Post by DiOGee on Nov 17, 2023 20:57:03 GMT -5
I like to consider myself a light sleeper.. In truth, I’m not much of a sleeper but when I do, I keep an ear to the awakened world. So when I heard the Hospital Room door close, my eyes opened. The room was dark, the television was a mirrored screen of blackness. I quickly convinced myself that Sloane must have stepped out of the room. To the bathroom or maybe to the vending machine.. Again! She is paying someone's rent with how much she has spent on those machines.
I was grateful to her for being here, don't get me wrong. She is a true friend, a real friend. I have had Sisters that haven't come to see me or even inquired about my well being. I wasn't surprised. I have earned a lot of the distance people, friends and family alike have with me. To say Karma was expected would be an understatement. I deserved the attack but I am still here and someone failed. I was glad Sloane decided to play Bodyguard though. We were having fun just lost in the here and now instead of worrying about the outside world as much.
Minus Tweets. I think I’ve used TwitX to express my frustrations with being in the situation I am in. Realizing that some of those relationships I had are now at a farther distance. Not even the companies I work for released a statement about me being in the Hospital, being stabbed, I could have potentially died.. Yet nothing. Cool. Loyalty is realized and we can draw lines in the sand. I’m good with that.
Lashing out into the void of social media sometimes helps relieve that.. Not an excuse for being a prick but I didn't make one before the stabbing either so here we are. Checking my phone seemed like an option. It was why I was thinking about it but the idea of reaching for my phone seemed like too much.
The drip of the IV kept me feeling the lingering effects of the drugs they were pumping into me. It's been a few drugs now, I wasn't sure which was which and truthfully didn't care. I disliked this kind of high.
Still..
I felt comfortable knowing I could go back to sleep. It was late. My phone said 3:45 AM so I smiled and snuggled down into my pile of pillows. Turning away from the door, I lay my left cheek against the pillow and blink into the darkness. “Sloane?” My whisper came out against the gasp in my throat like two armies meeting on a battlefield. She was asleep on the couch where she has slept the last handful of days now.
So if that wasn't her in the doorway? My head turns to the door. Knowing if it had been a Nurse, I’d have heard her closeby. It felt off. My eyes now far more adjusted to the darkness as the shadows and corners all opened up more visually for me. Nothing in sight. Was I tripping? How high was I?
“I’m paranoid.. I need to touch some damn grass, geezus..” All the tension build up releases out in a sigh. I forced a grin. I knew I was acting like a bitch at that moment. Letting my head return to the pillow, I closed my eyes ready to sleep away my shame.
“... I’m glad you're not dead..”
The soul inside of me jumped out of my body before my eyes could open and I could react. I wasn't dreaming and I sure as hell wasn't that high. His eyes almost glowed as brightly as his smile. He stood just as I remembered him both when he stabbed me and again in my near death dreamstate.
It was him!
He had a needle inserted in my IV and was already emptying the syringe when I got my eyes open. It didn't take long and I knew something was off, something had changed. I felt fuzzy, drowsy, a headache erupted behind my eyes, it burned before I had an overwhelming calm flow through me. I couldn't move, my body didn't want to. I could only watch as I settled into the bed. He leaned over me, his eyes glaring off towards Sloane before coming back to mine.
“... Don't worry.. I’m not a fan of hers.” I tried to speak, growl, roar but mumbling gurgle was as much as my body would allow. “... I will see you again soon.” He stands and looks around before finishing his previous sentence and point. “... Away from where they can save you.”
I was beginning to fade. I could feel my eyes rolling back as the room got blurry. “... Shhh you rest. Just remember, I am a fan..” He reached and placed a hand over my face, his fingers gently pushing my eyelids down and I was unable to raise them. I wanted to, but my body, my mind, my everything just wanted to go to sleep.
“Aaaaahhh!” Jolting up from the bed, I came awake ready to fight. It felt like a brief moment had passed but it wasn't as it seemed. Time had passed, hours. I was in a lit up room, full of light from both the windows and the lights turned on in the room. Sloane snapped towards me from the couch where she sat under a blanket. The TV volume was low but the moving images caught my attention.
“Hey! Are you okay?!” She called out to me half equipped with a smile but also a sense of concern. “Bad dreams again?” Her voice changed to a more nurturing sound.
“Yeah.. Yeah.. Must have been a bad dream…” I knew it wasn't but I wasn't wanting her to react. There would be security, police involved and I didn't want to answer questions. “Just a dream..” I murmured as if to double down.
