Heinz Dilemma

A small European town, 11 p.m. On the fourth floor of the hospital, Anna fights to breathe. In the dim corridor, the doctor speaks quietly to her husband, Heinz — 'Only one drug can save her. A single dose.' It's a radium compound, recently discovered by a pharmacist in their own town. It costs $200 to make. The pharmacist charges $2,000 per dose. Since that afternoon Heinz has called every relative, friend, and coworker he knows. He has raised $1,000. Now, in the rain, he stands outside the pharmacy. Through the window he can see the pharmacist at a desk, going through ledgers. 'Please. Half price. I'll spend the rest of my life paying it back.' The pharmacist looks at him over his glasses, cold and unmoved — 'No. I discovered this drug. I'm going to make money from it.' The door clicks shut. Across the street, Heinz stares at the lock on the pharmacy's back door. Anna is dying right now, and there is a small metal bar in the inside pocket of his coat.