These short stories about disability & disease have characters with diseases, ones who are sick, or people with other health problems or disabilities. Sometimes the effect of the condition on others is explored. Some of the stories are about a widespread illness or outbreak. See also:
Short Stories About Disability or Disease
“The Long Road” by Heidi Heilig
A family rides camels through a desert in China. They’re headed for Persia. The daughter has bad fate and her secret is out. It brings shame on her and her family. She wears many amulets to help her. There’s a treatment in Persia. Her parents sold everything to make this journey.
This is the first selection in the anthology Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens. It can be read in the Amazon preview above.
“In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried” by Amy Hempel
The narrator visits her friend, who is dying of cancer, in a California hospital. The friend wants to talk about trivial things. The narrator has waited two months to visit. (Summary & Analysis)
Read “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried”
“Hailey’s Shooting Star” by Steven Carman
Hailey’s visiting her aunt and uncle at their new house. She goes down the street to a basketball hoop that a neighbor let’s everyone use. Two boys arrive soon after. They say girls can’t play there, especially girls with one hand.
This story can be read in the preview of Tales from the Bully Box. (45% in)
“Day of the Butterfly” by Alice Munro
Helen remembers Myra, a girl from her Grade Six class. Myra is isolated and gets bullied, and doesn’t play with the other girls. One day Helen catches up with Myra as they’re walking to school. They have a little talk, and Helen thinks they’ll be friendly with each other now. Soon after, Myra disappears. (Summary)
“The Dwarf” by Ray Bradbury
A dwarf has a nightly ritual of going into the mirror maze. He thinks what he does in there is a secret, but Ralph, the ticket attendant, has observed him. He tells Aimee about it. Ralph wants to show her.
This story can be read in the preview of The October Country.
The Use of Force | William Carlos Williams
A doctor makes a house call to examine a young girl. He finds that she has hidden the severity of her illness and she resists the examination, leading to a battle of wills. (Summary and Analysis)
Chickamauga | Ambrose Bierce
A six-year-old boy, who is a deaf-mute, wanders off one afternoon. He gets scared by a rabbit and then runs off and hides, falling asleep. He wakes up to an unusual sight.
This story can be read in the preview of The Devil’s Dictionary, Tales, & Memoirs.
“The Feather Pillow” by Horacio Quiroga
A newly-married couple live happily, but with some distance between them, for about three months. The wife, Alicia, gets thin and sick. The illness hangs on, so doctors are called and Alicia is bedridden. (Summary)
“A Medicine for Melancholy” by Ray Bradbury
Mr. Wilkes dismisses Dr. Gimp, fed up with his inability to cure his daughter. Camillia hurts all over and wants to be allowed to die in peace. Her younger brother, Jamie, has an idea that would harness the collective medical knowledge of the community.
This story can be read in the preview of A Medicine for Melancholy and Other Stories.
“Seven Floors” by Dino Buzzati
Giovanni Corte arrives at a sanatorium on a spring day. He only has a mild case of a particular ailment, but this is the best place for treatment. It’s a pleasant place, seven stories high and like a hotel. He is shown to a room on the top floor. When he talks to a nurse, he finds out that the floors divide residents by the severity of their illness—mild cases on the seventh floor down to hopeless cases on the first floor. (Summary)
My Man Bovanne | Toni Cade Bambara
Bovanne, an older, blind man is a guest at a fund-raising event for an African-American political group. Hazel, a relative of one of the group’s members, dances with Bovanne, causing a stir at the event.
This is the first story in the preview of Gorilla, My Love.
“Call Me Joe” by Poul Anderson
Edward struggles through an ammonia storm and makes it to his small dugout. He wanted to do some work, but now he’ll have to wait until morning. Far away, the real Edward, a man in a wheelchair, takes off his helmet. He’s in the control room, not braving the surface of Jupiter. That’s being done by Joe, an artificial life-form, with whom Edward has a psionic connection. They’ve been experiencing some failures in the link lately. An expert, Cornelius, is assigned to the station to fix it.
