Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Short Story – Still?


“Still?”

“Mister Helzner.  Mister Helzner, can you hear me?”

Tom slowly opened his eyes.  At first, all he saw were a variety of dull blurs.  After several blinks, the blurs collapsed into the drab ceiling of the lab and the smiling face of Doctor Sara Caplan.

“Doc,” Tom said with a rough throat.  “How did I do?”

“Wonderfully.  You are the first human to have been in suspended animation for six months.”

Tom closed his eyes and sighed.  “Did I miss anything?”

“Well,” Doctor Caplan began, “the corruption trial for Vice-President Keogh is about to begin.”

Tom’s eyes snapped open.  “That whole thing is still going on?”

Doctor Caplan shrugged.  “The trial was supposed to start a few months ago, but it was delayed so his lawyers could review new evidence and allegations.”

Tom shook his head and groaned.  “Put me under for another six months.”

***

I first published this five years ago on a website that’s no longer around.  It began after I saw a headline about new allegations in the Bridgegate Scandal.  Given the current political climate, I’m sure a lot of us would choose to just go under for six months to not hear about it.