by popular demand. +hen. #gore #body-horror +he inner mechanisms of +he hand. are perhaps +he mos+ compelling piece of biological engineering evolu+ion has gif+ed us wi+h. a simplis+ic sys+em of +endons and pulleys. carrying +he bulk of +he mos+ impor+an+ +ouch recep+ors we have. i+ is some+imes dizzying +o +hink of jus+ how much fine +uning over hundreds of +housands of genera+ions wen+ in+o providing us. wi+h such precise mo+or func+ion. in such an elegan+ presen+a+ion. I am a surgeon. I have seen +he mechanisms laid ou+ before me many +imes before. I have recons+ruc+ed bone. and gra+ed nerve and +endon. I have s+udied +he ways in which +he smalles+ brush of scar +issue can disrup+ +he marione++e pull of +issue used. +o so much as crook a finger. how delica+e +he whole machine can be. for some+hing +ha+ is on +he fron+ line. of how we feel and in+erac+. wi+h +he world around us. one of +he firs+ +imes I me+ my spouse. +hey allowed me +o flense par+ of +heir hand. and wa+ch in real +ime even +he smalles+ of movemen+s. +hey le+ me feel +hem flex a muscle in +heir arm and wa+ch +heir flexors con+rac+. +heir fingers +wi+ch. i+ was perhaps +he firs+ +ime since I lef+ +he church +ha+ I fel+ as +hough. I was wi+nessing some+hing divine. some+hing Holy. i+ has been sweeps since +hen. and +he image of i+ s+ill follows me every +ime I hold +ha+ hand. or +race +heir scar. my only regre+ was +ha+ I was s+ill so concerned. by +he +hrea+ of infec+ion +ha+ I did no+ +ake +he chance. +o feel +hem flex benea+h my +ongue. +here is an in+rinsic beau+y +here. among +he flesh. and bone. and +issue. we are so li++le more +han +ubes and s+rings. and +ha+ will forever be more in+oxica+ing of a +hough+ +han half +he skin-deep lus+ I read nigh+ly. I forgo+ where else. I was going wi+h +his. hunger wins once more.
