Ch 722 – Side Effects

"Mr. Fuller, nice to see you," the young man said. "I'll get right to it—someone has been posting on various platforms saying that your products are defective and that they have serious side effects.

"They're saying that Dynamic Health is having the desired effects at first, but eventually, the skin gets red and itchy, and apparently, it's so bad that people are scratching until they're bleeding. They're scratching the skin completely raw." He paused and turned his laptop screen to show Norman. "Look at this; this is what people are posting about us."

Norman was shocked to see photos of what the man had just described, and it made him feel sick to his stomach. He pushed the computer aside and turned away, trying to make sense of it all.

After thinking about it for a few moments, he turned back and said haughtily, "This is fake news—someone is trying to frame us. We know this stuff works wonders. Some itchiness on new skin is normal, but someone is exaggerating this. I don't believe it for a second."

He scowled. "I bet Alex is behind this. He's posting fake content to make us look bad. We just need some medical experts to confirm that the powder is legitimate and to say that these claims are completely fabricated. And we must do it soon to eliminate any public doubt."

He was certain that it was Alex and Maryann who were behind this slander. He said to Jess, "Call Maryann again and tell her that this is the last warning. If the Robinson Group wants to play dirty and ruin our good name, we'll get the lawyers involved. We'll sue them for every last dime they've got."

The young man, having doubts about Norman's theory, hesitated, and then anxiously said, "Mr. Fuller, this post—"

But he was cut off by Norman glaring at him. "Did you not understand what I said?" Norman asked.

The young man nodded his head. He didn't dare push the subject.

Norman turned back to his assistant again, asking, "Has Alyssa come back yet? She used the powder on some cuts and then went to the hospital, didn't she?"

Alyssa was an important part of the team, and Norman relied heavily on her around the office.

Jess whispered, "She's still in the hospital. It sounds pretty serious, and her condition seems to be getting worse and worse. The doctors aren't very optimistic."

"Let's go and see for ourselves." Norman got up and pushed his chair aside, grabbed his coat, and made his way outside. Jess followed him out, and soon, they were headed to the hospital in his car with his driver behind the wheel and an entourage following close behind.

On the way, Norman wondered what kind of cut was so serious that it couldn't be healed by Dynamic Health powder. There must be some kind of underlying issue if she was still having problems.

When they arrived at Baltimore Central Hospital, the entrance to the parking lot was blocked, and there were cars and people all around the entrance—a chaotic scene that they hadn't expected.

Sirens blared, and people were shouting and crying out for help.

The hospital, which was usually in good order, was a mess. The emergency room was overflowing, and the doctors and nurses were overwhelmed.

"What's going on here?" Norman asked, even though he knew that everyone else in the car was just as confused by the situation as he was.

He had a feeling that this was something he should know about. "Wait here," he said to the driver, opening the door and getting out. "You two, come with me. We need to find Alyssa."

He took Jess and his bodyguard, and they tried to make their way through the crowd, but there were so many people that it took them a long time to get to the hospital entrance.

Inside the building, it was just as crowded. There were people in every room, in every hallway, and in every department.

People were screaming and crying, but Norman and his team couldn't figure out why. It was like a scene from an apocalyptic movie or a nightmare, and they had never seen anything like it in their lives.

They were trying to make their way to find Alyssa, passing patients who were all scratching themselves until they bled.

Jess whispered to Norman, "Look, they're using our powder."

Norman glanced around, shocked to see that all the patients and their family members were indeed holding Dynamic Health powder in their hands, and they were applying it on their wounds.

Jess was pleased to see that their product was so popular. "I can't believe it; our powder is everywhere. Everyone is using it. We're going to have to speed up production to keep up with this kind of demand."

Norman agreed with her at first, but then he realized something very worrying. All the patients in front of him were covered with wounds, scratches, and bloodstains, and all of them were using Dynamic Health powder.

