Illustration by Paul Campbell © 2006
Prison Eyes
by Denise Feurt © 2006
The United States had been over-run with prisoners for years. Science had found new ways to gather body parts with cloning, but this was a new high for the people all over the Americas who needed help, placed on waiting lists for years, sometimes they died waiting for a transplant. Everyone on death row was now a mandatory donor.
Men and women were being sentenced to death rather than letting them out to make room for others. It had been proven that less than four percent could get out without committing another crime, and the people were sick of that, so they passed a mandatory law so that at least at the end, someone could get something good out of these convicts.
Justin heard the news while doing his custodial job in the state prison. He couldn't care less what they did after they killed him. He had been sentenced to death after finally confessing to twenty-five murders, and told the authorities where to find the bodies.
Justin was a large man, and everyone stayed out of his way for that reason. He wasn't particularly mean but he didn't like it when anyone talked to him when he was working so everyone just left him alone. He had the nastiest job in the prison and felt he was paying for his crimes repeatedly…now they wanted his body parts.
He couldn't believe it and of course, he cared. What about his religious beliefs; what if he thought he had to have all his parts in order to be whole in heaven? He laughed at this, he wouldn't be going to heaven, and he didn't care. He wasn't religious either, but he was thinking of all the excuses his cellmates would come up with to grip about this new law. There would be many who wouldn't sign and he didn't see how they could make them. What would the state do about those who refused?
#
Jessica was thrilled at the outcome of the vote. Finally, all across the states, condemned men and women in prison would be made to sign a release, allowing the state medical system to donate any or all of their body parts to those who needed them.
"Oh mother, finally, Dan will be able to see. Surely there will be good eyes for enough transplants that the list will get shorter, and soon, he will see." Jessica was so excited.
Her husband was blinded in a car accident six years earlier. He had been a different person, having to learn to depend on everyone for all he wanted to do. He learned quickly to read brail, but always felt it was unfair. He was a sports star in high school, and promised a full scholarship in college, and after that, he went to the pros, he was hit by a man having a heart attack. Dumb luck is what he always said.
#
The prison Psychologist, Julie Simpson pondered her next patient, Justin Hearn. This would be the twenty-second session she would have with him. She wished it would be the last.
Justin was a hard case for her; she was torn between his arrest and sentencing record, and what she believed to be true about him. Through talking, listening, and hypnotherapy, she was of the opinion that this was an innocent man, taking the blame for his brother who was still out there somewhere.
Justin confided after one session that he had no desire for another trial, an appeal or anything, he told her to let it go. She determined to do what she could to help him until his death.
Julie had been studying up on visions, since Justin had them and she was convinced that they were real, but she didn't know what to make of them. How to help them quit coming, was her problem. What Justin was seeing was various forms of the end of the world, or the end according to different visions he was having.
With each vision, he would see the end from a different person's perspective, and he felt sure that the end, for everyone, was very near. He wanted to be put to death, to escape the horror he was witnessing in these visions.
With two hours to go until Justin arrived, she did what she always did, read over his file. She knew she was powerless to help but wanted to anyway. The visions didn't just bother him they bothered her also. She tried not to think about it and was mostly successful, until they met, then she would have to dwell on the end of the world again.
#
Jessica called the hospital to see where her husband was on the list, since months had gone by since the new donor law, and they were putting prisoners to sleep every day.
When Dan came home he asked what the hospital had said, and asked her if there was a surgery date set yet.
"Well, I was told that in view of how many they are able to do across the nation, you will be up in about three months. Isn't that wonderful?" she asked.
"Yes, it is, now that its close it's even harder to wait than it was when it was years away," he said, and went to the shower.
Jessica could already tell a big difference in his attitude, he was much happier and that was good for everyone. She just couldn't wait for things to be normal again.
#
Justin walked into Julie's office and sat down, "One thing, did you ever wonder about the donor thing? I mean, are the visions in my eyes, or in my soul?" he asked her.
"I wouldn't think it was in your eyes, you mean like if someone got them as a transplant, would they have visions? I don't think so," she said, showing her lack of confidence in her answer.
"I shouldn't have asked you that question, there's no way for you to know something like that. I just started to worry about that recently. You know I am up for execution soon, and if there was a chance someone could inherit this curse I'm under, well…" his voice trailed off not finishing that sentence.
