You are in an underground parking lot. A bright cloudless blue day awaits outside but here it is dark and glum with no difference between day and night.
In the artificial dim light of the parking you walk towards your car with keys in hand and your footsteps echoing down the giant hall.
Just as you are about to open the door you hear a man’s soft whisper in your ear.
” Please kill me,” he says.
Startled, you turn around with a thundering heart.
There in the shadow of the pillar just before you stands a hunched paper thin man.
Seeing that he got your attention he steps forward. In the light as you see his face you gasp. Large yellow bullae cover his face and hands.And where there are no bullae the skin is peeling off in dark heaps revealing raw red surface beneath.
As you take a step back, he faints.
You battle it out with yourself whether to go and help him or to run.
The kind side wins and you move forward both concerned and afraid.
Kneeling down besides him you call the ambulance and check him visually, too afraid to touch.
He slowly opens his eyes and looks at you. The pain and hope for a little help pierces your heart.
Your chest squeezes tight as if his pain is your own, a shiver runs down your spine and your skin tingles with the anguish that is his.
He gently opens his flaking lips and repeats
“Please kill me, it hurts.”
You close your eyes once and let the pain pass through.
” The ambulance is coming” you reaassure.
Every minute falls down heavily with a thud but you wait. What else can you do?
Then as suddenly as he had appeared you see him draw a deep shuddering breath and you just know that it is his last. He is no more, says a mysterious cosmic connection within you.
You go home and collapse on your bed after the harrowing long day.
You know you couldn’t kill him but still just once remembering his pleading voice, your heart wonders.
No,you decide. You could not. You are not brave enough to break yourself or anyone for that matter.
But the decision was never yours. Until the end there is always hope.
And hope remains even after the end.
‘Then slowly slowly we break’, you think as he visits you behind closed eyes.
This piece of fiction is a result of studying dermatology all day.
The scenario I imagined here is how any normal person would have reacted. Though there are many things I would have done differently but the most important one is don’t assume someone is dead until a medical professional confirms it. Immediately start cpr. Every second is important. You might save someone’s life.
This was a bit dark but otherwise I’m a very happy person who loves cuddly teddy bears, unicorn poop, rainbows, butterflies and chocolate chip cookies.
But I tried this point of view for the first time. Let me know if reading this had any affect?
An intense piece of writing. Well done. I hope I’m never in that position but would probably make the same choice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha I don’t think anyone is in that position. Thanks for reading😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha….Only a dermatologist can think of a piece of fiction with yellow bullae and raw red underneath…I don’t want myself anywhere in this fiction…but nonetheless nicely imagined…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks breathingpark! I hope I didn’t gross you out too much.
I haven’t specialized yet. Just a G.P. I have to study everything before I give an exam to get a specialization but hopefully if all goes well I’ll be a resident by March.
Thank you for taking out the time to read.
LikeLike
All the best for your exams dear…..medicine is not easy and to not think of medical terminologies in your write up seems a bit hard for medical professionals….keep blogging…it will lessen your burden….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your wishes😊
LikeLike
Wait!!! Isn’t unicorn poop dark? I have always thought it would be!
And why not visit the fictional dark side? It illuminates our shared human condition as well as the occasional rainbow. Kind regards, MSOC
LikeLiked by 1 person
Na, it’s not dark. It is rainbow colored.I’ve seen it. Trust me.😋
I haven’t really done much of writing yet so I wanted to explore everything here.
And I’m not yet brave enough to write from the dark corners of my heart so I added the consolation note.
Thanks for reading msoc and for the encouragement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m off to find unicorn poop! 🌈
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck. You won’t find it without me
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, but I must! You are too busy becoming an excellent physician!🚑
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope someday I will be. Still a baby in my field🚼
( wondering to myself: should I share my real name on open net?)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I obviously prefer anonymity. My reason? Although I am semi-retired at 63, I still do some consulting for firms. I like the anonymity because I can write about anything in whatever form and express what I truly believe or feel about various topics without the constraints that might be placed on the “me” my professional colleagues know. It’s a type of freedom, although like all freedoms we must not abuse them by being trolly twits) 🙆
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I’ll use an alias.I like ‘jia’ means heart.
Thanks for the advice and for sharing your personal experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think this is one of the most vital info for me.
And i am glad reading your article. But wanna remark on few general things,
The web site style is wonderful, the articles is really
excellent : D. Good job, cheers
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading this story dulcie. I’m glad you found it useful.
Thank you for appreciating the website. I make the paintings I use here myself whenever I find the time.
Good day. – jia
LikeLike