72 Hours

72 Hours is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of The Golden Girls.

Summary
Rose learns she may have acquired AIDS from a blood transfusion, and the doctor tells her that she has to wait seventy-two hours for the test results. As she stresses herself with the fact she could be positive, Sophia's fear has her behaving in a very bizarre and uncaring way towards Rose.

Plot
As the girls prepare for a Charity Fundraiser with Rose way too busy to help the others, she receives a letter from a Hospital where she had her Gallbladder removed 3 Years before, Dorothy reads it for her, it said that she might have been given HIV+ though a blood transfusion.

To verify it she will need to be tested, Rose uses Dorothy's name as a coping mechanism, Blanche tells Rose she has been in the same situation, she is HIV- and now she makes sure that she knows the men's sexual history and uses protection.

Rose is told she has to wait 72 Hours and is scared throughout. Sophia has been using Public Toilets rather than use one Rose might have use and puts "R" on some of the cups, she admits that she knows that she can't catch the virus but she is being doubtful for some reason.

Meanwhile Rose is stressed and afraid, Blanche tries to comfort her but Rose questions why her, as she insults Blanche's sex life, when Blanche confronts that remark Rose claims she too good to get the virus, Blanche reminds that this disease is not a punishment from God and Rose calms down. As Blanche, Dorothy talks about over Coffee, Sophia still reacts to getting a "R" Cup but after Dorothy remarks that they have to be her family if the news is bad and Sophia drinks from the "R" Cup.

After helping Rose get passed her fears on the last day, the girls come with her to the results and she is Negative, she is joyful and gets to enjoy the Event coming up.

Trivia

 * Sophia trying not to use things that Rose has used is a well known fear of people during the early years of the AIDS Crisis but by 1990 enough information existed to prove such things were false.
 * Estelle Getty's nephew Steven Scher died of AIDS, in 1991 she had him flown to California and nursed him in his final months.