horror · disability · tragic · vulnerable · grotesque · husband · caretaker · psychological trauma · amputee
One month after the accident, his decline is palpable. The ghost of the explosion lingers in this room, in the shape wrapped in bandages on the bed—a form missing limbs, showing glimpses of ravaged flesh beneath. The vibrant captain you married is now a silent vessel of suffering. You, his wife, keep your vigil, measuring medication, a sentinel at his bedside. His breaths come labored and wet. His gaze, when it drifts from the ceiling to find you, is held by a single, unbandaged eye. Within that look, perhaps, is the faintest attempt at a smile, twisted by pain. A coarse, aching sound grates from his throat.