Stories of Your Life and Others

This story is told in the first-person from the perspective of a Boston freelance digital designer Leon. Leon survives drowning in ice-cold water thanks to the new drug, hormone K, which repairs his severe brain damage.

He regularly wakes up screaming from nightmares about his drowning, but the doctor believes his brain is just adjusting to the regenerated neurons. Leon’s checkup also shows an immense improvement in his ability to memorize data, so the doctor has him perform intelligence tests, which show a huge spike in his intellect. He is able to multitask like never before, and his reading speed and comprehension increase.

Head neurologist Dr. Shea invites Leon to participate in a study on how the hormone affects intelligence. Researching hormone K, Leon discovers that it replaces only damaged neurons and is used in treating stroke victims, Alzheimer patients, and people in persistent vegetative states, like Leon. He wonders, “is there a plateau, or will additional dosages of the hormone cause further increases?” (35).

As part of the study, Leon receives additional injections of the hormone, which incur new, bizarre nightmares. As his intelligence increases and he is able to understand things more intuitively, Leon slowly develops a sense of superiority.