“Situation secured!” She let out a hoorah of sorts. “I am a fantastic Bodyguard and you should give me a raise or something!”
“I’m not paying you at all..”
The look on her face was one of a wrinkled nose and her eyebrows turning into angry caterpillars. “You better give me a good review at least..” Her pouting was showing. Pulling a pillow out from under my head, I launched it at her. “Hey!” She caught the pillow, I was surprised. With a counter move, Sloane chucks the pillow back at me.. It misses wide right and falls to the floor at the side of my bed. This didn't surprise me.
Before any target practice could take place, the door to the room opened. Into the room came the same Nurse who I have seen most of the week. She worked the day shift and usually entered with a smile. Her smile was missing as a man and a woman in some clean suits followed behind her. “Mr. Cashe, there are some Detectives here to speak with you.”
I sighed. I knew this was coming, they have tried a few times before now and I have dodged it long enough. As the detectives approach the bed, the female detective looks over at Sloane. “Ma’am, could you give us the room?”
“She can stay..” I protested. They didn't need the room. I wasn't giving them sheeeeeit!
“No, it's fine. I have some calls to make anyway..” Throwing the blanket off her, she stepped down off the couch and into her shoes. As she moves behind the Detectives, she starts mouthing something to me. The female agent turns and Sloane stops motioning around and smiles at the woman. “I’ll be back, Jason!”
“Don't go too far..” I look from Sloane to the officers. “This won't take too long.” Sloane’s reaction was just a slow shaking of her head from right to left. I knew what she was mouthing to me but it wasn't going to happen. She was saying ‘Tell them!’ I was choosing not to.
After Sloane left the room, the two Detectives almost flank the bed. The woman moves around the front as she looks around at the room. She checks out the bag at the foot of the couch before reaching and grabbing the remote to the TV. She turns it off and tosses the controller onto the couch. Her partner calls for my attention as his hand touches the bed railing.
“So tell us, Jason.. What can you tell us about the man who stabbed you?”
I snickered. “Who said it was a man?”
“You tell us..” The female Detective chimes in.
“Can't say for sure..” Shrugging for a play of casual response. “It was dark.”
“From the security footage provided by PPG Paints Arena, you hugged the assailant?”
This was going nowhere. “I did. Some women have negative titties.. I couldn't tell if that's what you were wondering.” The male agent had asked the question but the female detective fit that very description and I wanted it to come off as offensive.
“You spoke to them though.. You couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman?” The male detective asks.
“I am a little fuzzy. You know like in that movie, Men In Black? Those little memory erasers, flash things? That's how I am feeling. I just don't remember much at all. On god!”
If I am putting anything on god, I am outright lying. They don't know that though. “It's just tha–” I wasn't going to let him question my statement so I interrupted him and turned the table a bit.
“You didn't get anything off the footage?”
The two Detectives look over at each other. Shifting as they both adjust a bit. “Not enough to identify them.” The woman said.
“They knew the position of the cameras. They waited there. You might not have been the target, it could have been anyone. The cameras only picked them up from behind..”
“And the audio?” I ask because I wasn't aware it was even on camera. Was it on the broadcast? Now I want to see it myself.
“No audio on the parking lot cameras.” Sucking air through his teeth, the male detective was grasping at straws. “You can't remember anything else?”
Shaking before I responded. “Nah. Not right now anyway.. Wish I could be more helpful, truly.”
“Alright, well…” Pulling a card from the inside of his coat. The male detective hands it to me. I take it, look at the fancy layout. The font was nice. “If you remember ANYTHING.. If anything comes to you, give us a call.”
“Detective Sanders, is it?” I ask, reading the name on the card. Had they not introduced themselves? I think they came to that same realization as they again gave each other a glance.
“Yes, I am Detective Sanders and this is my partner, Detective Rodriguez.”
“Ahhhh..” I was very unimpressed by them, what they wanted or what their names were.
“Again, if you remember anything..” Detective Rodriguez reaffirms. Holding up the card I was given, I wiggled it around.
“One call away!” I tried to sound as sarcastically positive and helpful as I could. If they bought it, they were terrible at their jobs. They left the room and as soon as the door closed, I relaxed and sunk back into the bed.
It didn't take long before Sloane came barging into the room carrying a couple bags of chips. Eyes wide as she scurried to the bed. “What happened? Did you tell them what you told me?”
“Nope.”
