The Witch Doctor

I looked at her with tears in my eyes. It was over. Nothing else to do but this. It still saddened me though.

I knew what I had to do. I put my hand on her forehead and let the power flow between us. I collapsed on the floor feeling the sickness within me.

Some time earlier.



My name is Arthur and I am a Witch-Doctor. Or at least that’s what I call it. I can do things that most other people just can’t do. I can instantly diagnose any illness. I’ve used it to pursue my dream. I’m a nurse at the Wellington Hospital.

I first learned of my unique talents when I was ten. I was playing with the other children and Noel broke his leg somehow. He kept whining and all the other kids thought it was a just him being a baby.

But I KNEW different. I could just … tell that his leg was fractured in three places and and that he was going to come down with the common cold tomorrow.

I instinctually placed my hand on his leg and felt the power flow for the first time. The feeling is ….. Like you become ONE with your patient. I can never truly hope to describe it to you.
After that incident I had to limp off the field and over to the nurse. I had learned to use my other power. I could transfer an ailment from one person to the next. I couldn’t “cure” it per say but I could save a life. I never used it again. Not even after I became a nurse.

And yes I’m a nurse so don’t bother making quips at my masculinity. I use my skills to help people as best I can. But I never absorb an ailment.
It’s too risky. If I do die then more might die cause I wasn’t to help them. I mean what if…. Oh Hell truth is I don’t want to die. I know people say that the right thing today would be to sacrifice themselves for the patients... But don’t judge me until you’ve walked in my shoes, okay?

I was in a bad mood that night. Mr. Cole had passed away while I was on duty. I had to deal with the usual feelings of hurt, remorse and strongest of all guilt. Guilt that I could have saved him and didn’t.

Me and guilt are old companions. I still never get use to it though.

Lost in my thoughts I rounded a corner.... And ran headlong into a woman with pitch black hair with a electric blue streak going through it.

I glared and at the girl. I was in a foul mood and was just looking for someone to lash out at. Before I could even open my mouth though she spoke.

“Arthur?” she said rather incredulously.

I groaned inwardly. I hated not remembering names. You always feel like a like a jerk for not knowing.

“I’m sorry miss but....”

“Don’t you remember me? It’s Stacy. Stacy Black.”

The name clicked.

Stacy Black was a trouble maker. When I was a kid she would always steal my lunch and play pranks on me. Despite all her pranks though I must admit I had crush on her.

“Stacy! It’s been forever.”

“It has. Are you busy? I was wondering if we could catch up.”

“I just got on break. There’s a nice little cafe right next to the hospital.”

We went to the cafe. It was cozy with a warm atmosphere.

“So,” I asked after we sat down, “What are you doing here?”

I immediately regretted asking.

“Oh well I’ve got cancer.”

The casual way that she said it shocked me. It was as if she was talking about the weather!

We talked for a minute I went off to wrestle with my emotions.

I knew what I had to do. She was a good person and deserved to live a long life. But.... To do that. To end my own life without cause or reason. I couldn’t do it.

I passed Stacy’s waiting room on my way out. There was a little girl holding her and crying. Hard. I remembered my own parents.

Just then it happened.

She started coughing and wheezing. It was bad. The girl ran to fetch help. I ran in and without even thinking placed my hand on her head. The power rushed between us. And then it was done.

Part of me was shocked at what I’d done. I’d doomed myself. What was I thinking? Maybe I could pass it on to someone else or...

No. That would be murder. It’s better this way. Then it struck me. No it wasn’t. I still had work to do.



I placed my hand in the thin air and felt power rush through me. I could feel the illness creeping into me but all I could think was not yet. I placed my hand in the air and felt all the ailments rush into me. Cancer, Cuts, Bruises, Everything.

Epilogue

The hospital I use to work at had a 99.99% success rate that day. All except one nurse who worked there. One newspaper even went so far as to claim that it was a miracle of God and the only one to die did so because he lived in sin.

Everyone who worked at the hospital were disgusted at the newspaper’s claims. Sure the man rarely talked but he was the most caring man they ever knew.

As the man’s friends gathered around the coffin a young boy tripped and scraped his knee. He started to cry and his mother tried to comfort him.
A man knelt before him and placed a hand on his injured knee. After a time the injury was gone. Arthur Westings got up and walked off, thinking that he’d better find a band aid to put on his knee.
End?