Cancer Research
by Nathaniel Tower
On his way to
the Center for Advanced Cancer Treatment, Dr.
Thomas Andersen’s black SUV was swallowed by
an out-of-control semi. From the moment of impact,
Dr. Andersen’s body ceased to function,
dangling lifelessly through the cracked
windshield, tiny red droplets dripping onto the
asphalt like droplets of dew from a sun-wakened
flower.
As he rode
under the swirling lights to the closest hospital,
his mind continued to churn out brilliant
revelations and findings. As the premier cancer
researcher in the country, he couldn’t
afford to take time off for an inconvenience as
slight as complete paralysis. He would just have
to find a way to work through it. Luckily he had
memorized virtually all of the data, so
everything was still at his disposal if not at
his fingertips.
For many days,
the people visiting him thought it was such a
shame that such a genius had not finished his
work. After observing his vegetative state for
almost six months, his wife decided to remain
faithful to his wishes. Begrudgingly, and with
tears in her eyes, Mrs. Thomas Andersen pulled
her husband’s plug just as he completed the
research in his head. Two years later, she died
of cancer.
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