A New Arm (WIP)

HNNGGGGH.  I woke up with a start and grabbed my side.  It felt like something was trying to get out of me.  My whole body was covered in sweat and clearly my sheets had absorbed a good portion of the sweat as well.  I swung my legs off the bed still holding my side,

‘What the hell is this pain - I was fine when I went to bed?’

I got up and walked over to the bathroom, my dog Fionna opened her eyes and barely lifted her head, it was clearly too early to deal with whatever this was.

I made it into the bathroom, shut the door, closed my eyes and turned on the light.  Even with this pain I knew that I would have been blinded by this light - I gave it a second or two, covered by eyes with my hand and let the light filter in - there really is nothing worse then going from light to dark in the middle of the night. I looked down at my left side where the pain was and it looked red, like the kind of red if you get slapped but nothing else of note.  Against my better judgement I pressed on it and of course I gasped out,

‘What the fuck!’

The pain was real, it brought me to a half lunge, in the middle of the night. I popped a couple ibuprofen, covered my eyes again to prepare for the dark and shut the lights.  I opened the door back up and uncovered my eyes - it isn’t a perfect system but it helps with the blindness.

I made my way back to bed and my partner Leah rolled over,

‘What are you yelling about in there?’

‘I’ve got this crazy pain in my side, I just took some ibuprofen but I don’t think I’m going to get any sleep - I’m gonna go sleep on the couch so I don’t bother you.’

‘Ok, kiss me before you leave’

‘Sure thing my dear.’

I think she started to say that she hoped I felt better but it could have been any number of things and she was fast asleep again.  I looked over at our dog and she wasn’t moving either so I was on my own.  I went out living room but passed through the kitchen on my way out, I grabbed an ice pack and thought that might help things out.  I laid on the couch, turned on the tv.  There was a movie on, something that I think I wanted to watch but the pain was still there so I was barely concentrating on the movie.  The pills started to take effect and the pain was subsiding, along with the ice it was helpful enough that I was hopefully going to get some sleep - I listened to the movie for some time but apparently fell asleep because I woke up to my face getting licked and not in a good way.

‘Hey Justin, I didn’t want to wake you up but Fionna was getting impatient so I let her say good morning.’

‘Hi Fionna, i know I know I had to sleep out here cause I wasn’t feeling well.’ Fionna is our Golden Retriever that wants to play all day but when it is night time couldn’t be bothered with anyone or anything.  I sat up on the couch and Leah came up behind me and gave me a hug and kiss,

‘How’re you feeling?’

‘Alright, the pain has subsided but now I feel like I have a cold or the aches you beforehand, know what I mean?’

‘Oh yeah, those are never fun - well, can you work from home today - I’m sure if you tell your boss you have a cold they don’t want you in the office?’

‘Probably, I honestly don’t think they care either way but it’s probably better I stay home and relax.’

I got up, looked at the spot where the pain was, it still looked like someone had slapped me.

‘Leah, look here’ I pointed at the side of my body, this is where the pain came from - it just looks like someone slapped me really hard.’

Leah came over and bent over to look getting really close,

‘Oh yeah, that is strange and you didn’t hit it on anything?’  She got up and flicked it

‘Hey what the hell!’

‘I’m just seeing what your pain level is at and it looks like it is high.’ She gave me a kiss on the cheek, which I suppose makes up for the flick but I’ll get her back.

‘No I didn’t hit it on anything, I didn’t fall or anything either - I’ll take it easy today though.  I mean, maybe it was something I ate and I really need to fart?’

‘Yeah, yes that could definitely be a thing but if it is - make it count ok.’

‘Of course, if I’m in this much pain and it is a fart, I’m not going to just pass wind - waste of a fart.’

I walked over to use the bathroom, as I went Leah was telling me she had to meet someone that was interested in some paintings of hers so she was bringing them to show and she would be gone most of the day.  I made it to the bathroom, peed and farted.  I leaned out the door,

‘Hey, it wasn’t gas.’

‘Well, why don’t you wait to see if the gas release clears the problem up - also, I didn’t hear anything so it definitely wasn’t worth it.

‘I know, I feel like I let you down.’

‘You know Justin, you didn’t let me down, but you can try harder next time - also finish up in there, I need to use the bathroom to get ready to leave.’

