CHAPTER 5: GREEN EGGS AND BLOOD
I was ripped from a deep sleep to hear the phone ringing angrily by my head. I peeked one eye open and closed it quickly. The sun's bright rays shone through my bedroom window. I tried again and shoved away the urge to shut my eyes tight, pull the covers back over my head and ignore the phone. I turned my head to look at it. The answering machine light was flashing telling me there was a message. I reached an arm out from under the warm blanket to grab the ringing phone.
"Hello?" I asked into the phone, the fact that I was beat from the events the night before were evident in my voice.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty, about time you answered your phone." Wendy's voice spoke into my ear.
"Is it really still morning?" I asked, not bothering to turn the other direction to look at my alarm clock. I brought my free hand up to rub away the sleepiness from my eyes.
"Oh, only for the next fifteen minutes. You sound sick." She said, turning her tone of voice from being angry at me to being concerned.
"You could say that." I felt sick. The events from the night just past flew back into my mind. My stomach turned when I remembered my boss's brains decorating the living room.
"Anyways, you never really gave us a good reason last night why you had to bail on us." She paused over the phone, "But I guess it was since you felt ill. Hey," her voice perked up, "did you want me to bring you some chicken noodle soup or maybe some Ouzo's."
"No!" I practically shouted, sitting up in my bed and looking down to realize I had skipped pajamas last night. My dress was all wrinkled. I didn't want anyone coming over, especially since last time I saw my living room alien brains and the brains of my boss wallpapered the room, "No," I said softer, not wanting to freak her out, "I don't want you catching what I got."
"How bad is it?" Wendy asked.
I thought surprisingly fast, considering I was still tired, "I was up until three am puking my insides out." It was honest enough.
"Bummer." She said. She sighed, "Well that's all I really called for, to see what your reason for bailing on us was this time. Hope you feel better soon." She said.
"Thanks," I said. I took the phone away from my ear and hung up, figuring we were done talking on the phone.
I yawned. The bad taste in my mouth had gotten worse when it was accented by breathing all night through my wide open mouth. I swung my legs over the edge of my bed and grabbed the nearest pair of jeans and a t-shirt I could find and got out of the dress.
Being more comfortably attired and having brushed my teeth I held up the dress I had worn the previous night. It was completely blood splattered. I sighed. Guess I'd be doing laundry today. I kicked the hamper into the hallway between the bathroom and my bedroom. I turned and ripped the sheets off my bed. I realized how out of it I must have been earlier this morning. I had gone to bed in a dress that was still soaked in blood that had gotten all over my bed sheets.
Normally I do laundry in the Laundromat down the street, but since today's load was especially bloody, I decided a dark creepy apartment complex basement would suit my needs just fine.
After dumping my bed sheets into the hamper, I picked it up and reluctantly moved my eyes into the living room. I almost dropped the hamper.
My living room was spotless. I set the hamper down and took a hesitant barefoot step onto the carpet. The carpet wasn't even wet. I touched the couch near where Jack's body had been thrown with momentum. The couch wasn't damp either. I inhaled deeply. Vaguely I could smell cleaning products, but surprisingly it wasn't as potent as I would have imagined it would have been, had Ianto and Gwen slaved all night getting blood stains out.
I almost giggled when I thought that Ianto really was a merry maid. I would have giggled, if it weren't for the fact I'd seen my boss's insides on his outside. I picked up my hamper again and trudged over to my flip flops and stepped out into the hallway of the complex and down the stairs to the creepy basement where a washer and dryer sat waiting for me.
I dumped my load into the washer and headed back upstairs to grab some food so my stomach would stop grumbling at me.
I climbed back up the stairs and was grateful for the sunlight to beam on me, attempting to brighten my mood. I looked down at my feet stepping slowly up the stairs. When I looked up again I almost jumped out of my skin. My neighbor was standing at the top of the steps just peering down at me. He was five years older than me, I couldn't remember what he did at the moment, I caught off guard with his presence. He seemed comfortable in his sweats. He must be headed to the gym.
I reached the top of the steps and looked at him, "Hey." I tried to be as casual as I could to not let on how much hell my night had been.
"Is everything fine with you?" He asked, his brown eyes shone concern.
"Peachy," I said as perky as I could, "why do you ask?"
"I thought I heard gunshots yesterday," he trailed off, "well more like really early this morning." He absently brought his hand up to scratch the back of his head in anxiousness. I could tell he was uncomfortable asking.
"Sorry," I spoke, "I've been sick and couldn't sleep. My TV must have been too loud." It was the easiest lie I could think of, and I still was drained from chasing down the Varvaras last night.
