History Literature / MiracleCreek

Miracle Creek is the name of of a hyperbaric oxygen clinic in rural Virginia, where people with conditions ranging from autism to infertility can seek treatment in a pressurized chamber. But one day the oxygen tank connected to the chamber explodes, killing Henry Ward, a mildly autistic eight-year-old, and Kitt Kozlowski, the mother of a nonverbal autistic boy. The explosion turns out to have been caused by a cigarette outside the chamber. The prime suspect is Henry's mother Elizabeth, the only parent not inside the chamber on the day of the explosion, who was extremely vocal about the difficulties of caring for Henry even though he was far less disabled than most patients. Other suspects include Pak and Young Yoo, who owned the chamber and may be trying to commit InsuranceFraud so they can send their daughter Mary to college; and one of the protestors outside the clinic that morning, who may have wanted to prove a point about the safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

* StressVomit: An A/C blows hot air on Elizabeth's cheek, reminding her of how the muscle on Henry's right jaw was burned away. She vomits in her lap.

* AnImmigrantsTale: In 2004 or so, Pak moved Young and Mary from Seoul to Baltimore so Mary could have a better education, even though neither wanted to go, while Pak stayed behind to work. In Baltimore, Young worked long hours at a store that was in such a bad area, Mary wasn't allowed to visit her at work. Meanwhile, Mary felt lost and confused in middle school, with only a rudimentary grasp of English and almost no understanding of American customs. The more English she learned, the more of her classmates' insults she understood, and she had a hard time making friends.

Miracle Creek is the name of of an unlicensed hyperbaric oxygen clinic in rural Virginia, where people with conditions ranging from autism to infertility can seek treatment in a pressurized chamber. But one day the oxygen tank connected to the chamber explodes, killing Henry Ward, a mildly autistic eight-year-old, and Kitt Kozlowski, the mother of a nonverbal autistic boy. The explosion turns out to have been caused by a cigarette outside the chamber. The prime suspect is Henry's mother Elizabeth, the only parent not inside the chamber on the day of the explosion, who was extremely vocal about the difficulties of caring for Henry even though he was far less disabled than most patients. Other suspects include Pak and Young Yoo, who owned the chamber and may be trying to commit InsuranceFraud so they can send their daughter Mary to college; and one of the protestors outside the clinic that morning, who may have wanted to prove a point about the safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

* {{Gaslighting}}: Elizabeth had periodic attacks of rage that involved hurting Henry in some way, like pinching or scratching him. Afterwards, she would matter-of-factly tell him he was hurt in some other way, and she would watch his eyes dart back and forth as he tried to decide which version to believe. If she repeated her lies often enough, Henry would forget what really happened.

* HeroicFireRescue: Attempted by Pak. He helped Teresa, Rosa, TJ, and Matt out of the chamber, then ran in for Henry and then Kitt, even while covered in burns and coughing on smoke, but both died anyway.

* MeaningfulRename: Mary was known as Meh-hee-yah in Korea. When she moved to America at the age of about 12, Young helped her pick the name Mary, the closest English approximation she could think of. Her first months and years in America were so shattering that she started thinking of the two names as different people - Meh-hee-yah was an outgoing girl who got in trouble for chatting too much and argued her way out of most punishments, while Mary was quiet, obedient, and alone.

** All the parents signing their kids up for HBOT are this to some degree, but Elizabeth is an extreme example. She makes a big show out of being tired and stressed out, plays MiseryPoker with parents whose kids can't walk, talk, or use the toilet, and spends all her time dragging Henry to different therapies and researching experimental treatments.

* CutHimselfShaving: The week before his death, Henry had cuts on his arms, which he told Kitt were from bug bites and Detective Heights were from being scratched by the neighbor's cat. [[spoiler:In fact, Elizabeth scratched him during one of her periodic attacks of anger. Later, she said, "Oh, sweetie, look at that scratch! [[{{Gaslighting}} Have you been playing with that cat again? You need to be more careful.]]"]]

* EyesAlwaysAverted: As a young child, Henry could go weeks without looking directly at anyone. Elizabeth once pinched his shoulders hard enough to leave bruises, and was elated when he made direct, prolonged eye contact with her as he twisted to get away.

* BookSafe

* TearsOfJoy: Rosa Santiago, a teenager with severe cerebral palsy, undergoes a week of hyperbaric oxygen treatment, after which her mother Teresa thinks she's making more attempts at saying words. When she says, "Ma," tears of joy pour down Teresa's face.

* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: All the parents signing their kids up for HBOT are this to some degree, but Elizabeth is an extreme example. She makes a big show out of being tired and stressed out, plays MiseryPoker with parents whose kids can't walk, talk, or use the toilet, and spends all her time dragging Henry to different therapies and researching experimental treatments.

* EyesAlwaysAverted: As a young child, Henry can go weeks without looking directly at anyone. Elizabeth once pinched his shoulders hard enough to leave bruises, and was elated when he made direct, prolonged eye contact with her as he twisted to get away.

* WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: All the parents signing their kids up for HBOT are this to some degree, but Elizabeth is an extreme example. She constantly complains about the difficulties of caring for Henry, plays MiseryPoker with parents whose kids can't walk, talk, or use the toilet, and spends all her time researching experimental treatments.

* ManOnFire: A particularly horrific example. Everyone in the chamber was wearing an oxygen helmet, and TJ's and Henry's were connected to the tank that exploded. Henry's head was consumed by flame, while the flame-retardant ring around his neck kept the rest of his body completely undamaged. TJ's helmet happened to be resting in Kitt's lap, saving him but setting her on fire.

Miracle Creek is the name of of an unlicensed hyperbaric oxygen clinic in rural Virginia, where people with conditions ranging from autism to infertility can seek treatment in a pressurized chamber. But one day the chamber explodes, killing Henry Ward, a mildly autistic eight-year-old, and Kitt Kozlowski, the mother of a nonverbal autistic boy. The explosion turns out to have been caused by a cigarette outside the chamber. The prime suspect is Henry's mother Elizabeth, the only parent not inside the chamber on the day of the explosion, who was extremely vocal about the difficulties of caring for Henry even though he was far less disabled than most patients. Other suspects include Pak and Young Yoo, who owned the chamber and may be trying to commit InsuranceFraud so they can send their daughter Mary to college; and one of the protestors outside the clinic that morning, who may have wanted to prove a point about the safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.