The Cava
========

* Ioana Baiu

*   multiple trauma
*   general surgery
*   abdominal injuries

> How dark and thin
> 
> The blood that swirls from no clear spring.
> 
> Salty dew on my forehead, a heavy breath beneath the mask
> 
> Irises constricted
> 
> Your pulse audibly racing against my heartbeat
> 
> Palpable life slipping between the pores of soaked gauze.
> 
> Who are you and why now?
> 
> Who am I and why here?
> 
> Your blood against my flesh like a final cling to human life
> 
> A past, but not future.
> 
> Anticipated peace as the monitor will soon be silent.
> 
> In a millionth of a second, the turmoil of the blood hits my blind hand.
> 
> A clamp. A stitch. A sigh. A future.
> 
> Ephemeral defeat
> 
> Eternal win.
> 
> You’ll never know.
> 
> I’ll never forget.

## Footnotes

*   Contributors I am the sole author.

*   Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

*   Competing interests None declared.

*   Patient consent for publication Not required.

*   Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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