The statistic in the public consciousness is that there are only two cases of hemophiliacs in Canada having contracted AIDS through tainted blood products, although those in the know are aware that the statistic that has not yet widely made the rounds is that half of all hemophiliacs in Canada are HIV+, most who don't yet know it. Those who are aware of the latter statistic are Lawrence and Paul, that knowledge which affects their sex life and more broadly their marriages. Even without the latter statistic being known, both Ryan and Margaret end up being targets of witch hunts by people who would like to see anyone as HIV+ or associated with HIV+ people on a regular basis being totally exorcised within general society. On the medical front, Will keeps on pushing to have heat-treated products be the norm within the Canadian blood system, something that has already happened in the US. The Canadian Red Cross continues to push against it for financial reasons, and even after it becomes mandated, they want to delay the implementation until they are able to use up their existing supply of untreated cryo. In the process, Dr. Naylor, however, faces his own personal crisis along with Dr. Derrick. In Vancouver, the Landry family continues to spiral downward, with Alice now the only person having a regular paycheck and Peter still not speaking to either of his parents. Peter, in his continued belief that he will imminently die, may push the boundaries further and further in what he will do to feel better in whatever form that feeling better may take.
—Huggo