Flat Lined

What a dream that was. Gosh, I feel pressure on my chest. Hope I’m not having a heart attack. Still the dream seemed so real. Billy Johnson and Tim Boynton were waving and gesturing me to hurry up to them. It wouldn’t have seemed so unnatural except that Tim died in Viet Nam and I helped bury Billy ten years ago in Arkansas. I was honored to be one of his pall bearers. He saved my ass twice in Nam. We were all so close then. We always talked about getting together when we returned home but life, and death in Tim’s case, got in the way. After Nam I never felt that close with anyone. Maybe I was afraid to get too close. I don’t know, it was never the same. They were always in my thoughts.

"Doctor, he’s flat lined!"

"Try the defibrillator again!"

"No go, he’s still flat lined."

"OK, I’ll call it. George Broderick died at 3:23 a.m."

Story by:

DeWayn C. Marzagalli

submitted at 4:22pm

29 July 2010