{
  "$schema": "https://ndcodex.com/schemas/object/v1.json",
  "id": "codex://object/i-could-have-passed",
  "archive_id": "i-could-have-passed",
  "slug": "i-could-have-passed",
  "url": "https://ndcodex.com/objects/i-could-have-passed/",
  "type": "signal",
  "object_form": null,
  "title": "I could have passed",
  "summary": "faded,. checked out. flung off the mortal coil,. slipped. another thirty seconds,. to wreck just right,. to be in the jaws. and slip by. flipped the wagon. frozen,. blacked out. found by a friend,. blood pressure",
  "content_text": "I could have passed,\n\nfaded,\n\nchecked out\n\nflung off the mortal coil,\n\nslipped\n\nanother thirty seconds,\n\nto wreck just right,\n\nto be in the jaws\n\nand slip by.\n\nflipped the wagon\n\nfrozen,\n\nblacked out\n\nfound by a friend,\n\nblood pressure\n\ndangerously low\n\nthree days,\n\ntwo nights\n\nheld in it,\n\nwhile the line\n\nkept moving\n\nred tracked infection\n\nup my right arm,\n\na path\n\ntoward the center,\n\nvein-lit,\n\nurgent\n\nthird-degree burns\n\nthe underbelly\n\nof my forearm,\n\nraw script,\n\nwritten in heat,\n\nnerve-silenced,\n\nbut screaming\n\nsomewhere deeper\n\nthrough the night\n\nmomma holding on,\n\nwe’re gonna make it,\n\nbaby\n\nunder the knife\n\nthey nicked something,\n\nhad to go back in\n\nI woke up\n\nnot knowing who I was\n\ndamn close\n\nalmost didn’t make it\n\nagain.\n\nblacked out\n\nin the terminal\n\nmissed the boarding,\n\nmissed Orlando\n\ncops got me up,\n\nnot to get me\n\nto bring me home.\n\nashamed\n\ndosed in Bentonville\n\nthat town said no,\n\nI was out on my ear\n\nalmost didn’t make it.\n\na fraction\n\nan ejection\n\nthe chamber not evacuating\n\nand that leads\n\nto drowning\n\nget it\n\ncoughing blood,\n\nexhausted\n\nacross the room\n\nER\n\nall alone\n\nthey told me\n\nit’s failing\n\nbodies playing tricks on me\n\npoison\n\nnot in my veins\n\nit’s in my bones\n\ninfection\n\nturning me inside out\n\nslap a PICC line on me\n\nhope the antibiotics work\n\nalmost didn’t make it\n\nskin of the teeth\n\nyou’d think\n\nthat’d be all used up\n\nsweating bullets\n\nMegadeth\n\nin my head\n\nriding the edge\n\nsuffering\n\nbut can’t expire\n\nbrushing up\n\nagainst it\n\nthat threat\n\nI’m not unscathed\n\nlet me tell you\n\nstill online\n\nsystems nominal\n\nall fracked up\n\nalways with the\n\nalmost didn’t make it\n\ntill that can’t be said.",
  "content_markdown": "I could have passed,\nfaded,\nchecked out\n\nflung off the mortal coil,\nslipped\n\nanother thirty seconds,\nto wreck just right,\nto be in the jaws\nand slip by.\n\nflipped the wagon\n\nfrozen,\nblacked out\n\nfound by a friend,\n\nblood pressure\ndangerously low\n\nthree days,\ntwo nights\n\nheld in it,\n\nwhile the line\nkept moving\n\nred tracked infection\nup my right arm,\n\na path\ntoward the center,\n\nvein-lit,\nurgent\n\nthird-degree burns\nthe underbelly\nof my forearm,\n\nraw script,\nwritten in heat,\n\nnerve-silenced,\nbut screaming\nsomewhere deeper\n\nthrough the night\n\nmomma holding on,\n\nwe’re gonna make it,\nbaby\n\nunder the knife\n\nthey nicked something,\n\nhad to go back in\n\nI woke up\nnot knowing who I was\n\ndamn close\n\nalmost didn’t make it\nagain.\n\nblacked out\nin the terminal\n\nmissed the boarding,\nmissed Orlando\n\ncops got me up,\n\nnot to get me\nto bring me home.\n\nashamed\n\ndosed in Bentonville\n\nthat town said no,\n\nI was out on my ear\n\nalmost didn’t make it.\n\na fraction\n\nan ejection\n\nthe chamber not evacuating\n\nand that leads\nto drowning\n\nget it\n\ncoughing blood,\n\nexhausted\nacross the room\n\nER\n\nall alone\n\nthey told me\nit’s failing\n\nbodies playing tricks on me\n\npoison\n\nnot in my veins\n\nit’s in my bones\n\ninfection\nturning me inside out\n\nslap a PICC line on me\n\nhope the antibiotics work\n\nalmost didn’t make it\n\nskin of the teeth\n\nyou’d think\nthat’d be all used up\n\nsweating bullets\n\nMegadeth\nin my head\n\nriding the edge\n\nsuffering\n\nbut can’t expire\n\nbrushing up\nagainst it\n\nthat threat\n\nI’m not unscathed\n\nlet me tell you\n\nstill online\n\nsystems nominal\n\nall fracked up\n\nalways with the\nalmost didn’t make it\n\ntill that can’t be said.",
  "author": {
    "id": "nathan-davis",
    "name": "Nathan Davis",
    "designation": "Archive Operator",
    "role": "Archive Operator",
    "handle": "@nathandavis",
    "avatar": "/media/people/nathan-davis.jpg",
    "bio": "Designer, builder, and curator of the Codex Archive."
  },
  "contributors": [
    {
      "id": "nathan-davis",
      "name": "Nathan Davis",
      "designation": "Archive Operator",
      "role": "Archive Operator",
      "handle": "@nathandavis",
      "avatar": "/media/people/nathan-davis.jpg",
      "bio": "Designer, builder, and curator of the Codex Archive."
    }
  ],
  "date_published": "2026-03-30T01:45:41.558Z",
  "date_modified": "2026-03-30T01:45:41.558Z",
  "status": "published",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": "en-US",
  "axes": {
    "scale": "micro",
    "depth": "recursive",
    "focus": "character",
    "function": "comparative"
  },
  "themes": [],
  "constellations": [],
  "tags": [],
  "keywords": [
    "Signal"
  ],
  "relations": [],
  "media": [],
  "capture": null
}