He didn't want to think about the repercussions if the two were connected, so he put the idea out of his mind. Just then, the hospital intercom rang out, and a man's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" the voice said. "I'm Wayne Shannon, chairman of the Maryland medical board. I have an announcement to make." He paused for a moment and then continued. "All trauma patients in this hospital currently using Dynamic Health powder should stop using it immediately. I repeat, stop using Dynamic Health powder immediately. It has come to our attention that this powder is a very dangerous drug that is causing harmful side effects.

"I regret to tell you that, at this time, we do not have a cure for these side effects, but I assure you, we are doing everything in our power to find some answers. We are overcrowded here, and we ask that you please move to Baltimore General Hospital, where you can get faster treatment. As far as we know, they're the only hospital that has effective treatment for the side effects caused by Dynamic Health. We apologize that we can't be of more help to you."

When he finished speaking, the whole hospital was silent for a brief moment before the uproar continued. Everyone began shouting about how they had been scammed. They had thought that Dynamic Health was a wonder drug, but in fact, it was a poison.

The news spread all over the hospital in an instant, and then it spread to the outside. After a couple of minutes, Wayne Shannon's speech was played again to ensure that every patient heard it. By that time, patients were leaving the hospital in droves and heading for Baltimore General, dropping their Dynamic Health powder and cursing the drug as they went.

Norman watched in horror as he realized that his product, which had once been touted as a miracle drug, was defective and useless. Jess and the bodyguard accompanying him were in shock and didn't know what to do.

Then Jess's shock turned to anger, and she yelled, "Alex and Maryann did this! I'll bet you anything that they paid Mr. Shannon to say that. They're shameless. If they want war, let's give them a war."

Norman replied, keeping his cool, "We'll start with a lawsuit. Let's get in touch with the lawyers immediately."

His bodyguard cracked his knuckles, suggesting that a lawsuit was not the only way this war would be waged. He was eager to tear Alex and Maryann into pieces.

Just then, Norman's phone rang.

"Hello," he answered.

As he listened to the person on the other end, he froze, and his shoulders drooped. His expression went from somber to defeated in just a few seconds, and then the phone fell from his hand and hit the floor with a thud.

"How can this be?" he asked, his eyes dull as he stared into space.

They decided not to go and see Alyssa, but instead, they left the hospital in a hurry.

Back at Quality Pharmaceuticals, production of Dynamic Health powder had been shut down, and the factory had been completely emptied. The phones were ringing off the hook with angry customers who were experiencing the horrific side effects from the drug, and retailers were told to cease selling it immediately.

The whole company was in a state of panic. They locked the doors as angry customers arrived at the office, holding up banners, shouting slurs, and accusing Dynamic Health of being a fraud. They were also demanding compensation from the company.

It seemed that Quality Pharmaceuticals was finding itself in almost exactly the same situation as that of the Robinson Group, but even worse.

Norman rushed back to the factory, but then he received an emergency call from Riley, asking him to go back to the office for a meeting.

He wasn't happy about it, but he turned around and headed there anyway.

On the road, Norman noticed that Baltimore was particularly busy with ambulances, medics, and first responders rushing to emergencies. It was unsettling, to say the least.

On the street, he saw a man running out of a park, his face covered in bloody scratches. He was scratching himself all over, continuing to do even more damage.

It was much like the scene in the hospital, and it sent chills up his spine. He didn't want to believe that this was also connected to the powder, but the situations were too similar to be a coincidence.

After arriving at the Naysmith building, he signed in and went to the conference room where a meeting was being held.

Sitting around a long table were a collection of well-dressed Naysmith family members and company executives.

One of them was an eagle-eyed man and the director of the Naysmith Group, Alf Naysmith. He was Riley's uncle and the pillar of the group.

Beside him was Thomas Goldman, another serious old man with white hair, bright eyes, and a dignified face. He had been a respected executive of the company since the beginning, and he had one of the biggest shares of anyone in the business. Riley and Alf consulted him on all the major issues that arose.