Terminal (Cook novel)

Terminal is a medical thriller written by Robin Cook. The novel peeps into the boom and curse of biotechnology.

Plot summary

Dr. Randolph Mason, leader of the research team at Miami's Forbes Medical Centre makes medical history by claiming a 100% remission rate for a particular type of cancer called medulloblastoma. Newly qualified doctor Sean Murphy arrives at Forbes determined to expand his own work in oncogenes but is frustrated by the denial to do so by Dr. Mason and Dr. Levy, his boss at Forbes. Unknown to him Sean is followed to Miami by his girlfriend Janet Reardon who wants to confront him about his devotion to her and discuss their future, a topic avoided by Sean at all times . Thrown into the equation are Tom Widdicomb a housekeeper at the Forbes Hospital, who keeps his dead mother in a Freezer at home and 'helps' breast cancer patients escape life since that is what is mother died of and Sushita industries the Japanese financial backers of Forbes.

While Sushita launches an effort to 'invite' Sean to Tokyo to determine whether he is a potential threat to their investment by using Tanaka Yamaguchi, Tom is certain that Janet is there at Forbes to spy on him as she suspects his hand in the death of the breast cancer patients and should therefore be silenced as the previous nurse was, for interfering in his affairs. Dr. Mason meanwhile learns of Sean's past as an entrepreneur and successful seller of a biotechnology firm and sets Sterling a 'consultant' in reality an industrial espionage expert on Sean's tail. Driven by his own idealism Sean decides to look into the 100 per cent remission of medulloblastoma on the sly with help from Janet in procuring the medicine samples and patients charts. The death of Helen Cabot an ex patient of Sean's in Boston galvanises Sean and Janet on a mission which makes them steal Helen's brain from a funeral home. Sean decides to go to Naples with Janet to visit Malcom Betencourt, a beneficiary of the treatment provided by Forbes. Tom follows Janet and Harris follows Tom to Naples with both Yamaguchi and Sterling following Sean. Tom is caught while trying to assault Janet by Robert Harris the Chief of security of Forbes. Sterling foils an attempt by Yamaguchi to kidnap Sean and Janet and convinces him to back off. Sean and Janet escape to Key West where Forbes has its Diagnostic lab. Sean finally discovers the secret behind the hundred percent remission is that the institute itself is responsible for the creation of the cancer and the creators had also invented an antibody to the disease. The institute procured Social Security numbers and other identifying details of wealthy people and their dependents, and as opportunities arose from those people undergoing surgeries or being on IV therapy, they were infected with the transformed St. Louis encephalitis virus. Because the virus was encephalotropic, it manifested with early neural symptoms in the infected patients, in the form of seizures and convulsions. The infected people, once they were completely cured of the disease, were usually willing to donate large sums to the Forbes. Sean and Janet however end up with them facing the charges of conspiracy, grand larceny, burglary, burglary with deadly weapon, assault, kidnapping, mayhem and mutilation of a dead body. They are saved by the intervention of Sean's lawyer brother Brian.

This book heavily deals with the controversial issues of the time.