The Immortal

“Name please.” The doctor sitting across the table from me said tiredly.

He looked like your typical everyday doctor. Young, probably late twenties or early thirties, but the bags under his eyes from lack of sleep made him look older than he probably was. He was married; I had noticed the wedding ring on his finger when I first sat down at the large steel table. But the way he was twisting it absentmindedly led me to believe that he was having problems with his marriage. Most likely this was due to him working long hours at the hospital.

The room we were both in felt like being inside one of those questioning rooms inside of police stations. The back wall was a large mirror; obviously two way, and the table we were both sitting at was positioned in the center of the room. I felt like I was inside of a fishbowl. This was different though. I couldn’t see the people watching me, but I knew they were there. They were all watching; the doctors. Come to see the ‘walking medical miracle’ as Rachel had put it.

“Don’t you already know my name?” I asked, looking at the open manila folder that was in front of him.

“It’s standard protocol, just answer the question.” The doctor said, sounding slightly annoyed.

“Gerard Way.” I said.

“Birthday?” He asked as he started writing something down on one of the papers in the folder.

“April ninth.” I replied.

“Year?”

“Nineteen…” I started before I had to stop and remember what year I would have been born in to be twenty-five in this year. “Eighty-three.” I finished.

“Alright.” The doctor said as he scratched down the date on one of the open lines. “Parents’ names?”

“Haven’t any.” I said unthinkingly.

“What?” He asked, dropping his pen to look up at me.

“Oh…um I was an orphan.” I lied quickly. Technically it wasn’t a lie per say, but I never had foster parents or lived in an orphanage. I’m not sure if they even have orphanages anymore, I think they’re called children’s’ homes.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He said, actually sounding sincere surprisingly as he wrote something else down in the file.

“Don’t worry about it.” I said.

“Um…okay then…” He trailed off as he looked back down at the form he was filling out. “Um…current place of resident?”

“Anderson building on Park avenue.” I replied.

“You’re kidding!” The doctor exclaimed, making me jump a little in surprise. “It’s damn near impossible to get an apartment building in this city let alone in a high-rise like that. How’d you manage to get a place there?”

“Just lucky I guess.” I shrugged. Luck had absolutely nothing to do with it; I had bought that apartment thirty years ago. The current building manager is under the impression that I am the grandson of the original buyer.

“Alright then, occupation?” The doctor asked.

“Comic book artist.” I replied.

“Really?” He asked, sounding remarkably interested. “Which company?”

“DC.” I said.

“Ah,” He sighed in understanding. “I’ve got a cousin that works over at Marvel.”

He wrote down a couple more things down on the papers in my file before sitting back in the chair he was in, letting out a loud yawn as he did so.

“Alright Gerard, I think I’m done questioning you,” He said as he closed up the file and clicked his pen. “…for now. Ready for your CT scan now?”

I sighed and reluctantly followed him out of the questioning room down the hall.

“Drink up.” Rachel said a few minutes later once I was back in the room I shared with Frank. In front of me was a large bottle with what looked like milk, except it had floating chunks in it.

“What is it?” I asked, looking bewilderedly at the bottle.

“I remember that stuff!” Frank exclaimed from the bed beside me. “Ugh, God speed man.”

I didn’t like the sound of that.

“It’s called barium.” Rachel said.

“Sure as hell doesn’t taste like berries.” Frank muttered, still looking disgustedly at the bottle in front of me.

I really didn’t like the sound of that.

“What does it do?” I asked uneasily.

“It makes you look like a glow worm!” Frank said enthusiastically.

“Huh?” I asked, turning to Rachel for a better explanation.

“It makes your organs more visible during the CT scan.” She explained. “But you have to be sure and drink it all.”

“Hey he doesn’t have as much as I had to drink!” Frank complained as I brought the bottle closer to my nose to sniff at it. It smelled fruity but that’s probably not what it’s going to taste like.

“That’s because he’s thinner than you are.” Rachel said, rolling her eyes at him.

“Hey now what’s that supposed to mean?” He demanded. “Are you calling me fat?”

“You are calling you fat.” She said. “I said nothing.”

“But you was thinking it.” He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest childishly.

“Just drink it Gerard.” Rachel sighed, looking over at me again.

I winced and brought the bottle to my mouth to take a large gulp. It tasted just as, if not more revolting than it looked. It was like trying to swallow year-old milk that had things growing in it. It was also warm, which made it ten times worse. Along with the spoiled milk flavor was a hint of berry, like someone had attempted to overpower the disgusting milk flavor but had failed miserably. My gag reflex kicked into overdrive but I managed to swallow the contents in my mouth.

“How is it?” Frank asked, looking at me with a forced expression that clearly said he was trying his hardest not to laugh at me.

“Delicious.” I said sarcastically.

“You handled the first drink better than I did at least.” He shrugged. “I threw mine up.”

“Please don’t talk about throwing up while I’m drinking this.” I said weakly as I raised the bottle back to my mouth for another drink.

“Oh come on it can’t be that bad.” Rachel said, rolling her eyes at us. Obviously she had never had to drink this stuff.

“Have you ever had to drink that?” Frank asked as he gestured towards the bottle.

“Um…well no.” She admitted, shifting her weight on her feet uncomfortably.

“Trust us, it’s bad.” I said with a grimace as I mentally prepared myself for another drink of the barium.

“Alright Gerard you need to hold really still now.” Rachel said into the intercom a half hour later as I was lying on the table underneath the large CT machine.

The room she was in was separated from the one the machine and I were in but I could see her through the wide glass window if I lifted my head up. I relaxed my clenched fists and held still as the machine started humming and the lights started flashing on the inside. Maybe humming was too light of a term. It was more of a thunderous whirling noise. The hard tabled beneath me started to vibrate slightly and I waited patiently until it finished.

“Alright Gerard,” Rachel said over the intercom after the machine had shut off. “you can move now.”

Unthinkingly I sat up quickly but immediately regretted doing this as my head collided with the metal of the machine above me, sending me back down hard on the table.

“Ow.” I groaned loudly as I clapped my hand to my head.

“Smooth.” Rachel said as she entered the room the machine and I were in.

“Aren’t you supposed to freak out and ask if I’m alright?” I asked as she hit the button on the side of the machine, making the rolling table I was on slide out of the tunnel.

“Would you like me to?” She asked, raising her eyebrows at me as I sat up properly on the table.

“No, not really.” I sighed as I slid off the table back onto my feet.

“Good.” She nodded. “Alright follow me; it’s time for your MRI.”

“More tests.” I grumbled as I followed her out of the room. “Brilliant.”