I was probably another minute and Leah was able to use the bathroom

After I finished in the bathroom I called my boss and let him know what was going on - he was pushing me to take a sick day and I just told him that I was going to be online and available - whatever that meant. I wrapped up that call and Leah came into the living room with her paintings and other things,

‘I’m taking off, if you need anything text me - if not I should be home after 2.  If you’re not feeling well call me and I can come right home.’

‘I’ll be fine honey, good luck today. I have a good feeling about this!’

I leaned in and we kissed and she took off.

I posted up on the couch, work computer, tv on but sound so very, very low and got to it.  My side was actually feeling alright so I got something to eat.  I had some yogurt and berries and see how I felt.  I walked back to the couch and could feel a little bit of pain - I reached down to my side and felt heat emanating from what I’ve been referring to as the slap mark.  I looked over at Fionna,

‘This doesn’t feel great girl.’

I’m not sure what happened between me saying that and when I woke up but I opened my eyes and there was an overturned bowl completely licked clean licked clean and one Golden Retriever laying and staring me in the face.  Then the pain clicked, I grimaced and rolled onto my knees,

‘Well Fionna, thanks for cleaning up the mess on the floor’ her tail wagged slightly and I pet her head to know she was the best girl ever

I got up and looked at my side, the red slap mark had now turned from a light rosy color to a deeper shade of crimson - there was a slight bump there as well. I pressed on the side and the bump depressed a bit before raising again.

‘Well, that’s not great’ I got up walked to the kitchen and got an ice pack out of the fridge, walked over to the couch to lay down and see if the ice helped out.  With the ice on my side I immediately passed out.

I woke up about an hour later, what felt like I peed my pants but was just the ice pack condensation fully melted I peeled it off my side.  It was more red than it was an hour ago and there was a super white head on it, it looked like a giant zit.  Fionna was sitting on the carpet looking at me whining softly, I think she could feel my pain.

‘I know girl, this doesn’t feel great.’

I grimaced as I stood up.  It felt like if I did any kind of bending that whatever was on my side was just going to pop.  I figured a hot shower might do me good but wanted to wait for Leah to come home so didn’t pass out in the shower and whack my head it was just a little afternoon so I still had another couple of hours so I’d have to wait. I put my phone down and brought the ice pack back to the freezer.  I took some more ibuprofen, more than I should have and made may way back to the couch - I barely made it out of the kitchen when a sharp pain jolted my side and brought me to my knees; I clutched at my side. I tried to get up but any movement at all made the pain even worse.  I looked at my side and I could see something moving underneath the skin on the side. I tried to get back up again but another sharp jolt of pain sent me back down to the floor - I couldn’t move.  Fionna looked at me from across the room, whimpering and laid down half in the spare room and half out - not sure if she should come help me or run in horror

‘Thanks for the help’ I barely managed to squeak out and saw her fully retreat into the spare room

I looked over at my side and saw the skin cracking and blood starting to come out.  I pulled off my shirt and placed it on top of the now open wound but whatever I thought the shirt would do to sop up the blood it didn’t.  I could feel pressure coming from underneath the shirt as the redness of the area mixed with the blood coming out of the wound.  I was about 15 feet from the bathroom and managed to crawl there to get some towels.  Leah was not going to be excited about all the blood but I probably needed to survive this first.  I had to kick my way over because my arms were basically useless at this point, the pain coming from my sides didn’t allow me to move my arms over my head.  I was half in the bathroom and laying on one of the throw rugs, which was originally white but now covered in blood.  Through immense pain I reached up and grabbed both the towels on the rack and placed them on my side.  My mind blipped like a pinball machine tilted from being shaken so hard.  That is when I felt something pop out of my body, it was like popping a whitehead but a billion times worse.  The pressure from the side of my body went from intense to relief in an instant but I could still feel something.  I looked down and saw something coming out of my body,

‘Uh, ugh, fuck is that my intestine?’

I grabbed some of the towels and pushed against whatever that was but it was painful, I had some mobility back in my arms again and attempted to sit up and lean agains the wall in the bathroom, I was about a quarter of the way up the wall, leaning on the opposite side when I was able to get a good look at what popped out of my body.  The bleeding had now stopped and the skin that had cracked and opened up had fully closed around this protrusion - it was another arm.

‘What the fuck is this, what is going on?!’  I didn’t realize it but I was flexing the hand of the arm - it looked like a 2 year olds arm on a 40 year olds body.  I didn’t understand what was going on.  The blood and junk were still dripping from the arm, I reached over to touch it and in my mind the arm reach over to grab my finger and I snatched my hand away.

