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Back Saving the World Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Prologue
  2. Part 1
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. Part 2
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47

Again I felt some tugging on my arm, and I really wondered what that was about. Was Ella’s mom going to start this procedure any time soon?

“It’s okay. Just relax.” He sounded stiff and nervous. “Just...relax. Don’t try to talk.”

“I don’t want my chip anymore,” I explained groggily, then frowned. “Actually, I never wanted that chip.”

“Okay,” said Fang. “We’re taking it out.”

“I just want you to hold my hand.”

“I am holding your hand.”

“Oh. I knew that.” I drifted off for a few minutes, barely aware of anything, but feeling Fang’s hand still in mine.

“Do you have a La-Z-Boy somewhere?” I roused myself to ask, every word an effort.

“Um, no,” said Ella’s voice, somewhere behind my head.

“I think I would like a La-Z-Boy,” I mused, letting my eyes drift shut again. “Fang, don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t. I’m here.”

“Okay. I need you here. Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t.”

“Fang, Fang, Fang,” I murmured, overwhelmed with emotion. “I love you. I love you sooo much.” I tried to hold out my arms to show how much, but I couldn’t move them.

“Oh, jeez,” Fang said, sounding strangled.

“Okay, we’re done,” said Dr. Martinez finally. “The chip is out. I’m going to unfasten your arm, Max, and then I want you to wiggle your fingers.”

“Okay.” I wiggled the fingers that Fang was still holding.

“The other ones,” he said.

“Okay.” I wiggled those fingers.

“Go ahead and move them, Max,” said Dr. Martinez.

“I am moving them,” I said, moving them more.

“Oh,” said Dr. Martinez. “Oh, no.”

31

31

So there you have it, folks. The most humiliating admission I could possibly even conceive of, plus the loss of my left hand, all in one day. I mean, the hand was still there, but it was dangling limply. More decorative than anything else at this point.

Just like my pride.

Every time the hazy memory of my saying goofily, “I love you sooo much” popped into my head, I shuddered all over again. That one experience guaranteed that I will never, ever get hooked on Valium or anything like it.

Dr. Martinez was incredibly upset about my hand. She was in tears afterward and kept apologizing.

“Hey, I made you do it,” I told her.

“You didn’t make me. I shouldn’t have tried it.” She looked crushed.

“No matter what, I’m glad it’s gone,” I said. “I’m really glad it’s gone.”

The next day I was Voice-free and starting to learn to do everything with only my right hand. It was a total pain in the butt, but I was getting better. Again and again I tried to move the fingers on my left hand, and again and again I got not a twitch or a tingle. My arm ached, though.