The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, the grass covered hills
seemed to roll on as far as the eye could see, it was a totally still
day and the sounds of two boys playing carried for miles.
"Over here buddy, throw it to me!" Wallace called out.
The Frisbee came flying to him, dipping sharply just before him, Wallace
dived and took a spectacular catch just inches from the ground, doing
a forward role and recovering to his feet.
"Great catch Wallace!" cried William, Wallace's long time
buddy.
"Thanks Will!" Wallace called back as he slung the Frisbee
back in William's direction. "My asthma’s starting to play
up Will, best take a rest".
Wallace sat down on the picnic blanket and took a big puff of his Ventolin,
then another. "Ahh, that's better".
"That was a great catch you took out there, mate!" Will exclaimed,
roughing up Wallace's hair.
"Thanks, I've always been good with things like that, I think I
might take up a sport soon, maybe footy or cricket, I'm just about worried
about my asthma" replied Wallace with a big grin, imagining future
successes and being chaired off the field after taking a remarkable
catch to win a game of cricket.
"You keep that asthma under check and one day you'll be a champion,
mate! Now take your pills, take these pills!" Will demanded, shaking
Wallace by the shoulder.
"Take my pills? What? S..Stop… stop shaking my shoulder mate...
it's pissing me off. Stop it!"
And then it hit him... he was dreaming,
Wallace
opened his eyes, he felt numb. A woman, all dressed in white hovered
over him…. An angel! She smiled at him...
"Ahh, you're finally awake little fella. I need you to take these
pills."
Wallace opened his mouth, and she dropped them in and washed them down
with some water.
"You've been out for quite some time. How are you feeling?"….
Not an angel, a Nurse…he was in hospital, fuck!
Wallace coughed... and went to rub his eyes, but only his right eye
felt relief, puzzled, he glanced down... "My Arm! Where the fuck
is my arm?"
It all came flooding back. The trip to the store, the asthma attack,
the beast, the escape from the beast, the beast again and the last daring
escape in which he'd sacrificed his arm so that he could live.
Wallace began to sob, "my arm... I want my arm back!"
The nurse patted Wallace on the head, "there there, you'll be
fine young Wallace... get some rest, the doctor will be in to talk to
you later".
Wallace was feeling queasy, but he was obviously heavily sedated. He
slowly drifted back off to sleep, still crying.
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