Americans vs Aneurysms.Final

This draft was sent to Slate.com, Life at Salon.com, Cary Tennis of Salon.com, The Stranger, Seattle Weekly and David Schmader of The Stranger on March 13/7 as well as The New Yorker and Ploughshares on March 28/7.

Eli Richardson
elirichardson@gmail.com


Americans Vs. Aneurysms
A crisis in 33 100-word stories:
Uninsured thirty-somethings grapple with money,
the man, raising a kid, and brain surgery.

3300 words


1
Snowglobe Tornado

To the side of global events, a family eddies. Boy bouncing, Mom on the sofa eating apples, Dad at home all day. Spaghetti is boiling and date night coming. An on-demand movie and icecream. She doesn't wear a bra.

What's it matter that the world is a heartbeat away from ruin, the Sun raining fire? Iraqis have their children to look at as disaster goes door-to-door. Casting shadows over another day in the Next American Century. Where everybody's getting theirs.

Inside the bubble blood snakes against membranes drawn tight. A red Eden in the middle of a drought. Throbbing danger.

2
Dead Ringer

The boy is the first responder; mother jolting on the sofa. Fingers dancing.
"Breathe Ivy Ivy, are you there? Ivy! Open your mouth."

"Why is Mom making that scary sound?"

"Open your mouth Ivy."

6:03. The Daily Show is on.

"Why you do that to Mom's mouth?"

"Get it out baby. She's frothing. Look out son, I'm bringing her down."
"Why Mom making that sound? Breathe! Mom why Mom not breathing?"

It's alright honey. XXXX! Bring me the phone. Please. Ivy! Are you with me? The phone! Get the phone boy! Breathe!"

"Mom stop making that sound Dad. Breathe Ivy!"

3
Call Waiting

"Why doesn't this not? Do what I say! Boy! Get MY phone. Please! Ivy! Are you with me? Hello! I need an ambulance to my house. It's yellow. Ivy! No, it's not o.k. My wife is having a seizure."

"Calm down sir. We have dispatched paramedics to your location."

"Ivy!"

"Sir, calm down and do exactly as I say. Is the patient breathing?"

"It's my wife. I don't know. Maybe. I thought she was dead. Ivy! Are you there? Are you breathing?"

"Mom is not breathing."

"Ivy! What day is it?"

"Sir! Calm down and do exactly as I say."

4
Room With a View

With it to her ear, "What's that ringing? Where's my phone? Well look for it. Where's my Mom?"

"Your head's drooping. Stay put. You need a halo?"

"I'm not dead."

The boy gives mouth to mouth to a surgical glove.

"Say cheese!"

"Look! What the Hell? A camera?"

The nurse wags her finger. "No flash, please. Look. Sensitive equipment." She strokes the heart monitor.

"Look at this picture. Do you see?"

"What?"

"Look in your eyes. See all the way to China."

"It looks like my head is hollow."

"Looks like you blew a fuse. Look boy. Mom's not home."

5
Go-Go Googoo

"Really." She rolls her eyes. Her head follows.

"Ivy! Don't do that. It freaks me out."

"Why?"

"I don't know when you'll have another one."

A guy with floral scrubs peeks around the curtain. "We've got your resulth," lisps the resident. His shoes whisper over the tile. He looks at his chart, then her ID bracelet. "Ivy. Lookth like you had a theizure and there'th an inthidental aneurythm."

"What?"

"Aneurythm."

"What's that mean? Rythm."

"An-your-rith-em. We'll be keeping you overnight."

"We got the beat," he says and dances with the boy.

"Really," she says and rolls her eyes.

"Thurgery thoon."

6
Memory Trip

"How are you? Has it sunk in? No. I'm whispering."

He ducks out. Gopher heads pop out of the cubicles. He presses the phone to his ear as he makes for the door. "I have to split. Boeing's top secret."

He starts into the bathroom. Stops. "The money will take care of itself. We've got the motive and opportunity. I can't sit around and wait for it."

He tries the stairwell. It's the lunch rush. "Mexico. The neurosurgeon said flying's fine. Chistmas poolside. Besides, it's good for the boy; culture and something in the vault in case of the worst."

7
Stroke

Dog-paddling, he says she has pretty feet. She goes, "I hear you fine Mom. It's not quite Mexico. The neurologist says flying with aneurysms is fine." The boy splashes water in his nose.

He sinks to the bottom where he can touch the sun.

"United bumped us in San Francisco. I'm still mad. He made me hike up the crookedest street in the world."

On his back the sun is piercing but without form.

"We miss you. Christmas sucks without family around."

He pushes off hard for the other side. The boy clings to the wall in the deep end.

8
Sand Box

His pants are already dirty and the laundry isn't even done.

