They both got out of the
van with their mom. One walked out. The
other was carried and placed in her chair. Get any toy you
want. Any one? Sweetie, it’s your
birthdays... of course. They both left with their dolls.
That’s a very pretty doll; how have you been? How
should I be doctor?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What the hell was I thinking? It
seemed fun at first. Cut and sew. I haven’t
seen my wife in days. I wonder how she’s doing with the
baby. I smell. My ears can’t take anymore
yelling. I mean, it’s just supposed to be a big tube.
Not now. I’m too tired to read tonight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Sun’s down. Smelly. Too
tired to change my bloody scrubs. Hey Brother, any
change? I’m not your brother, man. I can’t help you
now. God bless you. I’m not a doctor,
I think to myself; I pay to do this. Have I forgotten my
purpose and my reasoning? Maybe this life isn’t for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m sitting in the war room, reading and watching
TV. Why do they even ask for students to stay overnight?
We don’t do anything. Dude, I could just leave
right now. No one would know. They don’t
even know my name. What the hell is keeping me here? What
about my evaluation? There’s no escape.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please give me something for the pain. I’m
not trying to make any trouble, but this really hurts. Cold…cold…cold…less
cold…I can’t feel that. It’s like an 11 out of 10.
It is supposed to hurt this bad? What the hell is
this guy doing? Stop looking at those papers. That
won’t help with my pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He just can’t escape the reality. Not
with his hobbies. Not with sleep. Not even
75 stories in the air. Once he gets on that elevator, it’s
back to the real world for him.
So many bills. So many doctors. So
much suffering. He can’t falter now, his wife needs him.
She needs his support.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REALLY? When did she find out?
Is she sure about this? Why didn’t they use a
condom? Does he know? How’d you find out?
How much do you want to bet that she won’t keep it? Don’t
you remember her sister? How else would she finish
school? How is she going to tell her mom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reeking of rum, he wished he wouldn’t drink so
much in public. He wanted to kiss her and apologize.
He wasn’t allowed into the room. And she turned
her bleeding head away, hoping that no one would see. The police escorted him
from the ER. He opened the cookie from dinner. He
realized the truth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like an innocent child, he sits there waiting for
what’s next. He’s not concerned with the future and not
fretting over the past. Every moment is truly another
chance to turn it all around. If only such things were as
easy for humans. The life of a dog must be great. Eat.
Sleep. Run. Play.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m a mechanical stork. I deliver babies through UPS like
it’s my job. How are you doing? I remember
you, Baby 13496. Have you been giving your mom a lot of
trouble? You’re lucky; if you were leased, she could trade
you in every 2 years, if you were bad. You take care now,
okay?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So many lives have been touched by this van.
She had a good run. Except for the time the
communists shot up the engine, she’s been running pretty well. The
seatbelts have now been replaced with rope. No big deal.
Like so many people both saved and who couldn’t be saved, it too
will die.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How’d you get that on there? Looks like it weighs a ton.
Well, did you lift with your knees? Yeah, that’s
not good. You should probably go see a doctor. I
know a guy. He’s kind of a doctor. Well,
he’s a medical student. But I’m sure he’ll see you for
free. Better than nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Her fingers are just so sore in the morning. They burn
like hot lava. If she airs them out a little bit during
the day, she’ll get a little bit of relief. She doesn’t
have time to go see a doctor. Who’s going to take her
there? No money. No car. No
time. Just work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There’s nothing like my bike. Sure it doesn’t have air
conditioning, but it doesn’t need gas. Just my two feet.
I need to get home for lunch. Mom’s making pho, my
favorite. What’s the hold up? I hate this
smell; it makes me want to vomit. I should tell mom that
my mask isn’t working.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t care what the papers say; they have to give you cancer. Why
take the risk? Microwaves are safe, but would you put
your head in one? I bet you your life that he’ll end up
with it. Unless he did it in the hotel, then I don’t think
he’s got any sunscreen on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The storm’s coming. Is dad back from the doctor’s yet?
If all goes well, then he’ll only need to be seen once a year.
Don’t worry too much about it. He takes his pills,
exercises, ya’know healthy stuff. I made an apple pie,
his favorite. I heard the car. There’s that
smile I’ve been missing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She’s suffered so much already. We should have talked
about this before we left for the hospital. I had no idea
that she was going to stroke out. I can’t make this
decision. I think this is what she would have wanted.
Dad’s gone. Insane medical bills. I’m
no murderer. She’s suffered so much already.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He’s my step-dad, but he took better care of me then my real dad.
He just finished his tour. I met him
in Germany to watch the World Cup. All of his limbs where
there, but something just wasn’t right. Hugging him was
like hugging an empty shell of a person. He was
practically soulless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s a slow August night in the ER. A pretty college girl
is wheeled in by EMS, crying. I can’t believe this
happened to me. Nurse says, “ding, ding, ding. We
have a winner…First one of the semester.” What the hell
is wrong with you? How can you think that? What
if she was raped?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He lives on the third floor, and easily weighs 350 pounds. I
hear the stairs folding under the weight. I can feel his
labored breathing. I feel bad for the poor guy. I
really do want to help him. But in the hospital, I curse
him and his complications, his damn whining. I’m a
monster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There’s nothing better than trying to get a tan. The warm
sun; good friends; good food. I really could get used to
this. Don’t mind the fact that I start a new rotation
tomorrow. Tomorrow is tomorrow’s problems. I
want to live for right now. This is what I’m talking
about. This is 4th year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They have no idea what he’s feeling. They’re
not the ones living in his skin. They don’t know what
it’s like to live in that house. Mom’s always yelling.
Dad stopped drinking 2 years ago, but that was when he left.
So go along your merry little path and leave me. He
doesn’t their pity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you know that X-rays have to be dealt out like medicine? Only
a physician can authorize the use of X-ray imaging. Doing
it blindly is like prescribing pain pills for no reason. Who’s
this? I don’t know. It’s not me if that’s
what you’re asking. I mean, I got a friend of a friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok, that’s just wrong.
How is that wrong?
Look at it! It’s a giant wooden penis.
That’s what’s wrong with you people. Your
TV and movies are full of killing and violence. This is
what gives life. Love, sex, and birth – that’s natural.
Why is sex made out to be the villain of the story?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Someone broken into the temple a few years ago. Took
everything short of the building itself. It’s no
electronic security system, but it works either way. We
haven’t been robbed since. Not even the communists have
tried to take anything. I need to protect it. How
else can I pray for prosperity and good health?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just another day at work. Just another chance to die.
A crane fell on him. Everyone’s in a panicked
rush. Even the sweet nurses are yelling. How
many units has he gotten? 120. Keep them
coming. The family’s on the phone. Just hang
it up. Send him to the ICU, and hope he doesn’t die.