[Intro — spoken]

Kenneth was a thirty-one year old accountant...

He thought the stomach ache was from the burrito he'd eaten for lunch...

By midnight he was curled on the bathroom floor...

By morning he couldn't stand up straight...

[Verse 1]

Kenneth sat at his desk on a Thursday working through,

Stomachache at noon — he'd felt this ache before,

Burrito from the food truck — blamed it on the meal,

Took some antacids — thought that was the deal.

By evening pain had moved — right side getting worse,

Every bump in the car ride home felt like a curse,

Fever climbing slowly — couldn't eat a bite,

Kenneth curled up on the floor — deep into the night.

[Pre-Chorus]

Morning came and Kenneth couldn't stand up straight,

Walking hunched and guarded — pushing through the gate,

Wife took one look at him — drove him to the ER,

Kenneth couldn't hide it anymore — near and far.

[Chorus]

Kenneth's right side screaming — deep inside the cave,

Appendix filling — pressure building — behaving like a knave,

Rebound tenderness — guarding — fever climbing high,

Kenneth's right side screaming — asking himself why.

[Verse 2]

ER pressed his right side — Kenneth hit the ceiling,

Pain shot through his belly — overwhelming feeling,

White count elevated — scan confirmed the swelling,

Appendix thick and angry — diagnosis telling.

Surgeon said tonight — we cannot wait on this,

Laparoscopic — three small holes — nothing to miss,

Appendix out by midnight — Kenneth back in bed,

Fever breaking slowly — nothing left to dread.

[Bridge]

Twenty-four hours later — Kenneth up and walking,

Eating crackers slowly — wife beside him talking,

Surgeon said we caught it — just before it burst,

Another twelve hours — it could have been the worst.

Home by day two — slow walk — gentle ease,

Back at his spreadsheets — doing as he pleased,

Scar so small he had to look — barely even there,

Kenneth back to burritos — but stopping himself to care.

[Outro]

Kenneth eats his lunch now — watches what he eats,

Back behind his spreadsheets — handling all the beats,

Knows the signs now — moving pain — fever — guard,

Kenneth's scar is healing — nothing hit too hard.

“Kenneth’s Story”