Thursday, December 01, 2005

WAITING TO DIE

Jake lay in his death bed waiting to die. His time was running out. The diagnosis brought relief. Life had never brought him anything but grief.

"How long?" Jake asked.

"A few days. A week at most. We could give you drugs to make you stronger, Make you live a little longer, but...?"

Jake held up his hand. "Don't you understand? I don't want to live anymore. Time has got to even up the score. So..."

"I know," the doctor replied. Humor this old coot, the man of medicine did decid. "Maybe you have a vision of what's waiting on the other side?"

Jake was shocked. "You're a doc. You know damn well. There ain't no heaven. ain't no hell. There's here and now. There's dead and gone. How long must this nonsense go on? I know your job is to keep me alive. But I've decided otherwise. Can't you realize?"

"Alright!!" Annoyance in the doctor's voice. "You know, I can't give you anything to hasten the end. You'll have to depend..."

"On time, I know," Jake said low. "I hate to wait but I've lived this long, I can live a few days more. But you're sure?"

"Yes, we are."

A week went by. Jake did not die. He showed no signs the end was near. He did not fear they were wrong. But wasn't this delay too long? How long should it take a man to die? Why? Jake checked the clock. The doc would be coming soon. Jake felt a flutter start in his heart. His head began to spin. "Does death begin like this?" he asked aloud. "Where's the doc who has my case?"

A strange voice he'd never heard before. "I'm sorry, sir. I thought you knew. Your primary physician died." Cold, unemotional. Flat. Just like that. The voice went on. "Be assured. Your prognosis tells us you can be cured."

Jake began to shout and scream and laugh, a maddening laugh. a madman's laugh. The medical staff rushed to the room. The dying man? Was he delirious?

"You can't be serious," Jake cried. "It's a stupid mistake? It was me who was supposed to go.''

With that Jake laid back in his bed. Closed his eyes and he was dead.

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