Unplugged

I’m still alive, but I’ve been moved to a room in the hospital where the wireless signal is too weak to access the Internet. The room does have a window and a real “Mountain View”, however, and the nurses are taking good care of me. They actually wheeled me back to my old haunts long enough to send out some email and write this post.

Looks like I’ll be in here at least until Tuesday, and I may be severely limited in what I’m able to do when I get out. The phrase “wheelchair-bound” escaped one doctor’s lips. I have the feeling I may have crossed a line in the progress of this disease. Any disability attorneys in the audience?

There’s other less-than-pleasant news, too, to relate, but I’ll save that for next time.

I’ll check in here again when I can. Stay tuned.

26 Responses to “Unplugged”

  1. Gordon Says:

    I just spoke with Steve to clarify the “other less-than-pleasant news” — it isn’t health related at all. It’s comics related…

    He also assures me he is getting better…

    However, he isn’t anywhere that he can access the Internet unless someone is willing to wheel him there — which they have been nice enough to do.

    All good wishes are welcome.

  2. mister_pj Says:

    Just hang in there Steve there are a lot of people pulling for you!

  3. TwoBuckTim Says:

    Best wishes, Steve. From a long time and current fan.

    Hope to hear that you are up and raging soon.

  4. Glen Gold Says:

    Thinking about you, Steve.

  5. Stefan Immel Says:

    Well wishes from germany too. I hope the news isn’t Dr. Fate related, I really, REALLY liked your take on him.

  6. Chris Egan Says:

    Feel better and best wishes, Steve.

  7. Forrest Says:

    Crud.

    Hold out for the Stephen Hawking model wheelchair. Four-speed, dual-quad, posi-traction, 425 hp, you know the kind.

  8. pete doree Says:

    A friend of mine has MS and a while back had to have his legs broken and then reset.
    His first question when he came out of hospital: ” D’you think I stand more chance getting a sympathy shag on crutches or a wheelchair? ”
    Good to know some people have their priorities right.

    ( Shag, for those who don’t know, is british for getting laid )

  9. Marc Bryant Says:

    Best wishes Steve.

  10. Aaron Poehler Says:

    Stay strong, Steve. I’ve just discovered your writing this year: tore through Omega and Defenders, am anxiously awaiting the Howard Omnibus, and really dig Dr. Fate (always loved the Fate backups in Flash when I was a kid…perhaps a trade will come someday).

  11. Fred Chamberlain Says:

    You’re in my thoughts man.

  12. Adam McGovern Says:

    Stay mad, genius — we’re gonna levitate you outta there!!

  13. Darren Schroeder Says:

    Just checked in, sad to find you in the hospital, so am very glad to see you are feeling up to a bit work and can let us know how you are – all the best for a safe recovery!

  14. Scott Andrew Hutchins Says:

    I’m glad to see your better, but the doctor does not have to be right about you being wheelchair bound.

  15. Bpb Kennedy Says:

    So I’m guessing work on the homepage is delayed again…?

  16. Mark Evanier Says:

    This is all still another cheap trick to get out of having lunch with me.

  17. Gordon Says:

    of course it is.

  18. Scott Andrew Hutchins Says:

    I just saw on Amazon that we’re being promised the Dr. Fate trade paperback on August 5, with Gerber listed as the author, in case you think it’s some other Dr. Fate collection.

  19. Stefan Immel Says:

    This is extremly funny:

    I went to look for the book on Amazon.com and to find it I entered “Gerber Fate”.

    The 3. result was the book mentioned by Scott.

    The 5. result is a book about emigrants from my hometown of Dillenburg, which is very small (around 10.000 pop.) to america. What a huge and strange coincidince.

  20. Brian Spence Says:

    Well, at least you pulled through. I hope you’re improving. I finally got a chance to read through Dr. Fate up to the current issue, and I really love it. Your characters always feel more real than what other writers come up with. A western style doctor who becomes a bum, finds enlightenment in new age mysticism. Gotta love it.

  21. Beth Says:

    monster-size well wishes, Steve.

  22. Bryan Headley Says:

    Get the heck out of there, as soon as you can, Steve. And if that means getting better, well, that’s a positive thing, too.

  23. Robert W. Getz Says:

    I don’t care for this the least little bit, Gerber. You’re harshing my mellow, big time.

    Get the hell better so I can wallow in my enormous lake of selfishness and self pity again!

    RG

  24. Brizoni Says:

    Hey. I want more Gerber, not less. Consider this a fist-shaking well-wish.

  25. Justin Newberry Says:

    I drive by the hospital with a mountain view a couple times a day (I live a few blocks away, and it’s right next to the freeway), and I look at the building and think to myself, “Self, Steve Gerber is in there… And he can’t get on the internets. Go offer to wheel him to where he can get on the internets.”

    Then the rational part of my mind kicks in and says, “Don’t be stupid, stupid. You have never met Steve Gerber and doing such a thing, no matter how well-meaning, will only weird the dude out. You just keep right on driving, boy… P.S. the stomach just called up and said to stop by Subway and get us a sammich.”

    Sadly, it is always Subway, and not Mountain View I go to…

    Interesting side note: right after reading about you going into the hospital, I decided to dig out my collection of Nevada, so’s that I could quote you something better than “Ook impatu gah” or call you “sweet legs” (though I’m sure you haven’t been called that more than once or twice before), but they’re nowhere to be found… And that is really freaking me out, because it’s books like Nevada that helped program me into being what I am today… Much to my parents’ dismay.

  26. Nat Gertler Says:

    I’m left wondering whether alive-but-no-Internet-access status is the modern equivalent of the tree-falling-in-the-forest, no-one-around-to-hear-it situation.

    Get better. And save a dose of oxygen for me; I hear it’s a real gas!