Keep Your Eyes Open

One-Armed Problems and Madness

Looking after an amputee had it's downsides.

For a while, he found it hard to keep his balance, I always had to be there to keep him steady and make sure he didn't fall over. He found it difficult to eat, so I had to cut his food for him. He couldn't write at all.

Harri seemed happy that he survived, happy to live another day, but he didn't like the fact he only had one arm.

"How're you feeling?" I asked one day.

"Alright," he replied sadly.

"Is it the arm thing again or...?"

"Arm thing, and the fact I can now only hug you and cuddle you with half my body."

"Harri, I don't care if you can only hug me or cuddle me with one arm, all I care about is your safety. That's why I did it, I would prefer you to have one arm then to be dead." My throat tightened as I said those last few words, I didn't enjoy the taste of them in my mouth.

"Thanks," he looked at me in a sad, yet loving way.

"You don't need to thank me. And don't be sad, you could be... You know..."

"Yeah... I suppose so..." I rested my head on his shoulder and put a single arm across his stomach. The pressure of him resting his head on mine shortly followed. I closed my eyes and wished I never had to move.

"Babe, Taby, TOTMEISTER!" I jerked up at my childhood pet name.

"What?! I was clearly asleep!" I said grumpily.

"You need to cook breakfast, Vaseva's not feeling too well..."

"That ain't good... What d'ya want?"

"The guys want pancakes, and so do I."

"Is the gas still working?"

"Yeya," he answered, smiling.

"Fine, do we have any Nutella?"

"Five massive tubs, I think Lennon wants sugar and lemon juice though."

"Okay, I shall go and make the pancakes then," I went to stand up but Harri held me still.

"Just a few more seconds," he whispered softly in my ear. After a few more seconds, he let me go.

"I'll b-"

"I'm coming with, I'll help," he said getting up. I couldn't help but notice the stump of an arm moving as if a full arm was still attached to it. A wrenching feeling in my stomach kept growing as I watched Harri slowly get up and off the sofa. When he stood up, I took his hand and led him to the kitchen.

"We need to fill the baths with water, it won't last much longer."

"How'll we shower though?"

"The sink..." I said.

"Right..." I helped Harri to sit on a counter top to watch whilst I made the pancake mixture. We didn't talk very much, only when something reminded us of our old lives that seemed so long ago.

I bit my quavering lip, trying not to remember my parents.

Too late.

A single tear ran gracefully down my cheek, and then another, and then another. I bit my tongue from crying out.

I pour the pancake mixture in the pans and once they're done, place them on a plate.

"If... If you could start spreading Nutella on the pancakes that would be great..." my voice was soft and weak.