Consider It

I feel like I’m dying. My stomach is tying itself into knots so tight I might never be able to get food in there. The walls of this place feel disturbingly close.

“Alfred can you hear me, snap out of it!” My mother. As a 40 year old man many would say it’s high time I start relying less on my mother and more on thoughts of marriage and family. My mother has always been there for me. There go the walls again, moving closer to my bed with every ticking second.

“Alfred, breathe,” she says without looking up from her knitting. She always knows best. She stops knitting and looks over at me, picking up the towel by my bed and wiping my face. I guess I’ve been drooling. She puts the towel back and goes back to her knitting. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the outside of these 4 walls. Been awhile since I’ve seen anyone of real importance besides my mother.

It happened about 6 months ago. I had just closed a huge case landing my firm another big one, prosecuting the same mob organization. The partners were ecstatic and any day I was hoping to become one of them. My boss had come up after the verdict to shake my hand. It was a monumental moment in my career and my life. Packing up my things his words still echoed in my head. “Keep this up and you’ll be seeing my office from behind my desk very soon.”

Walking into the hallway of the court house I began mentally preparing everything I needed for the new case. That’s when she walked briskly up next to me. “Dara, what are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.”

“I shouldn’t be here?!” She had tears in her eyes and an angry look on her face. “You used me, Alfred. You made me believe that you loved me just so you could get information.”

“It wasn’t a lie. My feelings were real. But your father is not a good man, baby. He runs a lot of crime in this town.”

“Don’t you baby me, you arrogant son of a-“

“Dara, listen I know you love your father but his line of work is no place for you to be in. Come with me. We can be together. I can protect you.”

“My father says you’re the one I need protection from.” With a swift movement she stabbed me on the right side, twice. I crumpled to my knees where I saw her steel toed boot come to my head. Then everything went black.

Here in this room my mind replays that scene over and over. My mom continues knitting. I can hear the needles constant clicking. Then I hear someone come into the room. “Hello, doctor.”

“Hello, Ms. Pembridge. How are you today?”

“Oh, just fine. How’s my Alfie doing?”

“Ms. Pembridge, I think it’s time we start discussing your options. He’s been in a vegetative state for over 6 months.”

“Options?”

“Yes, you may want to consider taking him off life support and letting him go.”