A Touch of Jen

by Beth Morgan

Outside a basement room that is definitely not room 426, he sees Alicia, abandoned on one of those gurneys just like the patients upstairs. He recognizes her, even though a sheet is pulled halfway over her face. Her eyes are open, in the innocent surprise of a cartoon character whacked on the head with a frying pan. He isn’t certain what the sheet and the absence of machines indicate—is she still alive? One can’t always expect beeping machines like in the movies. Surely a real hospital isn’t cheesy enough for beeping machines. Two guys in scrubs, both with body piercings, come out and consult a clipboard before grasping the gurney on either end. Remy points, mutely. “Can I help you?” Remy says that she’s his wife, and the two guys in scrubs open their mouths and exchange glances. “I’m sorry, sir,” says the guy with a clipboard. “She’s not supposed to be just hanging out here in the hallway like this…” “…Mondays are crazy,” says Remy. “Yeah! Yeah, they really are.” “Could you…could you do me a weird favor?” “Do you want a moment alone with her?” says the other guy. Remy wishes they’d just take their hands off the gurney. “Maybe? What I meant was, could you make sure she’s dead?” There’s a pause and Remy says, “I mean, not like that. Not like ‘make sure.’” The guy with the clipboard says, “Did you kill her?” “There have been a lot of mix-ups today. I’m just trying to make sure you’re not…doing whatever you’re gonna do to the wrong person.” “I’m sorry, that was insensitive. I...