‘What the fuck is going on’

I touched the area around my new appendage, no pain - maybe this is what giving birth is like and now I can fully empathize instead of just saying that I do.

I got on my knees and looked around, there was blood everywhere. I looked at my side, there was a tiny child arm popping out of my body.  I stood up slowly and mentally prepared myself for the sight I was about to see.  I closed my eyes as I stood up, turned and opened my eyes as I was standing in front of the mirror.  It was just as I had expected, a tiny child’s arm poking out of the side of my body.  How was I going to explain this to Leah?  How was I going to wear clothes? How the hell did this even happen now?

I braced myself against the sink, turned on the water and splashed my face with water.  I looked down and the tiny arm was bracing against the sink, holding me up even though after 40 years I had learned to balance myself.  ‘This is going to take some getting used to apparently’ I figured the next best bet was to take a shower, before I did that I looked at the time, it was a little past 1, I needed to message Leah.  I couldn’t send her a picture of this but maybe just a warning that I’m cleaning up.’

I shot off a message about the floors being wet and to be careful if she came home soon, I poked my head in the spare room and saw Fionna there - she slowly approached me and I bent over and pet her.  My new appendage was also petting her and she licked it cautiously, not really sure what was happening.  ‘Sorry for scaring you back there but I’m not really even sure what’s happening.’

I took a shower, cleaned up and got all the towels and rugs that I bled out on and attempted to wipe up the excess blood that was on the floor.  I grabbed a big bag and threw them away - there wasn’t going to be any saving those.  I washed the floor, made some tea and settled on the couch.  Leah should be home soon so I put on a big sweater so I wouldn’t freak her out.

I took some more ibuprofen just because it had been that kind of a day - I looked at my phone and it was about quarter past 2 and I had a message - looks like she was stopping at the store and would be home soon.  I closed my eyes and waited.

What felt like 2 minutes was actually about an hour later I heard the front door open,

‘Hey Justin - I’m back, can you give me a hand with these bags?’

‘Yeah, I’ll be right there’

I got up, grabbed the tea but it was cold and decided against it, brought mug to the kitchen sink and walked to the front door.

Leah was walking in with a couple of bags, she kissed me and said,

‘Hey, there about 3 more bags in there, do you mind getting them? Also, why are you wearing such a heavy sweater - are you feeling ok?’

‘I’m fine, after you left I wasn’t feeling that great but I’m better now.’

‘Ok, grab the bags, we can eat and talk in a minute.’

I went outside to grab the bags.  I wanted to see if I could pick up one of the bags with my new arms and sure enough I could.  I didn’t think it would be a good idea if I walked in with a bag in each hand and then one hanging out of the sweater so I opted out of that idea.  I grabbed the bags and walked in. I put the bags on the counter,

‘So how did it go with the sale, did it all go as planned?’

‘It went great, sold a couple I knew I was going to and made plans for a couple more - all in all, a good day.’

‘Great news!’

‘Yeah, its just the unknown leading up to it - you never know what is going to happen or pop up.’

‘Don’t I know that.’

‘What does that mean?’

I didn’t know how I was going to tell her or show her, the only real was was to just jump into the deep end.

‘Well, remember this morning I was having that pain on my side?’

Leah nodded and I continued

‘Well, after you left it became more red and inflamed, I took some ibuprofen and napped but it kept getting worse and worse.

She nodded again, looking more concerned

‘Eventually it looked like a giant whitehead ready to burst.’

‘Oh my god Justin, are you ok - let me see it!’

I put my hand up,

‘Just hold on’

‘So it did eventually burst and there was blood everywhere and it was super painful

‘Really? When did this happen?’

‘In the past 2 hours, it ‘popped and I cleaned up and we’re all good now.’

‘Justin, what happened and what aren’t you telling me.’

I grabbed the bottom of the sweater, ready to lift it up

‘It wasn’t just blood or pus that came out - something actually came out of me - did you want to see it?’

‘Yes goddammit show me!’

‘It is not going to be what you think.’

‘Fuck man just lift up the shirt!’

I lifted up my shirt and there it was the little arm, waving at Leah.  I looked up at her and her mouth dropped open.

‘What the fuck is that?’

‘I know - I was thinking the same thing.’