It was a cold night in early January.
We were mostly silent, except for her husband, who cried softly
Our friend had been missing for over twenty-four hours.
We sat in the waiting room of the ER as our friend was treated
For the overdose she had taken.
We were mostly silent, except for her husband, who cried softly,
Asking and asking “How could she think that I would be happier without her?”
Dave VentreA hyper-annuated wannabee scientist with a lovely wife and a mountain biking problem.
Tags:
ER, emergency, suicide, chronic illness
Characterizations:
moving
Sad, Dave. Perfectly captured. “ We were mostly silent, except for her husband, who cried softly.” So glad you were there for them both.
Haunting, Dave. In a few sentences, you gave us the full picture.
What a sad memory you’ve shared Dave, so sorry for your friend’s tragic story.
It was sad, but she did pull through, only to be diagnosed some months later with one more in the series of neurological maladies that had dogged her for a decade or so. This last one proved fatal in late 2020.
Searing, powerful, evocative.
You say so much with your spare words. Beautiful writing, painful story.
You tell a powerful story in few words. That’s a real achievement for a writer.
Your powerful story hit me hard. I could not only read it, but heard it. There is no preparation for the inevitable and no response that is calming or soothing for the family. If I had become a medical doctor, I would have absorbed the suffering without any buffer. Thank you for giving me some space.
There was never a chance of me choosing any medical field as a career. I find strong negative emotions in others, as in myself, to be acutely upsetting.