The Little Things

By Nicholas Stillman

Every medical marvel has its side effects. When organ transplants become socialized in the near future, a driven and dogged city man, Bert, will do anything to improve himself. But the rules state he must destroy his old self first.

Follow Bert as he dives through smoke and fire to get the organs of his dreams. Bert becomes an inadvertent hero, facing the flames of housefires and rescuing anything alive. But as he goes deeper to expedite his master plan, he must face the systems on the other side of his smokescreen. Technology, law, and medicine may just pull him into their own eerie new directions.

Will you judge the man or the medical machine? Get “The Little Things” now and find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stillman Sci-Fi
• Release date: Mar 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386407805

Nicholas Stillman

Nicholas Stillman writes dark but entertaining science fiction. His weekly short stories and collections aim for variety and novelty with fun and thought-provoking twists. They often branch into dystopia, crime, horror, medical fiction, black comedy, romance, adventure, adult, and the completely new. Some of Stillman’s themes include civilizational collapse, addictions of the future, medicine in space, dark psychology, and the terrifying fate of our healthcare. Stillman offers monthly free short stories at StillmanSciFi.com. Get yourself free, easily accessible short stories for life--the perfect way for any science fiction fan to spend time on commutes or at home.

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The Little Things

By Nicholas Stillman

© 2017 Nicholas Stillman

Get free short stories monthly at stillmanscifi.com

Bert coughed eight times. He needed a victory. The clinic needed something more ceremonious—some doctors with genuine gravitas, a vase of flowers to obscure the laminated anatomy posters, anything. Instead, the steel walls looked as sterile as they smelled. The rubbing alcohol fumes could take out whatever germs the prostitutes outside happened to breathe out. The whole lineup of them would probably scowl again for taking four minutes of the doctor’s time. Bert sat on the same examination table the hookers had to sit on, though nothing leaked out of him below or threatened to crawl out in the wrong trimester. He waited like upright beef on a dissection table, bonier beef than the scrumptious kind in the hall.

Unlike them, Bert only coughed. It seemed like a good enough victory for now.

Don’t do anything too dumb now, Dr. Chase said. His huge potbelly sagged more with each visit. The ladies outside could never kick him in the groin for bad news again. Keep smoking your cigarettes and take whatever meditations I prescribed before.

If I smoke twice as much, when do you think I’ll qualify for the double-lung transplant? Bert asked.

Dr. Chase had his answer ready for launch. It burbled out fast. It varies. It could take years. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, sneaks in with age, and everyone ages differently. Keep in mind the long wait after you get accepted for transplantation. Gosh, look at cancer patients. They get a guaranteed operation too, but not until their tumors grow as big as tennis balls.

The doctor ended with that. He just stared, waiting for something—another question, perhaps, but probably lunch.

"Alright. Thanks