He spoke quietly, more to himself, than anyone nearby- "I was a good man, wasn't I? I was a good man!"
Next to him, in the hall, a nurse stood, glowing pure white eyes. Skin white, unnaturally so, with darker lines breaking it up, showing where the pieces of artificial skin joined together. Inside it's head, a mechanical mind, whirring away. A copy of a great nurse from long ago, altered to be what they would considered, "the perfect nurse."
It spoke - "You ARE a good man."
The man looked up quickly from his hands, tears clearly on his face, a face of sorrow, mixed with worry, and fear - "But WAS I a good man," he then pointed to the door behind him, hand slightly shaking - "Was I a good man" he said, voice starting to break.
- 10 minutes earlier -
The man walked into the hospital room, machines gently beeping, and an old man, in his late 80s or 90s lay in the bed, eyes closed. His face one of forced peace, with a gentle smile, and relaxed brow, that frequently was disturbed by some internal discomfort. The visitor approached the bed, and knelt down beside him.
The old man's eyes popped open suddenly, and he looked at the visitor.
Old Man: "It worked?"
He asked, in a calm voice
Visitor: "It worked."
Said the visitor, equally as calm, and somber
Old Man: "The OCD?"
He questioned, with slightly greater energy
Visitor: "Reduced by 90%"
As he formed a gentle smile
Old Man: "& the eyes?"
Now with some excitement in his voice- but with his own eyes clearly out of focus, unable to focus directly at the visitor.
Visitor: "Got them, their working right now"
The visitor said, still calmly smiling, with his black eyes, with white, slightly teal tinted irises, glowing"
Old Man: "It all went to plan?"
Visitor: "Everything seems to be in order, I feel-" there was a pause "Like, myself"
They both laughed quietly, but the man quickly started coughing, and became silent.
Old Man: "Pray for me."
The old man said, eyes closed, clearly in increased discomfort.
The visitor lowered his head, closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and resting his thumbs against the bridge of his nose, began to pray.
Visitor: "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those, who trespassed against us- and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, now"
There was a long pause.
Visitor: "and at the hour, of *our* death."
There was a different, gentle beep, from the machines, the old man had passed. No one would try to resuscitate him, to restart his breathing, this was his wish.
The visitor looked upwards, and closed his eyes. "God, please forgive me for my sins. I know I have not lived a perfect life, but please, forgive me." a pause "Please accepted me into heaven, please HAVE accepted me into heaven!"
As he thought the last part, of this personal plee to God, he began to cry, turned from the bed and left the room.
As he slumped down against the wall outside, a priest quickly approached.
The priest, having reached the door, looked over at a the nurse quickly approaching, before looking down on man against the wall. The priests face showed some simblance of sorrow, but also, of contempt.
As the priest vanished into the hospital room, clearly late for the Old Man's last rights, the visitor thought.
"The priest should have been there- no one should die alone."
