This has been sitting in my notebook for a long time. Something different, and I had fun experimenting with the writing style!
-Danny?
Yeah.
-It's Rusty.
I know.
-...
Rust?
-Danny...
What do you need?
-I-I dunno.
Where are you?
-Um.
Where's that?
-I can't-I don't remember.
Does your head hurt, Rust?
-Like hell.
Concussion?
-Yeah. Listen, can you come pick me up?
Where are you?
-I'm in a city. I was just in a store, maybe? No...
Give me some land marks.
-Yeah. Okay. There's a big white building, looks like shells, there's a river, there's a museum of...opera? Music? I dunno.
Rusty.
-Danny.
Go over to the shell building. What's it say? And careful crossing the road.
-Shut up. It says Syd-Sydney Opera House.
'Kay, do you know where you are?
-No. Can you come get me?
You're in Australia, Rusty. How the hell did you get there? Wait-do you remember anything at all?
-There was a girl...
Of course there was.
-Mighta been a guy...
A guy, too or instead of the girl?
-Don't remember.
Right, right. Hey, Rust, any hotels around you?
-Ah, yep. Couple.
Go to the biggest one you see.
-On my way!
What's it called?
-The Royale. Hey, Danny, it's got slots!
Absolutely not. Sit on the steps and don't move, okay? Do you have your wallet?
-Yeah. You gonna pick me up?
Rusty.
-Yeah. Australia. Right.
I'll call you back in two minutes, alright? Don't move.
-Hey.
You okay?
-No.
What's wrong?
-Head hurts. It's too bright.
Listen, you're gonna be...did you just...?
-I threw up.
You're going to be fine. There's a cop coming for you-no, you're not int trouble. Your name is Tom Diaz. You're my nephew, just in case. They're getting you to a hospital to get your head checked out. You need to go inside and ask for an envelope to leave for Mr. Diaz. Put all your wallet in there and go back outside. Call me back.
-Danny?
Did you leave your stuff at the desk?
-Yeah. Here comes the cop.
Good. No flirting, no complaints, alright? I'm flying down and I'll see you very soon. Don't leave that hospital. Remember that I'm your uncle.
-Thanks, Danny.
See you, Rusty.
The walls are bright white in the waiting room, but you're not there for long. The police officer leaves you when the matronly nurse calls your name, and you're led into a small examination room with soft blue walls, for which your eyes are thankful. The nurse doesn't care about your eyes. She shines an obnoxiously bright flashlight into them. She asks what happened. You can't answer. She asks where you're from. You get as far as the United States and can't remember any names. She sighs and calls you love too many times. Can you remember where your family is? Yes. Your uncle is coming from the US to watch you until you can fly. Are you over 18? You start to like this nurse. You tell her you're 17. She leaves you alone in the tiny room.
When you wake up, it's to a very large man-doctor-with another nasty light, lifting up your eyelids. You nearly swear, but you can't figure out where you are. You ask. A hospital in Australia. You try to remember what you were just doing, and count the ants walking up the wall.
The doctor asks when your uncle is going to be there. Wait. You've never had an uncle. So you answer "soon", as that seems to be the answer he wants. He tells you that you're going to be kept overnight as you have a massive concussion and your uncle can check you out whenever he shows up. Since you don't have any identification and are underage (which you have to think very hard about) the hospital can only let you go with a legal guardian. You smile and tell him it sounds good. He stands you up and then pushes a wheelchair under you which you fall into because suddenly you're nauseous and the floor is on the wall. He takes you to your room. There's a chicken following you.
Rusty never calls you unless it's about a job. Rusty never asks for help. Rusty frequently gets into trouble, but never calls anyone for a bail. So when Rusty calls you because he's gotten into trouble and doesn't know why or how you spend five minutes on the phone finding what you need, you call a taxi, you leave a note for Tess, and you call your people at the airport while you're in the cab. Saul meets you at the airport with Rusty's new ID. You board the plane and take off. It's a long flight, but he needs you.
You don't sleep at all; They keep waking you up and calling you Mr. Diaz and asking how you're feeling. Tired! You don't know what's going on and there are ants on the ceiling and there's a sheep under the bed and there are twins nurses.
The plane lands and the instant they give the okay you're calling Rusty's phone. It rings out. You leave the plane and try again. No answer.
That stupid sheep sounds like a phone. You kick at it. It starts ringing again in a minute. Wait. Sheep are supposed to baa. What the hell is ringing? Ants aren't that smart.
You get a coffee and head out in search of a cab. One pulls up and you read the name of the hospital the cops gave you to the driver. Her looks at you sympathetically and you don't roll your eyes. Once in the cab, you call Rusty's number again. This time he picks up...barely.
-H'lo?
Rusty, it's Danny.
-Danny? Whoah, I thought you were the sheep.
What?
-There's an effing sheep under my bed. I thought it was ringing. What's up, man?
Well, I'm almost there.
-Wait, what? You know where I am?
Yeah...do you know where you are?
-Huh. No. I mean, in a hospital somewhere ut I don't know what happened. I know I got a concussion. They keep calling me Mr. Diaz, and telling me I'm 17.
Rus' calm down. Your alibi, since we don't know what happened, is Tom Diaz, you're my nephew. You must have told them you were 17, you ass. I'm coming to pick you up.
-...
Rust? You with me?
-Yeah, it's just...
What?
-I'm glad you're coming.
I'll be there in five.