Post by dans on Nov 25, 2017 0:59:34 GMT
Nate Hollander was dying. Nate Hollander had a secret. The two facts weren’t really related, except that Nate desperately wanted to share the secret before he died. He had always planned to tell someone, but somehow he’d never found just the right person to tell. And now, he realized he didn’t have time to wait any longer. He would have to tell his nurse, and hope she did the right thing with his secret.
“Cindy, listen to me,” he croaked to his attendant. The nursing home claimed that she was a nurse, at least, though she did damn little nursing. “I’m going to give you a secret of great power, a great power that can be yours, and you must use it responsibly.”
“Yeah, sure, I’m listening, old man,” she responded disinterestedly, meanwhile thinking 'I can’t wait for you to die, you old fart! Always going on and on, always babbling about how great a scientist you were and how you could have changed the world. And a lot of good it did you, too…' She didn’t smile – she saved her smile for new patients, the families of her patients on their infrequent visits, and her bosses.
"Cindy, many years ago, I made a great discovery. I discovered a secret of great power, a secret I dared not use as I knew I wasn't worthy of the great power this secret would bestow on me. I spent the rest of my life looking for someone to bear this great power. Someone who would use it responsibly and make the world a better place. I don't believe that person is you, Cindy. And yet, if I die without passing along the secret, what good can it ever do? Just knowing about the existence of this great power - just bearing the secret - changed me, made me a better person, and I have to hope it will change you for the better as well. So listen carefully, Cindy, as I am about to give you a secret that can change the world!"
He leaned closer. "Repeat after me!" She was ignoring him. "Damn it, repeat after me!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, and everyone turned to look at him. He leaned even closer and whispered… "3X2(9YZ)4A" As he was whispering, her phone rang. And when he finished his head collapsed on the table as his heart stopped.
"Crazy old coot!" she swore at him after glancing at the screen of her phone. "Do you have ANY idea how much paperwork you just stuck me with?"
“Cindy, listen to me,” he croaked to his attendant. The nursing home claimed that she was a nurse, at least, though she did damn little nursing. “I’m going to give you a secret of great power, a great power that can be yours, and you must use it responsibly.”
“Yeah, sure, I’m listening, old man,” she responded disinterestedly, meanwhile thinking 'I can’t wait for you to die, you old fart! Always going on and on, always babbling about how great a scientist you were and how you could have changed the world. And a lot of good it did you, too…' She didn’t smile – she saved her smile for new patients, the families of her patients on their infrequent visits, and her bosses.
"Cindy, many years ago, I made a great discovery. I discovered a secret of great power, a secret I dared not use as I knew I wasn't worthy of the great power this secret would bestow on me. I spent the rest of my life looking for someone to bear this great power. Someone who would use it responsibly and make the world a better place. I don't believe that person is you, Cindy. And yet, if I die without passing along the secret, what good can it ever do? Just knowing about the existence of this great power - just bearing the secret - changed me, made me a better person, and I have to hope it will change you for the better as well. So listen carefully, Cindy, as I am about to give you a secret that can change the world!"
He leaned closer. "Repeat after me!" She was ignoring him. "Damn it, repeat after me!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, and everyone turned to look at him. He leaned even closer and whispered… "3X2(9YZ)4A" As he was whispering, her phone rang. And when he finished his head collapsed on the table as his heart stopped.
"Crazy old coot!" she swore at him after glancing at the screen of her phone. "Do you have ANY idea how much paperwork you just stuck me with?"