A New Brain

Gordon Schwinn sits at his piano, grappling with a looming deadline to craft a spring-themed song for Mr. Bungee. The prologue frames his grand musical ambitions with a hint of existential worry as the music resists taking shape. He decides to pause and seek a break before the pressure overwhelms him.

Gordon meets his best friend Rhoda at a neighborhood restaurant for a respite from the deadline. They banter about the show and Gordon's looming task, while a feeling that the music inside him may never be finished lingers. The scene plays out against the buzz of the lunch crowd.

During lunch, Gordon is seized by a piercing headache and suddenly collapses into his meal. An ambulance carries him away as worry and questions about his health flood the people around him. The crisis marks a turning point toward fears of mortality and unfinished songs.

Gordon’s mother Mimi arrives at the hospital with concern and resolve. Doctors explain that something is physically wrong with Gordon’s brain and outline the need for an MRI to chart the next steps. The medical context grounds the drama and raises the stakes for his artistry.

In the hospital, Gordon’s temper flares as he clashes with Mimi over the seriousness of his illness. A hallucinated Mr. Bungee materializes, chiding him and pressuring him to stay polite while his fear intensifies. He drifts into a daydream involving Roger, his boyfriend, as they navigate support and distance.

Two nurses, Nancy D. and Richard, bring different temperaments to Gordon’s care. Roger arrives from a sailing trip, offering tenderness but facing the choice to stay or leave. Gordon’s reflections on family traits and identity deepen the emotional underpinnings of his situation.

Nancy wakes Gordon for the MRI, and he recalls a past sailing journey with Roger to steady himself. The claustrophobic procedure becomes a focal point for his anxiety about vulnerability and control. The MRI sets the stage for a medical diagnosis that could alter his life.

Dr. Berensteiner explains that Gordon has an arteriovenous malformation and must undergo a craniotomy to prevent a dangerous rupture. The doctor outlines the risks: potential death if the operation goes wrong and possible complications even if it goes too perfectly. Gordon agrees to proceed, with Roger offering to stay by his side.

Rhoda returns with news that Mr. Bungee needs a fresh song by the next morning, tightening the pressure on Gordon. He declines Roger’s offer of companionship and commits to writing, believing the art must live on. The moment sharpens the resolve to turn fear into creativity.

Gordon envisions Lisa, the homeless woman from earlier, pleading for change, a catalyst that injects urgency into his work. This vision becomes a call to action, pushing him to channel his fear into a new sense of purpose. He writes a new song that seems born from the pressure of the moment.

Gordon presents the new song Yes to Mr. Bungee, only to be met with disdain as the host storms off. The rejection crystallizes the tension between artistic integrity and external demands. Gordon is left crushed but determined to continue.

Mimi destroys Gordon’s books, a stark symbol of protection and control clashing with artistic memory. The surgery is postponed, casting a tense pause over the hospital and Gordon’s fragile hopes. The delay forces him to re-evaluate his priorities as time stretches.

Gordon undergoes the craniotomy, and Dr. Berensteiner celebrates a successful arrival. The hospital room fills with a fragile renewal as Roger stays by his side. Gordon grapples with the new prognosis and the sense that life may bloom again.

Post-surgery, Gordon and Roger share a playful moment in the hospital shower, signaling a shift toward renewed vitality. Months pass as Gordon rebuilds his life with Roger, and Lisa returns in a new, unsettling form as she sells his books. The story closes with Gordon embracing a hopeful rhythm: Time and Music, and a final spring song that suggests gratitude amid change.