Hospital Days

Shooting (top) After (bottom)

One month in the hospital explained why I haven’t seen her. A lung infection that was almost fatal and would’ve been for most….but anybody that can survive a great deal of hard drug use, homelessness and exposure to all kinds of pathogens is much more resilient internally and externally than the rest of us. I thought she looked at her prettiest. She was rested and healthy and spoke with clarity, very little of the intensely rushed and pressured speech that I’d often heard in the past. Her skin was clear and untarnished by blemishes or sores. Although truly underweight–dangerously so–she was logical in her approach to conversation and was a pleasure to spend time with, until a bit later, when I was able to see the accumulated effects of drugs used, stress, and memory.