Days in the Death of Francis X
A Linguapress interview
He was a student at one of England's top public schools, when he first got on to drugs.
At first he found it stimulating, but after that, life, as he says, became just one long
downhill. When he gave this interview to Linguapress's Spectrum magazine, he was 25
years old and his doctor was giving him just three months to live. Here is Francis X’s
story.
Francix X
SPECTRUM: So Francis, how long have you been on drugs ?
FRANCIS : I've been using drugs now since I was fourteen.
SPECTRUM: How did you get on to them ?
FRANCIS : Young kid’s rebellion, you know, and then I found I couldn’t stop.
SPECTRUM: What are you on at the moment ?
FRANCIS : I get, um, a prescription, a daily prescription from the general hospital, of the
equivalent of ten diconal tablets in a liquid form, a syrup form called dipipenone, which is a
morphine substitute. And I get 25 ml. of methadone linctus, which is a heroin substitute. Plus
1 get 50 valium tablets a week, and other odd sedatives and so on, to keep me going.
SPECTRUM: You were shooting speed and morphine and...
FRANCIS : Yeah everything. I haven’t had an injection in over 2 years — not for want of
trying, but because I’ve wrecked all my veins. This time I’m going in for rehab: 6 or 7 weeks
it'll be now. I’m going’ in, and this time I’m going to come off. If it's not too late.
SPECTRUM: You really think you‘re going to come off this time.
FRANCIS : This time it has to work ! But it will need a miracle.
SPECTRUM: You're going into hospital ?
FRANCIS : My stomach’s ruined, my veins are ruined, I've got thrombosis. I’ve got a
varicose vein. I’m covered in scars. I’m ashamed of what’s underneath all these clothes. I
mean, look at the clothes I’m wearing on a day like today !
SPECTRUM : How old are you ?
FRANCIS : I'm twenty-five. I’ve been using hard drugs for 7 years. I’ve done just about
everything that a human being can possibly do. It’s despicable....
SPECTRUM: O.K, well let’s hope that this time to come to an end ; please follow my
instructions .
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WORDS :
Public school : private school - prescription : a note from a doctor - linctus : syrup sedative: tranquilizer - shoot : inject - speed : an amphetamine mixture - for want of :
because I don't have - wreck : destroy -rehab: rehabilitation, treatment to stop drug
dependency - pot: cannabis - A level : final school diploma - get the sack : lose your job varicose vein : a disorder of the blood system - scar : sign of an old cut or wound - despicable
: terrible - on the dole : with no work - steer clear : do not touch (drugs) - mess : bad
situation.
Reading comprehension
1. Say whether each of these statements are true , false or not mentioned
1. Francis is addicted since he was thirteen . (T / F )
2. Every day, Francis gets prescription from governmental hospital . (T / F )
3. Francis does not think that he will live much longer. (T / F )
4. Francis is working as a doctor. (T / F )
5. Francis would like to visit London, but cannot do so. (T / F )
6. Francis thinks that his organs are destroyed. (T / F )
2. Answer the following questions according to the text :
a. Do you think that someone pushes Francis to eat drugs ?
b - What are the pills and liquids that he takes as a treatment ?
c- What is the blood vessel that has been affected by morphine ?
d- Do you think that his health is wrecked or he still have hope to be healed ?
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