In The Ward
“Wow! For an old fart you are really good!” MSgt Mallory said. “How do you do that?”
I was at least fifteen years older than the MSgt But I was outranked by the younger man. I hadn’t been promoted much while I was in the catatonic ward.
“I dunno son.” I said. “I guess it just comes natural.”
The MSgt blinked for a moment while deciding whether to take offense at being called ‘son’. He out ranked me. Then he decided 'what the hell.' They would all be civilians soon.
“I can’t understand it.” The MSgt persisted. “Your legs are amputated above the knee and yet you sling them prosthetics around better than I do with my below the knee cut offs. You used them better than some folks use their own legs.”
“Inherent balance perhaps?” I grinned. I really didn’t want to talk much about my use of prosthetics or how Elvira was helping. It never went well when I mentioned voices in my head.
Ahem Both of us turned to see who had spoken. Nurse Scruf standing behind us. She said “If I might interrupt you two gentlemen, Shelby your two o'clock is in ten minutes.”
“Oh yeah.” I said. Another interview. One would think that after all the years that I had been here that the bureaucracy and the paperwork would let up. One would be wrong. I had originally been listed as KIA along with all of my unit in the earlier battle. The powers that be didn’t quite know what to do with me when I’d turned up in a tunnel, in the aftermath of operation Cedar Falls, miles away and months later, with no legs.
I should have been dead. If I’d died then it would match the paperwork. I wasn't dead. I was alive. It was very confusing to the chair warmers. They responded with an unending flood of red tape, their response to everything. The added complication of me being an above the knee double amputee and catatonic for years made it even worse. It had confused them horribly. I wondered if they would ever determine which pigeon hole to put me in.
I didn’t care, not really. I didn't have the voice back. As much as I loved, admired and missed the voice I had something better. I had Elvira. We spoke for hours every night. Oddly enough we seemed to need very little sleep, thus, she was the Mistress of Darkness. I never thought too much about why she was female. It had to do with programming I remembered her saying once.
Hours later I propelled my wheelchair back to the ward. I didn’t wear the fancy prosthetics much. I was too good with them. That caused talk and speculation. I didn’t need that. Today the book lady would arrive. That was good. I’d already gone through the stack that she had left the last time she was here. I read fast and went through a big pile of books faster than anyone the book lady had ever seen.
Shelby didn’t know it at the time, but the other guys were in awe of my strength. I casually displayed feats of power that no one else could comprehend. I had the shoulder, back and arm strength to effortlessly manage a very heavy stack of books, one handed. With no apparent effort. That scared some people.
My habit of hand walking spooked them too. Since I had no legs I could hold myself off the floor with my hands. He could walk that way. He could run. He could move faster hand walking than many of the orderlies could walk on their own too feet. He was definitely faster than anyone who had prosthetics. I displayed no apparent effort. Other double amputee patients had tried to emulate my hand-walking. They could do it but it was so very HARD. I made it look easy.
The Book Lady arrived pushing two carts. One of the carts was mine. That worked out better.
“The books you ordered inter library loan came in.” She said.
“Wonderful. The Larry Niven books too?” He asked.
“Yes.” She said. “I have_Ring World_, The Mote in God’s Eye, Protector, Lucifer’s Hammer and Neutron Star.”
“That’s great! That’ll last me today. What will I read tomorrow? You ARE coming back soon?” I grinned at her.
She smiled back. She didn't think anyone could read that fast , could they?
Heh...yeh I can. Elvira helps me.
Eventually the silliness ended and I was transferred to the tender loving care of the VA, in River City.
To Be Continued
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The Hobo Picture is a Public Domain image from
Samantha at the Worlds Fair
by Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley)
Illustrated by
Baron C. De Grimm published by
Funk and Wagnall's Company 1893
Unless noted
All other Illustrations are from
Pixabay