This longer story can be read in the preview of Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century.
“Morning Child” by Gardner Dozois
Williams brings John to the house they used to live in. It’s been destroyed in the war. John is happy there and like to play. He’s always full of energy early in the day. They hike back to camp. They aren’t the only people left, but they never see anyone.
This story can be read in the preview of Morning Child and Other Stories. (41% into preview)
“Nimram” by John Gardner
Benjamin Nimram is sitting in the first-class section on a plane. He’s a renowned symphony conductor, with a good life and aware of his good fortune. A sixteen-year-old girl on crutches is seated next to him. She bears a remarkable similarity to his wife, Arline. She’s nervous about the flight. Nimram can see she looks unwell.
This story can be read in the preview of The Art of Living: & Other Stories. (13% into preview)
The Eyes Have It (or The Eyes Are Not Here) | Ruskin Bond
A blind man is riding the train. A young woman joins him in his carriage. He tries to navigate the social interaction without revealing his blindness.
This story can be read in the preview of Collected Short Stories. (32% into preview)
“Au Sable” by Joyce Carol Oates
Mitchell gets a call from his father-in-law, Otto, in the early evening. This is odd, as Otto never calls until after 11 P.M when the rates go down. He sounds more upbeat than usual. He’s often angry about many things and complains a lot. He warmly asks Mitchell about his work, his wife Lizbeth (Otto’s only daughter), and the grown grandkids. Otto’s glad Mitchell answered; he has something important to tell them and he’s rather not say it directly to his daughter.
This story can be read in the preview of Faithless: Tales of Transgression. (6% in)
“Makes the Whole World Kin” by O. Henry
A burglar enters a residence through a window. He lights a cigarette, looks around, and takes his time. There’s a dim light coming from the back room. He hopes to find something valuable there, like money or a watch.
Read “Makes the Whole World Kin”
The Sacrificial Egg | Chinua Achebe
Julius Obi sits idle at his typewriter while his boss sleeps. They haven’t had a customer in a week. When he looks out the window at the Nkwo market, he sees it’s empty. An outbreak of smallpox has sent the people into hiding.
“Night Surf” by Stephen King
A small group walk to what used to be a public beach. It’s deserted now; A6 has killed most of the population. One of the members of the group, Needles, thinks he might be infected.
Amazing Grace | Bradford Morrow
The narrator was blinded by an accident at work. After a period of despair, he decides to learn braille and improve his family’s life. He eventually writes an article for a newsletter about his experience, which leads to work for a newspaper and speaking engagements. He talks about the morning his sight was restored.
“Amazing Grace” is in The Uninnocent: Stories.
“Sir Hercules” by Aldous Huxley
Hercules is born very small and his growth is slow. His parents seek a cure but nothing helps. His adult height is 3 feet 2 inches. His parents die early, and at twenty-one, Hercules inherits a considerable fortune and estate. Feeling uncomfortable in the presence of full-grown people, Hercules decides to retire from public life and remodel his estate to suit his size. He replaces the large dogs his father had with small ones and finds servants of small stature to tend the household.
The Masque of the Red Death | Edgar Allan Poe
Prince Prospero and his nobles are gathered in an abbey to avoid a deadly plague that is decimating the general population. The prince holds a masquerade party to entertain his guests and pass the time.
Speech Sounds | Octavia E. Butler
Rye is on a bus heading for Pasadena. She might have a brother there who’s still alive. Two passengers, young men, start getting hostile. When one inadvertently falls into the other, a fight breaks out. This leads to further hostilities. The driver stops the bus. There is lots of grunting and other sounds and many gestures, but no one talks.
The Sky is Gray | Ernest Gaines
James is an eight-year-old black boy in the 1930’s South. He has a bad toothache but didn’t tell his mother about it, not wanting to be a crybaby and knowing they can’t afford to have it pulled. After he tries aspirin and a prayer cure with his aunt’s help, without success, his mother discovers the problem.
