The Procedure

They strap you to a bed in an operating theater, above you many people watch uneasily. As they fasten your head to the table you ask “Is all this really necessary, won’t I be sedated?” the doctor shakes his head “sorry son, that won’t matter. It breaks you down and builds you back up, it would just cut right through anything we tried to give you.” he finishes by putting a tube in your arm.

After a few seconds the tube starts to pump something cold into you, then nothing. You wait and the waiting becomes unbearable, nothing is happening. Then you feel a rumble, and a pain in your bones. “ok this isn’t too...” it feels like your bones are on fire and it is spreading through you, you scream until your lungs are empty, you think you pass out but you are still aware. you can't scream or move as the pain spreads through you, engulfing you in blinding pain. you are in pain more total than anything before in human experience for what seems like forever and then you loose consciousness.

you awake and look around. the pain is gone but you have no idea how long it has been. you move your eyes, as that is the only thing you can move to look above you, the people are all still there, still staring raptly. You speak your throat doesn't hurt “um... is it over? am I better? Why do I sound funny?”