A Tear in the Fabric of Reality

Category:List of MicroHorror Stories
by Sara-Jane McGeachy 
To my family, doctors, hospital staff, surgeons, medical providers, and all others concerned with my care:
I, Susanne Hailes, being of sound mind and body, make this Living Will to state that if I should become unable to communicate my own decisions on life sustaining or life support procedures then my dying shall not be delayed by medical science. It is my intent, hope and request that my instructions be honoured and carried out by my physicians (see clause A(i) ), family and friends.
If at such a time the situation should arise in which there is no reasonable expectation of my recovery from extreme physical or mental disability, I direct that I be allowed to die and not be kept alive by any of the following: resuscitation (CPR), intravenous/tube feeding, and life sustaining surgery or “heroic measures”.
A. Physicians and others in attendance
i) I direct that the only people permitted to attend me in my final days are Dr Hugo Leap and Dr Conrad Fenwick. No other specialist, family member or friend shall be admitted into my presence. I would like to explicitly state that I do not wish my family to arrange for the Last Rites or for any other religious intervention to take place.
ii) I wish to die at home. Only in the event of my demise being a protracted one, over weeks or months, do I give my permission for Doctors Leap and Fenwick to remove my person and rehouse me in a place of their choosing.
iii) I declare that no medical bodies other than Doctors Leap and Fenwick are permitted to supply a Cause of Death Certificate.
iv) Between the hour of my death and the time of my cremation I declare that Doctors Leap and Fenwick are the only parties permitted to handle my remains. This restriction applies to undertakers, family members and any other investigating body.
B. Drugs and medication
i) I declare that if my behaviour becomes strange, violent or is otherwise degrading, I want my symptoms to be controlled with appropriate drugs, even if that would worsen my physical condition or shorten my life.
ii) I do, however, ask that medication be mercifully administered to me to alleviate suffering.
iii) All medication is only to be administered by the above-named parties (see clause A(i)).
C. Funeral arrangements
i) I wish to be cremated with no Christian service and no mourners in attendance.
ii) I have a small lacquered box in the top drawer of my bedside cabinet. It is locked. I direct that this box should not be opened under any circumstances. Instead, I wish to have it placed in my left hand by Dr Hugo Leap immediately before cremation.
iii) I direct that the crematory be thoroughly cleaned before and after my cremation to insure my ashes are not combined with those of another person.
iv) I direct that following my cremation I my ashes are to be mixed with salt and returned to the earth. I have identified the specific location for this in a separate communication.
v) I direct that no notice of my death or obituary is to be published in the public domain.
D. Estate
i) At the time of writing this will I declare no existing financial assets; my property and accounts having been signed over to Doctors Leap and Fenwick during my lifetime. I wish to have my remaining possessions distributed amongst my relatives as they see proper. The bed in which I have died should be incinerated immediately, along with all bed linen, pillows, mattress etc.
E. Pregnancy clause
i)                   If I am pregnant at the point of incapacitating injury or illness I declare that I do not sanction the prolonging of my life for the preservation of my unborn child. It is my wish that my baby be allowed to die with me and that the aforementioned cremation instructions be honoured without delay or alteration.
This Living Will is made after careful consideration and is in accordance with my strong convictions and beliefs. I want the wishes and directions here expressed carried out to the extent permitted by law. The importance of following these instructions to the letter cannot be stressed strongly enough. Insofar as they are not legally enforceable, I hope that those to whom this will is addressed will regard themselves as morally bound by these provisions.
Signed: SHailes Date: 1st May, 2013
Witness: Dr Conrad Fenwick
Witness: H Leap