"One life will make the difference." Macey Holsinger has heard that promise for as long as she can remember. But it hasn't saved anyone yet, not even her little brother. Little is known about the disease, except that it's a rapid and absolute killer. Countless lives have been claimed in the last hundred years, and government scientists are working hard to stop the spread through human experimentation. Testing has killed nearly as many people as the disease and, to Macey at least, it seems like they're no closer to a cure. At sixteen, conformity to the government's idea of "sacrifice for the greater good" is a difficult concept for Macey. Shocked by how many aspects of life the disease controls, she faces her own testing reluctantly. Macey feels alone as questions plague her about things that are simply a way of life for most. Questions no one else thinks to ask. Why is the quest for a cure reason enough to ban things like flags and freedom of expression? How can death be justified with more death? In the end, how much will the cure cost, and why is Macey the only one who thinks the price is too high? Answers evade her until she's left with only one question... How much will she sacrifice in the name of the cure?