Healing Scars

<p>Healing Scars (97000 words)</p><p> </p><p>A gay Malaysian student must deal with childhood trauma abusive family interactions and his<br>own relationship struggles to accept himself save his little sister and grow to become a</p><p>successful London doctor.</p><p> </p><p>STEVEN (21) is a homosexual Malaysian medical student studying in Scotland. He has a long-<br>term boyfriend ALISTAIR (22) to whom he is devoted. Nervous about his sexuality and the<br>impact it will have on his family Steven is reticent to openly declare himself as gay despite<br>Alistair's pushing.<br>Steven's father dies leaving financial control of the family with Steven's older sister ZOE<br>(28). Subsequently Steven's mother and younger sister VIV (12) come to live with Steven in<br>Aberdeen.<br>Despite his worries Steven comes out to his mother. Angry she disowns him and moves back<br>to Malaysia forcing Viv to go to Sheffield to live with Zoe.<br>Steven is distraught. His cultural upbringing is at odds with his sexuality and he sees no way<br>to patch things up with his mother. Worse he remembers how cruel Zoe was to him when they<br>were younger and worries for Viv.<br>Cut off from his family and in financial difficulty Steven concentrates on his studies and<br>growing relationship with Alistair.<br>After hearing from Viv Steven's worst fears are proven true. As memories of his own abuse<br>by both Zoe and his father surface he intervenes determined that Viv not suffer similar<br>treatment to himself. In doing so he reconnects with his mother.<br>Steven and Alistair enter into a civil partnership but Alistair's growing gambling addiction and<br>desire for an open relationship tear them apart. Now fully qualified and beginning a career in<br>London Steven finds himself alone and struggling once again with his identity as a gay man.<br>New friendships a burgeoning medical career and the support of a loving partner help Steven<br>build a new life. When a sudden cancer diagnosis threatens to end it Steven must deal with his<br>past one final time before he can find the strength to be completely free.</p>