The Bloody Canvas by KJ Kalis

Author:KJ Kalis [Kalis, KJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BDM LLC
Published: 2020-07-16T06:00:00+00:00

19

Dr. Oskar Kellum sat gingerly on the side of his hospital bed, trying to listen to the doctor through the wave of pain that was going through his body. “You sustained some pretty serious injuries, but there is nothing that would require you to stay here any longer. You’re going to have to take it easy for a while. I’ll have the nurse come in and give you the discharge papers.” The doctor left without any other comment.

After spending two nights in the hospital, Oskar felt weary. His bones ached, and his eye was still fairly swollen shut. The swelling had gone down enough for the ophthalmologist to determine that his retina hadn’t been damaged. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he wondered what to do next, but his mind was so foggy from the cocktail of pain medication and steroids that he could hardly think straight.

The nurse came into his room a few minutes later, her fancy tennis shoes in a range of orange yellows and pinks, making her look more like a medical track star than a nurse. “Okay, Oskar. I have all of your paperwork in order.”

Oskar didn’t hear much more after that. He stood up out of bed as soon as the nurse left, collected the bag that held what was left of his belongings — his keys, wallet, phone and the watch that had been his grandfather’s, the face of it shattered. He shuffled down the hallway and went to the elevator. Just lifting his arm to press the button for the first floor sent a surge of pain through his body. As the doors opened, he made his way out of the elevator and into an open area, where couples and families were walking together. He imagined they were either going to visit a loved one or friend, or worse, they were going for testing. For a moment he felt their fear.

Oskar pushed the revolving door and felt the warmth of the morning touch his face. Normally, he wasn’t a fan of the overly hot summers in Savannah, but he felt different today. The cold, dry air conditioning that ran incessantly in the hospital had left him feeling chilled to the bone. The warm, moist air filled his lungs. He took as deep of a breath as his broken ribs would allow.

Oskar found a bench in front of the hospital and sat down. The nurse had been nice enough to order a cab for him so that he could get home. The police department had arranged to have his car towed to a local repair facility. He would have to deal with that later. He simply didn’t have the energy right now.

The cab driver seemed pleasant enough, chatting about the weather and the barbecue that he’d eaten the night before. He was a middle-aged man with a round face. The drone of his voice kept Oskar entertained on the way back to his condo. Once Oskar made his way out of the cab, he left the driver a nice tip.

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