Marcia Calhoun Forecki

Difficult things

Blood covers the toes of his shoes. The room is only ten degrees above freezing. He exhales jets of frost from his exertions. A new carcass comes before him. He lifts an electric saw over his head. The trapezius muscle of his upper back excretes a drop of lactic acid. The drop will join with other drops and begin painfully eating his muscles by the end of the day. He lifts the saw and cleaves a headless... (posted by Marcia 340 days 20 hours ago.)

Take a Number at the DMV

The box suspended from the ceiling of the DMV glowed a digital green. A pattern of small rectangles formed the number 64. I watched intently, waiting to see the rectangles rearrange themselves into 165. "Next." I leapt to the counter in two steps; before the clerk's voice had risen to the grey ceiling of the old rubber tiled room. The plastic sign on the counter identified the clerk as "Cheri." She ignored me for several... (posted by Marcia 2 years 187 days ago.)

A Caring Gesture

This one is new. Her touch is lighter and she hesitates before she lifts the blanket to look at what is left of me. I can not see her, of course. I haven't seen any of the others, but I can identify them by their touch, their breathing, and the words they whisper without realizing it. Certainly this is a new one. She is not only new to my case, but probably new to nursing itself. My name is Lynette. How are you tonight, Mrs. Herron?... (posted by Marcia 2 years 209 days ago.)