Black Flies, Post #5

It is during this latest portion of the book that a source of conflict comes about. In this section of Shannon Burke’s novel, Black Flies, Ollie Cross’ partner purposefully misdiagnoses a newborn child, trying to euthanize it. This scene comes about as Cross and his partner, Rutkovsky, find a woman who had already given birth. The woman tells the two paramedics that the child is dead, but Rutkovsky appears to give care to the child regardless. The woman, an addict and HIV-positive, is given care by Cross. When Cross goes to check on the child, he is told by his partner that it is dead. When another group of paramedics arrive, however, they discover that Rutkovsky had been lying. Although the child is saved, there are deep repercussions. Later, Cross has a discussion with his chief. The chief says, “‘Rut’s on his way to a job filing reports in the records division’” (123). When Cross thinks about events later, he realizes some of his partner’s motivations. Another paramedic sympathizes with Rutkovsky’s actions, saying how he must have thought that the child would have been brain damaged because of its parent’s condition. He elaborates, “’He’s been out here twenty years. He was trying to do the right thing’” (126). Under the circumstances of the situation, Rutkovsky believed he was morally correct. Most people, I hope, believe differently.


In the following section, Cross works to keep his life stable. His life, complicated by recent events, has left him emotionally drained and exhausted. When working in the city, Cross looks at his patients with a much more objective view. At one point, there is a shooting and paramedics are sent. When one paramedic tries to care for a boy with an injured foot, he is told by Cross to go to one of the critical patients instead. Cross narrates, “It was probably just a coincidence, but LaFontaine’s patient lived. My patient lived, too. Verdis’ patient died” (135). Ollie Cross has had a steep learning curve as a Harlem paramedic, but he has also changed dramatically. At the beginning of the novel, Cross was the emotional character. Now, however, he is much colder, efficient person. Later, Rutkovsky meets Cross and is talked into defending his actions in the previous section. He says, “He’ll [the child] end up an orphan, brain-damaged, crack-addicted, HIV positive. The state’ll spend a million dollars on him- and for what?- What kind of a life?” (141). Further elaborating on reasons for his actions, the author brings to question what is morally right. After seeing Harlem for so long, was Rutkovsky justified?