Heart Monitor

Thomas could smell the clean scent of newly washed bed sheets; flowers, and the smell of soap and alcohol. Something was beeping close him by. Opening his eyes, he saw a white ceiling. When he turned his head, he saw the usual things, familiar to him from the movies; an IV was going into his arm and a heart monitor. There was a cast on his left leg and a bruise on his right arm. His chest was pulsating with pain.

A nurse walked into his room with some papers and asked “How are you feeling?”

“My chest is killing me,” he paused, “what happened?”

“You were in a car accident. You’re lucky to be alive. You have a concussion, and you had to have surgery to get glass out from your skin and you have a broken leg.”

She walked a bit past him pulling a curtain away showing another patient. Thomas looked over to see an old man lying in the bed next to him. “Shit!” he thought to himself, “why am I in a room with an old guy?”

“How are you today Mr. Edwards?” the nurse asked the old man.

“I’m doing just fine Ms. Shirley, just fine.”

“I’ll be back with your medication Mr. Edwards.” She said with a smile. “And I’ll be back to give you some pain medication for your chest.” She walked out giving Thomas a frown; his eyes following her. Looking at the door, his parents walked in smiling.

“Oh! My little munchkin!” his mother said running in and squeezing him tightly.

“Mom! Get off!” he said turning red in the face.

“Hey son, I’m happy to see you’re all right.”

“Hey Dad.” Thomas paused looking around in the room, “what happened?”

“You were driving home last night from Rob’s house, when an eighteen wheeler T-boned your rear end. Your car flew into a ditch and flipped a couple times.”

“We were so worried. The hospital kept bouncing our calls from here to there.” His mother said with tears starting to come to her eyes.

“Mom, I’m okay though.”

“We should let you get some rest son.” His dad said smiling at him.

“I’m happy you’re okay!” his mom said, looking at him head to toe smiling.

“Thanks. I’ll see you guys later”

“Love you son.”

“I know.” He said.

They walked out and it was quiet again. He only heard the beeps of the heart monitor.

“Your parents seem like nice folks.”

Thomas turned to look over at the man. He looked frail. He was wrinkly and bald and his eyes looked like they could tell a story. He had no flowers or balloons, no drawings by grandchildren. His side was bare. “They’re all right I guess.”

“You’re lucky to have them around.” His voice was soft. “When I was your age, my parents were dead.”

“How’d they die?”

“An explosion. It destroyed their whole town. I was only a child. I was at our family farm when it happened. They were in town getting a few things I guess.

“Where was the explosion?” He asked.

“Halifax.”

“Wow!” Thomas paused. “My names Thomas.”

“Mr. Edwards, but you can call me Eugene.”

“Nice to meet you Eugene.”

Looking back at Eugene’s bare white wall, Thomas asked, “Eugene, how come no one’s come to visit you?”

“How could you tell?” he asked with a smile. He continued, “Well son, I have no one left. I was an only child and my wife died three years ago.”

“No kids?”

“You could say that.”

“What do you mean?”

“My sons have left me. I don’t even know where they are anymore.”

It was silent in the room; all that Thomas could hear was the beeping of the heart monitor.

“Eugene?”

“Yes son?”

“When are you getting out? Of the hospital I mean.”

“The only way I’m getting out is through the morgue son.” He said in his soft voice.

“Oh,” Thomas felt bad for asking, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be Son; it’s a part of life.”

“Are you afraid?”

“Of dying? No, son. But one thing does scare me.”

“What’s that?” Thomas asked, looking over at Eugene.

“Being alone when it happens.” He said looking over at me.

All went silent. Thomas looked at the bare wall as he listened to the faint beeps of Eugene's heart monitor.