Short Stories About Disability, Disease, Health Problems or Illness, Cont’d
The Way We Live Now | Susan Sontag
An unnamed man is showing symptoms of a disease, which turns out to be AIDS. His friends visit him in the hospital. They try to cheer him up, and they talk about his progress and behavior among themselves.
The District Doctor | Ivan Turgenev
A doctor makes an urgent house call where a beautiful young woman is in a bad condition. He tries to reassure her family even though a recovery is unlikely.
Saboteur | Ha Jin
Mr. Chiu and his new wife are having lunch at a train station when a police officer throws some tea on the ground, getting some on their feet. A disagreement ensues and Mr. Chiu is arrested. He’s held in prison without his medication even though he tells his captors that his hepatitis could flare up again.
To Everything There is a Season | Alistair MacLeod
The narrator recounts a time when he was eleven, living on a farm, with Christmas approaching. His father hasn’t been well for over two years. The family is eagerly awaiting the return of the eldest brother, Neil, who works on a boat.
Silence | Leonid Andreyev
Father Ignatius and his wife try to find out what is wrong with Vera, their daughter, who stays in bed. She has recently returned from St. Petersburg, a trip her father didn’t approve of. Her condition has a powerful effect on everyone.
Souvenir | Jayne Anne Phillips
Every year, Kate sends her mother a Valentine’s Day card, timed to arrive exactly on February 14th. This year she has forgotten. She calls her mother that evening instead. The next day she finds out that her mother is in the hospital.
Cathedral | Raymond Carver
A woman and a blind man have kept in contact for ten years, mailing tapes to each other. His wife has recently died, so he’s going to visit her family. On the way, he’s going to spend a night at the woman’s place with her new husband. Her husband isn’t looking forward to the visit.
“The Blind Man” by D. H. Lawrence
Isabel Pervin is expecting a visit from her oldest and dearest friend, Bertie, after not being in contact for a while. Isabel’s husband, Maurice, was blinded and scarred in Flanders. They’ve been happy on the farm, experiencing a powerful intimacy. At times, though, Isabel feels burdened and Maurice is terribly depressed. He and Bertie don’t really like each other much. Bertie got in touch with Isabel a little while ago.
Read “The Blind Man”
A Day’s Wait | Ernest Hemingway
A young boy has a temperature of a hundred and two. The doctor leaves three different pills and a schedule for taking them. His father attends to him while he stays in bed.
“The Evening and the Morning and the Night” by Octavia E. Butler
Lynn suffers from DGD, as did both her parents, which is unusual. The disease can be slowed but not stopped with a restrictive diet. Sufferers eventually deteriorate into extreme self-harm and violence toward others. There’s generally a warning, a “drift” that occurs before loss of control, allowing time to institutionalize people before they become dangerous. Lynn’s father didn’t drift; he snapped suddenly. Lynn deals with her diagnosis and the stigma it brings.
A Man Who Had No Eyes | Mackinlay Kantor
A blind beggar comes down the street as Mr. Parsons comes out of his hotel. He feels pity for blind creatures and reflects on his own success. The man speaks to Parsons, and takes out an item that he’d like to sell.
A Primer for the Punctuation of Heart Disease | Jonathan Safran Foer
The narrator explains the meaning of many different unusual punctuation marks that are used in communication, mostly with family.
Read “A Primer for the Punctuation of Heart Disease”
One Reader Writes | Ernest Hemingway
A woman writes to an advice columnist about her husband. He returned from his military service with some kind of malady and she isn’t sure what to do.
Five-Twenty | Patrick White
The Natwicks like to sit on their veranda to watch the traffic. They are getting on in years. The husband, Royal, is in a wheelchair with a hernia, heart trouble, and severe arthritis. The wife, Ella, is still able to get around. They get used to seeing a man in a pink and brown Holden at five-twenty. We’re told about their earlier life, how they got together and the dynamic of their relationship.
You’ll Never Live to Regret It | Jeffrey Archer
David decides to leave everything to Pat. He plays it cool with the insurance agent so it won’t look suspicious. The insurance company requires a medical check from their own doctor.
