Regret is a Funny Thing
#1 of Writing Practice
I joined a writing group on Telegram ( You can find it here: https://t.me/joinchat/CPoeZhclggenrOEh0yYwvg ) and one thing we have instituted is an occasional writing challenge to help provide some practice for those interested in taking part. This challenge is to create a story of 1000 words or less (this one is 994) involving a vague premise-- in this case, the story seed idea is "Seven seconds into regretting that decision."
So, here is the story I am presenting for our first writing challenge. Marked Adult due to mature topics such as suicide.
Regret is a Funny Thing comidacomida copyright 2019
Sebastian had an inoperable brain tumor and it had begun to define him. With his cognitive and coordination degrading rapidly the prospect of every future day being worse than the last hadn't sat well with him; the overwhelming cost of medical treatments that would only prolong his condition was an unbearable thought; putting Emily, the love of his life through the worst of what he would inflict upon her as an invalid was not an option... and so he opted out.
He knew medication wasn't ideal; as with most other options there was the ever-present possibility of things going wrong but the side effects like lack of cognitive ability meant that he wouldn't really be aware of his final days or weeks or months. Emily would be devastated but she would be able to distance herself from him whether he succeeded or not and, with a carefully worded goodbye letter he hoped that it would lessen her pain.
Sebastian waited until Emily had gone to work, and, having picked up his pills earlier in the week, he came to the conclusion that the best way to succeed would be to fully commit; why do just a half bottle if he could down the entire thing? He left his note on the bed but, rather than laying on it himself, he chose to go out into the backyard. Sebastian had always enjoyed the outdoors, and falling asleep forever under the open sky seemed a lot more preferable to leaving a corpse on the bed, and so outside he went.
Sebastian had never been one to pound alcohol while trying to swallow handfuls of medication at the same time but, after several rounds of choking and almost gagging once, he had succeeded. With nothing left to do but to lay down and let things happen, Sebastian was finally at peace, both with his decision and the ending of his life. He hadn't let cancer take him; he had chosen his own path. That peace did not last long. "BASTION!"
He felt hands on him, and he was being shaken, but the lethargy he felt meant that he couldn't have responded even if he wanted to. Emily screamed and cried at him, and he was certain that she had probably slapped his cheek but it barely registered; Sebastian had made the decision to die and had gone through with it. Seven seconds into regretting that decision, he realized that he could still cry. By the eighth second there was nothing.
Whether it was the scope of a single heartbeat or an entire year, Sebastian felt breath come flooding back into his body. The air carried with it the strong scent of ozone, disinfectant, a litany of other chemicals, and a nose-crinkling musk. It smelled like a hospital mixed with a laundry facility. The next sense he regained was an awareness of warmth-- wherever he was it was hot, but not so uncomfortable as to be unbearable. He was also thirsty... very thirsty.
Licking the inside of his mouth, Sebastian paused; his tongue was thick and swollen, and still partly numb but he was certain that his mouth didn't feel right. Had he lost some teeth? Had some shattered? His attention was distracted a moment later by the sound of Emily's voice. "Are you sure he's okay, Doctor?"
Sebastian opened his mouth to respond, but the most he could manage was a hoarse chuff, followed by a wheezing groan... nothing resembling any real words, as if his throat were still horribly paralyzed. Still, it managed to get her attention he immediately felt her hand on his head. He could tell she was crying as she called his name, softly stroking his hair. "Sebastian? Bastion?"
Finally, with what seemed like a herculean effort, Sebastian managed to open his eyes. His vision was blurry and, as he took stock of what he was seeing, it was apparent that everything was not the same. Emily was a red-head, but all Sebastian could see were shades of greenish-blue. A man appeared behind her, looking down at Sebastian. "It looks like your husband has awakened. Mr. Cole, if you can understand me, please blink twice."
Sebastian attempted to respond but, again, his throat didn't work and the only sound he made was reminiscent of a dog growl. He was worried at first, but he realized the first step was to acknowledge the doctor so he held his growing fear in check and blinked... twice.
The doctor laid a hand on Emily and eased her back before addressing Sebastian. "Mr. Cole... I understand you are likely confused, and that is perfectly normal considering the circumstances."
Rather than try to speak, Sebastian nodded and immediately felt a wave of vertigo, forcing him to lower his head down onto the bed where he was laying. After a few steady breaths, however, he realized that he wasn't actually on a bed; it was more like some kind of padded mat. He was laying on his side, with his arms-- all thoughts froze when he realized that he wasn't looking at his arms... those were dog legs!
The doctor continued. "You were a candidate for an experimental procedure..."
Sebastian's brain blanked as the man continued explaining a number of details; they all went unheard until a statement about the brain tumor being gone. The doctor further stated that, while Sebastian had technically been brain dead for almost 24 hours, his wife Emily had made the decision to see if the experimental treatment could help-- it had.
Emily began to cry and, for just a split second, Sebastian was so angry that he wasn't able to function. The doctor stepped back and Emily immediately replaced the man, throwing her arms around Sebastian's neck and crying into his fur. How could she make a decision like that for him? "I love you, Bastian... I love you..."
Seven seconds into regretting that decision his tail began to wag for the first time.