"Why Mom have the procejure for her seijure?"

A weak Sun and windy.

"Mom has doctors telling her that's the best idea. That's all they got."

The boy moves sand from one hole into another.

"Will procejure make her seijure feel better?"

"Hopefully. Come here. Your hands are blue. Here. Put these socks on your hands. They're all I've got."

A girl at the jungle gym butts in, "Weird. Why does he have socks on his hands?"
The boy picks up his shovel. "It's the best idea Dad gots."

9
Nothing but the T.V. On

They finally got by themselves.

"I want my life back. This aneuyrysm is eating my dreams."

"Don't blame me."

"It's just later than I thought."

"The show's getting good. Like it's in slow-mo."

"Next it's curtains."

He has a red velvet box. Inside are footprints, an umbilical button, a baby wellness check-up. That's about the time he loses it.

"Don't cry."

"You're his best friend."

"That's not true. You two will be just fine."

"I'm losing it. I'm mourning you."

"That's silly. I'm right here."

"That's why I miss you. I'm nothing without you."

"XXXX loves you."

"He loves us."

10
Strut Bussing

He's not smoking, that's why. That undercurrent of need. The quivering nervous; not knowing. Has he already had his last? That's a long time to sit, waiting. The 101 blazes into town; the freeway an artery. Feeding people. The skyline is jagged and insistent. Buildings jut like kings pointing their embers into the clouds. His fingers twitch; he blinks. On the knoll rolling out of the treeline is a turkey. At the offramp contemplating a crossing.

At home it is always loud. Mostly static. Women. Tending to the needs. Needing. The boy swinging through the family tree. Family.

Cold turkey.

11
Punchline ER

Running in, the city looks pasted, the sky solid grey. A bum works the offramp. The car makes a funny sound.

"I'm not afraid to die."

"I guess that's best." Signalling at Boren. "Considering."

She pushes his button and rolls up his window. "Do you know how to get there?"
He puts his hands at ten and two. "It's a crapshoot every time. You take what you can. You want to hear a joke?"

"Not really."

"Dude gets lost in the jungle and jungle people grab him and say, 'It's death or Ru-Ru."

"Ru-Ru?"

"The dude says, 'I'll take Ru-Ru."

12
ER Breakdown

"I'd be more afraid of being locked in a body and not able to do anything about it."

"I guess. What's it matter?" She checks her nails. Without looking, "This doesn't look right." Framed in the car window her head looks slanted against the background; like she's falling. "I'm in so much pain."

"Just over this hill baby. What's that?"

"Did you put in transmission fluid?"

"I thought you did."

"The car won't go? We're on a hill."

"I know that."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know that."

"I'm this far. I'll walk."

"How can honking help?"

13
Godmother on the Dotted Line

Paperwork under the knife; signatures for vital signs. Laid out, florescent lighting; up to one in five never get off the table. Typed tombstones flutter.

"Leave your stuff to me."

"Knock yourself out."

A woman with a hairnet ducks into the machines. "We need a guardian. In case."
"My Mom's crazy, but yours is a bitch."

"Mine's got money. You scared?"

"Here's the anesthetic. Count from 100."
"Not yet."

"Say goodbye?"

"Not yet." She exhales like she's been holding it.
"Just in case?"

"Just smile."

"Sign it?"

"86."

A guy with hairnets over his shoes begins to push her away.

14
Expect Delays

The painters went to lunch at noon. The boy rolls their duct tape down the hospital corridor. It bounces off walls and wobbles. The Dad nudges it. The boy gives chase.

"I see," checking his watch, "three possible scenarios."

"Snarios."

"Expected; the pain scares your Mom, but life goes on. Best; the procedure makes the headaches better and your Mom gets her life back."

"What's three?"

The duct tape rolls into the wall and falls over.

"Look at that guy, son. That's the doctor."

A man in scrubs approaches.

"About time. Hope you went gentle, doc."

The mask stays on.

15
Dr. Awkward

Somewhere in Holland a boy gives a dam his thumb. Beavers chew through trees for leaks. Stoners at Starbucks spill coffee and cannot staunch the flow. This one comes in looking like Gumby.

"We ended up using a stint across the neck of the aneurysm's sac. We used 150cm of platinum wire. That's a lot."

"I figured the stint from the time it took. What's the prognosis?"

"Good. She should have no problems."

"What about seizures?"

"That's not what I do."

"Will the headaches go away?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"That's too bad."

"It could be worse."

16
Post-Op Purgatory

"She's alive!" he cries coming into the room with the boy on his shoulders.

"Hi Mom."

Her eyes flutter open. "That's what you said when he was born."

"I'll say it again every time you escape death."

"Scape deaf."

"It hurts so bad. Maybe this is worse."

A nurse comes in and clucks. "Hush now."

