Okay, so, this is the last chapter for about a week and a half (unless I get inspired in the next two nights, which I might) because I am going on vacation.
I didn't really proofread in my haste of posting it, so forgive random errors...
Lawrence is coming soon, I promise.
nicoleb- I'm so excited that you picked up on the namesake! Yaaay! Love all of the Saw fanatics who can catch these things.
...withjohnnyDepp- (I get lazier and lazier with your name, I swear) Lawrence is coming, no need to worry.
sarahmichelle.x- I appriciate the compliments! I try oh-so-hard to keep it entertaining.
Returning to his own apartment was like another kick in the face for Adam. In contrast to David's clean, white décor his own seemed even more disgusting. It smelled, first of all. Not of anything in particular, just a vague sort of stench half-masked by cigarette smoke. The air was stale. He didn't understand how that happened, how air got stale, but it was. The sink was full of dull grey, cold water, dishes sticking out like icebergs. The floor was covered with, well, nothing notable, just things. About a thousand cigarette cartons and ash trays, bottles, paper towels, clothes, just the shit he needed at arm's length on any given day.
Adam picked up a bottle and pushed some papers aside on the kitchen table. He laughed looking at, one clean spot looking so lonely. He decided to give it company, and began to move some other things.
Around two, David was knocking at the door.
"Hey." Adam threw the door open, not even bothering to look at him before turning back around into the apartment.
"Wow." David stopped dead in his tracks. "I mean, it's not…it's not clean, but it's…wow."
"I got bored." Adam looked around. The floor was cleared off, as was the kitchen table. The counters weren't exactly clean, but less disgusting than they had been.
"You should get bored more often. Wait a minute…are you…" He paused and looked at Adam with that dog look that he got so often. "Are you sober?"
"Oh, fuck off."
"No, I mean…it's just…never mind. Do you want some food?"
"Uh…no, I'm fine. I made something."
David didn't even have to scan the countertops for evidence; he was well aware that there was no food in the apartment. Well, food that wasn't rotting under the couch or something. "You're lying."
"So?"
David laughed and headed back out the door. He came back with two sandwiches in hand. "I could use the company anyway." He sat down at the table and tossed Adam one of the sandwiches.
"I don't remember inviting you to dine in my kitchen, but I guess I'll accept this food as an apology."
"Good idea. I'm assuming the food I bring is the only food you eat. I mean, it's flattering, but you don't have to boycott all food because it's so awful in comparison."
Adam grinned. "Oh, yeah, your fucking meat and mustard combination is unheard of."
"So you booked pretty quickly this morning when I mentioned that phone call you wanted to make." He didn't look at Adam when he said it, like it was something he didn't want to say at all but felt he should.
"Uh, yeah." There was an uncomfortable pause in which Adam knew David was torn between not wanting to pry and really wanting to know. He sighed, knowing that if he told him David would think he suddenly knew all of the answers to why Adam was the way he was. He hated that. It's the reason he moved, the reason he had to get out of that old apartment where the people in the hallways would know who he was and blame his every move on what had happened.
"Listen, you don't have to tell me. Sorry I mentioned it."
"No, it's fine. Fuck. You remember those news stories about that guy, they called him Jigsaw?"
"Yeah. Man, I couldn't sleep for weeks after I heard some of those stories." Adam gave a short laugh and David's eyes got absurdly huge. "Fuck. Oh fuck, man. I don't know why I didn't…holy shit."
"Don't worry about it, okay?"
There was a pause as David looked like his head might explode. "Christ, and Lawrence is the other guy, the one who was-"
"Yeah, he was." Adam cut him off to spare himself any detailed descriptions of the event.
"I can't fucking believe that, man. I'm so sorry." He shook his head in disbelief.
"Nothing you have to be sorry about. But anyway, I guess I've been debating whether or not to call him. I guess…see what's going on. I don't know. I don't even fucking know the guy."
"Didn't he, like…I don't know. Didn't he hurt you or something? Fuck, you don't want to talk about this, I'm sorry. It's just fucking crazy."
"It's fine, okay? Yeah, he kind of hurt me, no biggie. Flesh wound, you know?" Adam almost laughed in spite of himself. Trying to downplay getting shot. Modesty award of the century. "I guess I just want to know what's going on in his life. See if everything worked out."
"I mean, that makes sense. It's got to be in your mind for a reason, right? Maybe you need it for closure or something."
"Yeah, I guess. So you think I should?"
"Absolutely. You know where to find him?"
"Yeah, he's a doctor so his contact information is all over google. At least he was a doctor. I don't know. I feel like…I don't know. I feel like I should care what happened to him. I mean, I do care."
"Call tonight."
"Tonight?"
"No time like the present. Do it. Fuck…I still can't…sorry. I'll stop."
Adam thought about it. He could keep putting it off and end up raving like a drunken lunatic about it a hundred more times or just do it. Maybe Lawrence would think he was insane for calling, but so what? Either way he would get it out of his system.
So it was decided.
"Yeah, tonight."
