Those Who Spoon

Chapter One

                                                     Two Years Later

“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in a hospital.”

Dolly and Cornelius shared an anxious look at their son’s words. Both wanted the best for their only child, of course; problem was that this boy was unrecognizable. Not only was Ebenezer’s face morphed beyond saving, despite all the surgery he’d had, but he had turned silent and sullen. No longer did he laugh at small things or smirk confidently at girls; Ben had realized those times were over the first time he’d seen his scarred self in the mirror.

His mother was the first to move. She covered Ebenezer’s hand with her own and smiled gently. “But honey, this is all for the greater good—”

“Don’t talk to me about the greater good,” he interrupted brusquely. “No amount of surgery’s going to fix me, Ma. I want to go home.”

There was an uncomfortable shuffle; a cough. Dolly released her son’s hand and stepped back. When no one said anything, she busied herself with the wilted flowers by his bedside, shuffling them to and fro. “These should be replaced,” she said, trying to brush the thick silence away with the high, artistic stroke of her voice.

“I’m just a husk,” Ebenezer continued in a croak. “I’m nothing.”

Cornelius coughed at the emotion showing in Ben’s voice. “We all know you’re more than that.”

“They say I’m lucky I didn’t lose my voice, too.” Ebenezer’s eyes, now without lashes, swerved to meet his father’s. There was just a bit of madness and desolation in them. “I’m lucky. Can you believe it?”

“Yes,” Dolly cried out, “I can!” She swirled around, agitated. “You could have been dead! It wasn’t your fault! It could . . . it could have . . .”

“Happened to anyone?” Ben sneered. “Yeah. I bet dozens of people break their spine and get paralyzed from the waist down because they tripped over a spoon. You know what the best part is? When I get home, I can’t even shower by myself. Heck, I won’t even be able to pee without a toilet designed for invalids. Because guess what?” He started crying. “That’s what I am now.”

Without wasting another word, Cornelius quitted the room. Dolly followed suit after hiccupping, patting her son’s arm – which had grown pale and skinny in the hospital – and sobbing some excuse. Ebenezer felt his eye twitch as she shut the door behind her, and lifted a hand to brush away the salty tears on his cheeks. It was one of the few things he could do these days. Wipe tears away; wave at his parents when they left; shake someone’s hand.

What Dolly and Cornelius didn’t know was how much things hurt. After every operation, his skin was torture itself, even when they gave him meds for the pain. Seeing his own face in the mirror and realizing nothing had changed, not really, was even more painful. He had changed into someone hideous; a monster.

With a strangled cry, Ebenezer snapped his eyes shut and tried to pretend that his skin was whole, smooth, even though he knew it would kill him when he saw his own reflection again. Deep in his mind’s eye, he saw Debbie’s round face again; her ruby lips; her soft, brown arms. Debbie had not visited him once, had not even dared to talk to him over the phone. Apparently, she’d been the one to find him. She’d been scared and worried enough to call the 911, but from there on, all she’d done was send him an post-it note with an apology on it, which had been attached to a bunch of half-wilted roses.

The image of her face – oh, her sweet, sweet face – was replaced by the ugly behind of Freddie Flicker, moving back and forth in such a repulsive way that it made him want to throw up. At that moment, when he’d seen the look of bliss on Debbie’s face, he’d thought it was the worst moment of his life. That from there on, there would only be a Before and After. Ebenezer had been right about the last part, but his life hadn’t been cleft in two by the act his girlfriend had committed; it had been caused by himself. By the stupid spoon that had given him his disfigured skin and broken spine. One stupid spoon – that was all it took to change your life.