"Never say that honey. I thought I'd lost you and never want to feel that way again."

"Sorry my almost dying hurt your feelings."

"You kidding? I'm having the time of my life. The anguish is nothing compared to the relief I feel now."

"Share."

17
Bus Bust

It's standing-room-only sloshing through a rainstorm. In the last seat left sits Rosa Parks saying, "Memories of our lives will continue in others." The windows trickle water like the world is crying over our supposed nobility.

Off the 101 and downhill to catch the 3. Turnaround pursuit uphill sprint transfer under the freeway scramble traffic by the hospitals missing the bus at the crest and down all the way it came raining. She of course wants to know what took so long.
"I just climbed you a mountain. In a downpour."

Of course he had to say he was sorry.

18
Feeling Bad

"I know it hurts."

"Tell me how it hurts. It's not about you."

He sits Indian style on a cot and watches rare snow accumulate outside. He drums his crossed arms. For days.

"You don't care. You never do anything for me."

"I do everything I can. I'm not perfect. I got you icecream and painted your toenails. You're in new pajamas and have sparkly earrings."

"Dance for me. Faster."

In the center of ICU he throws it down.

"You're competing with the t.v. I'm missing the best part. Go to sleep."

Finally the nurse arrives with the pain meds.

19
Smarteries

Two cowboys couldn't hold her down. Straining out the pain on the sofa with the ice pack and t.v. on. The boy strokes her hair and offers candy. He thinks of a Hemingway story where the Indian cut his throat over his squaw's screams. That's backwards.

"Where is it?"

"All over."

"Breathe baby, don't bear down on it. You'll anger the aneurysm."

"Laughing hurts."

"You want I should make you cry?"

"You hungry Mom? Try these thingymajingies."

"Give her room son, I think she's going to blow."

"Pull out my feeding tube."

"You heard the lady. Go to it boy."

20
The Early Worm

It has got to be worse than being unemployed. Making too much to get welfare, but not enough to keep your wife alive.

Alarmed, engage snooze twice before rising. Hit snooze for third time before responding. Remove covers in one vigorous corner folding motion. From foot of bed, tiptoe to reset clock. Remove underwear. Scratch thighs and buttocks moving to kitchen. From refrigerator remove 16 ounce glass tumbler of coffee liberally doctored with non-dairy creamer. Guzzle sixty-six percent of coffee. Place tumbler on kitchen counter.

Gently. You do not want to wake the aneurysm.

We close our eyes when kissing.

21
Mouth to Mouth

Her body vibrated and eyes clouded. He pressed all his weight into screaming air through rigid teeth. She'd gone blue. A breath shimmered.

Shave face. Sink. Drag blade. Go shower. Twist hot. Enter quickly. Rinse hair, body. Apply soap to hands. Avoid tiny soap. No soap smaller than thumb. Apply lather to pits. Left to right. Rub belly, insert left index finger in belly button. Say, "XXX and Ivy." Lather crotch. Soap legs and feet. Rinse thoroughly. Soap face, ears, neck and chest. Rinse. Blow nose in hands and rinse. Rinse. Squeeze water from hair. Turn tap. Open curtain.

Foggy.

22
Firing Line

The job is to keep the job. Mum's the word. Quietly catching the bus before dawn.

How you sound on the phone telling your boss you'll be late; the man running across the street mouthing words. His hand in the air and eyes wide-open. The lady at the bus stop downtown, always talking. The men idle around the parking lot by the shelter. They hold cigarettes in a straight line by their hips.

Who's not surprised to look down and see we're smoking, holding a soda, arriving home? Where have we been? Second-hand vacations; a streetcorner and a strange tongue.

23
One-Way Ticket

A strange part of the city is new forever, or do you just bring your work from before the fire? Scorched core lit up with a wire running to the last building standing.

It's less dangerous with the lights out. She plays video games. For weeks. He folds clothes. "Quit looking at me like that. It's my life. I'll throw it away if I want to," sideways, "I'm doing pretty good, considering."

He can't just not get off the bus; not ride it till it's as far away as it gets then start walking. Not just leave them. Start new.

24
Comfort and Joy

The farmacy lady lets him pick a cookie. She has water in her eyes. He likes green more than red. Red hurts.

"What do you say?"

"Thank you."

"You're quite welcome. So special. Have her let me know if the anti-seizure medications make her crazy."

"I'll let her know."

"Mom had a seijure but she'll get better."

Dad takes farmacist bag and weighs it.

"Merry Christmas. Look for Santa Claus."

Dad takes boy by the hand down islands of dipers. Sizzers. Soop. Dad goes knees. He waters in eyes. Hugs boy.

"Come on Dad. Crying won't help. Share my cookie?"

