Chapter 39

Randy's POV

I wake up. Is the surgery over? Where am I? I'm…I'm in the Nomad. What is going on? Dad's driving!

I know what this is. This must be the anesthesia. This is probably all just a dream. I lie here a minute and try to figure out what's going on. After a couple of minutes, dad pulls into a gas station. I decide to go along with this dream, and pile out of the car with everyone else.

Once I get inside the stall in the restroom, I try thinking things over again. If this is a dream, it's the most realistic one I've ever had.

Of course! I can pinch myself. If I'm dreaming, then it won't hurt. But what if it does? What if I do something to make myself wake up on the operating table? But if this isn't a dream, then I have nothing to worry about. But if it is, then that means things are normal. If this isn't, a dream that is, then this has to be reality, and the other thing is a dream. But they're both so real. Ugh! This is just making my head hurt.

I finish up in the bathroom, get a bottle of water, and go back to the car. I take a swig of the water, and lean back in the seat, and try to go back to sleep. If that's even possible to do in dreams.


Randy's POV

I'm in the operating room. I'm hovering above the table, looking down on myself. I look over at the clock. Six hours have passed. It looks like the nurses are rotating out.

'Heidi ho good doctor' one says. I didn't know Wilson was a nurse too. I thought he was just a midwife. If this is supposed to surprise me, it doesn't.

I stay for a little while and watch the surgery.


Randy's POV

Now I'm in the waiting room. Wow, this is amazing. It looks like Brad and Mark are actually getting along! They're sitting together in a corner, talking. I walk over and listen in.

'I'm worried something's going to happen to Randy' Mark says.

'He'll be fine. He'll come out of it as good as ever' Brad assures Mark. I wait for the sarcastic remark. The "gee, do you think we could get him to come out of this and have a whole different personality". It doesn't come.

'I know you're probably right, but it's just with the way things have been going for us the past six months…' Mark says.

'I know things have changed a lot' Brad says.

'Yeah. I never would've guessed in a million years that Randy would do some of the things he did. I mean, with the alcohol and all that' Mark says.

'I guess every one of us has our own way of dealing with dad's death. Mom focused her time and energy into becoming the manager at Wal-Mart. Randy did his thing you mentioned' Brad says.

'You started using Randy's Amitriptyline' Mark added. At this, Brad's eyes get big and he just stares at Mark for a minute.

'How do you know about that?' Brad asks for the both of us.

'You know Randy's journal thing he does for that psychiatrist, that Dr. Berry? Well, I found it a couple of months ago. I found both of them hidden inside the K-M book in his encyclopedia series' Mark explains. *Mental note: Move journals somewhere safer*

'Why were you looking for it?' Brad asks, lowering his voice even more.

'I wasn't. I needed the encyclopedia, and I just happened to find them in there. I didn't know what they were, so I opened them up and started reading. I know I should've stopped, but I guess a little part of me was worried that maybe he had some kind of plan for a third suicide attempt and I thought maybe if I read about it; I could keep it from happening' Mark explains.

Brad turns around and checks the surroundings. There's one other person in the room besides mom and grandma, not counting the woman who checks people in. The hallway which has a vending machine down it is deserted.

'Mark, I'm going to go get a soda. Why don't you come with me and get one too?' Brad says.

Brad gets up and tells mom of his plans. Mark follows him. I get up too, and walk along side Brad, not wanting to miss a second of their imminent conversation.

'Look Brad, I know reading Randy's journal was wrong, so I don't need a lecture about it' Mark says once their well out of mom and grandma's earshot.

'That's not what I want to talk to you about. We're brothers. We may not have always treated each other the best, but no matter what, we're still brothers. To tell you the truth, I would've probably done the same thing before dad died. But dad dying, and then Randy attempting suicide made me see something. It made me realize that we've taken things for granted. We've always lived our lives like if we had a fight, and we have had our fair share of them, the person we're arguing with will always be there for us to make up with. But that isn't what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to tell you that dad's death is not why I started taking Randy's Amitriptyline. There's an entirely different reason for that. It's something I don't want you to mention to anyone, including mom' Brad says.

'Not even Wilson?' Mark asks.

'No, especially not Wilson' Brad says.

I stay a little while longer, but nothing else really happens. Brad and Mark reminisce about all the good times we had together. They both say some things about me that I think I can use against them if the need should ever arise. Then my mind goes blank again.

This time, I'm back in the operating room. At first, I'm hovering over my body, then I see weird things start to happen. The head surgeon turns into a giant rabbit, the nurse by my side becomes a walnut, and Wilson becomes invisible. Then I get sucked back into my body, and remain unconscious for the rest of the surgery.


Jill's POV

A little over twelve hours into the surgery, a man in blue scrubs with a white mask on comes out to the waiting room and sits down in front of me at just about the time I'm considering going over to the window and jumping out of it just to wake myself up a little bit.

'Heidi ho, worried neighborette' he says.

'Wilson, what are you doing here?' I ask.

'I'm filling in for a nurse who was supposed to be working on Randy today. I figured I'd just come out and give you an update' Wilson responds.

'Thank you. So, how's he doing? I ask.

'Well, as I'm sure you know, we're about two thirds of the way through the surgery now. So far, Randy's doing fine. Everything is going the way it should be. It looks like all of the bullet fragments are going to be removable. In fact, the surgery might finish a little early' he says.

'Oh thank God. I have been so worried. I don't suppose you can just keep running back and forth between the operating room and here, can you?' I ask.

'I'm afraid not, Jill. I have to get down to the recovery room to fill in there. It might not make you feel much better, but Randy is in the hands of the best neurosurgeons in the tri-state area.

'Well, I must be going' Wilson says, then stands up.

He's right. I can't say that I feel that much better.


A/N: Alright, this one's finally done. The chapter, that is, not the story.

I don't believe I've ever given Randy's psychiatrist a name before or not. I looked, but couldn't find it, but I could've missed it, so if you remember it or find it, let me know and I'll change it in this chapter.

Please read and review. Thanks for both.

-Yours truly, Randy Taylor