Okay this is the last part I have written. I have a little more written,
but I didn't care for it, so if I wrote more I'm going to change it. I
don't have any ideas for the rest of this thing either.. Hmm..
**
Mark arrived at Doug's apartment and knocked loudly. Knowing him, he was probably asleep. He knocked again, and waited impatiently looking at the apartments down the hall.
Still no answer, or any noise inside of any kind.
Nothing.
Mark began to worry. He knew Doug shouldn't have left the hospital. Mark tried the door knob.. and surprisingly found it unlocked. He let himself into the dark apartment and closed the door. The place was a mess, but that was nothing new. He took off his jacket and walked to the open door of Doug's bedroom. Sure enough, Doug laid there, sprawled on his stomach over the covers.
"Hey Doug," Mark called out in a steady tone. It was dark, but he could tell that he was breathing. A very good sign. However, Doug did not even stir to Mark's words. So he tried again.
"Hey Doug, wake up man."
Silence. Mark walked in a little bit and shook his shoulder. Doug woke up with a start and popped his head up.
"Wha?" he mumbled. He saw Mark then and put his head back down.
"Are you doing okay?" Mark asked. Doug hesitated then raised his head and sat up. He groaned and put his head in his hands.
"What time is it?" he asked, rubbed his eyes and looked at Mark. Mark looked at his watch.
"Near 11pm," he answered. Doug groaned and lifted his head from his hands. Mark could see sweat dripping from his hairline, and his eyes were red. "God Doug, how long have you been using herion?"
Doug snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes.
"I do *not* use herion," he said strongly and stood up, swaying a little bit. He shook his head and walked into the bathroom that connected to his bedroom. He left the door open.
Mark sat down on the bed and watched Doug splash water on his face. If he was not using, what other explanation was there?
**
Doug turned off the taps after running water through his short hair. The only thing he could think of was that he had a fever. A big one at that. The same sweaty feeling he had had when Sharon had been cheating on him. That had sure hit him hard.
He couldn't believe that Mark thought that he had done herion. Doug was a friggin Doctor, didn't he think he knew better than that?
The pounding in his head came back and he rested his head in his arms on the counter still standing. He stood there for a few minutes and then left the washroom. Mark stood up and followed him out of the bedroom into the dark living room. Then she appeared.
It was Nadine and she was sitting on the couch glaring at Doug. He went to say something to her angry stare, but Mark sat down in the exact spot where Nadine had been sitting.
"Didn't you see her??" Doug pointed at the couch. Mark looked beside him.
"See what?" He was confused.
"Nadine.. She was just there. You didn't see her?"
Mark's face softened.
"Doug, I think you're just blaming yourself for her death.."
"..No *she* is blaming me for her death.." he muttered back and sat down on the couch beside Mark.
"Am I going crazy Mark?" He spoke up again without turning his head.
"No, you're just sick. Seeing things. If you would have stayed at the hospital... You know you should have stayed."
"I don't need the fucking hospital. I can handle it," answered Doug stubbornly.
"Look at you! You're seeing this chick's ghost! Do you really think you can handle it?" Mark stood up and half shouted down to Doug.
"Oh just get out of here.." Doug rashed out. He was susprised to see Mark getting mad at him so easily. It was almost never that the two argued over personal issues.
"Listen to me Doug. You need to come back to the hospital. You know you do." Mark raised his hands and said. Sure, Doug knew he probably should be kept under observation, but he couldn't stand those hospital beds. Being locked up in a white room like he was clinically insane or something. There was no way that he could take it.
"If I'm in one of those rooms again I'll..I'll.." Doug stood up and walked past Mark. The room was fairly dark, though light from the open washroom shone out in a beam that just missed his feet. He rested both hands on the back of an armchair and put his head down.
"You'll what Doug? Lose your huge ego for letting your friends help you? Is that really such a big deal?"
Mark didn't understand anything. That wasn't the reason.
"That's not the reason," Doug answered but didn't look up. It seemed hard for him to talk about.
