Big Loss

"Kaiden… Kaiden… KAIDEN."

A female voice pierced through his ears, growing louder, pulling him out of his peaceful slumber.

Slowly, he returned to consciousness. His lightly covered body was gently dabbed, and he felt a refreshing cloth on his skin.

But then he realized it – his face was tinged with a light shade of red up to his forehead. If he could move his legs, they would cramp and stiffen.

His cheeks felt like they were on fire.

How could he have overlooked this? Was he that foggy-headed?

An attractive young woman, evidently a nurse, was cleaning him. Kaiden knew he couldn't speak, afraid of sounding filthy.

So he let it happen, even though it made him uncomfortable.

His thoughts were deeply buried in the sheets, the light didn't seem as harsh anymore, and the red veil gradually faded, leaving only a delicate pink.

With closed eyes, he tried to shield himself from reality, but the thoughts that haunted him were even more suffocating.

Seconds stretched into endless hours.

****

But then his already flushed face faded to a ghostly pallor. His eyes opened, and his mouth, which he wanted to open, resisted.

It wasn't cold, but he trembled nonetheless.

His lips felt drier than before, like a sponge drained of water. The shiny, long blonde hair now appeared gray, almost white.

He didn't dare ask, but he had to.

A battle raged within him between his lips and the truth.

Eventually, the truth triumphed, and the opposing party was defeated.

The parched lips, however, were not willing to give up without a fight. The dead skin clung to his teeth and just wouldn't let go.

Finally, it peeled away with a slight bleed, and the trembling voice spoke.

The sound waves seemed to float weightlessly through the room, searching for the right path. They reached the walls, the ceiling, the light, the bed, the cloth, the windows, and finally, the delicate ears of the nurse.

The vocal cords that gave the sound a voice painted a picture of fear and confusion. The words, forming a question, could no longer be held back.

"Where are my testicles?"

The resolute verdict of Kaiden, now aged by 40 years, who, after all the touches of a woman, felt no sensation in his body.

The nurse looked at him In confusion, thoughtfully scratching her forehead, and eventually realized she had made a big mistake.

She had failed to inform him of this.

Finally, she regretted it and expressed her sympathy as she explained that those were no longer there either.

Kaiden didn't want to accept this truth, motionless like a corpse in the white covering of the bed.

His mind seemed to be slowly leaving his body, death hovering before him once again, ready to carry him away.

But Kaiden had to face reality and accept it.

The seemingly endless time passed as the nurse conducted all the necessary tests.

The atmosphere remained tense but seemed to slowly improve. With time, Kaiden's vital signs showed improvement, prompting the nurse to call for an orderly.

After a short wait, a tanned man with about a week's worth of beard entered the room. He exuded a calming aura, though he appeared somewhat darker overall.

In contrast to his lighter, sky-blue attire, he seemed encouraging.

The orderly wheeled in a sturdy wheelchair with steel framing towards the bed. He approached Kaiden soothingly, extending his arms. He carefully placed some cushions for support next to Kaiden and lifted him slightly to the side.

Since Kaiden no longer had legs, the footrests of the wheelchair were ignored. The softly padded seat and backrest still offered some comfort.

To prevent Kaiden from tilting forward, additional safety belts were fastened around him.

Now everything was ready for transport. The wheels turned easily as the orderly started to move.

They moved forward so slowly that even those who walked slowly and gently overtook them.

Just before the nurse waved goodbye, she turned around and wished Kaiden all the best. With this turn, he could see her fully for the first time. The beautiful, slightly pale young lady seemed to have a small badge on her chest.

That reminded Kaiden that he hadn't learned her name yet. Marie, a beautiful name indeed. With these thoughts, she turned away and seemed to be needed elsewhere.

It was clear, she was here not only for him, but for everyone staying in this hospital, a sister and thus a caregiver.

Marie went to the right, while the orderly steered to the left. The turn followed, and Kaiden saw a long, seemingly endless corridor.

Kaiden, trying to imprint every tiny detail of the path, fixed the way from the minute to the tiniest second in his memory. Finally, they were dropped off in front of the MRI room.

The orderly stopped and opened the door, gently pushing Kaiden with a slight swing into the new room.

There, he saw a small chamber with a huge pane, behind which was a cylindrical tube that would apparently soon examine him.

An expert approached him and greeted him warmly. He said it was incredible to see him and he was somehow curious. Kaiden asked why that was, while looking flattered inside. The doctor in charge of the MRI finally explained that Kaiden was famous among the doctors in this hospital.

The man who made the impossible possible, the all-powerful immortal who escaped death and rose again. Everyone here talks about you. Finally, you survived the disaster in Florida.

That's a true miracle.

Kaiden's flattered expression faded, and he seemed normal again. But inside, he was broken.

In the face of the doctor's words, he remembered all the sacrifices that had to be made.

Not only his limbs or himself had been hurt, but also his psyche.

He had lost important people.

****