Steady Hands at Seattle Hospital by Denis Johnson

"Talk into my bullet hole."

Denis Johnson's acclaimed Jesus' Stories has been on my radar for many years and I only recently took the plunge, which so far, has yielded mixed results. Steady Hands at Seattle General is one of the more memorable stories from the collection that is profound in it's simplicity. 

This story achieves its gritty realism entirely through dialogue while focusing solely on the raw, unfiltered exchanges between its two central characters. From what we can infer through context, the they are both patients in a psych ward, engaging in an oddly intimate yet disturbing conversation while one carefully shaves the other. This seemingly mundane act takes on a deeper, almost symbolic weight, highlighting their shared vulnerability and the fragile, unspoken bond formed in their shared environment of confinement and chaos.

The pacing is relentless—snappy dialogue propelling the reader through the story before there’s even time to fully process its weight. This brevity, paired with the punchy, authentic dialogue, captures the chaotic, fleeting moments that often define human connections and the fragile tension between despair and hope.

This won't be spoiling anything but the final lines spoken by the older inmate receiving the shave is haunting: "Talk into my bullet hole. Tell me I'm fine." It is a stark and visceral encapsulation of the story's gritty tone. It lays bare the raw and unflinching desperation, mixing dark humor with emotional vulnerability. The line captures the physical and psychological trauma central to the narrative, presenting pain as both a literal and metaphorical wound that demands acknowledgment, yet resists healing.

These specific choice of words reflect the story's overarching theme of human fragility, underscoring the characters’ struggle to connect in the face of so much suffering. The bluntness of the phrase, combined with its absurdity, reflects the unfiltered reality the story portrays, refusing to soften the harsh edges of its world. It’s a line that lingers, forcing the reader to confront the uncomfortable truths about survival, connection, and the weight of unspoken wounds.