HEY MR.?

I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED IF THE CHOICES AND PATTERNS THAT WE SET IN LIFE TRULY COME FULL CIRCLE. IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF KARMA AT PLAY IN THE TWILIGHT YEARS OF OUR LIFE?...DOES WHAT WE HAVE PUT OUT INTO THE WORLD INEVITABLY COME HOME? I HAVE TAKEN CARE OF "MR." FOR TWO DAYS NOW AND HAVE DESPERATELY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ARE TAKING PLACE BEHIND THOSE EYES. A LIFE OF STRUGGLE HAS REACHED ITS PINNACLE IN THE WINDING DOWN YEARS OF HIS STORY. HIS LIFE WAS SWINDLING PEOPLE AMID TIMES OF HOMELESSNESS. NOW NEARLY ALONE IN THE WORLD AND NOTHING TO HIS NAME I WONDER HOW HE VIEWS HIS PRESENT PREDICAMENT...

...40% FULL THICKNESS BURNS COVERING HIS ARMS AND LEGS...THE RESULT OF A WEE HOUR EXPLOSION IN HIS CAMPING TRAILER (AKA...HIS HOME). HE COLLAPSED AFTER SELF EXTRICATING FROM THE BLAZE, AND OVER A MONTH LATER HE FINDS HIMSELF STILL ON THE UNIT, AND IN THE CARE OF A ROOKIE BURN NURSE...WHATS LEFT OF HIS SKIN HAS BEEN USED TO GRAFT THE BURNS IN SEVERAL SURGERIES LEAVING HIS BODY COMPLETELY REMODELED. TODAY I PARTICIPATED IN CHANGING HIS DRESSINGS...A TAXING RESPONSIBILITY THAT TUGGED AT MY "NEW NURSE" BLEEDING HEART. DUE TO A TRACHEOTOMY (BREATHING TUBE IN HIS THROAT) THE HOUR AND HALF PROCESS LEFT HIM SPEECHLESS. MR. COULDN'T SPEAK...COULDN'T SCREAM... A TRUE CAPTIVE. THE CHARGE NURSE WHISPERED AND ANSWERED ME..."SCRUB HARD". AS I BEGAN TO WORK DOWN HIS ARMS HIS EYES MET MINE...THEY PIERCED DEEP INSIDE ME AS I MOVED BACK AND FORTH OVER HIS LEATHERY, SCARRED SKIN. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF..."MR. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ME IF YOU COULD SPEAK? I LOOKED AWAY AND PUSHED SEVERAL MORE MEGS OF FENTANYL AND MIDAZOLAM HOPING TO ALLEVIATE PAIN THAT I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IN MY WORST NIGHTMARE...

...MR. UNABLE TO SPEAK AND VOICE MEDICAL DECISIONS AND TREATMENT, THE CHOICE HAS FALLEN ON ANOTHER...ONE WHO HAS ONLY SEEN MR. BANDAGED...ONE WHO WANTS EVERY LIFESAVING MEASURE PERFORMED...

...HEY MR. WHAT DO YOU WANT?...