A World Away

She came back down to our floor from the Intensive Care Unit a mess. Her toes are dead and black, circulation conserving itself to vital organs. The wounds on her legs and back are so deep you can nearly see through them; her immune system non-existent. Tubes in her nose, in her arms, in her chest. It's a lot to take in. As I'm processing it, I find a poster on her wall. A collage of pictures: prom, sleepovers, football games, life. Her hair is long, her smile innocent and genuine, her laugh captured at just the right moment. It wasn't that long ago, or that far away, but it's another world from where we are now.