a corpse kept on life support
tucked up neatly in a hospital bed, the putrid body has been propped upright. each day a fresh bowl of steaming chicken soup with perfectly buttered toast gets placed upon her lap, along with a soft kiss on her forehead. the sheets get tidied, the pillows refluffed, and a change of clothes put on. great care has to be taken in these steps, lest a muscle tear apart from the force put on. after all, it has been a long time since she was alive.
there are often visitors to the room; family and friends, coming to wish her good health. they leave her countless cards and flowers and balloons and other tokens of good-will. none of them note the decaying bouquets or rancid chocolates which surround her cadaver. softly stroking her hair and asking how she feels. when she doesn't reply, they chuckle and compliment how she's managed to keep her wit despite the bad situation. during this conversation, her jaw comes loose, one of the hinges breaking, leaving the bone and torn flesh hanging at a slight angle. foul-smelling fluid leaks out from her mouth, landing with a soft thud and staining the sheets a faded greenish hue. satisfied, the visitors file out neatly, thanking the nurse on their way.