"I am alone, in spite of love,
In spite of all I take and give -
In spite of all your tenderness,
Sometimes I am not glad to live"

- Sara Teasdale

"...was 30 years old! It makes me sick! Disgusted! Human beings are the worst!"
Spencer rubbed his eyes and tried again,
"Monica..."
"...and I wish 2012 had happened! This planet needs a cleansing!"
He sighed and listened. JJ stopped by his desk on her way home. She threw him a questioning glance. Spencer covered the receiver of his cellphone and said,
"Monica saw the City Corporation people cut down a tree today. She got really upset and now she's drunk in a transsexual bar downtown"
JJ smiled sympathetically and mouthed,
"Good night"
He gave her a nod and got back to the call. His girlfriend was raving on the other end.
"I have half a mind to summon Satan right now and end this planet's misery. I could do it! I could do it, you know. I'll need virgin blood probably. Hey, what's your blood type?"
"Monica, listen to me. Stop agonising over the tree and go home. Do you need me to come get you?"
"I am a bigass girl, a'right? I can take care of myself. And I am crashing at the bar tonight. The toner - the owner, Stephanie, is a good friend of mine. You wanna talk to her?"
"No, I don't want to talk to Steph... hello, Stephanie"
The woman told him,
"Monica's fine, don't worry. She and her sister Cat are like family. We'll take good care of her"
"Thank you. Could I have your address and phone number just in case? I think I will pick her up when I get out of work"
"Sure. It's..."
Stephanie provided him with the address and her phone number. Monica was back on the line again.
"I thought my days of worrying about the world were over", she complained, "I gave up my dream of being a social worker 'cause I wanted some peace of mind. But this! Why are people so hell-bent on their own destruction, Dr. Reid?"
"Monica, that tree was probably infested with rats. It was an overgrowth. And it's just one tree..."
"One tree, one gun, one size 2 needle", she continued in a British accent, "And one pound of fleshhh!"
He spoke over her Thespian ramblings,
"You're drunk out of your mind. How many drinks have you had?"
"I am having some little cocktail thingy right now", she made a displeased noise, "It tastes like bathwater. Yo Stephanie! Who took a piss in my Fuzzy Navel?"
"Monica? Monica, you need to drink some coffee and go to bed. I'll come pick you up in the morning, okay?"
"But I'm supposed to be in Belfast tomorrow"
"Sure you are. I'll call you in the morning. Please be safe?"
"I'm always safe. I'm the safest hussie in all of North America"
"Great. Can you put Stephanie on?"
"Wokay. Hanga... hang on a sec... Steph, my lover wants to talk"
"Yeah", Stephanie came on.
"How many drinks has she had?"
"About eleven, I think. Don't worry. I'm cutting her off"
"Thank you. I'm sorry to bother you. But I'll come and get her first thing in the morning"
"No problem. Here, she wants to talk to you"
Monica said,
"I am fine, yanno. Stephanie just cut me off. Valerie is making me some coffee right now"
"Good. Listen to Stephanie. I have to go now. I'll see you in the morning"
"Okay!"
"Good night, Monica"
"Good night, my handsome Spence-boo! Ave Satanas!"
Smiling and shaking his head, Spencer hung up and got back to work.