The Alcovy Twins

      A team of doctors huddled around the operating table working methodically. Their calm conversation eased the tension coming from beeping monitors and tubes attached to the body on the bed. They moved with calculated precision, directing the nurses about the room and exchanging bloodied instruments for new ones. They worked quickly, though meticulous; time was not an ally. The clock on the wall reached passed 3am and occasionally received glances once the sun had set on the surgery.

      The body lying under their knives belonged to a one Jeremy Donald Alcovy, 23, of Elliston. The tumor in his abdomen was killing him. For the first 22 years of his life, Jeremy had been oblivious to its existence, not that the doctors could precisely pinpoint how long it had been there. It was only until he began to feel the hardening in his abdomen that he suspected something was wrong. Then the swelling, stiffness, and continual cases of blood poisoning increased his doctor's apprehension. The resulting ultrasound and MRI revealed the obstruction as well as the cause for concern. It had encased itself around blood vessels and had penetrated the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. It had been a living, feeding, parasitic tumor and now was slowly dying and calcifying in the process. Blood transfusions kept Jeremy a degree healthier although he remained close to the hospital for the better part of a year while surgical preparations were made. His surgical team researched, tested, and conducted exploratory operations until they were as close to confident as they could get their solution would work.

      The surgery had gone as planned so far. The blood vessels, which proved more difficult than anticipated, were bypassed and reconnected sans tumor. His stomach was separated and repaired. They were in the final stages of completely detaching the tumor from the intestine. With a final cut, the object was removed and handed to a nurse. She sat it on a cart and rolled it away from the bed. Her short gasp and cry brought the room to a standstill. She watched as the object shivered and shook on the cart. Her eyes widened and she nervously reached for a clean towel and began wiping.

      It was then that the features became apparent. It looked like a dark gray, nearly calcified branch of wood. The head was oblong and a malformed eye looked around. The making of an ear was attached crookedly to the right side of what was supposed to be a head. A hole that was neither mouth nor nose tried to take pitiful breaths. The arms and legs had long ago fused themselves to the body in a fetal position. The contours were still there though the appendages had not grown fingers or toes before they fused. It was male.

      The doctors stood around the table and stared for 34 seconds until he died. They looked around in silent wonder, speechless. They looked at the patient still in surgery. There were no words to express the moment. Birth and death certificates would, of course, be issued indicating that Robert Alexander Alcovy was born on January 16th, 2007 at 4:13am and died that same day at 4:14am. He was 14 inches long, 8lbs, and 23 years old. But right now, that was not the concern. The doctors looked back at each other and wondered how to tell Jeremy, his family, that he had in effect, just given birth to his twin brother.

Reviews

[Mockingbird]

this is disturbing and macabre. i've heard stories where one twin had absorbed their other twin, somehow...this is so very x-files. that's a good thing because i love that show. you have one sinister imagination especially after the other strories i've read so far.