After having lunch with Lindy, Eddie walked back to the office. Lindy kept asking him couple times during lunch time if he was doing fine. Eddie covered his thinking by a deep look into Lindy's eyes with a big smile as usual. His mind was at the conversation with Carl earlier. He wondered if it was a right decision to deny such a great offer for him right now. Eddie felt a little regret of acting so confident in front of Carl, and now he had to be struggle with his pills again.
Looked the watch, it was time for another pill. The stress of running for President made Eddie take more pills a day than he had used to. I have to talk to John today, he talked to himself. As he rushed to go back to the office, he handed out a pill from a pocket from his pant. The energy suddenly refilled. Eddie felt refresh and all the negative thoughts came away.
Eddie's face is everywhere on the TV. He is so proud of it. Running for President was not in the plan at first. However, Eddie does not want to waste the power that he had. His intention of becoming a President was recover this country business. Later then, it somehow ended up being a beneficial plan for Eddie. He was afraid that the fact that he using the magical pill will someday betray him. The pill would run out soon, and the real Eddie would be revealed.
"Let's meet at my place at 8". Eddie deleted the message right after he sent it to John. He did not want anyone know what they were doing, especially Lindy. He did not want do disappoint her.
"I need more time," John said.
"But you know that my time is running out. I will die and we will have nothing."
"But you know it takes time. There is one ingredient that is very unfamiliar. I'm trying."
"How much more do you need?" Eddie insisted.
"10 more and a month."
Lindy was at her apartment. Eddie said he would come and see her tonight. Lindy wanted to surprise Eddie by a homemade dinner that she used to make for him when he was busy writing. She could not remember when was the last time they ate dinner at home. Those happy memories made Lindy wonder about Eddie's strange behaviors lately.
Eddie told her that he quitted using the pill for a year. His knowledge and ability to speak many languages were one of the side effects that he did not expect. However, inside her heart, Lindy knew that something was wrong.
"Hi bae. How was your day? Go wash your hand. The dinner is ready," Lindy came over and give Eddie a kiss on his cheek.
"Bae, it has been long time I have not eaten this. Can't believe you still remember I love
this. Thank you. You make me miss those old good times."
"You should write again," Lindy added.
"The whole President thing is too crazy. You know that."
Eddie coughed.
"Are you OK bae?"
"Yea I'm fine. It's just a normal cold."
Eddie didn't stop coughing during the dinner. He excused himself and went to the bathroom. It was black liquid came out of this mouth. Eddie knew why it came from. He quickly washed his hands and get out so that Lindy would not be so worried. Since Eddie did not feel well, he accepted Lindy offer to stay at her place over night.
The pain behind Eddie's eyes came back. It made him cannot open his eyes. Reached out to the lamp next to him to get the pill that he hid when Lindy was not home. Luckily, the pill worked in three seconds.
The thing that Eddie need right now is how to treat the bad side effects that NZT brought to him. The best doctor of New York had not found anything wrong in his body. However, his health is getting worse, and only NZT could keep Eddie healthy. Melissa was right. Quitting was not as easy as Eddie thought. He could see things ahead for people, but he was blind to himself.
Eddie received a package to his office. They were pictures of him with Gennady. Eddie knew this was probably Carl that sent this to him. Eddie made a satirical smile because Carl underestimated him.
The cop came and met Eddie. He asked couple questions of how Gennady and him met. Gennady was under investigation for a while before he and Eddie knew each other. The police were trying to find evidence to put him in jail. Suddenly, he quitted and became a successful businessman, and then he disappeared.
The cop left without any information from Eddie. He did not look satisfied. Eddie expected those things and has already cleaned up his mess. Eddie used a guy who used to work for Gennady. They used to not like each other. Eddie bought a house for his wife and gave the wife and the kids some money so he could come to Eddie's apartment and leave his fingerprint on everywhere. Eddie thought it was a perfect plan to escape from what he did.
Eddie coughed again. The pain came back every time he coughed. He knew he got no time.
3 weeks later
The run for President was coming to an end. Eddie was getting more love from not only New York but also from across the States. Therefore, cutting down those pills was then impossible.
Eddie was eating dinner with Lindy for their anniversary when she told him that she was expected. The happiness to being a dad made him want to be alive than ever. Eddie and Lindy were very excited for their future with the baby.
Eddie stood up to pull out the chair for Lindy after they were done. Everything was so dark. His eyes suddenly went blind for five seconds. He reached out the chair for a support to stand but he had no strength left. Eddie feel and was on his knees.
Lindy rushed him to the hospital. His condition was getting worse and worse even though he was taken care of by nurses on the ambulance car. They did not sure what to do. His heartbeat rate, temperature, and everything looked normal. However, the eyes kept swallow which affected to his whole face. Nobody could recognize that was Eddie at that time.
I need to call John right now, Eddie got his consciousness back. He could hear Lindy crying and holding his hand, but he couldn't do anything to response to her.
Lindy was too scared to lose her love. She sixth sense made her think of John. He might know something. I remember seeing Eddie deleted their conversation on his phone, Lindy mumbled.
"John, please come now. Eddie is in the hospital," Lindy's shaken voice made John awake. John was falling asleep at home. He was tired after spending a long day at lab.
John and Eddie relationship is a worker and a boss However, it didn't stop there. After working for Eddie, John understood that Eddie was not a bad guy. They became friends. John met Lindy before but neither John nor Eddie mentioned anything about the pill to Lindy.
Does she know? Maybe no, John wondered if Lindy found out something. However, he did not let that thought bothered him so much. That was not what he needed to worry about right now.
Rushed to the hospital, John did not forget to bring a small white box.
The doctors and nurses was trying to figure what happened to Eddie. They did many tests for Eddie. The blood was red when he was first admitted. Unfortunately, it was getting darker as the color of mud. They had to put a strain on Eddie's hand to change the blood for him.
Eddie then was in ICU. He was able to move his hand but nobody knew. Lindy was talking to John in the corner of the room.
"John, please tell me the true. What's going on?" Lindy held John hands. She was almost stuck dumb with emotion.
"You need to calm down, Lindy. Eddie will be fine!" John replied with a sincere look into the eyes. "Listen to me, I have a solution for this but Eddie needs to bet," added John.
"What do you mean bet? Tell me please," tearful Lindy.
"OK listen carefully. Eddie have never stopped taking the pill. This is the side effect of it. I was trying to help him quit it with a happier and better ending," said John. "But it is not too late."
"Have you found something, John? Please do help."
"Here, I made him pill. It has not been fully tested. As far as I know, this little baby can make the side effects go away which means both the bad and good ones. I don't know if that is what Eddie wants. Maybe we should wait until all the tests come back and see," John brought out the white box from this pocket, and handed it into Lindy hand. "You should make the decision."
Lindy felt betrayed. However, she needed to make up her mind and do what was best for Eddie and their baby. Didn't hesitate for a second, Lindy came up to Eddie and gave it to him.
Eddie opened his eyes after ten minutes. His face started to get smaller. "Thank you," he squeezed John and Lindy's hands. "I love you." Then he felt in comma again.