There was once Fat. He was the shiest and most humble of the whole human body. Organs disliked him and considered him a useless piece that needed to be fed, watered, carried everywhere and hidden when undressing. Sometimes, however, the Man would forget about it, pat his bare belly until fat waves went along it, and this became the subject of jokes in the gang. When friends went on and counted the Man’s chins, Fat cracked up as everyone else except the Man…
The organs saw that the Man was sad, looking at his belly in the mirror, then sweat on the treadmill, trying to get rid of it. But Fat didn’t go away, and even grew. All alone, useless and unloved, Fat was surrounded by useful tissues and organs, necessary, important and even irreplaceable. Of course, he tried to please them, but this was impossible, since he was a source of trouble for everyone. The Lungs needed to breathe more often, the Heart needed to beat more often, the Liver had been cuddling in a corner for a long time, and the Stomach had to work around the clock. The Brain often thought about getting rid of Fat.
Fat was ashamed for making neighbors’ life difficult. He constantly apologized and was ready to disappear, but he did not know how to do it. In short, his life was an annoyance. This went on for many years until this amazing story happened.
The journey
One day the Man went on a long business trip. Since he did not fit in an airplane seat, he preferred ships. The journey was wonderful – the endless ocean sparkled in the sun, evenings blushed with amazing sunsets, the fresh air tickled the skin and made the mind forget about the dusty cities. The Brain even decided to write verses.
But as usual, beautiful people spoiled the mood. The pumped-up young men cast sidelong glances at the Man’s stomach and smiled scornfully. The slender girls looked at him, whispered and giggled. The Man stopped going out on deck. So the Brain and the Heart called the other parts to a meeting in order to unanimously decide upon going in for sports, going on a diet and losing weight, as soon as the Man was back.
When they started the meeting, a storm began. At first, the ship only swayed a little, but then the waves intensified. The storm was getting stronger until it was at its peak. The wind turned into a hurricane and howled like a million wolves staring at the moon. The ship listed off, people dashed across the deck, someone shouted, someone cried. And then there was a terrible crack! The huge ship was broken!!! The captain on the radio ordered everyone to urgently take their places in the boats and put on the life jackets! The ship was sinking!
The Man ran out in panic on the deck, but there were no boats or vests – they were washed away by the waves. Desperate people jumped into the cold water, and the ship sank into the void.
– What to do?!! The Man cannot swim!!! – The organs panicked.
— Calm down, everything will be fine, – the Brain reassured everyone. – We jump into the water! Lungs, give us more oxygen! Heart, pump the blood! Adrenal glands, produce adrenaline – emergency mode. Muscles, get ready for work – you’ll be provided with blood. We will fight, and I will try to control the arms and legs in order to swim. Security alert!
The Man plunged into the cold water like a giant seal. He began to splash in the water, trying to swim, but nothing worked. Lungs, gasping for breath, spat out water, the Brain argued with the incompetent movements, and the Heart was already cracking under pressure.
It took about five minutes until the Arms said – that’s it, we can’t take it anymore, we’re giving up. The Legs also stopped. No more strength. The Brain turned on panic mode:
– AAA!!! We are drowning, help someone!!!
But the overloaded and exhausted parts did not fight anymore. And Fat didn’t even try – what could he do, and why? Finally, his torment will end. Fat smiled sadly to himself … The organs said goodbye to each other. The Brain saluted like a ship captain and planned to die last with dignity.
But suddenly some unknown force pushed the Man to the surface, and he, like a float, swayed on the waves. The water around was full of floundering people, many sank. After half an hour it was all over. Only those who were able to cling to the wooden debris of the ship, and our Man, remained on the surface.
– But why didn’t we drown? – thought the Brain. – How are we different from the rest? Eyes, take a look at the survivors.
The eyes watched the people closely.
– The only difference is that they are all thin, and we …
– I know, I know the way we are. – muttered the Brain, – Wait … it turns out that we did not drown because … Fat does not sink!
– It turns out that Fat saved us? – the Heart muttered.
Fat couldn’t believe his ears.
– Did I save everyone? – Fat was confused – I didn’t do anything. There should be a mistake.
But the fact remained.
– Fat really does not sink, because it is lighter than water. – the Brain concluded, – thank you!
For the first time in his life, Fat heard a sincere and warm “thank you”. He perked up.
Cold
– Bbbut thhhisss won’ttt help usss much, – Teeth went chattering, – we won’ttt lllasttt lllong in sssuchhh cccold weathhher.
The cold was really ruthless. People have been in the water for several hours. And those who still remained on the surface were covered with frost and shaking – after all, water very quickly takes away heat.
—Blood vessels, shut off the supply of warm blood to the arms and legs, now! Turning on the energy saving mode, – commanded the Brain.
– Everything for the internal organs, they are more important. The body should urgently shrink into a ball, Hands into the armpits, Legs crossed. And don’t move! – added the Brain.
The cold did not spare anyone. Some froze and disappeared into the dark water, while others fell asleep forever right on the surface. And now, after a few hours, only one person stayed on the surface alive.
— We werrre llleft alllone, — said the Eyes. — I don’t see anyone else.
— Weird, — thought the Brain. — Strong and tough guys are frozen, and we are still alive. How’s body temperature?
– Arms and Legs are hypothermic, Skin is blue, Teeth chatter, but internal organs are functioning normally, – the Nervous system reported. – It’s a bit chilly, but acceptable.
– And which part is the warmest? – The Brain tried to appreciate the situation.
-The warmest is the stomach, – the Nervous system reported.
