Marc Schultz's "Practicing My Sad Face": Moving & plausible, if not original

It managed to evoke strong emotions near end, in spite of tired plot. And it's understandable, unlike much recent fiction from Strange Horizons that just went over my head.

On the negative side, nothing about the plot is original. And there is way too much jargon for my taste.

Full text of the story is available online.

Story summary.
Billy, the narrator, is the sole survivor of a terrorist strike, & is recuperating in a hospital. He has had his face patched up by plastic surgeons, & his eyes & ears are replaced with bionic implants. There is also much damage to brain - some implants have been fitted, but much of his old memory is gone. And he now behaves like a little child.

Story begins with loving care he is receiving from Dr Janice Anderson, & his live-in girlfriend, Joyce Farley. Until Joyce cannot take it anymore, & decides to part ways. Now she is coming for a last visit to announce breakup, & Dr Anderson wants Billy to practice sad expressions on his face & use them during Joyce's visit - so he won't be grinning when Joyce announces the parting.

End is another terrorist bombing on train bringing Joyce; tracks run near hospital. While hospital staff is busy attending to victims, Billy also goes out to accident side alone - with just a 50 minutes battery for his implants. He describes the gory scenes.

We are not told the final fate, but I presume he dies in innocence at accident side when battery runs out, while Joyce died in this second attack.

Fact sheet.
Practicing My Sad Face, short story, review
First published: Strange Horizons, 27 August 2007
Rating: B