Chapter 11
::Garrett's POV::
I awoke to find that Delia had, indeed, left as she had promised.
I looked at the clock on my wall, and I began to worry. Hours had passed since she had "hugged" me goodbye.
I started to worry almost instantly. By foot, the Blue Creek Apartment building wasn't really more than a half hour walk away. On top of that, Delia had appeared to be in relatively good shape, so she shouldn't have been gone for this long a time.
I was so nervous, I started to sing to myself. Strangely, whenever I got nervous, I sang Johnny Cash music to myself. It usually helped.
Delia, oh Delia, Delia all my life.
If I hadn't shot poor Delia, I'd have had her for my wife.
Delia's gone, one more round, Delia's gone.
Despite the possibly Freudian choice of songs, (and lyrics) I started to get into it.
But jailer, oh jailer.
Jailer, I can't sleep.
'Cause all around my bedside I hear the patter of Delia's feet.
Delia's gone, one more round, Delia's gone.
"Mr. Daniels! Good to see that you've decided to return to the world of the living! And in such a lively manner, I might add." Someone said.
Given the interesting choice of words, I was startled. I looked to the door.
A woman in a lab coat strolled in. I stared at her for a minute. She had shoulder-length brown hair, dark eyes, and was slim- almost anorexic.
Something about the smiling woman made me nervous. "And, who might you be?" I asked. I tried to sound as polite as possible.
"I'm Doctor Orosco." She said calmly. "I'm just here to talk to you."
I frowned. "You're a shrink?"
She laughed quietly. "Why, do you think you need one?"
I frowned deeper. "No, do you think I do? And, by the way, I can play this game all day if I need to." I crossed my arms in front of me. Even I thought I was being childish. But… damn it. I already told my story once before…
I sighed. "Well, I own the local flower shop…" I began
She sat on the edge of my bed.
Some time later, she stood up. She smiled gently down at me.
"Well, Garrett, it sounds as though you've been through quite an ordeal. Maybe you could use some rest."
Okay, now I was pissed off. "Rest? All I ever do is rest!!" I just pore my heart out to this woman, and she blows me off? "What about Delia?" I yelled.
"Mr. Daniels, perhaps this "Delia" is merely a projection of your mind. Someone to keep you company in this stressful time."
"Are you shitting me? She was listed on television as a missing person. She's real. She's out there somewhere, trying to find out what happened to my family! And you want to tell me that she's an imaginary friend??" I cried.
She stuck something into my IV. I gave a wordless growl of frustration. All the shit they put into me, I would so not be surprised if I woke up one morning to discover that I had turned into a radioactive, pink, cockroach.
Great, now where the fuck am I?
The place was very yellow. There was one light illuminating this tiny hallway.
There was a newspaper at my feet. Though there was blood on it, I found that I could read it quite clearly:
The body of a man later identified as Thomas Orosco, lumberjack, age 39, was discovered in the family living room lying face down. The probable cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the front of the neck and to the left side of the torso by a sharp-edged weapon. The time of death was somewhere between 11:30pm and 12:30am. Due to signs of struggle in the room and the lack of a murder weapon, police are considering this a homicide and have opened a murder investigation. Furthermore, given the cash in the room was untouched and Mr. Orosco had a history of drunkenness and violence, the police suspect that the motive was not robbery, but was a crime of passion.
Orosco, huh? Like the good doctor?
I smirked. Maybe today was finally my lucky day.
Behind me, James began to come up a ladder. He stood up, and passed through me. He went through the door.
I followed.
This hallway was equally bland. However, there were newspapers scattered all over the walls and the floor, like ugly wallpaper.
Beyond that, there was a door in the side of the hallway. As James and I walked past it, screams started to echo from within it.
"No! No Daddy! DON'T!"
James turned towards the sound, and ran into the door.
What the hell? DADDY?
I opened my eyes, and I blinked, confused. Well, that was a rather short vision-quest-thingy.
I looked out the window. It was daylight once more. However, the sky was relatively bleak looking, and there was a pretty good deluge of rain pounding against the windows.
My door burst open. It was Doctor Orosco again.
Great, just what I needed. Another trip down I'm-A-Crazy-Bastard Lane.
She smiled at me. I saw her outfit. A gray sweatshirt, and red pants.
I motioned to her ensemble. "Nice clothes, doc." I mused.
She seemed a little bit annoyed. "Well, Garrett, aren't we here to discuss you, and not my wardrobe?"
"Actually doc, you're here to discuss me. I'm here because I have to be here. You know, what with the internal bleeding and the whatnot." I replied coolly. Now I was itching for a good fight.
And I started to get my wish. She looked mad now, too. "Mr. Daniels, it is not my fault that you are in this place. It's your fault. I'll thank you not to take it out on me, or you won't be getting home to your family any time soon."
I glowered at her, and her implied threat.
I needed something to really hit her with, and I knew just what the moment needed.
"So, doc." I began jovially. "Who's Thomas Orosco? Is he your poor, dead daddy?"
Oh, I'm so bad.