The Obdurate Avidity

Chapter 9

 

By TurtleBoy

 

 


            It was cold, I felt soaked.  My brain was foggy, and everything was sore.  My eyes were open, but there was nothing to be seen.  All my surroundings were black.  I could hear crickets in the distance, and the wind in the trees.  My teeth shattered violently, but they were mine.  Running my hands across my body, I was myself.  With relief, I felt myself become more aware of reality.  I was laying in water and mud.  Struggling to move, I rolled onto my stomach.  Pushing upward I climbed to my feet.  My muscles were sore, and my skin stung.  I could smell vomit, but could see nothing.  I made my way out of the water, and climbed up a steep ditch.  When I made it to the top, I could feel concrete below me, and in the distance there were dim lights.  It must be the town.


            With out a thought, I began to walk towards them.  My feet were numb, which made it awkward to walk.  I could hear the birds begin to chirp which told me dawn was approaching.  As I continued at a steady pace, my mind began to wonder at the past events.  What exactly had happened, and how had I ended up where I had just awoken?  Most importantly, what had happened to James?  Was he alright?  I began to panic, and soon found myself running.  The wind pushed me on, coaxing me to speed up.  The trees became a blur, and streaked past me in a haze, as the lights grew brighter I only sped my pace.  I could hear the humming of the street lights as I approached, and the sounds of critters scurrying in the grass on either side of me.  Two lights were moving in my direction, yet I dismissed them.  Seconds later I heard a loud HONK of a horn, my only reaction was to jump to my right.  Instead of tumbling against the ground and into the ditch, my body barely touched the ground.  I could feel the wind encircle me, as my right palm touched the concrete, I spun; and once again was on my feet running towards the town.  Behind me I heard the loud squeal of brakes, while the horn still sounded.  I did not look back.


            The streets looked familiar, but that did not matter.  My body was not ready to slow.  I kept up my speed and shot around a corner.  I could smell coffee, and hear alarms.  The sound of a small child crying in the distance, and dogs barking.  Soon I could see my house, with a few small skips I slowed to a steady walk.  My lungs felt free and calm.  My body seemed soothed and relaxed.  All that was left was the slight stinging scattered across my skin.  As I approached the front door, and reached for the handle; it was locked.  My mind all of a sudden raced.  It was like the adrenaline wasn’t finished and had to escape though my head.  Everything spun and blurred.  I felt nauseous and fell to the ground.


            I could hear a beeping.  It was synchronized and timed with a humming noise.  There were whispers in the distance.  I could feel light bleeding through my eyelids.  When I went to rub them, I found that I could not.  My arms were stuck.  What was going on?  A door creaked open, and there were footsteps.  A voice soon followed.  It was deep and echoed through out the room.  It pierced my ears, and I could feel it in my chest.  The beeping increased and the hum became more intense.  The voice became louder, followed by several sets of racing footsteps.  I felt pressure against my arms and legs, than something pricked me in the side.  Soon even my thoughts seemed to blur and haze over.  Streaks of color crossed passed my eyelids.  Than nothing,


            Very foggy, I grew sick of sleep.  Every time I awoke, moments later reality would be taken again.  I could still hear the beeping, it was now taunting me.  The room was dim, it was either early morning or early evening.  This was getting confusing.  It was at that moment I realized my hand was behind my head.  I was no longer in restraint.  A sigh of relief escaped me.  I felt myself relax, wiping my eyes, I opened them and sat up.  The room spun a little, but not too much.  I was in a hospital room, that much I knew.  The beeping was a machine hooked up to my chest, and there was an empty bed about ten feet away from me.  The bed I was in felt damp and clammy, which cause my body to shiver.  My hair was soaked of sweat, and the room smelt of salt and moth balls.  Without thought I ripped the wires and hoses?  From my body, and climbed out of bed.  The floor was freezing and hard, almost like ice.  As the shivers bolted across my body, I ventured towards a door which had to be a bathroom.  Not turning on a light a stumbled to the toilet and proceeded to relieve my swollen bladder.  While doing so, I heard a door open and footsteps.  I heard a voice, which was followed by more footsteps.  With a flush, I turned to investigate.


“Adrian.”  Is all I heard.  A man wearing a white lab coat and a goofy looking tie with orange blow fish on it, stood in front of me, holding a clip board.


“Yes?”


“It’s good to see you up and about.  How are you feeling?”  Asked the strange man.


“A little light headed.”  I replied with a bit of confusion.


“We weren’t expecting to see those eyes for a few more days.  You must be a strong young man.  OH!  Sorry, I have horrible etiquette, I’m Dr. Morgan I’ve been your doctor for the passed several days.”  The man explained


“Where am I exactly?”  I questioned.


