Mate in Two Moves

A wry science-fiction tale follows a pathologist whose measured professional life is disrupted when a contagious affliction induces mass infatuation across campuses, workplaces, and communities. The narrative traces medical and social repercussions—surging weddings, strained services, commercial booms, and rising divorces—while the central physician observes colleagues, patients, and himself confronted by sudden emotional vulnerability. Through satirical scenes and clinical detail, the piece examines how a seemingly whimsical epidemic reveals institutional strains, commercial consequences, and the fragile boundary between controlled expertise and human longing.