Mortality

“Mortality”

By Cody Williams



1

         Doctor Vince McCartney woke up in a hospital bed. He was a little bit dazed and confused after passing out the day prior while on the eighteenth hole at the local country club. Dr. McCartney was winning the game five under par to his good friend Dr. Victor Marrow. They were having the normal conversation they always had discussing their “bitchy wives and the annoying shit they did” as they would often put it.

         Right as Vince was pulling back old reliable, his favorite and oldest putter, to put the ball into the hole he began to get a bit of a headache and light headed. As he began to black out he began seeing red and green dots. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he collapsed right there on the green.

         “Where am I?” Vince asked as he finally began to wake up. Ruth, Vince’s wife, stood up from her chair across the room and walked over to Vince’s bedside of her husband. She often thought of Vince as: “a pain in the ass.” But he was her pain in the ass.

         Ruth was sixty years old, four years younger than her husband. She had short gray curly hair and she was a bit chubby. She reached over and grabbed his right hand to hold in an attempt to comfort him. Vince jerked his hand away from her angrily.

         “Where the hell am I?” Vince screamed to his wife with rage and wanting answers.

         “You’re in the hospital Vince.” Ruth answered him. Vince began to rip out the IV’s and air hoses that were plugged into his body. He pushed the blankets off of him with great force and attempted to sit up. Vince turned to the edge of the bed to place his feet onto the floor. Before he could rise to his feet, Annie, a hospital nurse to Dr. Bishop (Vince’s long time family doctor), rushed into the room and over to Vince’s bed. She grabbed Vince by the arms.

         “Dr. McCartney, you have to lie down!” Annie said as she began to push him back into bed. Vince resisted as much as he could before he got light headed and weak once again. Vince leaned back into the bed and placed his hands over his eyes to block out the much too bright florescent lights. He paused for a moment and then took his hands off of his face and placed them to his side.

         “Well, if I can’t fucking stand up, can you at least tell me why the hell I am in this God damned place!” Vince shouted at the nurse with frustration. Annie began to cover Vince back up. Vince slapped her hand away and covered himself up in a smart ass manner. Vince did not like any assistance at doing anything and did not like special treatment when he was sick. It was almost as if to him, being sick was an impossibility.

         “You blacked out on the golf course yesterday honey. And you have been asleep ever since!” Ruth told her husband.

         “Well, what the hell his wrong with me?” Vince asked in a combination of worry and anger. Annie walked over to the door, stopped, and looked back at Vince.

         “Dr. Bishop will be in any moment with the results of your tests!” Annie assured him. Vince’s jaw dropped.

         “Tests? What the hell kind of tests did you fucking do on me!!!???” Vince asked the nurse angrily.

         “The doctor will be in any moment to explain. Now you just lie down and jet your rest!” Annie said as she hung the clip board up on the hook and left the room.

         “NO! Get your fucking ass back here and explain yourself!” Vince shouted.

         “Now Vince calm down.” Ruth said in a sweet tone. Vince began to turn red with anger. He wanted answers.

         “No I am not going to calm down God Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me!!!???” Vince screamed as tears began to roll down his face. Ruth once again ran over to comfort her husband. She held onto him as they waited for Dr. Bishop.



2

         After about fifteen minutes, Dr. Bishop entered the room. Vince and Ruth were still embracing on the hospital bet. As soon as Vince noticed that Dr. Bishop had entered the room he pushed Ruth away from him. He saw crying and hugging as a sign of weakness. Dr. Bishop walked over to the foot of Vince’s hospital bed. With a clipboard in his hand he began to rub his shaved head as if he didn’t know what to say. Dr. Bishop was a quite muscular man. He was in his mid forty’s and looked much like professional wrestler Kurt Angle.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Vince asked with stress. Dr. Bishop looked at the clipboard and then back at Vince as he sighed. “Tell me what the hell is wrong with me!!!???” Vince screamed at the doctor as his eyes began to fill up with moisture once more.

“Ummm, Dr. McCartney, I don’t really know how to tell you this but.....” Dr. Bishop began prior to being interrupted by Vince.

