FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. STUDY - NIGHT
Aimlessly, PETER looks out of the window.
PETER (V.O.): I should be swimming now, but I've decided not to go today.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Last Monday afternoon, I had my 1st dose of BioNTech.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Apart from feeling some injection site pain from Days 1-2, I didn't feel any other side effects.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When my elder son got his two second dose, he had a fever.
Smiling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): He got the kind advice of 2 doctors before taking a Panadol tablet.
Act 2
FLASHBACK
INT. DINING ROOM -YESTERDAY NIGHT
Family Sunday dinner. Peter's ELDER SON talks to Peter.
ELDER SON: Have you had a week's rest up after your 1st jab?
PETER: Err...
ELDER SON: I asked you to do so. Listen to this.
Tapping a sound clip icon on his phone, we hear: After taking the jab, some people have high blood pressure. It narrows the blood flow channel. Exercising right away may displace cholesterol plagues in artery wall, clogging the artery and causing strokes...
PETER: Who was speaking? Your girlfriend?
As his elder son nods, the whole FAMILY listens to the sound clip attentively again.
PETER: OMG! I haven't stopped my daily swimming routine. I've even swum butterfly strokes.
Pausing solemnly.
PETER (Cont'd): If anything happens to me, you all know the reasons.
ELDER SON: What you have done makes us angry...
Then, Peter's YOUNGER SON shares his observation.
YOUNGER SON: You've deliberated for months before taking the jabs. Instead of managing the risk better, you've assumed higher risks for the past week.
PETER (V.O.): I made the right decision to make a will before taking my 1st jab.
PETER: I thought swimming should be OK...
Peter's YOUNGER DAUGHTER joins the discussion.
YOUNGER DAUGHTER: Swimming is an anaerobic exercise that breaks down glucose in the body without using oxygen. In practical terms, it's more intense than the aerobic ones.
PETER: OMG...
PETER (V.O.): What's consoling is that they all care about my health!
ELDER SON: Are you feeling alright with taking all the risks?
Peter touches his upper abdomen.
PETER: Last night, I felt pain here and couldn't sleep well.
WIFE: Probably because you've eaten too much at dinner. You told me you were full.
YOUNGER SON: Where exactly was the position?
Peter points to his upper abdomen again.
PETER (V.O.): He's the only one in the Cheung family who took up Medicine.
YOUNGER SON: That's the stomach.
Pausing.
PETER: Is there anything I can do?
YOUNGER SON: Just remember that when you take the 2nd dose, the side effects will be more intense.
Peter nods.
PETER (V.O.) : The purpose of my doing daily exercises is to add years to my life, and not to subtract them.
RETURN TO PRESENT
Act 3
INT. STUDY - CONTINUOUS
Peter studies a BioNTech brochure.
PETER (V.O.): It doesn't say that I shouldn't do exercises after vaccination.
Peter surfs the web with his phone.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There are just too few adverse events to draw any meaningful inference or correlation. The prudent approach is to wait for a few days.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In holding back and playing safe, I heed the direct and indirect advice of those caring about me.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): There's virtue in exercising and in resting. I've to strike a fair balance.
Peter looks out of the window thankfully.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Yes, I still have things to do tomorrow.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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