Hi guys! I know I haven't uploaded anything in forever and a half; I just haven't had the motivation or ideas lately. So a belated Happy Holidays and Happy New Years to everyone! I hope your holidays were filled with fun and family and all that good stuff.
As for the story, this is based off the song "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd. My friend Kenthel told me to write this, so here it is. (Mind you, she told me it was a good idea a month or two ago, but I finished it just now.) I'm sorry if it's not very factual, I don't do drugs. :P However, upon research, I found out that this song isn't about doing drugs, but about how the writer (Waters) was injected with tranquilizers to treat hepatitis before a show. I also found out that antiemetics stop vomiting. But anyway, enjoy!
Hello.
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?
"Hello?" I called into the dark room before opening the door wider and stepping inside the apartment.
A sickly acidic smell hit me as soon as the door was opened. I fumbled around the frame of the door with my hand, searching for a light switch. Turning around to face the hallway, I felt the other side of the doorway for the illusive switch. Finally finding it, I flipped it on with a flick of my wrist and turned around.
Come on, now.
I hear you're feeling down.
I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.
"Roxas?"
A boy wearing dark jeans and a blue button-down shirt stood in front of apartment room number sixty-nine, knocking on the door lightly. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing slightly muscular arms. His dark clothes contrasted his pale skin and bright red hair brilliantly.
"Roxas! Come on, open the door!" the boy shouted while his knocks became louder and more persistent.
Still, no answer.
"If you don't open this door, Roxas, I'm breaking it down. Now open up!" the boy pounded on the door with his fist.
The sound of someone hurriedly unlocking a chain lock could barely be heard over the noise of human hand on wood. Soon after, the door opened, framing a small blonde boy. His white t shirt, baggy sweatpants, and messy hair were visual proof that either the boy had just pulled himself out of bed, or he did not plan on going anywhere and therefore saw no need to change.
"If you do not stop banging on my door," the blonde hissed, "I will be forced to hurt you."
"Yea, you and what army?" replied the tall red-head.
Roxas stood aside to let his friend into the small apartment. "Don't be a smart ass today, Axel. I'm not in the mood."
Axel sobered up immediately. Seriously, he replied, "Yea, I heard. I'm really sorry, Roxas."
"Don't worry about it," Roxas mumbled in return as he shut the door, relocked it, and sat down on the gray couch with his friend.
"That's actually why I'm here. Do you need help with anything... or you know, someone to talk to?"
Roxas glanced quickly at his friend, and then towards the black television screen. "I'm fine," he said quietly.
An awkward silence ensued. Roxas twirled the bottom of his shirt around his pointer finger, while Axel kept stealing glances at his friend.
Abruptly, Axel stood up. "You know what you need?"
"A better life?" replied Roxas sarcastically.
"No... a party!" Axel smiled.
Roxas gave his friend a look of disdain. "Why in the world would I need that? I hate parties."
"Aww, come on Roxy! It'll be fun and it'll get your mind off things," Axel explained as he tugged on Roxas' arm hoping to get him to stand.
Roxas glared, "My name is NOT Roxy."
"Oh whatever, come on!" yelled Axel as he walked into Roxas' bedroom.
Roxas followed indignantly. "Don't I get any privacy anymore?"
"You mean like how you get a say in what I call you?" Axel's sarcastic comment was slightly muffled by the closet doors that were currently obstructing his head from view.
Roxas sat on his bed, waiting for Axel to emerge from the depths of his closet. He thought about how a party might not be so bad, and how it could possibly get his mind off the things that were currently bothering him. Just then, Axel's head popped out. Clothes were thrown at him.
"Get dressed quick!" implored Axel as he left the room to give Roxas some privacy while he dressed.
Roxas examined the clothes he was given. A dark red turtleneck and a pair of fitting black jeans. Pulling off his previous set of clothing, he hurriedly pulled on the new set. To his dismay, Axel always picked out clothes that looked great on him. He walked over to the little circular mirror hanging on the wall and ran his fingers through his hair to put in in some semblance of order, not that it helped much. Sighing, he left his bedroom.
"Now that's more like it!" exclaimed Axel as he saw Roxas reappear.
Roxas scowled, "Let's just get this over with, ok?"
"Oh, don't take that attitude. Live a little! It'll be fun!"
With that, Roxas was dragged out of his apartment and into the streets.
Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts:
Can you show me where it hurts?
