TUESDAY TALES - WORD PROMPT "FISH"

Welcome! This week we have another episode of "Unforgettable". This one is emotional so I caution sensitive readers. Scroll on down to return to the excellent stories of Tuesday Tales. Thanks for stopping by. 

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His wet shirt made him shiver. The cold fish sandwich sat like an undigestible lump in his stomach. Grateful to see only one other person on the subway train, he took a seat at the other end. They’d lost ten patients in his shift. Hell, he’d never lost as many as that in a year. Exhausted physically and mentally, emotion shook him. His eyes watered. He bent his head, ashamed to cry in front of even just one stranger. Men don’t cry, right? Especially not doctors. They see sickness and death all the time. It’s supposed to roll off their backs.

Not today. He raised his sleeve to wipe his face until he remembered Dr. Snider’s warning. “Don’t touch your face.” The tears rolled down his cheeks and dropping onto the floor of the lurching car, leaving small wet spots.

With so few passengers, the train made excellent time, getting him to his stop quickly. Cary shook his head, scattering the remaining wetness and walked briskly to Sue’s apartment. He unlocked the outer door, then the inner one.

“Cary! You’re back.”

He raised his hand. “Stay away. In fact, you might want to turn your back. I’m going to strip down completely and put my clothes in the washer.” He emptied his pockets on the kitchen counter.

“Okay.” She turned away from him.

He moved to the small machine squeezed into her kitchen and took every piece of clothing off. He stuff the garments into the basket, then scrubbed his hands with hot water and soap in the sink. Then he sanitized them further with Purell. Barefoot and totally naked, he added detergent, set the dial to hot, and turned it on.

He disappeared into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Stepping under the hot water, he hoped to wash away the memories of his day at Empire General. Instead, he rested his head on the tile wall and sobbed.

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