Short Stories About Disability, Disease, Health Problems or Illness, Cont’d
Ghost Boy | Elinor Nash
Jake is a young teenager who is focused on the sounds in his home. He views his mother, father, and sister in an unusual way. He suffered a bike accident which has affected him a great deal.
Tenth of December | George Saunders
A young boy, Robin, gets his pellet gun and goes on a rescue mission. He suspects the Nethers, a species he’s had previous run-ins with, of kidnapping a classmate of his, Suzanne. Robin comes across a coat, still warm inside, on a bench. He sees a thin, older man in the distance, walking off in the cold. Robin knows something is wrong. He changes his mission.
And Sarah Laughed | Joanne Greenberg
Sarah has been preparing the farmhouse for her son Abel and his new bride, whom the family hasn’t met yet. Sarah’s husband Matthew is deaf, as are all of their children. They didn’t learn sign language and their home has always been silent.
Read “And Sarah Laughed” (Pg 23 of document)
The Dark | Karen Joy Fowler
In 1954 a family disappears from Yosemite National Park. In 1960 and 1962 there are two other incidents in the area. Keith Harmon, a plague specialist, is called in to investigate after the third incident. He hears a story of a young boy in the wild.
I Want to Live! | Thom Jones
Mrs. Wilson finds out she has uterine and breast cancer. It’s also an irregular kind of cancer that will complicate the treatment. Her doctor is good but lacks bedside manner. She thinks about her options and copes with her ordeal.
The Not-Dead and the Saved | Kate Clanchy
A mother and son are in the pediatrics unit. He views people who are kept alive by technology as “Not-Deads”, because they’re alive but not in a full sense. He’s waiting for a transplant.
Yeyuka | Greg Egan
The narrator spends his last day in Sydney at Bondi Beach. Many of the other patrons are getting solar tattoos—melanoma has been virtually eliminated. He wears a HealthGuard, a ring that constantly monitors his blood, then produces and dispenses whatever medication is needed. They’re expensive, though. He’s a doctor, headed for Africa as a volunteer to assist with the Yeyuka epidemic.
The Unexpected | Kate Chopin
Randall must leave Dorothea, his beloved. He has necessary business to attend to and will be gone a month. The separation is a cruelty to both of them, and they can hardly bear the parting. They write to each other daily. As the month nears its end, Randall contracts an illness.
Read “The Unexpected”
The Enduring Chill | Flannery O’Connor
Asbury, twenty-five-years old, returns home. He’s sick. His mother is surprised by how bad he looks. He’s in a bad temper and doesn’t want to talk. His older sister is the principal of an elementary school. His mother wants him to see Doctor Block, but Asbury knows he can’t be helped. He and his sister don’t get along.
The Plague | Ken Liu
A girl, Marne, and her mother are fishing. A man in a protective suit falls into the water. He struggles to breathe. Marne wants to help, but her mother says everything is poisonous to him. He’s from the Dome. She goes over and untangles his tubes.
“Father is Firm with His Ailments” by Clarence Day
The narrator’s father got annoyed with his family when they were unwell. He didn’t believe in the power of germs or diseases. When his wife was sick, he thought there wasn’t really anything wrong with her.
Read “Father is Firm with His Ailments”
“Fever” by John Edgar Wideman
There is a yellow fever epidemic in late 18th century Philadelphia. Allen, an African-American, chooses to stay in the city to help Dr. Rush find a cure and treat the victims. Popular opinion among the white population is that the disease was brought to the city by black slaves.
“After a Judgment Day” by Edmond Hamilton
Martinsen is looking at a monitor on a moon station. A tiny red star indicates that Charlie Sixteen is coming back. Cyborgs, nicknamed Charlies, are sent out in probes to gather data on other planets. Martinsen alerts Ellam, but there’s no response. He finds Ellam in a daze from taking tranquillizers. It’s his way of coping with the news from Earth—a devastating plague has broken out and survivors will be few, if any.
I’ll keep adding short stories about disabilities, disease, health problems and illness as I find more.