Chapter Five: Cameltosis (restored: April 22, 2005)

Marco sets a large duffel bag on the white comforter on guest bed.

I lean against the doorway, nowhere near up to having a long conversation with him, but I have to say something. "You have your own bathroom, too. My bedroom's the next door over."

Marco nods and unzips the bag holding his change of clothes and other sleep-over supplies. "I'll be down for dinner. I'm just going to unpack."

"All right."

I leave and walk into my room. Grabbing my medication holder from my bathroom I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I start to rummage through the cabinets for something to eat.

Dana looks up from chopping vegetables. "Marco getting settled?"

I nod and continue my search. "Don't we have any healthy food stuffs that aren't stale? Like milk and cereal bars or an apple or something?"

"Forget to take your medicine?" Dana asks sternly.

I nod again. "I was in a hurry this morning. Wouldn't have been able to eat anything with it, anyway, and I'm not recommended to do that."

"If you can wait twenty minutes you can take them with dinner," she replies after checking the stove clock.

"I'd rather not, thank you."

Dana looks at me. "You know what can happen if you miss—"

"I don't think missing one dose will do much." I stop my hunting to tell her this.

"Cyril, your medication slows the effect of the virus, if you don't follow your regimen—"

"I just don't want to take it with Marco around, okay?" I pull open the refrigerator and take out a bowl of Mediterranean salad. At least it's something. "What's for dinner?"

"Grilled chicken, steamed veggies, and wild rice," Dana answers, setting the chopped vegetables into a steamer.

I grab a fork and eat several stabs of the salad, put the bowl back into the fridge. I open the Friday tab of my medication holder and take my many pills for the day. I stuff the container in my pants pocket: another plus on the baggy pants wearing tally.

"You know, you're going to have to tell these people sooner or later. There are so many ways you can spread this around."

I sigh. "I'm really careful, you know that. It's not like I'm going to walk up to people and bleed into their open wounds. Besides, I don't want everyone to become paranoid and treat me like a leper."

"That joke was not funny." Dana sets an egg timer and looks me over. "I'm going to move your doctors appointment up, you don't look so good. I'm not happy with your last T-Cell count at all. Maybe we can talk about an easier way of taking your drugs." She does that when she's concerned, ramble without actually rambling while talking fast.

"I feel fine. I'm just upset."

"About what?"

Marco walks into the kitchen before I willingly answer her.

She smiles at her guest. "Dinner will be in fifteen minutes. Would you like to help Cyril set the table?"

There's a knock on my bedroom door and I groan.

Rolling over I look at the burning red numbers on my night stand clock. 2:15am

I rub my face with my hands and sit up. I look around the near black room and stare at the door, pixelated from my tired state.

"It's unlocked," I say hoarsely.

I watch as the door is slowly opened and a dark figure walks inside the room, shutting the door behind it.

In an instant the room is filled with bright light. I cover my eyes. "It's too bright!" I whine groggily.

"Sorry." I hear Marco apologize and walk back over to the wall where the light switch is.

"It's too late to turn the lights off now," I huff and remove my hands from my eyes. "What are you doing here? You're suppose to be asleep like the rest of the country." I blink as my eyes adjust to the light.

Marco walks over to the bed and sits down. I think I see him quickly shift his eyes from me, but it could be the fact that I feel blind. "I couldn't sleep."

I try to resist the urge of curling back under the covers, push the fabric to my waist instead. I start to get cold, clad only in my Australian flag boxers, but try not to think about that. "Couldn't sleep?" I sound like a parrot.

Marco nods. "I keep hearing these weird noises."

"It's probably just the pipes or the tree outside your window."

"Oh…."

"You woke me up just to tell me that?" I ask irritatedly.

"No. I—I didn't."

"It's wrong to punch a guest in your home, it's wrong to punch a guest in your home."

Marco raises his eyes to mine. "Remember this afternoon when I was talking to you?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I have to come clean with you. It's not a girl I like…. it's you. I was describing you…. I didn't know how to tell you."

Not the best thing to tell to a sleep deprived, non-morning person. "Huh?" Oh great, the stupid act again. Grunting is even better than not being able to form actual words.

"I like you."

I say nothing while I try to say what I want to say. "Does Ellie know?"

Marco nods. "She's known for a long time now."

I'm confused. I give Marco an odd look.

"We're not really together. I'm…I'm gay."

Again, not the best thing to tell to a sleep deprived, non-morning person…especially me. We both remain silent after that. I'm to process what he was saying and I think Marco's trying to erase this night from time.

I wake up the next morning and Marco's gone, he must have left sometime in the night…I wouldn't know, I was too tired to really stay awake for very long.

This reminds me of a soap opera; he's gay but doesn't want anyone to know so he's 'dating' his best friend, then he likes the new guy and decides to come out to his crush in the middle of the night, probably knowing full well that neither of us will remember in the morning.

After getting dressed I trudge to the kitchen and steal a waffle to eat with my meds before Marco comes downstairs for breakfast.