"Try not to be anxious about that, you know as well as anyone that whatever will be will be, some things we can't control, like you can't control the visions. We don't know what will or won't happen to the one who may get your eyes." She said. "How long since you had your vision checked anyway, maybe your eyes aren't good enough."
"Another curse, perfect eyesight, I was just examined for the pre-exec records, for the donor program you know. I see everything," he laughed.
"We wish we couldn't see everything don't we. I know it's hard. Tell me, have you had any more visions?" Julie asked, hoping he'd say no.
He nodded, "Yes, this time I saw millions of people gathered at water; oceans, seas, waterways, everywhere there is a body of water. I got the impression from seeing this that they were thinking if he was coming back, that maybe he would meet them at the water, you know, like he used to when he was alive."
"Some of us think He's still alive," Julie said with a smirk on her face.
"Is this a therapy session or did I walk into a preachers office by mistake?" Justin said seriously.
"Okay, I know you don't want to talk religion, but thought I'd throw that in and give you the option," she said smiling.
Before he left, she advised him again that there was still time to acknowledge that he didn't do the murders he was accused of, and to think on that, and not to worry about the beneficiary of his eyes, if there would be one, just to worry about him.
Julie watched him leave, he was such a good person but he was wrong to be doing what he was doing. There was nothing she could do. She was sad for days after that meeting, unable to stop thinking of the shattered life that was his.
#
Two days before he was to go into the hospital Dan almost backed out.
"I don't know, this feels terrible Jessica, I mean, in two days, someone is going to die, and I am going to wake up with his eyes. Just the thought of it might cause my body to reject. Is this worth it; worth another man's life?" Dan asked.
"Whether you get his eyes or not, this man is going to die. You can't make a difference in that. My Sunday school group feels like it's redeeming for the prisoners," Jessica said, seriously.
"Okay, let's not romanticize this, please. There is nothing redeeming in doing something you are required to do by law, these men and women have no say in it what so ever," he yelled and stormed out of the room.
#
Julie made one last attempt with Justin before he was appointed to die the next day. She pleaded with him to tell the warden that he was innocent.
"What about the fact that your brother is still running around doing as he pleases?"
"Listen, thanks for all your help, you really have been a comfort to me, but we've been over this and over it, remember, your own words were, 'what ever will be will be,' enough said," Justin walked out of her office for the last time.
#
Dan and Jessica were packing his things, getting ready to go to the hospital. They wanted Dan admitted before five that afternoon. They barely spoke, alone in their own little world. Each was wondering what the other would feel after the surgery; wondering if it would work.
The drive to the hospital and the admittance process was quiet, almost like going to a funeral. They had mixed emotions, happy that he might soon see if things went according to the doctor's plan, sad that someone was dieing as they sat there. Soon her husband was asleep and taken to the operating room and she prepared for a long wait alone.
#
Justin was given the final dose that would put him to sleep forever. He quietly said a small prayer, but wasn't sure anyone was listening. He asked for forgiveness, and he asked for mercy on the one who would soon be seeing with his eyes.
In her office, Julie said a prayer and asked for her own redemption and forgiveness for letting an innocent man be put to death. Was she wrong, she didn't know, but as she looked at the clock and knew he was gone, she mourned.
#
Ninety minutes later, the doctor came to talk to Jessica.
"The surgery went as planned, we think he'll be able to take the bandages off in a few hours. Let's just let him wake up and rest for awhile and I'll come back," the doctor said, full of confidence that everything went well.
#
Having no one to claim and bury Justin, Julie had bought him a plot and arranged for the burial, unbeknownst to Justin. She went with the body to the funeral home, and paid the costs. She felt this was the least she could do for this friend of hers. She arranged for him to be buried the next day.
#
When Dan was fully awake and rested, the Doctor came in, and with Jessica there, he began to unwrap Dan's eyes.
"You both keep in mind what I told you that he might see fuzzy for a few weeks, but it should return to normal within that time frame," he said, almost finished.
The last layer of gauze was now almost off, the atmosphere in the room was almost unbearable, hot, humid, and tense.
Dan began to cry, "I can see. It's a little dim, but I can see." He yelled, laughing and crying at the same time now.
After a month had gone by, and his sight was completely normal, Jessica came into the study to find Dan at his desk reading the bible. This was so out of the ordinary for him, she asked him what he was looking for.
Dan answered, "Oh, nothing dear, just wanted to brush up on the end times. I've been curious lately about the order things are supposed to happen."
The End