"Yeah, you don't look so good, you're kinda pale and you're getting circles under your eyes." He motioned toward my face.
I absently brought my hand towards my face, "Yeah, I guess it's all that late night studying for finals that's got me feeling a bit under the weather." Everyone in the complex thought I was a normal college kid, how wrong they all were.
"Did you need a hand?"
"With what?" I raised an eyebrow; I had no idea what he was talking about.
"I don't know," he shrugged, "I just kinda figured that you could use a hand around, make dinner sometime," he trailed off.
My stomach chose the opportunity to grumble loudly.
"I make a mean omelet," he cracked a smile.
His effort made me crack a humorless smile, "You kinda look like you were goin' to the gym or something," That omelet he'd offered to make sure sounded good to me right now, I wanted something hot, and I didn't feel like messing with the stove.
"Nah," he waved his hand in front of me as if waving the idea off, "you look like you need some food."
"Its noon and you want to make me breakfast," I raised an eyebrow at him.
He looked a bit sheepish, "Unless you want something more lunch-ish…"
"No, breakfast sounds awesome."
He smiled.
I stepped past him and opened the door to my apartment, he walked in and I shut the door behind him, "Kitchen's yonder," I pointed with my head, "if you can't find what you need, just holler. I'm going to check my emails."
I picked up my laptop and sat on the couch that faced the kitchen so I could keep an eye on him. As I waited for it to boot up, I watched my neighbor work in my kitchen, "You know, you don't have to make me breakfast."
"I know," he said, "but I do remember what finals are like, it's nice to kick back and enjoy hot food you don't have to pay for or make yourself." He shrugged.
I looked back down at my computer and went to facebook first, skipping the email. One new wall post? I clicked it. Raya had written on my wall for the world to see, "Did I c u outside my bro's wedding last nite? I coulda sworn I saw u w/ some guy u said waz ur cop partner…"
Wonderful. Thank you, Raya for showing the entire facebook world that I'm lying to them. You're an awesome friend.
I looked distressed at my computer. I knew I'd had to convince her otherwise.
"Something wrong?" my neighbor spoke from the kitchen.
"It's nothing, one of my friends thinks she saw me last night roaming Cardiff."
"Dude, you're sick. You were probably sleeping all night."
"Yeah,"
"She's prolly just off her meds."
My mouth gaped open, I stared at him, "Nice to know you think great things about my friends."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to cause offense," he turned his attention back to the eggs he'd dumped in a frying pan without finishing his sentence.
"No, you just gave me inspiration on what to tell her back." I typed in response back to her, 'Dude, ur off ur meds. I must'a had bad food fm the school's lunch menu. Been puking my insides out all nite. 'Sides, I can't get a job w/ the cops b4 I graduate, trust me, I've looked in2 it.'
My neighbor laughed.
I checked my email after signing out of facebook. There wasn't much, just some junk emails and one from my parents saying how my father had decided to build a tool shed in the backyard. I would have laughed at the thought of seeing my father try to build something in which he couldn't use duct tape, but I remembered how my living room looked the night before. Before I could gag mentally, a plate was set on the coffee table with a fork.
I looked up and saw my neighbor smiling down at me.
"Wow that was quick." I said. I hadn't expected him to be so fast. I would enjoy his company more if my boss wasn't dead because of me.
I shut the computer down and picked up the fork and plate, "Smells excellent." I stabbed some egg onto the fork and placed it in my mouth. I spoke with my mouth still open, "Mm, this is the best omelet ever!"
He laughed.
As I chewed ravenously, his cell phone started ringing.
He dug it reluctantly out of his pocket, "Sorry, that's my buddy, he's waitin' for me at the gym."
"I knew you were headed out."
He stepped towards the door.
"But you know," I said, he turned to face me, I continued, "if you just wanted to chill, knocking on the door works too."
He blushed a little then turned to open the front door to my apartment.
"Thanks again!" I said.
He lifted his hand in a farewell gesture and he shut the door.
I finished my breakfast and dumped the dirty dishes in the plate. I'd wash them later. I turned and walked towards the linen closet and pulled out new bed sheets. I put them on my bed.
I turned to look at the time and headed back down the stairs to the creepy basement. My wash was done. In the dark basement, I still hadn't turned the light on. There was some light coming through the storm windows. I held up my dress and was surprised when all the blood seemed to have come out. I was lucky. I dumped them in the dryer and turned it on.
I knew Ianto had done a thorough job in cleaning my living room, but it still didn't feel clean to me, even though it couldn't get cleaner. I settled for cleaning my bathroom to waste the time it took to dry my clothes.