45

45, THIS IS YOUR NUMBER.

said the DOCTOR. COME IN

AS I CALL YOUR NUMBER.

NOW WAIT IN LINE.



4 and 5, I like these two numbers

5 succeeds 4, in an order

like two persons in each other's company

waiting in a long line.



a man lying on a trolley was pushed

into the waiting room,

surrounded by his relatives--six, I counted

HE’S No.42.

RAISE HIM UP AND PLACE

HIM ON THE EXAMINING BED.

said the DOCTOR as he conducted

the crowd

the man’s removal stirred the air

but the man didn't move

or make any sound, like he was dead



the clock on the wall ticked

seven and a half minutes passed



the scanning room's door opened

a yelling burst from inside

GRAB HIS LEG

PUSH HIS BODY TO THE BED

DON’T LET HIM MOVE

WATCH HIS OXYGEN BAG

I glanced at the man wrapped in striped

hospital pajamas, struggling against

the press from his relatives

his sisters, brothers maybe

plastic straws were stuck

into his nostrils and mouth

screaming, crying and mumbling unconsciously

as he was pushed away

a creature in pain

he was awake



No.43, YOUR TURN!

an old man in a wheelchair

with his son and daughter-in-law

they took off his thick outfit

the old man stared

at me, eyes empty.

the look was familiar

it reminded me of my grandma

the same look I received when I stood by her

the last night she spent on earth



the clock on the wall ticked

seven and a half minutes passed



the old man was out

clothes back on again

dad, do you feel ok?

he moved his lips, mumbled

some words only his son understood

his eyes were still fixed on me

looking at me warmly

but I felt cold



a little girl sat beside me

eating KFC chicken

her tiny ankle was exposed

to the air, swollen

her red face was fresh, fresh

as her fried chiken

I smiled at her

she smiled back and said

hey, do you want some?

her mother had dozed off already

with her weary face buried in her hair

dark hair



No. 44!

TAKE OFF YOUR BRA!

the old woman hesitated

standing still at the door

looking at the DOCTOR

questioning

TAKE OFF YOUR BRA! CAN’T YOU READ!

yes, it was written on the notice on the wall

she blushed, went on stripping

I turned around

her body was hopelessly old

like her age



the clock on the wall ticked

seven and a half minutes passed



I'm No.45, doctor

I said before he called

I took off my shoes, my belt

the rest of my clothes before he commanded

VERY WELL. NOW LIE DOWN

PUT YOUR LEFT LEG INTO THE HOLE.

He closed the door and went

to the monitoring room

the examining bed moved, sending me

to the MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine

a big machine, big as the hospital

a white machine, white as the hospital

a cold machine, cold as the hospital

it started buzzing, resonantly

millions of bees flying around me

buzzing loudly, noisy and crazy

No.42 was screaming

No.43 was staring

No.44 was hesitating

No.45, YOU CAN COME OUT!

the buzz was gone, all of a sudden

the Doctor was saying

THE SCAN IS OVER!