Dilemma on a cold slab

 

Nathan Ozwold had been tried and sentenced to death for the murder of a young girl. Before his death Nathan had filled out a donor card and requested his earthly remains thereafter be cremated. The noose was placed around his neck and he was hung for five minutes. The doctor confirmed there was no heart beat and he was cut down. He was driven down to the morgue for preservation until the funeral arrangements could be made.  He was placed on the morgue table and it was Edna Blinko the mortician had the duty of removing his organs. She would have the honour of seeing if a child killer really did have a heart.   Yet as she sterilized the tools in the sink she heard a gasp of air from behind her. Nothing out the ordinary, air gets trapped in the lungs after death. The scalpel was dried off and she turned around to see Nathan staring back at her, mouthing a single world.

‘Help’

Edna did not know what to do. Had he come back to life or had he just fooled the hangman? As she walked towards him she could see his arm struggle to rise as his fingers twitched on the metal surface. Voices screamed in her head.

‘Kill him, no one will ever know.’

‘You’re a doctor you need to save him’

 ‘He deserves to die, that was his is punishment.’

‘Who are you to play God? You don’t eve believe in capital punishment.’

‘You don’t believe in God. He had his chance and he took someone else’s life.’

‘Two wrongs don’t make a right.’

‘What if it had been your daughter? What if that sick fuck ruined your life. This isn’t about you, this is about her family and sending a message.’

‘If message worked, then why am I in here every week? I’m no killer.’

Nathan eyes seemed to have a light that cried out to her. Edna walked towards the telephone and dialled out. She waited for an answer.

‘This is Dr Blinko, I have an issue in regards to the patient.’

She looked over to the table and saw a smile pull on Nathan’s face.

‘He’s still breathing, I think the hanging failed… … … yeah you’re going to have to come pick him up… … … Ten minutes? Okay ’

She put the phone down and heard a wheezy sound. Nathan had a grin on his face and his chest rocked up and down. That bastard was laughing at her. Her face changed to a smile and she opened up one of the fridges in the morgue. She then pushed the trolley to the opening and lifted him inside of it. Nathan’s laughter now became muffed screams as the door was shut. When the paramedic arrived Edna pulled Nathan out.

‘I’m afraid that before you arrived he checked out, if I had the equipment we could have saved him.’

The paramedics looked at the frozen warped face of Nathan Ozwold. They weren’t dumb, but they walked away without saying a word. It just more paperwork for everyone else.