“Your father just had a cardiac incident,” the nurse told me. “They took him to St. Luke’s uptown for surgery.”
I stumbled into a taxi, still clutching the protein shakes I had brought for us. Alone in a waiting room, I sat stunned and helpless, hoping against hope.
At last, the door opened. The exhausted doctor shook my hand and said: “He’s a lucky man.”
70 words on waiting: This is what you do when you go to the doctor's office on time and the doctor is behind schedule. This is what you do at the DMV when you want to renew your license and the room is full of slobbering idiots who can't manage to hear their number being called. This is what you do when you are wondering if the Viagra is going to kick in. Waiting.
How long before the right word comes? One that describes you? Does you justice? I fall short; that hurts. All the usual words are wounded clichés—"beautiful,” “kind,” “generous,” and the ilk. I invoke ears: thesaurus pages are dogeared, but nothing is earmarked. I invoke tears: the unspoken word burns the tip of my tongue, overreaches my hand, and engorges my heart. Maybe you know it. Save me. I’m waiting.
One last sweet one from you and an excellent batch of stories from the Microdose gang! Thank you! I like your new format, I can check put all the featured stories in 20 minutes or so, now. 😎
The hardest part of writing? Not plot, thought Carrie. Stories jumped to mind. Characters? Easy. Just copy your friends and change the names. Setting? Borrow from your vaca wishlist. Grammar? All done by robots this day and age, thank God. She wrapped up her latest. Pressed the post button. Stared at that little blank heart, praying for it to turn solid red. This was the hardest part by far. Waiting.
Thanks so much for including my short tale, Miguel.
A wonderful collection of micros.
She Said Yes
Prompt by: THE FICTION DEALER: The Batch of Micro-Fiction #39 : WAITING in 70 words!
She'd been waiting for 10 years with a resolve that poker players would envy.
For better. For Worse. In sickness. And in health.
So much in life. Together they forged a life, a journey, based on mutual respect. A learning curve that moved mountains.
She felt an incredibly deep love.
She secretly hoped his deep love would bend a knee.
Until one day he saw the light
She said YES.
Thanks for sharing this with us
PROMPT: WAITING
THE CALL
“Your call is very important to us”, said the automated female voice, “You are #84 in the queue.”
And then the music started.
The same song repeating, over and over, as I waited patiently to speak to a real person.
Until finally, after more than an hour, someone answered, and I got ready to discuss my erroneous banking fees.
But it was a broadband helpline.
I’d dialled the wrong number… ☎️😎☎️
Argh!
All that patient waiting! For nothing! Haha... 😎
Thanks for the inclusion Miguel. I am now thinking MBRACE has a future series in it...
Microdosing Fiction - 70mg of Waiting
===
She exchanged her top with the first shirt on the pile. Slipped out of the hospital pants and into her own.
She cursed when walking past the mirror. Ginger pants, lime blouse. But it’s too late to swap.
She jogged to the opposite wing, where her grandpa stayed.
Where she’d wait for him to remember her, minutes amongst countless hours.
While waiting for her own diagnosis.
Wait a little more.
WAITING (70)
The hospital bed was empty.
“Your father just had a cardiac incident,” the nurse told me. “They took him to St. Luke’s uptown for surgery.”
I stumbled into a taxi, still clutching the protein shakes I had brought for us. Alone in a waiting room, I sat stunned and helpless, hoping against hope.
At last, the door opened. The exhausted doctor shook my hand and said: “He’s a lucky man.”
Efficient immediate writing and I love the happy ending!!😄
Looks like 'hospital' is the theme of the day ;P
70mg of WAITING
The desert stretched wide,
silent but for my breath.
I waited—
waited for the star to fall,
the lights to dance on the sky,
the moon to rise,
the sun to set,
the meteorites to shower.
In that stillness, in that awe,
I found myself.
No past, no future.
Just presence,
just sky,
just me.
And when the first star streaked down,
I exhaled,
knowing I had never been lost.
Beautiful!
Katie, it means a lot to read that my poem has found resonance. Thank You.
The phone lay silent. Why wouldn't it ring? How much longer would he linger in confusion and pain before it was over? When would that final shoe fall?
An early morning call and I knew before I answered. "Hello," I nearly whispered. His brother simply said, 'he died at 7:25 this morning."
The shoe fell.
😭 thanks for joining in Sandra!
70 words on waiting: This is what you do when you go to the doctor's office on time and the doctor is behind schedule. This is what you do at the DMV when you want to renew your license and the room is full of slobbering idiots who can't manage to hear their number being called. This is what you do when you are wondering if the Viagra is going to kick in. Waiting.
That's a lovely one to end Valentine's Week with. Great job, Miguel! And that was a lovely Batch, too. Well done everyone... 😎
I get so tired of waiting around for you,
Stoically waiting for my dreams to come true.
I'm waiting for you to choose just the right hue,
But waiting for you is making me feel so blue.
You tell me be patient, as if you knew,
That waiting was the reason my love for you grew.
This waiting around is nothing new,
And waiting is better than never, it's true.
70 words: Waiting
How long before the right word comes? One that describes you? Does you justice? I fall short; that hurts. All the usual words are wounded clichés—"beautiful,” “kind,” “generous,” and the ilk. I invoke ears: thesaurus pages are dogeared, but nothing is earmarked. I invoke tears: the unspoken word burns the tip of my tongue, overreaches my hand, and engorges my heart. Maybe you know it. Save me. I’m waiting.
True vulnerability in this, I really like it
Thanks, Katie.
One last sweet one from you and an excellent batch of stories from the Microdose gang! Thank you! I like your new format, I can check put all the featured stories in 20 minutes or so, now. 😎
Thank you! I think this was more people will be able to read other people’s work!
You're very welcome. I would never be able to do what you do, I would find it impossible to choose just a selection! Thank you for doing this.
The hardest part of writing? Not plot, thought Carrie. Stories jumped to mind. Characters? Easy. Just copy your friends and change the names. Setting? Borrow from your vaca wishlist. Grammar? All done by robots this day and age, thank God. She wrapped up her latest. Pressed the post button. Stared at that little blank heart, praying for it to turn solid red. This was the hardest part by far. Waiting.
Solid red pressed.
Much appreciated!!
Well, I'm deifnitely making the Heart go solid red on this one! Haha! That's a great take on the prompt... 😎
Thank you! The wait is over lol!
Thanks for including me in the Batch!
Thanks for joining in! It was a challenge to pick one of your stories 😁