“Oh I’m sorry again.  I hadn’t prepared my you’re awake speech yet, thought I had more time.  You’re at the Red Dear Regional Hospital.  There has been quite the commotion with you being here.  There are a lot of questions people have been waiting to ask you.”  Dr. Morgan explained.


“Questions?  About what?  How did I get here?  Where are my parents?  Where is James?”


“Well…. It appears you have quite the list of questions yourself.  James was discharged yesterday morning, and your parents are probably harassing my nurses again.  Your parents brought you here a few days ago.”


“James was here?  Is he alright?  What happened to him?”  I couldn’t stop with the questions, and Dr. Morgan was beginning to frustrate me.


“Alright.  How about we get you back into bed.  You need to stay calm, and relax Adrian.”  Dr. Morgan stated as he guided me back to my bed.


“What happened to James?”  I repeated, allowing Dr. Morgan to direct me to bed.


“He had a mild concussion, and a few scratches, that’s all.  He’s fine I promise you.  He’s actually been calling every hour to see if you’re up.  So I’m sure you’ll be able to talk to him soon.”  Dr.  Morgan giggled.


“So what’s wrong with me?”


“That is a good question.  Actually, we were all hoping you can tell us.  When you arrived here, you were delusional, to the point where we had to restrain you.  Your parents told us, when they found you on their door step, you were covered in blood and dirt, and your voice was ragged and swollen.  My only thought was you had overdosed on something.  Maybe from the water you and James were in.  But as James had not shown any of the same symptoms as you, it must have been something else.  That and your blood tests came back negative for anything we looked for.”


            Dr. Morgan continued to explain a whole lot of nothing, he seemed just as baffled as I was.  He appeared to be a nice man, a bit absent minded; but not to the extent of being obnoxious.  I remember as he spoke, his words becoming more and more drifted and extended.  The light began to blur around him.  The movement of his hands left trails in the air, everything was occurring in slow motion.  As the world became more and more abstract, noises began to enter my head.  It was light beating, very timed and consistent.  Every time I blinked, the world seemed to haze over.  When my eyes reopened Dr. Morgan’s skin would seem less and less real.  Stay with me, it’s really hard to explain.


            As his hands moved, I wouldn’t see his hands, more so I would see something else.  It was blue and stringy.  There were trails of silver lights trailing across the outside of his body.  Which looked a lot like electricity.  The more I concentrated on this, the better I could see.  The flashes were like surges, which encircled him, and appeared to be originating from his head.  The Blue strings entangled him, and flowed throughout his body; they weren’t still, they seemed to pulse with that beating noise.  As I examined this, more and more would become clear.  It was his veins!  What was going on?  It came to me in crystal clarity.  I could see his heart, which sent off vibrations through out his body.  With every beat I saw more.  The entire outline of everything inside him, the electric like pulses shooting from his head.  I couldn’t look any longer, and turned my head.  I felt sick to my stomach.  I gazed off across the room, and noticed blurs of that same wiry structure speeding past where the wall was meant to be.  I could hear thousands of thumping noises, and static like echoes.  My stomach couldn’t control what my eyes were seeing any longer.  I felt a pressure building, and was forced to throw my head over the side of the bed.  As much as I tried I couldn’t stop, the world blurred into a blackened haze.  Last I remember was hearing Dr. Morgan yelling, than everything went away.  The noise and its thumping, the colors and it’s pulsating.  There was nothing but black.  I felt relaxed and calm.  Comforted; A warmth encircled my body, as I allowed myself to drift off once more.


            In what seemed like only moments, I felt the nausea and hysteria leave my body.  A smile cross my face, fresh air filled my lungs.  There was no noise of beeping or thumping, only footsteps in the distance.  My bed felt cool and soft.  I lifted the blanket which covered my body up to my chin and held it to my face.  It smelt fresh and clean.  A soft familiar voice filled my ears.  It was my mother.  She was leaning directly over my bed, her face no more than a foot away from my own.  Lifting my arms, I wrapped them around her shoulders pulling her into my chest softly.  I could smell her perfume, and the cigarette smoke off of her shirt.  She didn’t fool me, I knew she only wore that perfume to hide her smoking.  I don’t know why she still did it, everyone knew she smoked.  I placed a soft kiss on her cheek, than hugged her some more.  I felt so refreshed and clear minded, even my stomach was smiling.


“How are you feeling?”  My mother said softly in my ear.


“Great.”  I smiled, releasing her as she lifted her head.


“That’s good.  You look much better now too.”


“I feel much better now.  Did you happen to bring any food?”  I smirked.


“No, sorry.  But I can run and get a nurse to fetch you something.”  She suggested with a smile.
 

“Well…. What are you still doing here?”  I teased, as she tapped my shoulder in a sarcastic manor.


“Alright.  Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”  She giggled as she stood and turned to the door.


“I wont.”  I replied, as I stretched out my entire body.  I felt my muscles smile when I did that.  One of those GAH! It Feels so nice kind of stretches, which doesn’t quite want to let you finish.


