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Authors: Joe Nobody
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authority, and it’s going to keep hurting everyone until it’s filled.”
Base Hospital
Fort Bliss, Texas
Terri’s body couldn’t tolerate the bedside chair any longer. Being close to five months pregnant, her back and shoulders e ventually demanded that she locate a more suitable place to rest. The couch in Bishop’s room was actually a luxury compared to both the hard-bottomed chair and her bunk back at the camper. She glanced longingly at the cushions.
The steady rhythm of the heart monitor provided a background of white noise. The constant tempo of the machine worked on the exhausted woman’s mind, a hypnotic effect similar to a train’s clickity-clack wooing the weary passenger to sleep. The contraption’s beeping provided a secondary benefit as well; Terri could relax, comfortable in the knowledge that she would hear any change in Bishop’s condition.
Despite her fatigued state, Terri’s sleep had been troubled and restless the past few days. Beyond obvious concern for her husband, the uncertainty of life without him weighed upon her. The brutal treatment she had received at the hands of her kidnapper added more insomnia-baggage. Terri suffered.
She didn’t look up at first when the door to Bishop’s room opened. Nurses, the occasional doctor, or other medical professionals commonly plied the threshold, and she was too tired to care.
Something about the visitor’s pace grabbed her attention, the movement from the corner of her eye slower than the typical rushed caregiver. A glance showed the Colonel struggling to open the door while walking with a cane.
She started to rise, but the recovering man waved her off with a grumpy, “I’ve got to learn to do this.”
“As you wish, Colonel,” she replied in a cold, monotone voice.
“How’s he doing?”
“The same. He’s not regained consciousness since being in surgery for nine hours. The doctors are unsure if he ever will. He’s in God’s hands now.”
The Colonel shook his head and grimaced, not sure how to respond. After a pause, he switched his attention to Terri. “And you?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” sounded a practiced response.
“Terri, don’t bullshit me. I know you’re not fine. No one could be fine after what you’ve been through. As a matter of fact, you’re the real reason why I wanted to stop by. I can’t help Bishop, but I hoped I might lend comfort to you.”
Terri’s eyes turned to ice. She tilted her head and stared hard at the older man. “Colonel, I’m not in a place to be comforted. Actually, I don’t want to feel better. I’m enjoying my hatred… relishing in my acidic rage. I’m very content wallowing in a deep revulsion for my fellow man. ”
The Colonel lowered his head, chin practically resting on his chest. After a pause of contemplation, he stirred, making for an empty visitor’s chair using deliberate, measured steps. Gingerly lowering himself onto the hard plastic seat, he raised his eyes and studied Terri for a moment. “I don’t blame you. You’ve looked into the eye of the beast, and now you know him. It’s an experience that will change you forever. How you react to that exposure will determine the quality of your life from this point forward.”
“The beast? I’m not sure what you mean Colonel. I’ve just had a brush with power-hungry, self-centered men… human beings who possess an unquenchable thirst to achieve dominance over others and will stop at nothing to achieve status. You can call evil anything you want – it’s still evil.”
The Colonel shrugged at Terri’s response. “Evil is too simple a term. Besides, I didn’t come here to quibble over semantics. I came here because you and I now have something in common. A window was opened, and we both looked inside. We both have been repulsed by what we saw. It just so happens my glimpse into that portal occurred 25 years ago. Time and experience have allowed me to deal with it. I hoped I might help
Base Hospital
Fort Bliss, Texas
Terri’s body couldn’t tolerate the bedside chair any longer. Being close to five months pregnant, her back and shoulders e ventually demanded that she locate a more suitable place to rest. The couch in Bishop’s room was actually a luxury compared to both the hard-bottomed chair and her bunk back at the camper. She glanced longingly at the cushions.
The steady rhythm of the heart monitor provided a background of white noise. The constant tempo of the machine worked on the exhausted woman’s mind, a hypnotic effect similar to a train’s clickity-clack wooing the weary passenger to sleep. The contraption’s beeping provided a secondary benefit as well; Terri could relax, comfortable in the knowledge that she would hear any change in Bishop’s condition.
Despite her fatigued state, Terri’s sleep had been troubled and restless the past few days. Beyond obvious concern for her husband, the uncertainty of life without him weighed upon her. The brutal treatment she had received at the hands of her kidnapper added more insomnia-baggage. Terri suffered.
She didn’t look up at first when the door to Bishop’s room opened. Nurses, the occasional doctor, or other medical professionals commonly plied the threshold, and she was too tired to care.
Something about the visitor’s pace grabbed her attention, the movement from the corner of her eye slower than the typical rushed caregiver. A glance showed the Colonel struggling to open the door while walking with a cane.
She started to rise, but the recovering man waved her off with a grumpy, “I’ve got to learn to do this.”
“As you wish, Colonel,” she replied in a cold, monotone voice.
“How’s he doing?”
“The same. He’s not regained consciousness since being in surgery for nine hours. The doctors are unsure if he ever will. He’s in God’s hands now.”
The Colonel shook his head and grimaced, not sure how to respond. After a pause, he switched his attention to Terri. “And you?”
“I’m fine. Thank you for asking,” sounded a practiced response.
“Terri, don’t bullshit me. I know you’re not fine. No one could be fine after what you’ve been through. As a matter of fact, you’re the real reason why I wanted to stop by. I can’t help Bishop, but I hoped I might lend comfort to you.”
Terri’s eyes turned to ice. She tilted her head and stared hard at the older man. “Colonel, I’m not in a place to be comforted. Actually, I don’t want to feel better. I’m enjoying my hatred… relishing in my acidic rage. I’m very content wallowing in a deep revulsion for my fellow man. ”
The Colonel lowered his head, chin practically resting on his chest. After a pause of contemplation, he stirred, making for an empty visitor’s chair using deliberate, measured steps. Gingerly lowering himself onto the hard plastic seat, he raised his eyes and studied Terri for a moment. “I don’t blame you. You’ve looked into the eye of the beast, and now you know him. It’s an experience that will change you forever. How you react to that exposure will determine the quality of your life from this point forward.”
“The beast? I’m not sure what you mean Colonel. I’ve just had a brush with power-hungry, self-centered men… human beings who possess an unquenchable thirst to achieve dominance over others and will stop at nothing to achieve status. You can call evil anything you want – it’s still evil.”
The Colonel shrugged at Terri’s response. “Evil is too simple a term. Besides, I didn’t come here to quibble over semantics. I came here because you and I now have something in common. A window was opened, and we both looked inside. We both have been repulsed by what we saw. It just so happens my glimpse into that portal occurred 25 years ago. Time and experience have allowed me to deal with it. I hoped I might help
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