"Autopsy Room Four" is a short story by American writerStephen King. It was first published in King's limited-edition collectionSix Stories in 1997 and appeared in the anthologyRobert Bloch's Psychos later the same year. In 2002, it was collected in King's collectionEverything's Eventual. It was adapted into a short film in 2003. It was also part of TNT'sNightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King series in the summer of 2006. On December 11, 2024,Deadline Hollywood announced it was being made into a feature film with British director Ranjeet S. Marwa and veteran Hollywood executive Jon Levin. It is currently in development.
The plot is based on the set-up of the short story "Breakdown" by Louis Pollock, originally published inCollier's Magazine in 1947, in which the protagonist is paralyzed in an auto accident, and must prove that he is alive. At one point in King's story, the protagonist explicitly thinks about a television adaptation of "Breakdown" which aired onAlfred Hitchcock Presents in 1955.
The story is set in King's fictional town ofDerry, Maine.
Howard Cottrell awakes from some form of unconsciousness to find himself laid out in anautopsy room. As thedoctors prepare to begin, Howard struggles to come to grips with what is happening.
After realizing that he isn't dead, Howard deduces that he is in aparalysed state. Howard tries to somehow inform the doctors of this fact before they cut into him.
While prepping Cottrell's body, the doctor in charge, Katie Arlen, findsshrapnel wounds around his nether regions. While she is absent-mindedly examining these, an intern rushes into the room to inform them that Howard is still alive. Katie looks down – to find herself holding Howard's erect penis.
In a humorous afternote, Howard explains that he was possibly bitten by a very raresnake, causing the deathlike paralysis. Another one of the doctors discovered that same snake in his golf bag and was promptly bitten. It's presumed that he will recover. Howard adds that he and Katie dated for a while, but parted due to an embarrassing issue in the boudoir (he wasimpotent unless she was wearing rubber gloves).
