This choice: Lindsay, a woman in her 30s • Go Back...Chapter #3Lindsay, a woman in her 30s by: JoeBlack “Lindsay Malero, 31 year old nurse who had just gotten off of work. Her car was located in a parking lot across the crosswalk of a busy intersection. She used this crosswalk everyday with no trouble so she had no reason to fear crossing it. She waited for the pedestrian crossing signal to show the “walk” symbol before she proceeded.
Amidst crossing, Lindsay turned her head to the right and was immediately met with a feeling of horror as she noticed a car racing through the red light and towards her. Behind it were several cop cars with their sirens blaring in pursuit of it. She tried her best to avoid the car but her attempt was in vain as the car collided with her before running her over completely. The cop cars were forced to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting Lindsey as the car continued to speed away.
911 was quickly called as several policemen rushed out of their cars to keep Lindsay safe. Eventually an ambulance arrived, and she was rushed to the nearest hospital. At the hospital, an initial inspection of her body revealed that her injuries were severe. Both of her lungs were collapsed, most of her ribs and sternum were likely broken, and worst of all, she was going into cardiac arrest.
Blood was also starting to fill her chest, leaving the doctors with limited options to keep her alive. They really only had one (possibly) reliable way of saving her, but it was a radical and experimental one. In collaboration with several other hospitals across the US, totally functioning artificial human bodies were being developed and distributed in the case that potential patient(s)’ bodies were irreparable. At this point in time human head transplants are possible, allowing this technology to exist.
The doctors quickly made the choice to prepare Lindsay for a head transplant onto the artificial body. A nurse was sent to retrieve said body from an equipment closet where it was stored, and on her way she ran into another nurse who was in pursuit of the same body. Due to the technology of the artificial bodies being expensive and experimental, the hospital only received one every few months.
The second nurses’ patient was in a similar situation as Lindsay, and also desperately needed the body. The other patient was a 28 year old woman named Avery Collins. Neither nurse wanted to make the choice to choose who gets the body, so they instead rushed back to their respective rooms to inform the doctors of their predicament.
They decided to move both patients to a common room and discuss things from there. Through all of the chaos both of the women’s respective families had arrived and were informed of the ethical dilemma the doctors had faced. Both families obviously wanted their daughters to live, but also didn’t want to be responsible for the death of the other.
One nurse finally chimed in with a crazy idea that she thought the staff and families may immediately reject: transplanting both of Lindsay and Avery’s heads onto the same artificial body. As expected, the families responded negatively to the suggestion, and the doctors were not sure if the body could support both of the women’s heads. However, neither of them were likely to survive their injuries and were on the brink of death. The doctors had no options left.
Despite the families rejecting the idea of their daughters sharing the same body, it was the doctors’ duty to try and save their patients in any possible way they could. Both Lindsay and Avery were prepared for head transplants onto the body.
Both of their heads were carefully separated from their bodies, and attached side-by-side on the artificial body, Lindsay’s head being on the right and Avery the left. The body had advanced enough technology to where it could automatically attach its artificial veins to the veins of the patient (or in this case, patients), and any other connections it needed to make.
The doctors were unsure if the body was capable of supporting two heads, and everyone in the room watched in silence waiting for a heartbeat. After several agonizing minutes, the body’s heart began beating, and both of Lindsay and Avery’s heads began to breathe in sync.
Everyone in the room clapped and cheered for a successful operation and the saving of Lindsay and Avery. The doctors asked the families to leave while they continued to monitor the now conjoined women. After a few hours, both of them awaken and... indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline · Recent Additions © Copyright 2024 JoeBlack (UN: joeblack676 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
askmax108 has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |