Thursday, November 6th 1958
“You really this this will work?” asked Steve.
“Of course it will,” replied the doctor. “We’ve worked so long for this. Soon, we will accomplish the dream of time travel! Now, flip the switch.”
Steve did as he was told and flipped the switch, sending massive amounts of power straight from the grid to the machine. Lights dimmed all around them, the machine hummed, loud enough to vibrate his teeth then… nothing.
“It didn’t work, did it?” the doctor asked, his face falling. It was third attempt and the doctor’s confidence was not infinite.
“It did not,” Steve replied.
“Ah, well. We’ll get it next time.”
Thursday, June 17th 1971
“Honey, there’s somebody at the door for you,” Steve’s wife called from the front room
Steve trundled up to the front room. He didn’t know what he expected when he got there, but the doctor wasn’t it.
It had been thirteen years since he saw him last. While things had changed dramatically for Steve, the wife and kids were big ones, but he had also filled out and had some gray on his temples now, the doctor looked exactly like the last day they saw each other.
“Steve!’ the doctor shouted, throwing his hands wide. “I found you!”
“You did.” Steve avoided the hug. “Why were you looking for me?” He thought he had made it pretty clear he was done with all of the doctor’s mad scientist stuff.
The doctor grabbed him by the shoulders before he could dodge. “It worked!” he said with a wild look in his eyes.
Steve squinted at him. “What worked?” he asked, knowing full well he didn’t want the answer.
“The experiment!” the doctor shouted in his face. “Our last one.”
“No it didn’t,” Steve said, gesturing around. “See?”
“But it did!” Steve was afraid the doctor’s eyes would pop out of his head.
“Goodbye.” Steve pushed him out the door. “Get some help.” The doctor was still babbling about the experiment behind the closed door as he made his way back to the kitchen.
Thursday, November 6th 2008
Steve lay on the bed in the nursing home. His wife had passed two years previous, and his kids didn’t visit anymore. He couldn’t blame them. He probably wouldn’t visit him either, if he had the choice. They thought he was crazy. Probably he was. A function of old age.
He sensed something at the foot of his bed and saw something large and dark standing there.
He had heard of this happening in a person’s final moments. He welcomed the Reaper gladly.
“Are you death?” he asked the figure.
“No,” the figure replied. It leaned in, revealing a face Steve knew well. The doctor. “I am life.”
Thursday, November 6th 1958
“Get ready! We’re really going to do this!”
Steve was jolted awake from his daydream, uncertain why he had tears streaming down his cheeks.
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