about two to three microns. It has to pass through the smallest capillaries, which are having the width of about four microns!"

  The professor continued,"it has an on board computer designed with nano circuitry and nano transistors to guide their course of action"

  "Sir, shall we use...." Vinothini stopped as the professor signalled to wait. As if reading her thoughts, he continued,"these are ready for covid19 attack. But, the only thing troubling me is its bio compatibility. Though the carbon and diamondoid molecules are inert, they elicit some troublesome immune reactions. We have to overcome that!"

  "Sir, why don't we coat the microbivores with oligosaccharides?"

  "Do you have anything specific in your mind?"

  "I'm thinking about polyethylene glycol"

   "Wow, that's a brilliant idea!"

The professor coated the microbivores with polyethylene glycol and injected into a mice. He took a blood sample after ten minutes and tested for micro immunological changes. There were nothing. He is elated and praised Vinothini for her suggestion. He handed her about one ml of microbivores liquid and advised that that should be diluted with five ml of saline and be given intravenously. He also advised that that should be done discreetly because that was not still approved by ICMR. 

   They both ran towards the door after thanking the professor. The professor told them to be inside for a moment and slightly opened the door. He saw the same black Audi which was present when both they came, is still parked stealthily under the shadow of a tree. 

   The professor motioned them inside again.

  "There is something fishy is going on here! Didn't you notice that car?" The professor continued,"A biomedical company is also in the process of developing the microbivores for covid19 treatment. I see the same car everyday in this street parked here and there. So, be careful. Rahul you keep the original vial inside your pocket. I will give you a dummy vial in a flask. They may be here, to rob us off the technique. Okay, you may go now"

  Rahul worried about the professor. 

  "Sir, if they come after you, they may harm you! So, we will stay here till morning"

  "Don't worry about me. I will take care of myself. You both go to the ICU and save our professor of medicine there"

   They came out of the microbiology professor's house.

Rahul saw a man dressed in a blue jeans and a white T-shirt was leaning over his car. When they went near the car, the man emitted a crooked smile.

  "Gimme the vial inside your pocket little boy" he was brandishing a knife towards Rahul.

  Rahul wondered how the hell the man knew about the original vial! They might have bugged the professor's house and the lab. My God! Within a fraction of a second, Rahul swing his fist over the man's glabella. He heard some cracking sound. That might be the inner wall of the frontal sinus! The man staggered back. He gave another blow over his head using the flask. The man slumped over the tarmac.

  Seeing the incident, an another man started running towards them. 

   "Vinu, get inside the car and start it. Keep the door opened for me"

  Vinothini ran to the other side of the car and climbed over the driver's seat and opened the other side door for Rahul to get in. Rahul saw the other man nearing him. When came nearer, Rahul suddenly lowered himself a little and punched heavily in between the man's upper thighs. The man gasped for breath and slowly fell down on his knees. Rahul gave another blow again over the glabella by holding the man's head in his hands with his slightly bent right knee. That man finally fell on the road with a loud thud. 

   Rahul finally got inside the car. Once he was inside, Vinothini accelerated it in fourth gear. 

   Rahul's mobile rang. It was Rishi. He is on night duty in the covid19 ICU. What the hell is happening there?

  He swiped towards the green icon to let the call in.

  His voice came with an enormous fear.

  "Rahul, our professor is deteriorating. Will you come to the ICU?"

  "Oh my God! We will be right there in few minutes" he turned towards Vinothini and informed her with concern. 

  "We are going to save him" she said with a huge determination. 

  She drove fastly through multiple highways and lanes madly not noticing anything along the way. 

  They finally parked the car inside the hospital campus and ran towards the ICU. Once inside,they hastily put on their PPE and and ran towards the cubicle where the professor is under ventilator support. A lot of people gathered around the bed. How the hell we give the injection to him? 

  "You go, talk to them and distract them. I will take care of the injection" Vinothini whispered.

   Rahul went to the cubicle and saw Rishi. Rishi came towards him. 

  "What happened?"

  "His oxygen saturation is going down" he said sadly.

  "Why the crowd here?"

  "They are waiting for the Dean to come"

   "God damnit! He will recover soon. Send the crowd back to their wards"

  Rishi instructed all the PG students to go to their respective wards.

  Meanwhile Vinothini gave the microbivores bolus to the professor intravenously.

  Exactly after ten minutes, as the Dean arrived, the professor's oxygen saturation mounted up nearing ninety seven percent! What a miracle!

After five more minutes, the professor moved in his bed. He signalled to remove the endotracheal tube. Rahul and Vinothini looked each other with tremendous surprise. The Dean instructed Rahul to remove the tube. After removing the tube, the professor coughed a little and after few more minutes his breathing became normal. The professor smiled weakly at all the people surrounding his bed and whispered,"thank you all for your enormous help"

  The Dean assured him that everything would be fine and told him to take rest and went out to his office to inform others the great news.

  Rahul tapped Rishi on his shoulder and said to take care of the professor.

  Both Vinothini and Rahul came out of the ICU, out of the PPE and out of the hospital campus.

  "Vinu, we have to inform our microbiology professor that his house was bugged"

  Rahul took his mobile and called the professor. He immediately answered,"what happened to the medicine professor"

  "Sir, you should have seen how he had recovered. It was a miracle sir. Everything is because of your hard work and intelligence. Thank you sir"

  "Thank your girl friend also. She is the who overcome the biocompatibility issue. Otherwise this will not be possible"

  "Sir, one more thing. I think your house is bugged. Shall I inform the police?"

  "Not necessary, they are already here. The thugs you beaten up removed all the cameras with voice transmitters under some little rough guidance of the police. And we found the people who sent the thugs. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. You both stay safe"

   "Thank you so much sir"

 He disconnected the call and looked at Vinothini. Her face was like a beautiful moon. Her flawless skin glowed in the moon light. She is beautiful in her own way. Her hair was midnight black and it flowed ravishingly over her shoulders. She walked alongside Rahul and held his hand. Then she whispered the three beautiful words on the earth,"I love you Rahul"

  Since, the time is around ten o'clock night, he couldn't see anybody in his visual field. Rahul yearned to hold her and kiss her. He is trying very hard to resist his urge. Suddenly, Vinothini hugged him and kissed him on his cheek. Then she released herself and walked towards her room leaving behind the awestruck Rahul who started wondering what happened to him in the past couple of seconds!