Crushed Head Faeda

When I feel a little lost I like to sink into bed and let myself be hypnotized by hospital routine. It takes me back to my early childhood a few weeks ago when the only place my bewildered mind could find comfort was in the clockstep march of the nurses' schedule.

And so this morning I didn't get up. I sat in bed and watched the world unfold.

Weeks ago when my words still failed me I witnessed these events like an animal -- reading posture, smelling sweat. We were watered and fed, tended and turned by a regular cycle of familiar faces, young women and men and robots with warm hands and soothing voices. Their every exchange was a wonder to me, and I struggled to lend meaning to it all using the only cues I could: micro-movements, shifts in weight, twitches in the face, flicks of the eyes, catches in the breath...

With language's return ward life gained a certain amount of chewable context.

By careful attention I learned that Nurse Hiwai had a new lover even before she told Nurse Wennel, and then Nurse Wennel told everybody else. I knew Nurse Randa alternately loved and hated Dr. Pent, and I felt the bloom of bad news waft down the hall a full quarter hour before they came to tell poor Omefrey his wife hadn't survived the crash.

After breakfast they fluff our pillows, up one row of beds and then down the other...

Dear friends,

It's happened at last: the no-cost, weblog version of this science-fiction novel has been taken offline in order to make room for the hard-cover printed edition from Ephemera Bound Publishing, on sale in stores and on-line starting Valentine's Day, 2008.

I regret any frustration. I kept the free version available as long as I could. Do be sure to check out the new edition! See Cheeseburger Brown.com for more news and updates.

Love,
Cheeseburger Brown

P.S. You can read more of my free fiction via my weblog or in the complete story achives.