The Trauma ICU of a Level 1 trauma center is the setting for this thought-provoking novel, which reveals the ruthlessness of medical education and practice. James Fleming recounts a day in the life of a resident in emergency medicine at an urban teaching hospital. The novela (TM)s title, which translates loosely as a oeI thirsta ? echoes the Christ of St. John. Tengo Seda (TM)s protagonist, however, known only as Hovercraft because he is a oealways around, always feeling on edge, a ? is not a savior but a hapless resident with a tendency toward mysticism. Through HovercraftA?A[aa sA?aa zA[s sleep-deprived eyes we see patients and their families, doctors, and nurses, and we share Hovercrafta (TM)s increasingly nightmarish perceptions of a world in which things are not going right. a oeThe story is remarkably raw and honest, full of mystery instead of certainty, failure instead of success, and humanity instead of science.a ?--Frank Huyler, author of Right of Thirst a oeA brutal and beautiful book. I read it straight through in one sitting, totally absorbed, deeply touched and frightened at the same time. The writing is taut, edgy, and original with not a wasted word . . . James Fleming has written a small, tough masterpiece.a ?--John Nichols, author of The Milagro Beanfield War a oeStripped-down, elemental, and willing to explore feelings of alienation and rebellion felt by a significant minority of medical students, interns, and residents.a ?--Paul Linde, author of Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist
