Short Story - 749 Words

I woke in the CVICU unable to stand, walk, see correctly, or fully understand language. It was a Friday, in the gentlest terms, but there was no way of telling for sure. An IV was stuck into the crook of my elbow, a pulse oximeter clipped to my index finger, and a ventilator softly blew into my nose. The heart monitor clicked its steady tune with the nurses’ footsteps. Blood pressure cuffs constricted around my bicep and calves. I opened my eyes. The room was brutally bright, yet bisected—my vision couldn’t focus on any one thing. The ICU churned in its sterile symmetry as my eyes drifted involuntarily back. I turned my head towards the nurse and her face divided on its axis. Someone shined a light across my gaze to test my pupils,†¦show more content†¦Vincent’s East in Birmingham, Alabama; I could not stand, nevermind walk; I was cold; it was September; my eyes were dry; my skin was peeling on my right arm. These catalogs grounded me, kept me in the physical. But I found that what was most distressing, above all, was that I could not completely grasp language. I understood words literally; hospital is where I was, walk was a motor function I could not execute, eat was to lift a speared gravy biscuit to your mouth. But strung together, they were almost meaningless. Voices were muted and lucent, both in my mouth and in the mouths of others. Doctors came and went, made sounds close enough to words, yet I could not understand them. â€Å"Speak slow,† I’d say. â€Å"Like this. Noun, verb. I’m sorry. I can’t understand.† Likewise, they focused intently on my lips as I spoke, silently diagramming them into something at least somewhat comprehensible. A friend would later tell me how I sounded â€Å"soft and mushy,† my mind seeming to wander and circle above us. I lost words, my voice trickled away as I spoke. There were conspicuous blanks, scooped-out linguistic holes. I felt terribly alone, then: a langu ageless writer, cut off from the world. I could not truly communicate with others, and others could barely understand me. Despite my physical limitations, I was incessantly persistent and stubborn. I babbled. I wanted to walk. I wanted to make a phone call. I wanted to stand up and go to the bathroom.Show MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Short Stories Ideas For Writing A Short Story Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswriting a short story. 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