The Embrace

First day jitters.

We enter the room

anxiety, excitement,

formaldehyde in the air.

Act cool,

nobody wants to be the one who barfs.

It all happens so fast.

We pair up, position ourselves around a table

with a white-cloaked mass on it.

We confidently remove the cover, lift back the cheesecloth.

Let's do this.

Step 1: roll your cadaver over.

Huh.

"Umm...

Okay, I watched the video. Let's turn him over like a

real patient."

For a few moments, we circle around

trying to gain strategic positioning.

We scoot him to the edge of the table,

roll him on his side.

There are four of us

but he's so heavy!

At 93, he was no frail man.

We can't flip him over; his arm is stuck.

(Oh God, what if it breaks off?)

Suddenly, my arms are around him, lifting.

My chest is against his,

his free arm is inches from my face.

Despite scrubs, lab coat, and gloves,

his cold, yellow skin touches my wrist.

And now that he's over,

lying comfortably on his stomach,

relief rushes over me.

I can do this, I thought,

I just hugged a dead guy!

And so we begin.