You Get Used to It

It's not something that many people do, sinking a fresh scalpel blade into human flesh. I wasn't sure if I was putting enough pressure into the incision, but when I saw the layers of sub-cutaneous fascia peel back, I knew I had gone deep enough. Just above that lay the dermis and above that, the epidermis (skin). The epidermis is so thin; such a thin layer of cells to keep your body from catching the endless diseases and infections waiting just outside of it. The skin gave way so easily; a disturbing reminder of just how thin our security blanket is, like the skin on an apple.

The doors of the dissection table opened like a clam-shell, swinging 180-degrees down where we latched them back to each other at the bottom. Underneath lay a shrouded figure, a white-cloth covering a vague human form. I could see toes peeking out from underneath the bottom of the cloth...then, as about 25 other tables were opened, my nostrils flared and I coughed, the pungent smell of formaldehyde overcoming my senses.

We lifted the veil off and discovered an elderly lady underneath, lying sadly but intentionally on her stomach. Her arms and head covered in another white cloth, she didn't seem to mind the attention or the smell; she'd been dead for months after-all. Therefore, she didn't complain when we sunk our scalpel into her head, just inferior to her external occipital protuberance. It was an intense few hours. It took a little bit at first to overcome the psychological/emotional barrier of what we were doing. It's morbid, visceral, fascinating. I thought I'd know just what it would be like, but when you're there doing it...it is totally different. Within 15 minutes me and my lab partners were digging right in (literally). Clamp, forceps, scalpel...it all began to come together...if only it weren't for that strong smell in the air.

A network of large, flat plasma screens litter the lab. From the front, the professor or assistants display examples for all 125 or so students to see. We work fast. Dead bodies everywhere and after a few minutes, it all becomes normal, everyday business.