“But what? But what? Just spit it out! What the hell is wrong with my!!!???” Vince shouted as he began to cry again. Dr. Bishop looked down at the floor and then back up at Vince.

“You have a brain tumor.” Dr. Bishop said. Vince turned to wipe the tears from his eyes and his face and then looked back at Dr. Bishop.

“Okay, so I have the treatment then I will be all good to go right?” Vince asked hoping for a yes. Dr. Bishop looked down at the floor again.

“It’s already too late.” Dr. Bishop told him. Ruth and Vince began to cry again. “You have about three months to live. I am so sorry.” Dr. Bishop said as the exited the room. Vince and Ruth continued hugging and sobbing on the hospital bed.



3

After what seemed like an eternal drive home, Vince and Ruth pulled into the driveway of their very nice four bedroom penthouse. Vince was the biology professor at the local college. Vince stepped out of the relatively new Mercedes and slammed the door shut with frustration. He angrily power walked up the stairs of the front porch and into the penthouse. He walked over to his recliner and plopped down into it. He began to weep once more. Ruth, whom was also crying, walked over to comfort her hurting husband. They just sat there and hugged for ten minutes before Vince finally drifted off to sleep.

Ruth grabbed the blanket from the chair next to her and threw it across Vince and kissed him on the fore head. Ruth then sat down in the chair next to him and held his hand for the remainder of the night.



4

         “Junior!” and older man’s voice shouted waking up Vince. The voice was strangely familer to him. It was the voice of his late father, Vince McCartney Sr.

         “Daddy?” Vince Jr. asked with doubt. “But, but, you have been dead for ten years now!” Vince Jr. said with amazement.

         “Junior! You’re not going to give up on me like a pussy are you?” the ghostly voice of Vince. Sr. uttered.

         “Give up on what?” Vince Jr. asked with confusion.

         “Your destiny!” the voice answered with pride.

         “What fucking destiny?” Vince asked with anger and fear.

         “It’s in the bottom drawer of my desk in your addict.” The phantom said.

         “What God damn it? What the hell is it?” Vince Jr. screamed.

         “In the bottom drawer!” the phantom said as he disappeared into the darkness.

         “Dad!” Vince Jr. screamed wanting more information. Vince then woke up next to his wife in his recliner where they fell asleep.



5

         Vince walked into the addict where in the corner sat the old desk of his late father. His father died ten years ago at the age of seventy from a massive heart attack. The desk was never cleaned out. It just sat in the corner collecting dust. Vince walked over to the corner where it was sitting. He bent over and opened the bottom drawer. In their laid a yellowish stained paper. At the top of the page in big bold letters read THE ELIXIER OF LIFE. Vince sat down on the old desk and began to read the ingredients.

         At the bottom of the page was a fine print that read:

Whoever drinks this Elixir of Life will become immortal and impervious of all illnesses.

“Dad must have died before he could test it out.” Vince mumbled to himself as he felt a sense of hope.

“Vince where are you?” Ruth asked from the hallway. Vince shoved the paper into his pocket as he quickly stood up from the desk.

“Coming!” Vince said as he walked over to the ladder and climbed out of the addict.

“There you are!” Ruth said. “What were you doing up there?” she asked.

“Nothing.” Vince said as he began to smile for the first time in what seemed like years. Vince walked out of the living room and took his jacket and hat off of the coat hanger. He put them on with glee. “I’m going to the lab!” Vince said with excitement. He kissed Ruth on the cheek and walked out of the house.



6

         Vince pulled into his reserved parking spot at the in the parking lot right in front of the entrance to the Biology Building. He stepped out of the Mercedes and walked into the building.

         He walked down the long hallway to the cellar door where his lab was located. There he was met by Norman Birch, a senior at the college and teacher’s assistant to Vince. Norm had long brown hair that reached to his shoulders. He was twenty-four years old and quite skinny.

         “Dr. McCartney what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home resting?” Norm asked.

