Room 5 Spruce

Spruce lay on the bed in his cotton briefs, wrapped up in the top sheet. Listening to the radio. Listening to a talk show on the radio.

It was evening, the sun had set. It was a balmy September night and the window was half opened. He was trying to watch for changes in himself. The Dr. said that there would be changes in his condition.

These people here were very far gone. Very sick. He didn't see that he was like any one of them. At the dinner table there really wasn't anyone he could carry on a conversation with. He was polite. Some evenings he just couldn't go to dinner. He just couldn't. He would stay in his room and have dinner brought to him. Some nights he would refuse his medicine.

He woke up. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was hot. He was laying in the parking lot of the facility, naked. Several people were standing over him, one was slipping his cotton briefs over his feet and ankles and then cotton slacks. 'Come on, Spruce, you are going to be fine, let me help you up.'

©2009 Wendy Martin