After Thoughts

by Edward Ahern

About the Author: Edward Ahern resumed writing after forty odd years in foreign intelligence and international sales. He’s had over two hundred fifty stories and poems published so far, and six books. Ed works the other side of writing at Bewildering Stories, where he sits on the review board and manages a posse of six review editors. https://twitter.com/bottomstripper https://www.facebook.com/EdAhern73/?ref=bookmarks https://www.instagram.com/edwardahern1860/

Excerpt

Jerry’s throat felt like he’d sucked in flames. His head was trying to crack open from pressure. He opened his eyes.

The white room was festooned with tubes and wires. His muscles twitched as he tried to stretch his lanky frame. He was in a bed with side rails. Things were jammed down his throat and up his organ. He tried to talk but a bulbous something jammed his mouth open. A huge white moth fluttered around the bed. He squinted and focused—the moth wore glasses.

“Whuah, Whuah!”

The moth jumped.

“You’re awake! Sweet Jesus, you’re conscious.”

Figured him for dying.

 “Whuah happnd?”

“You were in a car accident.”

And jumbled up your brains like fried potatoes.

Jerry’s head was held in place, but he rolled his eyes around following the nurse’s bustling.

“Don’t try and talk now, just rest. I’ll let the doctors know you’ve regained consciousness.”

And tell the shift I had a Lazarus.

Jerry faded out.

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