Playing Plug The Hole -- Part 1

Zelda, Jebelle, Zak and Zerbert were all situated around the low, square coffee table in the living room of Zak's house. The were so excited, it was to be their game night and they had a new game, Plug the Hole. It was the new hot board game from Hasbeen.

The board was 40 squares laid out in a circle. The first player to reach the end without dying won. If no one reached the last square, then the board game won. The last square was called, "Live in Good Health Today." or Light. The goal of the game was to come into the Light. Each player started the game with the same health issue, a blocked intestine. The role of the dice determined what happened from there.

Each cat chose their game piece. Jebelle picked the IV bag. Actually all the pieces were small silvery facsimiles made of pewter, kinda like the weapons in Clue or the pieces in the original monopoly. Zelda chose the gauze, Zak the syringe, and Zerbert the small hospital bed. They all put their game pieces down on the starting square and rolled for who went first. Zelda had the honors. The order was now determined, Zelda, Zerbert, Jebelle, and Zak would be last in the rotation.

Zelda rolled a 7. She lifted up the tab over the square and it underneath it read, "Put in nasal gastric tube and wait for blockage to clear."

"That is not so bad. " said Zelda, "The blockage will clear and I'll be going into the Light."

Zerbert rolled next. He rolled a snake eyes. He moved his two and pulled open the tab. "You tried to each 12 Escargot after being blocked up for 8 days, call 911, emergency surgery is required. The doctor will be a third year resident performing his first bowel resection. Good luck."




Zerbert knew he was in trouble.




"You got snake eyes" said Zelda, "Roll again."


This roll took Zerbert another 9 spaces on the board. He lifted the tab. It was a message from the doctor. "Your surgery went well. There was a small hole in your bowel, but we believe we managed to close it up. Your incision, which runs from your sternum to your groin should heal in about two weeks."


Jebelle rolled a 5. The tab read. "We thought your blockage was going to clear, you are scheduled for surgery for Friday. Move to space 8 -- surgery.

Zak said, "Boy this is depressing." He rolled 12. "Whooooo hoo!, I am moving to the head of the line. His tab read, "Your surgery did not go well, your bowel perforated and now you have an infection. We are going to have to open you up and let you drain."

"What. " said Zak, "I need to talk to the doctor."

"It's a game." said Zelda, "There is no doctor to talk to."


"That is why it is called plug the hole." said Zerbert.


Zak rolled again. He moved his lead syringe to space 23. "There he said, I am ahead."

He uncovered the space and it read. Your wound has been leaking badly and the skin is being eaten by bile. You have a 102 fever and we are putting you on antibiotics. If the leaking does not stop soon the hole in your belly will not be closeable. Other than that you are doing really well."

Zelda rolled again. She moved to space 17. Lifting the tab, she read, "You were healing really well, and the blockage was coming undone. However, when you removed the nasal gastric tube and stole the Twinkies from the nursing station it set you back. Try not to mix Ambien and Morphine next time. Go back to square 8. "




Zerbert's turn. He landed on 21 and read his fortune. "Dr. Hollowman had to go back in. One of the Escargot had stayed behind and was now getting infected. They are real slimy and hard to find. (They look like minature intestines.) We are going to leave your wound open just in case."



To be continued......