The Town Gimp

Creston hated Spectral Sciaticism, it was not so much as the pain of constant shockwaves running through his leg and sometimes down his neck. What he hated most was the pain and struggle in everyone’s eyes. 

People did move on and learned to live with the pain, but limping became the new normal. 

Not having a limp meant you either did not get the virus yet, or you have not been vaccinated. Anyone who met a limpless would get an intense flare up of the Sciatica nerve beyond imaginable pain. The pain would last 3-7 days, so public events and parties were not worth it.

The pain was so bad that thousands of people committed suicide daily and the highest rate of natural death was small children. There little bodies could not take the swelling of the spine and nerve, eventually their little bodies would give out.

Creston hated that fact that half his loved ones were either on intense dosages of Pain killers or hopelessly lost in anger. More and more pain suppressants were being invented monthly both natural and pharmaceutical. Nothing fully worked though.

He just wanted to work no matter what, so he got a job on a local farm and did the best he could to work through the pain. Jobs were scares and he was happy to have a bit of income and mental distraction, but he knew that was easier said than done for many. Some people had it so bad they required round the clock assistance and could not leave their bed.

Colleen owned the farm and worked hard, Creston always had a blast working with her. In the beginning it was all jokes and laughs about the zinging pain down from the spine to feet, then once that got old, they would move onto some other problems they could make fun of.

Friendship and family kept him going, everyday was always an adventure of trails and errors to make equipment run, feeding the livestock, and tending the garden. She had all the tricks and no matter what they lacked; she would find a way to make it herself.

One day Colleen had a smoke in her mouth while they were working with the still. She tried to have a shot of shine but with her hands full, so she just left the smoke in her mouth. This was normal for Colleen to do and she never had a problem with it. This time the cat had been laying under her chair and as she lifted the shot to her mouth, little kitty took off for a mouse and dug all back claws into the side of her foot.

Kitty was one hell of a hunter and his nails were like solid meat hooks digging into the soft part of her inner foot. Colleen jumped spilling the shine all over her face and the smoke lit her entire face up like May old Christmas tree.

Luckily, they both knew what to do and prevented any horrific damage. It took some time but after a few weeks they were once again razing each other about who was at fault and laughing at the idea of being a fly on the wall when it happened.

Creston went home everyday to a wife and two children, sometimes he was stumbling from having too much fun at work but not always. He was proud of his girls that took the pain in strides and still did as much schooling as they could each day.

His wife really struggled with the pain, she was most often in bed for the day and both girls Sam and Sara would take care of the cooking and laundry. It gave them purpose and they would always tell Creston about something they thought of or learned for the day; their ideas were endless. Sara always came up with the ideas, Sam always turned the ideas into something that could work. It was hard, but they did it.

His wife June did not always have the strength to get past the pain, she would always smile at him and the girls but inside she was angry. Creston never blamed her, June was usually the one to cook, clean and fully participate in the girls online schooling.

She did good for awhile, June would still go to the store, still go to parties and was verry outgoing. Back then no one knew that the limpless could affected others so badly and by the time Creston and the doctor figured it out, her nerves were so badly damaged that she was bedridden.

Colleen at the farm didn’t have any family left, when Creston would leave for the day, she would be alone but always told Creston to never worry because all her personalities kept her company. It was a fun joke they had between them both, when something went wrong they would just blame one of her personalities and laugh it off.

One day Creston showed up for work and he got that empty feeling when he opened the front door. It was a feeling he knew too well and one he never expected to feel at Colleen’s house.

They held her funeral on the farm and it went just how she would have wanted. Out of all our friends and family left alive every single one showed up, there was about 50 people total. Everyone brought pictures of past family and friends, they were all placed on a mural above her urn.

Even the kids lined up at the stein and took turns raising a shooter of moonshine and telling a story about how Colleen helped them laugh through the pain of this new world we all live in. By the time everyone had a turn they were all in tears of laughter and stomach pain. Creston was so proud of her friend and all the joy she had brought to everyone around her.

Not long after the speeches were done, health services came to shut the gathering down. In honor of Colleen and her constant reminder to be free, the entire crowd made a wall and took a stand against the 4 officers that arrived.   

They walked towards the crowd and one friend from the back yells “Join the party or leave!”

They were big men, but this was a tough crowd. Being from such a small area 3 of the officers knew Creston and most of the people there, but they had a job to do.

It didn’t take long, and all four officers were tied to a chairs and placed in front of the story wall. They were not injured in anyway, just tied up and forced to review the past friends and be reminded of the many deeds Colleen had done for the surrounding residents.

She always gave most of her garden food away every harvest, she shared her mechanical knowledge and helped people make their homes self sufficient. Officer Banton would not even have water if it were not for Colleens’ ability to fix his filtration system.

Officer Banton started remembering how that day went, Colleen did a lot of swearing but it was never out of anger. He learned a lot the day she helped him out. Once she got it working for him and showed him how the toilet water went into one filter and well into another, she handed him a glass of water to try.

The lacking water and self-sustaining systems often left anyone with a bit of fog in their water, it was not dirty, it was just not always fully clear.

He took the glass of water and drank it all down with a smile of so much joy. 

