Estou à procura de um conto sobre uma cidade que não tinha médicos ou farmácias e pessoas doentes foram levadas para a praça da cidade.
"A espera" (também conhecido como "Ser levado em um país estranho") por Kit Reed , publicado pela primeira vez em A Revista de Fantasia e Ficção Científica , abril de 1958 , disponível em Arquivo da Internet . A cidade (fictício, é claro) é Babilônia, na Geórgia, que pratica um (provavelmente mítico) costume da antiga Babilônia, relatado por Heródoto .
Eu acredito que houve uma família passando por
Penetrating a windshield blotched with decalcomanias of every tourist attraction from Luray Caverns to Silver Springs, Miriam read the road sign.
"It's Babylon, Georgia, Momma. Can't we stop?"
"Sure, sweetie. Anything you want to do." The little, round, brindle woman took off her sunglasses. "After all, it's your trip."
"I know, Momma, I know. All I want is a popsicle, not the Grand Tour."
e a senhora ficou doente.
"Momma, I've changed my mind. I don't want a popsicle. Let's get out of here, please. Momma?"
"If you don't mind, sweetie, I want a coke." Her mother dropped on a bench. "I don't feel so good. My head . . ."
A ideia era que você permanecesse na praça e as pessoas que passassem dariam alguns de seus remédios antigos que os ajudaram com sua própria doença semelhante. A cidade não tinha farmácia nem médico, e você não podia sair da praça até não estar mais doente.
As pessoas da Babilônia, GA, têm um tratamento similar para meninas de 18 anos, como a atribuída por Heródoto aos antigos babilônios:Frightened but glad to be away from the smell of sickness, Miriam followed Herman Clark down a side street. "You can come home with me, honey," he said. "I've got a daughter just about your age, and you'll be well taken care of until that mother of yours gets well." Miriam smiled, reassured, used to following her elders. "Guess you're wondering about our little system," Clark said, hustling her into his car. "What with specialization and all, doctors got so they were knowin' so little, askin' so much, chargin' so much. Here in Babylon, we found we don't really need 'em. Practically everybody in this town has been sick one way or another, and what with the way women like to talk about their operations, we've learned a lot about treatment. We don't need doctors any more. We just benefit by other people's experience."
"Experience?" None of this was real, Miriam was sure, but Clark had the authoritative air of a long-time parent, and she knew parents were always right.
"Why, yes. If you had chicken pox, and were out where everybody in town could see you, pretty soon somebody'd come along who had had it. They'd tell you what you had, and tell you what they did to get rid of it. Wouldn't even have to pay a doctor to write the prescription. Why, I used Silas Lapham's old nerve tonic on my wife when she had her bad spell. She's fine now; didn't cost us a cent except for the tonic. This way, if you're sick, we put you in the town square, and you stay there until somebody happens by who's had your symptoms; they you just try his cure. Usually works fine. If not, somebody else'll be by. Course, we can't let any of the sick folks leave the square until they're well; don't want anybody else catchin' it."
"Momma, you have to go to this field, and sit there, and sit there until a man throws money in your lap. Then you have to go into the bushes and lie with a stranger!"
Foi em uma coleção de contos publicados no final dos anos 60 ou início dos anos 70.
A antologia Apeman, Spaceman ( Leon E. Stover e Harry Harrison , eds.) saiu na hora certa.