She looked mad but in a Care Bear pouty kind of way. I don't know how anyone could take her seriously when she is mad and me laughing didn't seem to help. She threw a bag of chips at me. “I don't like Lays, lemme get them Doritos!”
Showing her petty side, Sloane crushes the bag. All the chips inside turned into crumbs, the bag popped and she tossed that bag at me as well. Stomping around the bed, she headed back to the couch. I had two bags of chips.. I wasn't complaining about the crumbs.
“Give me my damn chips!” She lunges in and snatches the bag of Lays. Scowling at me as she backs away and onto the couch. Covering herself back up with the blanket. “Jerkface.” She turned the TV back on and things went back to how they were when I first snapped awake. All I knew was that I had seen his face. Heard his voice. Knew he had more plans for me, for us. Him and I. That's all I had right now and being in here was about to end and outside, I would find out more.
I was grateful to her for being here, don't get me wrong. She is a true friend, a real friend. I have had Sisters that haven't come to see me or even inquired about my well being. I wasn't surprised. I have earned a lot of the distance people, friends and family alike have with me. To say Karma was expected would be an understatement. I deserved the attack but I am still here and someone failed. I was glad Sloane decided to play Bodyguard though. We were having fun just lost in the here and now instead of worrying about the outside world as much.
Minus Tweets. I think I’ve used TwitX to express my frustrations with being in the situation I am in. Realizing that some of those relationships I had are now at a farther distance. Not even the companies I work for released a statement about me being in the Hospital, being stabbed, I could have potentially died.. Yet nothing. Cool. Loyalty is realized and we can draw lines in the sand. I’m good with that.
Lashing out into the void of social media sometimes helps relieve that.. Not an excuse for being a prick but I didn't make one before the stabbing either so here we are. Checking my phone seemed like an option. It was why I was thinking about it but the idea of reaching for my phone seemed like too much.
The drip of the IV kept me feeling the lingering effects of the drugs they were pumping into me. It's been a few drugs now, I wasn't sure which was which and truthfully didn't care. I disliked this kind of high.
Still..
I felt comfortable knowing I could go back to sleep. It was late. My phone said 3:45 AM so I smiled and snuggled down into my pile of pillows. Turning away from the door, I lay my left cheek against the pillow and blink into the darkness. “Sloane?” My whisper came out against the gasp in my throat like two armies meeting on a battlefield. She was asleep on the couch where she has slept the last handful of days now.
So if that wasn't her in the doorway? My head turns to the door. Knowing if it had been a Nurse, I’d have heard her closeby. It felt off. My eyes now far more adjusted to the darkness as the shadows and corners all opened up more visually for me. Nothing in sight. Was I tripping? How high was I?
“I’m paranoid.. I need to touch some damn grass, geezus..” All the tension build up releases out in a sigh. I forced a grin. I knew I was acting like a bitch at that moment. Letting my head return to the pillow, I closed my eyes ready to sleep away my shame.
“... I’m glad you're not dead..”
The soul inside of me jumped out of my body before my eyes could open and I could react. I wasn't dreaming and I sure as hell wasn't that high. His eyes almost glowed as brightly as his smile. He stood just as I remembered him both when he stabbed me and again in my near death dreamstate.
It was him!
He had a needle inserted in my IV and was already emptying the syringe when I got my eyes open. It didn't take long and I knew something was off, something had changed. I felt fuzzy, drowsy, a headache erupted behind my eyes, it burned before I had an overwhelming calm flow through me. I couldn't move, my body didn't want to. I could only watch as I settled into the bed. He leaned over me, his eyes glaring off towards Sloane before coming back to mine.
“... Don't worry.. I’m not a fan of hers.” I tried to speak, growl, roar but mumbling gurgle was as much as my body would allow. “... I will see you again soon.” He stands and looks around before finishing his previous sentence and point. “... Away from where they can save you.”
I was beginning to fade. I could feel my eyes rolling back as the room got blurry. “... Shhh you rest. Just remember, I am a fan..” He reached and placed a hand over my face, his fingers gently pushing my eyelids down and I was unable to raise them. I wanted to, but my body, my mind, my everything just wanted to go to sleep.
~=~=~=~=~=~=~
“Aaaaahhh!” Jolting up from the bed, I came awake ready to fight. It felt like a brief moment had passed but it wasn't as it seemed. Time had passed, hours. I was in a lit up room, full of light from both the windows and the lights turned on in the room. Sloane snapped towards me from the couch where she sat under a blanket. The TV volume was low but the moving images caught my attention.