“Finally! Thank you for getting it working.” He said with his eyes still closed from the satisfaction of it all.

“Oh?” She said and starred down at her glass puzzled.

“Oh? what’s the matter Colleen?” He said perplexed.

She turned her head, lookup at him standing over her and said. “I accidently gave you the toilet water.” She had no smile and looked so serious.

“What!” he said and instantly started gagging over the sink, his face turned red, and he began shoving his fingers down his throat to throw up.

Colleen just watched him and started laughing so hard while holding her stomach, she even leaned onto her hand as though she was going to fall onto the floor.

He watched her for a minute and then soon realized she was kidding.

Officer Banton thought of this memory while scrolling the past friends wall above her urn, he started with a small chuckle and soon it became a full-on belly laugh. The other officers looked at him cock-eyed and then they realised who Colleen was. They even remember him telling them all the story.

Creston walked over once they were all laughing and untied their hands, the conversations after that went well on until the middle of the night. Officer Banton ended up sleeping in the grass behind the house with one shoe hanging off.

After the funeral Creston was so tired of it all, Colleen always said “There is a solution to every problem.” And it was time for him to find one for everyone.

Every time someone complained, he would find a better way for them to get through. He invented a gravity bed/chair that would allow his wife to move around the hose with out moving her legs and engaging the sciatic nerve. It took some trails and time to get used to but, before long she was cooking again and doing laundry. June’s smile returned and the home filled with joy.

He made his wheel bed for everyone but not for himself, Creston even taught other how to build them so more and more people could gain mobility and not have to pay out any money.

Eventually the inflammation of June’s nerves took over and caused swelling in the brain. Sam, Sara, and Creston held a private funeral for her and only the three of them attended. He reassured them it would all be okay, but he knew. The mental toll was worse on everyone than the physical pain, and everyone across the world was suffering from it.

He was 30 when she passed away, the girls were 6 and 8. Creston had spent 10 years with June struggling through the era of Spectral Sciaticism and promised June, his girls and Colleen that he would never give up.

By the time he was 40 and 20 years after the infections began, children started being born immune to the viral nerve infection. Once it was confirmed, people started reproducing like rabbits. Creston wished his daughters and wife could have lasted to see world begin to regrow, but he was glad they were no longer in pain.

Into his 60’s the senior suicide rate was extremely high, and the world seemed to be filled only with the limpless. Creston no longer feared others and after children were born immune, he stopped having flare ups when around those not carrying the virus (the limpless).

Into his 70’s it seemed like he was the only one around with a limp. Creston also still volunteered for people but as industry started to boom, he was simply not needed as much. Everyone was able to use the grid more and technology got its 3^rd wind.

On his 80^th Birthday Creston walked down to the corner store for his favorite frozen cherry cheesecake.

It had been 60 years since the viral infection began and 40 years since it started to disappear, sometimes he felt like the world did not even remember it.

His walk to the store was a long one for him and his limp. It was painful as always, but he would still carry a smile and always wave to those passing by. He did this walk every birthday and more and more new faces always appeared. It brought him so much joy.

When he arrived at the store there was a new clerk, as always, he gave a wave as he walked towards the freezer holding which was holding his prize. But this time, it was not there, this time it was chocolate, something he was allergic to.

He limped his way to the counter and asked very politely if there was any cherry cheesecake in the back freezer. The clerk, about 14 years of age, rolled her eyes and said “No?” with a snarky tone.

“Sorry,” He said with a pause. “It’s just the last clerk would get me this treat in for my birthday every year, we had been friends for many years and...”

The clerk interrupted him “She is dead, she committed suicide last month and I am not ordering in one Cherry Cheesecake for one person, no one eats Cherry its gross?”

Creston was so hurt, usually he could tolerate and understand those that did not really know what the infected had gone through, but this time for some reason it really hurt. So, he hung his head and began the long walk home, trying not to think about what is left in life for him.

Being so distracted, his cane slipped on a rock and he fell to the cement. The pain was unbearable as his leg was locked into a position that fully engaged his nerve. He screamed for a good 30 seconds until passing out from the pain.

He woke up in the middle of the night to faint voices and steps walking away.   Their voices and words echoed in his head.

“That’s just the Town Gimp.” Creston could not understand but eventually he got up and made it back home only to realize his phone was stollen and his bank account already drained.

It was the saddest day of his life. Loosing all his friends and family was horrific, but at least back then people were helping each. He thought about the residents he helped through out the years and those who supported him. Everyone was checking on one another all the time, encase they fell, had no food or water was not working.

 Everyone had a part to play, and they all worked together, those who could give, did, those who could not were grateful.

The years were painful, but the giving made all the difference. Creston realized that it was okay, he did not have to stay back and help anymore, people could now help themselves.

Creston replayed some memories of Jane and the girls helping neighbours and each other through thick and think. His heart filled with warmth and the words “Town Gimp” faded far away from his mind.

All the bad memories diminished from his mind, Only the good memories imprinted his heart and soul. 

When Creston looked at the ceiling, he whispered slowly into the air “I never gave up my loves, I never gave up.” He closed his eyes slowly and for the very last time.

Creston was found 6 months later with a smile still on his face frozen in time.