– Hmm … – thought the Brain. – And what prevents the body from cooling? Wait a minute, that must be … No, impossible … Was it Fat again?
Of course, it was Fat. After all, everyone knows that Fat is an excellent padding. The bear sleeps all winter, and seals live in the icy water all their lives. Have you ever seen a skinny seal? That’s it.
– Friends, no matter how ridiculous it may sound, Fat saved our lives again, I suggest clapping in applause! – The Brain informed the organs. Silence. Then they hesitantly started clapping and whispering. Fat again? Why? Do we really need him?
If Fat had cheeks, he would have blushed with pleasure. Finally, He is no longer a useless substance, He was needed! He saved the Man!
Hunger
After two days of rippling through the waves, the Eyes screamed:
– Land, land, we can see land!
— Okay, Arms and Legs, let’s swim as hard as we can, – the Brain exclaimed reassuringly.
A few hours later, the heavy body reached the land, the Man crawled ashore, collapsed on the sand and fell asleep. When he woke up, the sun was shining, it was warm and birds were singing everywhere.
– Life is getting better, – thought the Brain. – Let’s go find the people.
The Man got up and walked away from the coast in search of civilization.
– Have you got anything to chew? – begged the Stomach two hours later. We haven’t eaten for three days.
– Eyes, look for edibles. Ears, listen if you can hear animals. But the noise of a passing car would be perfect.
But there was nothing around. Yellow grass, low trees and marshes with no fish at all. There was no chance to get something to eat. Thank God, there was something to drink – a lot of puddles and streams with clear water. The Brain reasoned out loud:
– So, we are in a deserted area without a phone and a map. The strategy is as follows – we go East until we find people.
– Without food, we will last a week or maybe two. And later…
— Alligator? — the Stomach suggested. – I’d have an alligator right now, no need to wait until later.
— Later, my dear Stomach, there will come an end. We will not have the strength to walk, we will sit on the grass and no longer get up, – the Brain was in no mood for jokes. – Legs, can we go faster?
– It’s hard, to be honest, we weigh more than a hundred kilos, it won’t work, and there is almost no glycogen – food for muscles.
Again, Fat felt uneasy. The bitter feeling that he was a burden arose again. How he would like now to free the body from himself and shout to them: “Leave me here, run forward!”. But that was impossible, and he said nothing. The Man was walking for the third day. There was no food, Teeth haven’t had a bite for quite some time, Legs were torn on branches and stones, Stomach shrank and was constantly asking for food, and the Brain remembered what delicious things he had ever tasted – marshmallows, pork shanks, watermelon, cabbage pies.
— Shut up you there! – other parts asked, — it’s hard already!
But the Brain seemed to be mad – he could not think of anything else but food. After all, he is the main consumer of energy in the body, and he suffered from hunger the most. Another week passed, and the Man kept walking and walking. The brain no longer dreamed of anything; depression started:
– We’re gonna die, there’s less and less energy, I can hardly think, things are meaningless.
But, oddly enough, the Man continued to walk. There were still no people. Only grass and stones. A few days later, the troubled Brain demanded to stop:
– There’s no point in suffering, anyway, we’ll never reach the people. Let’s fall asleep and not wake up. I’m tired…
There was silence in response. The organs were working to the limit, everyone was very tired, there was not enough energy. The Man sat down on the grass. Then he lay down.
Suddenly a voice came out. It was Fat speaking:
– Friends, we must not despair. We must not give up, we must go, we can! We still have strength!
And suddenly all organs felt a surge of energy, the Brain woke up from hibernation.
– What’s happening, where did the forces come from? Let’s get up!
The Man got up and started walking. He walked, then went to bed, and when he got up, he felt that he was ready to go on. The Brain wondered what was happening. Another week passed, and finally, Ears whispered:
— Everybody shut up! I can hear the engines coming.
Hurly-burly started, body parts started to talk noisily.
– So, Legs, let’s go to the noise, – quickly commanded the Brain.
The Legs first went, and then incredibly started running!
– So weird, we are running, but it’s easy for me, – said the Heart.
– Yes, yes, confirmed the Lungs, something has changed.
Going home
And so, the Man ran out onto the track, stopped the car, and was taken to the clinic. But, to the surprise of the doctors, he was healthy. Therefore, he was simply fed, warmed and put to bed. He slept for two days and went back home. And only when the Man was already at home, the Brain decided to make a roll call.
– Hey guys, how are you there?
– I’m high and I feel great! – cheerfully stated the Heart.
-Breathing easily, – the Lungs sang.
-Mmm, – the full Stomach gave a contented rumble.
– Cheerful! – reported the Liver. – It even became more spacious here.
All parts took turns reporting to the boss. Except one.
— Fat, what’s up? Are you okay? — the Brain asked happily.
But no answer came. Ignoring the puzzled exclamations of the organs, the Brain pondered. He still could not understand what happened when he was ready to surrender, but the Body continued to move. Where did the energy come from, pushing them forward? What kind of miracle saved the Man every time he was on the verge of death?
And then he realized that Fat sacrificed himself to turn into the energy that helped the Man to survive. That his cells became the steps, thoughts and actions of the Man.
— Guys, quiet. What we all dreamed of happened. Fat is gone. He is no longer there, but he remained in each of us. In every cell.
The organs fell silent. They felt ashamed that they mocked and disliked Fat. And only the Stomach, chewing a marshmallow, whispered to himself:
— The heck he’s gone … We’ll see in a couple of months. — Hey, Brain, let’s go to the pastry shop over the corner.
Illustration artists in the post: Dmitrii Travnikov, Tatiana Ketryan, Serdar Djumaev.
