Holding herself tightly, Isa McNamara shivered in her paper gown. Dr. Ollie Bird looked from his patient to his nurse to the tablet in his hand. With a raised eyebrow nurse Niamh encouraged him to get on with it.

“So, Mrs. McNamara, you came in today complaining of what now?” Dr Birdy said. “Pain? Extraordinary fatigue?”

“Nah, I feel the same as always. This is a wellness visit, just my annual checkup.”

Scratching his head, Dr. Bird consulted his charts again hoping for an answer to Mrs McNamara’s dizzying sense symptoms. Niamh raised her eyebrows _expectant. _

“Mrs. McNamara according to these preliminary test results, you’re dead.”

The patient blinked. Doctor and nurse exchanged worried looks. Niamh wondered if the patient was about to faint. Isa shrugged. Then she wondered if she was.

“So you are experiencing no major systemic symptoms. Not even a headache? because like wow,” Dr. Bird. “You’re dead. Here let me listen to your heart again.”

The cool metal of the stethoscope slid along her rib cage. A noncommittal quiet met his ears. With growing concern, Dr. Bird looked up Isa. She gave a bored smile. The doctor examined the patient’s back.

“All quiet on the western front,” Isa quipped.

“Yes no heart beat and see this bruising looks like blood pooling. That happens when a body—dead body that is—lays in one position for a long time.”

“Oh that’s what that is? I noticed it on the back of my thighs after work.”

Isa sat on the exam table mildly interested. Dr. Bird tapped at her knees. No response.

“Mrs. McNamara I’m concerned. Mrs. McNamara I’m concerned that you’re not more concerned about this unique condition. Ma’am you’re room temperature,” Dr. Bird said.

“Well maybe I’ve been a little dead for a while and it snuck up on me gradually like a warm bath going to boiling. I used to be outraged and panicked. Each day was a fresh atrocity. Life used to be a goddamned Roman circus. not so much lately. I’m not bothered so much lately. It’s like emotional dampeners.”

“Well Nurse Foyle here has your scripts. You are quite ill. I think you should go for additional testing and there is a clinic that may help. We will get to the bottom of this.”

“No we won’t get to the bottom of anything. I’m fine. Or I’m not and that’s fine. I have to go to work, Doc.”

Isa hopped down from the table. She began to gather her clothing.

“But ma’am. Don’t you want to know? To understand? What about your life? Being alive,” dr. Bird said.

He felt out of breath and woozy.

“Oh Doc my kids are grown. One has no time for me and the other blames me for everything. It’s fine. My husband and I are basically friendly roommates. It works for us. He’s like me. Maybe this dampening is spreading I don’t know. Most of my job is just training the younger cheaper workers that will replace me. But I picked up part time work at the market so it’s going to be fine.”

With a bundle of her belongings Isa headed to the en-suite rest room. Dr. Bird looked desperate. Yawning Nurse Foyle shrugged. Dr. Bird felt concerned but he couldn’t remember what about.