UNSTABLE CONNECTION | Ethan Bell

The interpreter says her name,
her ID number,
that she is a neutral party.
I ask where the pain is.

The patient answers in Spanish,
one hand on the end of his residual limb,
then lower,
to the place where the foot should be.
The interpreter pauses. Then, in English:
He says it burns.
I ask when.

Again, the pause, the relay,
the small blue light at the top of the screen.
He says when he tries to sleep.
He says when he thinks about walking.
I ask what kind of pain.
He speaks longer this time, pointing
to the missing ankle, the missing heel,
to toes that are no longer there
and still hurt him.

The interpreter waits for him to finish.
Then, exasperated, he says burning.
Pressure. Like electricity.
First my question,
then her translation,
then his answer,
then his pain returned to me
in cleaner, approved terms.

I check skin, the incision, and the fit of the socket.
The tablet still smells faintly
of the purple-top wipes.
I ask him to shift his weight.
I ask him to tell me when it starts again.
The interpreter says,
Please repeat that.
The connection is unstable.
A moment of quiet.
Then he looks at me instead of the screen,
puts his hand where the foot should be,
and says in English, here.

Ethan Bell is a student at the University of Central Florida and a research scholar at Limbitless Solutions, where he focuses on the clinical-engineering interface of custom prosthetics for children. Bell also works as a rehabilitation technician, exploring the mechanics of human movement. His writing often examines the "defamiliarization" of the medical experience, focusing on the technical and sensory frictions of recovery. Bell is currently preparing for the upcoming medical school application cycle.

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