         “And what? Wait to die?” Vince asked. “No! I have more important activities that need my attention.” Vince said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the yellow stained paper and handed it to Norm. “Can you get me everything on that list from the chemical room upstairs?” Vince asked Norm. Norm nodded his head yes. “Good now go upstairs and get them.” Vince ordered Norm as he pointed out the door. Norm nodded once more and walked out of the lab.

         Vince walked over to his office door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He placed one into the keyhole and unlocked the door. Vince walked inside the office and over to his desk. He sat down and drifted off to sleep.



7

         Before going to the chemical room to gather the ingredients for the elixir, Norm sat down on a bench in the hallway and began to read the list. After he read the fine print he noticed writing on the back that read:

         However, for eternal life, there is a price. A life for a life.

         Norm shoved the paper back into his pocket and walked into the chemical closet. He grabbed the five chemicals needed and walked out of the room. He walked back down the hallway and to the cellar. He reached the bottom of the stairs and back into the lab.



8

         “Junior!” the ghostly voice of Vince Sr. called out again. Vince Sr. appeared in the chair across from Vince’s desk. “You dumb fool! Do you really think you can trust that dumb ass Rock ‘N Roll wanna be do you??” Vince Sr. asked.

         “What do you mean? Of course I can trust Norm!” Vince Jr. asked with a confused expression on his face. Vince Sr. nodded his head.

         “Really? You stupid fuck! He’s a selfish young man. He’s planning to turn against you Junior. Now what are you going to do about it?” Vince Sr. asked as he disappeared.

         Vince woke up from his nap startled. He looked over at the dry erase board behind him where it read in big red letters:

         BEWARE NORM!

         Vince quickly grabbed an eraser and erased it.



9

         Once Norm got back into the lab he walked over to the counter closest to Vince’s office. He pored the chemicals into a large golden pot and began to mix them.

         After the elixir was made, he walked into Vince’s office where Vince was staring down at the desk. Norm knocked on the door.

         “Mr. McCartney, I made the elixir!” Norm stated with pride. Vince smiled.

         “Great! Bring it in with two glasses and come join me!” Vince said happily. Norm nodded and walked back over to the counter. He poured the orange colored elixir into a clear glass and placed it on the side of the trey that was closer to him. He then reached into the counter and pulled out a large bottle of Clorox Bleach. He poured the bleach into the other glass and dropped three drops of orange food coloring into it. He placed that glass on Vince’s side of the trey. He picked up the trey and carefully carried it into Vince’s office.



10

         Norm placed the trey in the center of Vince’s desk carefully trying not to mix up the glasses, and closed the door behind him. Norm sat down in the chair across from Vince’s desk where Vince saw the ghost of his father in his dream. They each picked up their glass and raised them.

         “To life!” Vince said. “Wait!” Vince said stopping Norm from drinking. Norm’s heart beat began to beat faster. “I should probably give some to Ruth. Will you go back in there and pour whatever is left into a plastic cup?” Vince asked. Norm nodded and walked out of Vince’s office and pretended to pour some into a cup.

         Meanwhile Vince picked up his glass and sat it across from him next to Norm’s glass and placed Norm’s glass where his was.

         “I might be old damn it, but I’m not an idiot.” Vince said. Norm walked back into the room and sat down across from Vince. They each picked up a glass and raised it.

         “To life!” both of them said. Vince paused for a moment and watched Norm drink.

         Norm dropped his glass and it shattered on the floor. Norm grabbed his throat and began to cough. Norm then fell onto the floor and died.

         “I never liked that bustard anyway!” Vince said with pride. He raised the glass one final time. “To life!” he said. He raised the glass up to his lips. He began to feel a sharp pain in his left arm. Vince sat the glass back down on his desk as he grabbed his chest and collapsed onto the floor.

11

         “Mrs. McCartney!” Dr. Bishop said on the phone to Ruth’s answering machine. “We just got the results back from the biopsy. It was a heart attack. Just like his father. He died almost instantly. There was nothing we could have done!” Dr. Bishop Told her. “I am so sorry for your loss!” He said as he hung up the phone.