36 THE CEDARVILLE REVIEW ABVE-PC by Sophia J. Camillone Mustard gas is an agent of chemical warfare that causes severe burns to living things. Chemically known as dichlorodiethyl sulfide, the yellow fumes damage cells rapidly, though visible symptoms may take hours to develop after the initial exposure. Inhalation of mustard gas damages the airways. Skin reddens and blisters, and significant contact with the gas causes necrosis, the death of cell tissue. Even if necrosis does not develop, a quantity of redness that covers as much as a quarter of a person’s entire body indicates lethal exposure. There is no chemical that can fight mustard gas, and there is no antidote for mustard poisoning. Survival depends entirely on the level and concentration of a person’s exposure. *** My dad sits across from my hospital bed. In one hand he holds a cup of coffee, pure black just like he always drinks it, and in the other is his weighty Bible with large enough print for his eyes— they’ve never quite been the same since he had cataract surgery a few years ago. This last hour or so, he’s been my sole company, aside
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