Sometimes We Takes Chances, Sometimes We Take Pills
Not all of you.
Sleeping was a ritual that was not voluntary. They fed you Eszopiclone in one form or another, and before long you were stumbling, trying to find your way back to your bed. I hadn’t yet figured out how to tongue my medicine yet, so I took the pills they gave me without question. I was exhausted anyway, and grateful for the chance of a good night’s rest. I woke up to a calm ward, there was silence. I could hear small chit chat coming from down the hall as well as the nurse’s shoes clacking against the hard floor. Quietly I got up and I got dressed. My stomach was begging to be fed, so I walked out of my room. “Uh,” I stared at one of the nurses.
“Do I need one of you to bring me down to the cafeteria?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck. There were still bandages around my wrists. The nurse stared at them and then nodded slowly.
“Yes, I’ll go with you,” she said, briefly sorting through the pile of clipboards until she found the one that read Wentz, Pete. I followed her down the long, white hallway and into the cafeteria. A cluster of people were there, picking at the food and not saying much. The occasional grunts from the patients and the small chatter in between nurses. I got into line, picking up a tan tray and ran it along the food line like I was back in high school. I picked up some waffles, skipping over the sausage to get some fruit.
“Don’t you want some bacon? Or sausage?” The nurse pried. “It’s good protein, and iron.”
“Uh, I’m a vegetarian,” I mumbled.
“You could really use some iron,” she continued to poke.
I put some eggs onto my tray, “There, there is my iron.”
“I thought you said you were vegetarian,” she added.
“I am, but I can eat dairy. It’s vegans that don’t eat dairy.”
She nodded, not saying another word, which was good because I was about ready to punch her in the face. Just as I was finishing my meal, a nurse came over to me.
“Pete, you have a visitor,” she said. I wiped my mouth and tossed what was left on my tray and left it to be washed. I followed the two nurses out of the cafeteria and looked up to see Mikey standing awkwardly in front of the nurse’s station. His knees were bent in some, and he was drinking water from a bottle of Poland Springs. When he saw me, his face lit up.
“Pete!” He rushed over me and pulled me into a hug.
I could feel the nurse’s eyes on us, so I pulled him away, “C’mon, I’ll show you around.”
I tugged him towards my room, I wasn’t sure he was going to come; and certainly not this early. I pushed my room door open and looked at the clock. Checks were in five minutes.
Mikey looked anxious, and he set his water bottle down, swallowing his last gulp.
“How are you feeling?” He asked, looking me over to make sure I didn’t have any new damage.
“I’m... I’m feeling a little better,” I admitted.
Mikey nodded, “I want you to feel all the way better.”
I pulled him into a hug, I wanted to get better. I didn’t like how I was feeling, so apathetically depressed. “I will,” I told him. “I promise... how’s Hemmingway?”
“He misses you,” Mikey admitted and looked up at me. “I miss you.”
“I’m... I’m right here,” I told him. Mikey shook his head.
“No, not all of you.” He pressed himself onto his toes ever so lightly and kissed me.
When he pulled away, the door swung open.
“Checks!”
“Do I need one of you to bring me down to the cafeteria?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck. There were still bandages around my wrists. The nurse stared at them and then nodded slowly.
“Yes, I’ll go with you,” she said, briefly sorting through the pile of clipboards until she found the one that read Wentz, Pete. I followed her down the long, white hallway and into the cafeteria. A cluster of people were there, picking at the food and not saying much. The occasional grunts from the patients and the small chatter in between nurses. I got into line, picking up a tan tray and ran it along the food line like I was back in high school. I picked up some waffles, skipping over the sausage to get some fruit.
“Don’t you want some bacon? Or sausage?” The nurse pried. “It’s good protein, and iron.”
“Uh, I’m a vegetarian,” I mumbled.
“You could really use some iron,” she continued to poke.
I put some eggs onto my tray, “There, there is my iron.”
“I thought you said you were vegetarian,” she added.
“I am, but I can eat dairy. It’s vegans that don’t eat dairy.”
She nodded, not saying another word, which was good because I was about ready to punch her in the face. Just as I was finishing my meal, a nurse came over to me.
“Pete, you have a visitor,” she said. I wiped my mouth and tossed what was left on my tray and left it to be washed. I followed the two nurses out of the cafeteria and looked up to see Mikey standing awkwardly in front of the nurse’s station. His knees were bent in some, and he was drinking water from a bottle of Poland Springs. When he saw me, his face lit up.
“Pete!” He rushed over me and pulled me into a hug.
I could feel the nurse’s eyes on us, so I pulled him away, “C’mon, I’ll show you around.”
I tugged him towards my room, I wasn’t sure he was going to come; and certainly not this early. I pushed my room door open and looked at the clock. Checks were in five minutes.
Mikey looked anxious, and he set his water bottle down, swallowing his last gulp.
“How are you feeling?” He asked, looking me over to make sure I didn’t have any new damage.
“I’m... I’m feeling a little better,” I admitted.
Mikey nodded, “I want you to feel all the way better.”
I pulled him into a hug, I wanted to get better. I didn’t like how I was feeling, so apathetically depressed. “I will,” I told him. “I promise... how’s Hemmingway?”
“He misses you,” Mikey admitted and looked up at me. “I miss you.”
“I’m... I’m right here,” I told him. Mikey shook his head.
“No, not all of you.” He pressed himself onto his toes ever so lightly and kissed me.
When he pulled away, the door swung open.
“Checks!”
♠ ♠ ♠
afjalskdf finally updated.