            The sunlight seemed to energize my body.  I felt better than I had ever felt in my life.  My mind was clear, and my body was relaxed and limber.  The feeling of my heart beating calmly in my chest soothed me.  However my stomach was very unhappy!  God I needed something to eat!  Opening my eyes wide, I was in a different room from what I remembered.  The aroma of flowers floated in the air around me.  It was bright and uplifting.  I know, I’m wondering!  But it’s how I feel!


“Adrian?”  I heard a voice whisper from across the room.  Lifting my head towards the voice was a familiar smile.


“James!”  I shouted, with great excitement.


“How are you doing?”  He asked, while standing in the doorway.


“I’m great!  Especially now that you’re here!”


“You look much better.”  He stated still standing at the door.


“Thanks.  Why don’t you come over here?”  I questioned.


“Oh, I wasn’t sure if you were up for visitors.  Is it alright?”  I could sense a hesitation in his voice.


“Of course it is!  Get over here silly!”  I assured him.


            I watched as he slowly crept across the floor, and circled to a chair at the side of my bed.  His eyes seemed red, and heavy.  His right arm was in a sling, and there was a small cut surrounded by a faint bruise near his ear on the right side.


“Are you alright?  What happened?”  I asked in worry.


“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.  I’m just glad to see you awake.”


“I missed you James.”  I said whole heartedly while reaching for his left hand.  He kind of flinched when I did this, and I withdrew my gesture, as I felt my heart sink to the pit of my stomach.


“I missed you too Adrian.”  His whispered voice, seemed hurt and afraid.


“Did I….  do that to you?”   I asked, as it seemed the only logical question to fit the circumstances.


“Umm, well..  Yes, but uh, it wasn’t you.  Those weren’t your eyes.”  A tear crawled down his cheek, and fell to the floor.


“I’m so sorry James.  I don’t know what happened.  Everything is blank.  I’m sorry!”  I pleaded, as I felt my eyes swell and water.  “I don’t know what happened…”  With that, James wrapped his arms around me, and held my tighter than anyone had ever held me before.  His heart pressed against my own, beating twice as fast.


“I know, it wasn’t your fault.  Please just, forgive me.”  Those last words confused me.  Forgive him?  For what?  It made no sense.  I was the one that did wrong not him.


“Forgive you?  There is nothing to forgive.  What ever happened, it wasn’t your fault.”  I said in hopes of him being the one to forgive.


“Every time I take you some where, something bad happens to you.  It is my fault!  I never should have taken you there.”  He cried, burying his face into my shoulder.


“That’s not true!  What ever happened was not your fault!  Don’t you think like that.”  I demanded.


“Are we still…  Can we still see each other?”  James asked throwing me off guard.


“What?  Of course!  So long as you still want to be the boyfriend of the most screwed up guy in the world.”  I joked.


“You’re not screwed up!  You’re mine.”  He lifted his head and stared me deeply in the eye, a smile broke his face and his eyes melted my insides.


“You’re so beautiful, you know that?”  I whispered, as his smile increased and a faint giggle escaped his throat.


“I know.”  The look on his face when he said this cause me to uncontrollably loose breath, and instead of laughing a rather loud ‘Snort’ escaped my nostrils, causing James to fall off his chair in hysteria.


“You’re so…..  romantic!”  James struggled out in between belly chuckles.


 “Oh thanks!”  I struggled, as the giggles infected me as well.  I turned to the side of my bed to see James attempting to get up off the floor,   His eyes peaked over the edge of the mattress, and when our eyes met, “Snort”  Was heard leaving James throat as well, which of course cause us to laugh even harder.


“What are you two nut jobs doing?”  We heard from the doorway.  As we looked though watered eyes, and up roaring giggle snorts, my mother was standing, with a tray in her hands and a puzzled look on her face.


“Hi mom….  :::Giggle:::   ::::SNORT:::   :::CACKLE:::”  I struggled.  As James once again tried to lift himself back to the chair.   This looked strangely pathetic with blurred vision.  His one handed handicap and the loud belly chuckly snorts, kept causing him to collapse to the floor, and try again.


“Well….  Good to see you two back together.”  Mother said, with a giggle and a shake of her head.  As she approached  an aroma filled my nostrils, mmmmmmm.


“GAH!  Macaroni!  :::SNIFF:::   And cherry Jell-O!”  My laughter ceased, as I sat up, holding out both hands towards my mother.


“Wow!  Impressive!  Good to see your nose still works.”  She said, as she placed the tray on the wheelie side table thing and scooted in front of me.


            I attacked the cheesy goodness like I hadn’t eaten in days…. Which was a good possibility.  In the corner of my eye, I saw James make it to the chair, and re-seat himself, as he rubbed the tears from his eyes, and caught his breath.


