Regret in the End

The hospital room was ungodly warm, too warm for Rick anyways. Lately, he had preferred colder climates-they helped with the sweating. Perhaps moving to Florida had not been the best idea. The promises of relaxation and comfort were short lived. The fresh air should have helped his joints, but as time went on they ached even more. Within a few months of moving to the tropical climate, he had found his way into the local hospital. Well, so much for his retirement.

The bed was uncomfortable too. His arms pushed the side, threatening to break them if he moved just an inch. They left imprints in his skin that slowly expanded back to normal when he lifted them. Honestly, the hospital had nothing to do with Rick’s increasing irritation. His body hurt the most. His bones were suffocated. His nerves were shot. His heart worked overtime. Rick could only blame himself although he wouldn’t want to admit that. No, Rick would still wish to foolishly believe that all those years of third, fourth, and even fifth helpings hadn’t brought him here. There was nothing wrong with a hearty appetite, right? He heard his wife now"all the nagging. Nagging him to lower his cholesterol. Nagging him to drop a few pounds. Nagging to not finish the extra stuffed potatoes. Sometimes, he ate more to spite her. This was his life and he wanted to let everyone know. Where did that lead him and his wife? It had led to a divorce. She remarried, a few years earlier. He came across the wedding photos on Facebook, and indulged in a feast to forget.

Now that he was lying here in the world’s most uncomfortable bed in what seemed like a sauna, he started to regret his immense food consumption. Maybe he should have exercised more as well. Nights in front of the TV with a beer in one hand and remote in the other had seemed like a great idea at the time. Actually, Rick could go for a beer right now, and perhaps a cheeseburger. Fries would go well with both. Maybe they would serve supper soon"not that green Jell-O and cold chicken were particularly appetizing, but at least it was something. He needed something to settle the roars his stomach would soon make, and to ease his wondering mind.

“Nurse!” he shouted. “Nurse!” The nurse walked in slightly irritated.

“Rick, did you forget the button you could push?”

“I can’t reach it nurse. It’s too far away,” he complained. This was true only because he was lazy, and the reach to the help button required way more exertion than he cared to give. He was well known on the floor by now, for his grating voice and foreseeable demands. Demands that often involved rolling him to ease the pain from lying in one position too long and of course, to bring him his meals.

“What can I do for you Rick?” the nurse sighed, knowing all too well.

“Could I get my supper now?”

“It is 2:30 Rick. You just had lunch.” The nurse showed obvious frustration. Actually all the staff did. Denying Rick his greatest pleasures to save him from an unfortunate demise, did not give them satisfaction.

“Make an exception for me. Just a little snack, eh?”

“I’ll get you some applesauce. Nothing else.” She sounded stern. Rick knew that he better take what he could get.

“That a girl.” Rick smiled. He could still get his way, every now and then. Too bad it had to be applesauce. He could go for something a little sweeter right now.

Rick thought the hospital had stupid rules. It seemed more like a jail, anyways. Restricting his freedom to do whatever the hell it was he wanted. So what if a little more ice cream dug him an early grave? At least he would be happy. Right? Time passed slowly as he waited for his applesauce.

While waiting, Rick’s heart picked up speed, beating faster, struggling to keep his body going. Sweat poured out of his skin uncontrollably. A ginormous weight had been placed on his chest, squeezing the life out of him. Death, Rick knew, was inevitable now. And it was now, that Rick rethought the supersize Coke, the triple Wendy’s baconator, and the venti Starbuck’s Frappuccino’s with extra whipped cream. Little by little they had contributed to this moment"this unbearable, excruciating moment.  Maybe getting off the couch and running a bit would have been a good idea as well. Exercising had seemed so worthless then. It was too late now. He had made his decision. Rick started wheezing, and grasping at air.

 The nurse walked in, applesauce in hand, and after seeing the despicable site in front of her screamed for a doctor. Moments of agony passed for Rick, while he and the nurse waited for a doctor to come in. The nurse frantically began checking vitals. Finally, the doctor rushed in to take charge and try to save Rick’s life.

“It’s looking grim,” the doctor said. “We may need to resuscitate.” Rick shook his head. He was tired of living in this jail. The jail he had now realized though, was not the hospital but his own body.
            “Don’t resuscitate,” Rick gasped. The doctor shook his head, acknowledging Rick’s last request.

The nurse went to the side of Rick in an attempt to reassure him. Rick pulled her in, struggling to whisper in her ear. He managed to get his dying words in before collapsing on the bed, in a puddle of flesh and fat. Rick’s sweat flung into the air, and settled into little pools on the ground. The monitor flat-lined. The room went silent. The doctor and nurse stared at each other, not speaking for a while.

“Time of death-3:45,” the doctor said. “Nurse, what was it he whispered to you before falling?”

The nurse shook her head. “I barely understood, but I think he said, ‘You have to do what I didn’t.’”

“And, what was that?” the doctor asked.

“He said, ‘Run.’”

Reviews

[Marie]

A good lesson for everyone, though I can understand how Rick felt. Sometimes everythng seems worth while just to have a bacon cheeseburger.