"Then what it is, huh?" Mark sounded like he thought he was just making the whole thing up.
**
**
Mark arrived at Doug's apartment and knocked loudly. Knowing him, he was probably asleep. He knocked again, and waited impatiently looking at the apartments down the hall.
Still no answer, or any noise inside of any kind.
Nothing.
Mark began to worry. He knew Doug shouldn't have left the hospital. Mark tried the door knob.. and surprisingly found it unlocked. He let himself into the dark apartment and closed the door. The place was a mess, but that was nothing new. He took off his jacket and walked to the open door of Doug's bedroom. Sure enough, Doug laid there, sprawled on his stomach over the covers.
"Hey Doug," Mark called out in a steady tone. It was dark, but he could tell that he was breathing. A very good sign. However, Doug did not even stir to Mark's words. So he tried again.
"Hey Doug, wake up man."
Silence. Mark walked in a little bit and shook his shoulder. Doug woke up with a start and popped his head up.
"Wha?" he mumbled. He saw Mark then and put his head back down.
"Are you doing okay?" Mark asked. Doug hesitated then raised his head and sat up. He groaned and put his head in his hands.
"What time is it?" he asked, rubbed his eyes and looked at Mark. Mark looked at his watch.
"Near 11pm," he answered. Doug groaned and lifted his head from his hands. Mark could see sweat dripping from his hairline, and his eyes were red. "God Doug, how long have you been using herion?"
Doug snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes.
"I do *not* use herion," he said strongly and stood up, swaying a little bit. He shook his head and walked into the bathroom that connected to his bedroom. He left the door open.
Mark sat down on the bed and watched Doug splash water on his face. If he was not using, what other explanation was there?
**
Doug turned off the taps after running water through his short hair. The only thing he could think of was that he had a fever. A big one at that. The same sweaty feeling he had had when Sharon had been cheating on him. That had sure hit him hard.
He couldn't believe that Mark thought that he had done herion. Doug was a friggin Doctor, didn't he think he knew better than that?
The pounding in his head came back and he rested his head in his arms on the counter still standing. He stood there for a few minutes and then left the washroom. Mark stood up and followed him out of the bedroom into the dark living room. Then she appeared.
It was Nadine and she was sitting on the couch glaring at Doug. He went to say something to her angry stare, but Mark sat down in the exact spot where Nadine had been sitting.
"Didn't you see her??" Doug pointed at the couch. Mark looked beside him.
"See what?" He was confused.
"Nadine.. She was just there. You didn't see her?"
Mark's face softened.
"Doug, I think you're just blaming yourself for her death.."
"..No *she* is blaming me for her death.." he muttered back and sat down on the couch beside Mark.
"Am I going crazy Mark?" He spoke up again without turning his head.
"No, you're just sick. Seeing things. If you would have stayed at the hospital... You know you should have stayed."
"I don't need the fucking hospital. I can handle it," answered Doug stubbornly.
"Look at you! You're seeing this chick's ghost! Do you really think you can handle it?" Mark stood up and half shouted down to Doug.
"Oh just get out of here.." Doug rashed out. He was susprised to see Mark getting mad at him so easily. It was almost never that the two argued over personal issues.
"Listen to me Doug. You need to come back to the hospital. You know you do." Mark raised his hands and said. Sure, Doug knew he probably should be kept under observation, but he couldn't stand those hospital beds. Being locked up in a white room like he was clinically insane or something. There was no way that he could take it.
"If I'm in one of those rooms again I'll..I'll.." Doug stood up and walked past Mark. The room was fairly dark, though light from the open washroom shone out in a beam that just missed his feet. He rested both hands on the back of an armchair and put his head down.
"You'll what Doug? Lose your huge ego for letting your friends help you? Is that really such a big deal?"
Mark didn't understand anything. That wasn't the reason.
"That's not the reason," Doug answered but didn't look up. It seemed hard for him to talk about.
"Then what it is, huh?" Mark sounded like he thought he was just making the whole thing up.
**
