That lasted about three seconds. Then I remembered arguing with Maddy, getting stung, the report Lipkin was filing with the FDHHSS, and the existence of Karlohs Mink. My stomach started to hurt. I considered taking a sick day. Gramps claimed he used to skip school all the time by faking stomach pains. My pains were real. But if I complained, I’d have to visit our local Philip Morris Wellness Center to get a Certificate of Health before they’d let me back into school. I hated Philip Morris. The lines were long, and it would mean another V$900 charge to our family Visa account. I’ve never understood why anybody would want to become a health-care worker, but there must be something to it, because one third of all non-incarcerated adults in the USSA are employed by the health-care industry. Philip Morris Wellness Centers is the second largest employer in the nation, right after McDonald’s Rehabilitation and Manufacturing, the company that runs most of the prison farms, factories, and restaurants.
