" and graduating with a degree in
musical education we
have marley fischer "

is what i heard
in my mind
but what really happened was

" and graduating with a degree in
reproductive endocrinology and infertility we
have marley fischer "

because i need to
care for my mom and
pay her bills because she
honestly hates me and refuses
to fend for herself.

)(

" congrats, mccoy, you
got the part "

is what he heard
in his mind
but what really happened was

" mccoy, i have never
experienced a worse
performance in my sixty
two years of life "

because he wasn't the
most talented person you've
ever met no matter how
much of his life he spent
on trying too hard.

)(

   "Doctor Fischer!" a random nurse demanded; "you need to proceed with the procedure or the patient will bleed out!"

so i stood doing
nothing but nothing
because from his backstory it
sounds like the man in front of
me might want to drift off.

   "What in God's name are you doing, Marley?"  Carter Winters, chief of surgery, yelled.

   "He deserves this, Carter," I say, feeling like a nonchalant murderer.

   "Fischer. If this man dies, you are s-"

a n d   t h e n   i
h e a r d   s o m e t h i n g
t h a t   w a s    s u p p o s e d   t o
m a k e    m e    t r y
.
a flatline pounded its way
through my ears;

   "Time of death, 13:47," I whisper.

   "Marley," the same nurse says, looking me deep in the eyes, "you could've saved him."

   "But I didn't." I inform her, setting down the scalpel that broke me.

   "Clean out your locker, Fischer, you're done." Carter advised.

but only a smile spread
across my face when really it
should've been tears.