A step away,..

This is something new, I am offering a bit of fiction instead of my normal political and social rants. So sit back enjoy and see the basis of one of my short stories;

There is no concept of time, there is only pain. It is sharp and consuming. Ice moves through every cell of the body. It burns so cold. It was not to long ago it started with a fever. I vaguely remember things before the fever. It burnt me up. I do not know how long I have been in this place. I assume it is a hospital, I can smell a strange mixture of death and bleach. The fever is still here but I can't get warm. I am so hungry, but no one responds to my calls for help.

The fever took my eyesight. I can see some light and dark shapes, nothing around me is moving. The light hurts though. It adds to the constant headache. It adds to the full body ache. It is so hard to think about simple things. A name plays in my head, Mike, or Michael. I am not sure if that is me, or someone important to me. I struggle to get up. The cold hurts so much. Maybe if I move it will take some of the cold away. Each step is so difficult. I have to focus on each step. They come out as more of a shuffle. The pain is mind numbing.

I remember the fever. I actually miss it. It was warm, yes it hurt, but not nearly as much. I try to call out for the nurse, but no sure how it sounded. My mouth is so numb, I can barely move my lips. The sound is so muffled like my ears are filled with cotton. The effort to call is greeted with so much more pain. It hurts so damn much. I rubbed my arms, and the touch brought me so much pain. I am not sure why, but maybe going out of here into the hall might lead me to the nurse. Maybe they can help me.

I stagger and shuffle into the hall. The silence is welcome and disturbing. There is no one here. I can hear some muffled noises in the distance though. I amble over toward the noise. Slow and easy, trying not to move more then I have to. The movement does make me feel a bit better, but the pain is still there. The cold is still there. Everything is ice to the touch. Halloween dances to the front of my thoughts. I could not remember the significance though, pain to hard to focus. I do remember dry ice though. The cold air turning to a mist.

The noise is louder, and even though it hurts I move closer. I get as close as I can, before I try to call out again. I can make out a vague shape in front of me. It is so warm. I reach out toward the warmth. For one moment the warmth is blissful. I call out for help just as my palm touches the person in front of me. It comes out slow and painful. "Heeellp meeee." It is faint and weak in my ears. The person is startled and they move so quick it is hard to follow their moment. They start hitting me. The pain is so much, it hurts so much. The world seems to me moving so fast now.

I try to wrap their arms up, make them stop hitting me. The warmth is so nice. I hold them closer to me. I pull them in. The pain lessens. Thoughts form briefly. I am Michael. I was bitten by a homeless man. I remember them saying I have rabies. He bit me. The hospital helper is trying to hit me. I head butt them, and try to tell them to stop. Their neck brushes against my mouth. I am so hungry. I am not sure why but I bite. Warm blood fills my mouth. It feels so good. The ice leaves my body. With each mouthful the pain subsides. My brain clears up. My eyes focus a bit more. I can feel my hands. I feast until the warmth starts to the fade. I look up as I hear another noise. I see their warmth more then I see them. These are not hospital people, they are regular people and they have guns.

I stand up letting the warm blood sooth my skin. Oh my god, I see the bloody mess I made. I see myself in a reflection. My gown is soiled. My face,. my face. What the hell happened to me. What the hell happened to me. I look to the group running over to me. Once again I say help me, and I try to smile as I see one of them raise a high powered rifle level with my head.