The Gifts of the Body the patients and the caregiver. The book contains ten short stories, the titles of each being associated with "gifts" which are various functions of the body, both physical and emotional: sweat, wholeness, tears, skin, hunger, mobility, death, speech, sight, hope, and mourning. The caregiver experiences each "gift", as he/she deals with patients who have AIDS, showing the different shared relationships in each case. Each patient is a distinct case, differing in terms of age, financial situation, attitude toward the illness etc., showing the reader that this disease affects all types of people. The book is written in the "no-frills style"
The Bringers of Wonder, Part One Koenig, Helena gives as good as she gets. Across the room, Vincent is showing Louisa one of the remote medical relays which allow them to monitor patients from anywhere on the base. He observes Koenig's obvious distress, but Louisa stares into his eyes and he, in a trance-like state, switches off the monitor. When the girl is swept away by Carter, Vincent's head clears. Reactivating the screen, he observes Koenig's condition and dashes from the room. Koenig is convulsing by the time Vincent reaches Medical. He throws the orderly away from the brain complex, but the man attacks him with