A Hospital Scene…Out of the Blue

Courtesy of Canva

In June I attended Joan Dempsey’s Gutsy Great Novelist Retreat, and she had all of us writers who were in attendance come up with a scene for our work-in-progress that incorporated the same elements in a setting. In other words, we were all given the same setting: a hospital room and items within the room that needed to be included in the scene. But, we had to write it to fit our own characters. I am working on a historical fiction book, and the main characters are Chandan and Devi.

I was surprised that even though we were all given the same setting and objects, everyone’s story was completely different. Some were thrillers, others science fiction, and still others magical realism, yet they were all unique. It’s amazing how we can take the same elements and come up with scenarios that are unique to who we are and the story we are relaying.

Here is my scene:

Chandan lay on a plastic-frame hospital bed on that evening in early July. It wouldn’t be the last day of his life and but he wasn’t aware. He still had seven months to live, but as a cool breeze swept through the room, he thought we would soon pass.

He only wished Devi was there with him to witness his final moments, but the hardback visitor chair was empty. Then again, he had missed hers, so perhaps this was appropriate. She had died on her own and so…