He had an incredible tolerance for pain, as his mental prowess could easily overpower any physical discomforts, but the beast now devouring his insides had introduced him to an altogether new level of physical anguish. Thank God for the pump’s on-demand feature. The man lay back, exhausted, his face clammy, his freshly laundered shirt soaked with perspiration. As the combination of drugs flowed directly into the man’s bloodstream, the pain finally retreated. His finger found the correct button and the computer resting inside the CADD pump immediately delivered an incredibly potent dose of painkilling medication over and above what it automatically dispensed at regular intervals throughout the day. About the shape and size of a Walkman, it was actually a CADD pump attached to a Groshong catheter that was fully hidden under the man’s shirt, where its other end was embedded in his chest. His hand slipped down to the apparatus attached to this belt. The breaths came in gushes, the face grossly contorted. Its origins, however, had been at the spot he now attacked with a fierce, if futile, vengeance. Then the pain wracked the man and he ripped at his left side actually the hurt was everywhere now. However, when the man abruptly opened his eyes, all other physical characteristics became secondary the eyes were chestnut brown in color and piercing they seemed to swell to a size that completely engulfed the eye sockets as they swept across the room. The large bald head was like an afterthought, because what captured one’s attention was the thick, steel-gray beard that fronted the wide, deeply lined face. The collar of the shirt was open, the ends of a bow tie dangled around the neck.
Hunter-green suspenders ran down the front of a rigid white dress shirt. Conservative gray cuffed suit pants hovered over gleaming black-tasseled shoes. The slender watch on his wrist showed it to be four o’clock in the morning. Its small arc of illumination outlined the tall, narrow-shouldered man sitting there, his eyes closed as though he were asleep. The only light in the room came from a floor lamp next to a rumpled couch. Most of the volumes neatly lining the shelves were financial in nature and dealt with such subjects as international monetary policy and complex investment theories. The largest occupant of the tiny living room was a meticulously crafted maple bookcase that might as well have rested on the moon, so out of place did it seem in the modest, unremarkable space. However, the few furnishings and personal belongings were clean and well organized several of the chairs and a small side table were clearly antiques of high quality.
The apartment was small, unattractive and possessed of an unsettling musty odor that suggested long neglect.
0 kommentar(er)