I quickly walked over to the man -no, boy- curled up on the couch. He could not have been older than 16 judging from his small stature. His blonde hair was greasy and sticking up in funny directions; his clothes were disheveled. He was faced towards me, but his eyes were staring blankly into space. His face was tinged green with nausea and was slick with sweat, and there was a puddle of sick on the floor next to the left armrest where his head lay. His sleeves were rolled up above the elbows, and his right arm was beet red because of his continuous pinching of his left hand.
I sat on the empty coffee table that lay in front of the couch and placed my bag next to me. Shaking my head, I grabbed the boys left hand to stop it's movements. For the first time, he looked directly at me.
"Hi," I said slowly. "Someone called us to come check up on you. Can you tell me your name?"
He didn't answer me.
"Can you tell me why you're like this? Have you eaten anything or smoked something?"
Again, he didn't answer.
"Can you show me where it hurts?"
There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move, but I can not hear what you're saying.
When I was a child, I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I got that feeling once again.
I can't explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.
"So... feelin', better?" Axel slurred.
Roxas laughed because he could barely understand Axel. He could feel the vibrations of the bass of the music from the party downstairs. He couldn't remember how he ended up on this bed with Axel and his two friends, nor could he remember how they had convinced him to smoke the joint they passed him. Earlier, he had felt a warm sensation creeping all over his body, like he was laying down on the floor in front of a window and the sun was slowly setting, slowly exposing his entire body to it's rays. He couldn't feel his body when he tried to move something, and he didn't care that he couldn't. Now, he just felt comfortably numb. The pain in his mind and in his heart all disappeared. He did feel better, relaxed and sleepy. He told Axel this, but he couldn't hear the words escape from his mouth. He assumed that Axel would just guess that he felt much better.
Ok.
Just a little pinprick.
There'll be no more -AHHHHHHHH!
-but you may feel a little sick.
Searching through my bag, with the boy still watching me, I pulled out a blue plastic band. I also pulled out a syringe and a small bottle of antiemetic, which would help him to stop throwing up. First, I tied the band around the boy's upper arm so the blood would be cut off, making the veins pop. Then, I stuck the syringe into the bottle and pulled back the end, filling it with liquid. I flicked it to get rid of the air bubbles.
"Ok, so I'm going to inject this into your arm. It's going to make you stop throwing up so we can get you to a hospital, alright?"
As expected, no answer. I wished this kid would talk to me. It'd be easier to help.
"It'll be just a little pinprick," I tried to soothe as I stuck the needle into the blonde's arm.
I didn't expect the kid to scream, because the needle wasn't big enough to cause major pain, but he did. The first noise I heard out of him was a loud, desperate scream. I tried to concentrate on the syringe as I pushed the medicine into the kid's body, but that scream was slightly distracting. I was glad the boy wasn't squirming though, that would have made things much more difficult.
When all the medicine entered the boy's bloodstream, I pulled out the syringe. "You may feel sick for a little longer, but it should go away soon."
The kid stopped paying attention to me and stared out into space again. I shook my head in disdain. Reaching for the radio at my belt, I called over to the guys in the ambulance. "Alright guys, bring the stretcher up. This kid doesn't look like he's walking anywhere."
"Roger. Do we know what's wrong?" came the voice of one of my partners positioned in the back of the ambulance.
"No," I responded into the little black box. "But I think it's safe to assume drug abuse."
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working; good.
That'll keep you going for the show.
Come on, it's time to go.
"Roxas?" called Axel's no-longer-slurred voice as he shook me.
Roxas blinked and looked up at him expectantly. "Can you stand up?"
He rolled over slowly to the edge of the bed and stood up. Anxiously, Axel was already standing right beside the blonde, holding him up as he swayed back and forth on unsteady legs. Together, they started walking towards the door of the bedroom. There was no longer music playing downstairs. Roxas assumed the party was over. After looking over at Axel questioningly, Axel stated, "Come on, it's time to go."
He half-carried Roxas down the stairs, out the door, and into the back of a black car, which one of his friends was driving. He walked around the front of the car and opened the other door to the back seats and sat down. He closed the door, and they drove back to Roxas' apartment.
When they arrived, Axel proceeded to help Roxas out of the car and onto the couch in the apartment. "I hope you had fun, Roxy," he tried to joke, but there was an nervous tone behind his words. "Call me if you need anything, alright?"
When Roxas didn't respond, he nodded to himself and left. Roxas fell asleep.
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