Words

waves

The words rolled over her then, crushed her flat as piecrust beneath a rolling pin. She watched him shaping the words with his mouth, this doctor whom she had grudgingly agreed to see after her husband had had what he thought was the last word in their long argument. Go. 

Now there was another word. Cancer.  And others, too. Treatment. Pain. 

This man, this doctor in his chair. He pulled out words as though they were stones from his pocket, polished shiny and smooth with much use, set them carefully before her on the barren wood of his medical desk.

 

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22 comments

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  1. michael1148humphris

    Two polished men, I truly hope they have supportive arms. I like the style of this piece of writing

  2. Graham Lawrence

    Wonderful story. Very powerful, gripping lines. To be perfectly honest I aspire to write with such power in so few words. Masterful.

  3. paulmclem

    Often wonder how empathetic can a Doctor really be when he’s telling the 10th person this week that they have a terminal illness? It’s like vets, do they simply become numb to putting animals to sleep. Must take a tough mindset.

  4. mjlstories

    Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me – never a more untrue saying. It’s been said already, but those words/stones are priceless.

  5. Dreamer of Dreams

    What an exquisite piece of prose-writing this is!
    The imagery lingers in my mind, even after the story’s over.
    This is beautiful:
    “This man, this doctor in his chair. He pulled out words as though they were stones from his pocket, polished shiny and smooth with much use, set them carefully before her on the barren wood of his medical desk.”
    Something in the syntax towards the end reminds me of Raymond Carver, not sure what. Whatever it is, your writing is beautiful.

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