"What do you want?" she said into the phone, her annoyed tone getting her a look from her date.
"Help" the husky low voice said, then there was a click and a dial tone.
"Crap!" she thought to herself. She knew he was detoxing and alone and the click frightened her. She looked over at her date.
"I'm sorry, I have to go. I'm needed" she said and gathered her things before the man could speak. She grabbed a cab and told the driver the address and to him to step on it, which got her a look, but he did as she ask. They got there in record time and she threw the money and hurried to the front door, fearing what she might find inside.
She raised her hand to knock but he must of been waiting because the door swung open. What she saw shock her. He was pale as a sheet of paper, eyes big, shadows dark. She could see his scruff was thick and his hair stuck out all over the place.
When she saw that his arm was bleeding she gasp.
"What did you do?!" she said, pushing her way in and took in a breath. It smelled awful. It was if something was decomposing. She pushed it aside and went to the bathroom, hoping he had a first aid kit or something she could clean him up with. She lucked out and found a kit under the sink.
He was sitting on the couch, blooding dripping on the floor, making her think of death. He looked pretty close to it, staring into space like a person on their deathbed. She got to work, pushing his blue sweatshirt sleeve up and cleaning the deep cut. When she swiped a cotton ball soaked in alcohol he hissed, but didn't speak. When she was done, she bandaged him up and went to wash her hands.
When she came back, he was asleep on the couch, his breathing unsteady, but not so much that she would call 911. She saw a bottle of Tylenol PM on the table and knew he would be out for a long time. She went over and shook it. It was almost empty. It made her want to cry, but she didn't. She worked instead. She cleaned the kitchen, the bathroom, changed his sheets and gathered all his dirty clothes. She found a hamper in the corner of his bedroom and stuffed it full.
When she was done, she went and looked him over. He was in deep sleep, but he was talking. She leaned in to see if she could make out what he was saying. When she realized what he was saying the tears finally came, because it broke her heart. They were words she had been waiting for, but now they hurt her more then made her happy. He couldn't say them when things were good. He had to say them when he was unconscious and scared, not something she ever wanted. The words that would haunt her.
"Needed you" he was saying over and over and instead of making her want to stay, it made her run. She ran out of his apartment and into the winter night, leaving pieces of her heart behind like a trail of stars.
Fin
Sorry if that sucked!