“Wow, make sure to chew!”  Reminded James as he watched me practically swallow the plate.


            The warmth of the food sliding down my throat and into my stomach caused my insides to glow, I could see why they call it a comfort food.  It was strange how the simplest of foods could cause such a wonderful feeling.  Alas before I knew it, the plate was empty.  Time for Jell-O!!!  That however, slid down far too quickly.


“Well…. Now that you have some substance in you, the doctor said you need to drink lots of fluids.”  Said my mother handing me a glass of water.  But of course.  The doctors cure for everything.  Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest.  Of course, I was thirsty.


“So, when can I bust out of this place?”  I asked in between gulps.


“I’m not sure exactly.  I think they need to do a few more things, and pump you full of nutrients first.  But I’m guessing in a couple of days.”  My mother explained.


“Yea, they got to make sure you’re not gonna go all nutty again.”  James joked.  As my mom gave him a sarcastic look.


“Nutty?  What do you mean?”  I asked with concern.


“Nothing, Hun.  You were dehydrated and concussed.  This made your brain all confused.  It’s alright, you’re fine now.”  My mother assured.


“Was I really that bad?”  Attempting to hide my embarrassment.

 

“You were not yourself, that’s all.  Don’t worry about it.”  James added.


“Being lost in the forest for a week does strange things to people.”  We heard from the door.   It was Dr. Morgan; I could recognize the goofy tone in his voice.


“Hi Doc.”  James said with a smile on his face.


“Hiya James!  Good to see you not clogging up our phone lines.”  Dr. Morgan smiled.


“Hehehe, sorry.”  James blushed looking at me.


“So, Adrian.  How’s it going?”  Dr. Morgan questioned, getting down to business.


“Uh, it’s going good?”  I returned unsure of what I was supposed to say.


“You’re looking much better than the last time we spoke.  Good to see you alert.  Now, if I could have a few moments with Adrian.”  He said, looking both at my mom and James.


“Oh of course.”  My mother replied, caught off guard,  “Come on James, let’s go see what my husband has gotten himself into.”  She giggled, reaching for James hand.  The two exited the room closing the door behind them.


“There we go.  So, if you can be so kind as to sit up, and face me.”  Dr. Morgan gestured, standing at the side of my bed pulling out a tiny flashlight.


            I slid the covers off of me, and scooted to the edge of the bed, allowing my feet to dangle towards the floor.  He placed his thumb on my left eyelid, than shone the light in my eye flickered it a couple times, than repeated his actions on the other eye.  He than grabbed my hand, and wiggled his fingers in between the bones in my hands.


“Can you stand up please.”  This wasn’t a question, more of a polite demand.  So I stood up, instantly shivering at the cold floor.  “Good, your nerves are definitely working fine.”  Smiling at me taking note of the goose bumps scattered across my body.


            He had me walk in a line, and touch my nose.  Say rhyming words, and repeat them several times over.  He listened to my heart, and my lungs, and did all the usual Dr. things.  The weirdest of tests was when he tapped my stomach and back in different places, and would sometimes use the stethoscope.  I didn’t get that part one bit.


“So, any nausea or soreness?”  He asked


“Nope.”


“How about, ringing in your ears, or dry mouth?”


“Ummm nope.”


“Headache?  Pulled muscles, itchy eyes?”


“All nope.”


“Any complaints at all?”  He smiled.


“Uh…. I’m still hungry.”  This cause him to giggle.


“Well I think we can have your mother take you down to the cafeteria once we are through.  Judging by what I can tell you’re in perfect health.  I’m dumbfounded.  We’re going to have to run a few more tests over the next few days, just to make sure.  And I’ll arrange for you to meet with Dr. Hespler this evening.  But I’d say, you’ll be going home by Friday.”  Dr. Morgan used my shoulder to stand up, releasing a winded grunt, and a faint passing of wind.  He saw a smirk cross my face, as I attempted to hold back my laughter.


“Guess when you get to my age, you learn to breathe from all angles.”  He smiled.


“Sorry.”  I smiled back, with a giggle.


“So, before I run off, any questions?”


“Ummm, yea.  Who is Dr. Hespler?”


“Dr. Hespler, is in my opinion the best Psychologist in Alberta, I’d say the world, but I don’t know all the Psychologists.”  He smirked.


“Psychologist?  Is that like a shrink.”  I questioned in concern.


“Don’t worry, we don’t think you’re crazy.  It’s protocol to have someone who has been through so much, like yourself to meet with a head doctor.  Just to make sure you’re not nuts like the rest of us.”  He joked.


“Okay.”  I replied, forcing a smile.  Unsure of my feelings towards seeing a Shrink.


“Well if there are no more questions, I must be off, tons to do and people to fix.”  He looked me in the eyes one more time, than headed for the door.



Chapter 10