25
Goner

They bring out candles for dinner. The men have eggs poached in the microwave. She is appalled.

"Remember reading about electricity, boy? That's how those eggs got hot in the microwave. It made their atoms shake."

"Like Mom's brain in the seijure."

"Sei-zure."

"Sunny-side up."

He has potatoes with Tapatio. She, the french toast with Ranch dressing. The boy eats the baby carrots with syrup.

"There's diversity, boy. Look here, like nothing you've ever tasted."

The boy looks to her for guidance. She throws her head back and snores.

"Don't do that," he says. "You know how it scares me."

26
The Princess and the Pea

She squirrels away little things. That's what the other one had called her. "Nutty." Then this one had out of the blue started using it. Her hand slips into a familiar place.

A knock. "You in there?"

"Yeah. Come in."

"It's so dark in here. Want this light?"

"No! Turn it off. Please."

"What you doing?"

"Going through some things."

"Good things?"

"All kinds of things. Do you miss old lovers?"

"I do miss some things; what we'd have if we'd stayed together."

"You don't have anything now? What am I?"

"I put you in a place, honey."

Safe keeping..

27
Yay or Nay

He takes dictation. She cannot write. When she concentrates she jerks. Simple seizures.

"Dear Senator Kohl-Welles."

"Listen."

"Healthcare doesn't protect the injured. Due to chronic pain I had to quit working and lost coverage. My husband also had to quit to tend to me and lost his coverage."

"The man jacked us. I'm too poor for insurance and Boeing won't pay for it."

"Insurance should be for when people need it. I was healthy when I was insured, but am unprotected when I need it most."

"My wife's dying and the state's been no help. How about you? Signed, Voters."

28
Financial Hardship

"You applied? Everywhere? For everything?"

"We going to make it?"

"Not at this rate. You need to get a real job. Who takes five years? We need insurance. We. Need. A car."

"Stop blaming me. Stop blaming me one hundred times a day."

"Are you saying it's my fault?"

"I faxed five applications today. I try. Beats me why I'm broke. But we've waited five years for you to be well. Ask if you need help."

"You need help? So I have to get a job?"

"Just show me where the work is. I'll apply."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

29
Blood and Country

She says to the t.v., "Thanks a lot Barack, for nothing. We need healthcare yesterday."

"We make 1500 phone calls to hire the Donks and they cut the student loan interest in half, but not for existing loans. They gave a break to the Generation Y slackers who didn't even bother to vote."

"It's the Mexicans. That's why DSHS cut my coverage."

"Don't blame the Beaners. Blame me. I do."

"Me too. No. I'm joking. It's a rightwing conspiracy."

"Family values."

"Value the family."

"My Mom is passing me around like a shining example because I haven't cut and run."

30
Planned Parenthood

The boy on her hip, she says, "We tried to do the right thing. You just can't live on one income. I have to work."

"How can you work with seizures? You can't fill out an application. I'll work harder."

"Work on being Dad."

On the sidewalk a string of kids goes by holding a rope. The boy wants down and goes to the window.

"Rented parents."

"On weekends they get babysitters."

"There's a different dynamic between you two because I spend my day in a cubicle."
"You do more than any man I've known."

"I'm sorry it's not enough."

31
Snowglobe Confetti

"Your headache better?" He wipes steam from the bus window.

"It didn't go away until two."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She turns off the tap in the kitchen sink and rubs a hole in the window.

"Did you hear my news?"

"I've been doing three things at a time all day."

"I know how that goes. Did you have any fun?"

"Hardly, it's rainy and cold out. We just finished waiting for it to go away."

"I got a raise. Half again as much."

"That's big."

"A drop in the bucket."

"Isn't life grand?"

Their windows fog over.

32
Involuntary Spasms

Traffic backs up as the taxi waits to turn. Someone honks.

"How much were the pills?"

"I didn't look. They're all crooks. The bank, the phone company, the doctors." Her phone rings.

"Come on," the cabbie says to the oncoming traffic.

"This is she," she says. "You were late. I had to go to the hospital. Right. I ordered delivery, but I called and said I'd be out. No we're not paying. Just bring it."

The boy starts crying.

"No! I can't hold. Please!" She screams and throws the phone on the floorboard.
The driver hits the gas, horn blaring.

33
Life

He pays the fare, hands her the cane and helps her out of the cab. He puts the boy on his shoulders. Everybody hugs for a moment.

"Sorry I'm so, you know. So much work."

"We're too young for this, but we're alright."

"We got each other."

He helps her onto the porch.

"But being treated like an addict is humiliating."

"Imagine not speaking English or having a cute boy to charm the pharmacists."

"No benefits sucks."

"What if I had a felony?"

"At least we'd have some money."

"Would you wait for me?"

"For as long as I got."