The pathologist at the city hall is working overtime. Still busy determining the cause of death for the ice rink’s closure plan and now there’s already another terminal patient: the collaboration between Effenaar and the Muziekgebouw.
The pattern of the disease is the same in both cases. If you imagine the city as a human body, it’s plain to see that the ice rink and the Muziekgebouw/Effenaar are its vital organs. Like a gallbladder and two kidneys, for the sake of argument. When both the gallbladder and the kidneys were clearly attacked, the doctor came as a matter of course to offer surgical advice. The gallbladder had to come out and, well, you could live just fine with one kidney too. But the body protested before the knife cut into the patient.
The operation was postponed. Because, unlike a human body that must passively submit to the wise doctor’s course of action, the red blood cells of the city rebelled. Or rather, they had their say. Not that they knew more about the causes of the disease than the doctor, no, but they couldn’t bear the thought of the gallbladder being removed. Just as other red blood cells took issue with the removal of one of the kidneys.
A committee of experts has already started to think about an alternative course of action for the gallbladder problem. And it isn’t beyond the imagination to foresee a similar process taking place for the kidneys. Extra committee meetings, public information evenings: the great level of participation will only leave the doctor speechless again.
As for the plans, the diagnosis is quite clear: death by participation. But what that means for the patient is still unclear. Although they have been given a pill, they are still struggling with the organ problems. For a real solution, the red blood cells, the organs, the alternative healers and the treating doctor must come to an agreement. It’s in the patient’s best interest.