“Hey! Are you okay?!” She called out to me half equipped with a smile but also a sense of concern. “Bad dreams again?” Her voice changed to a more nurturing sound.
“Yeah.. Yeah.. Must have been a bad dream…” I knew it wasn't but I wasn't wanting her to react. There would be security, police involved and I didn't want to answer questions. “Just a dream..” I murmured as if to double down.
“Situation secured!” She let out a hoorah of sorts. “I am a fantastic Bodyguard and you should give me a raise or something!”
“I’m not paying you at all..”
The look on her face was one of a wrinkled nose and her eyebrows turning into angry caterpillars. “You better give me a good review at least..” Her pouting was showing. Pulling a pillow out from under my head, I launched it at her. “Hey!” She caught the pillow, I was surprised. With a counter move, Sloane chucks the pillow back at me.. It misses wide right and falls to the floor at the side of my bed. This didn't surprise me.
Before any target practice could take place, the door to the room opened. Into the room came the same Nurse who I have seen most of the week. She worked the day shift and usually entered with a smile. Her smile was missing as a man and a woman in some clean suits followed behind her. “Mr. Cashe, there are some Detectives here to speak with you.”
I sighed. I knew this was coming, they have tried a few times before now and I have dodged it long enough. As the detectives approach the bed, the female detective looks over at Sloane. “Ma’am, could you give us the room?”
“She can stay..” I protested. They didn't need the room. I wasn't giving them sheeeeeit!
“No, it's fine. I have some calls to make anyway..” Throwing the blanket off her, she stepped down off the couch and into her shoes. As she moves behind the Detectives, she starts mouthing something to me. The female agent turns and Sloane stops motioning around and smiles at the woman. “I’ll be back, Jason!”
“Don't go too far..” I look from Sloane to the officers. “This won't take too long.” Sloane’s reaction was just a slow shaking of her head from right to left. I knew what she was mouthing to me but it wasn't going to happen. She was saying ‘Tell them!’ I was choosing not to.
After Sloane left the room, the two Detectives almost flank the bed. The woman moves around the front as she looks around at the room. She checks out the bag at the foot of the couch before reaching and grabbing the remote to the TV. She turns it off and tosses the controller onto the couch. Her partner calls for my attention as his hand touches the bed railing.
“So tell us, Jason.. What can you tell us about the man who stabbed you?”
I snickered. “Who said it was a man?”
“You tell us..” The female Detective chimes in.
“Can't say for sure..” Shrugging for a play of casual response. “It was dark.”
“From the security footage provided by PPG Paints Arena, you hugged the assailant?”
This was going nowhere. “I did. Some women have negative titties.. I couldn't tell if that's what you were wondering.” The male agent had asked the question but the female detective fit that very description and I wanted it to come off as offensive.
“You spoke to them though.. You couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman?” The male detective asks.
“I am a little fuzzy. You know like in that movie, Men In Black? Those little memory erasers, flash things? That's how I am feeling. I just don't remember much at all. On god!”
If I am putting anything on god, I am outright lying. They don't know that though. “It's just tha–” I wasn't going to let him question my statement so I interrupted him and turned the table a bit.
“You didn't get anything off the footage?”
The two Detectives look over at each other. Shifting as they both adjust a bit. “Not enough to identify them.” The woman said.
“They knew the position of the cameras. They waited there. You might not have been the target, it could have been anyone. The cameras only picked them up from behind..”
“And the audio?” I ask because I wasn't aware it was even on camera. Was it on the broadcast? Now I want to see it myself.
“No audio on the parking lot cameras.” Sucking air through his teeth, the male detective was grasping at straws. “You can't remember anything else?”
Shaking before I responded. “Nah. Not right now anyway.. Wish I could be more helpful, truly.”
“Alright, well…” Pulling a card from the inside of his coat. The male detective hands it to me. I take it, look at the fancy layout. The font was nice. “If you remember ANYTHING.. If anything comes to you, give us a call.”
“Detective Sanders, is it?” I ask, reading the name on the card. Had they not introduced themselves? I think they came to that same realization as they again gave each other a glance.
“Yes, I am Detective Sanders and this is my partner, Detective Rodriguez.”
“Ahhhh..” I was very unimpressed by them, what they wanted or what their names were.
“Again, if you remember anything..” Detective Rodriguez reaffirms. Holding up the card I was given, I wiggled it around.
“One call away!” I tried to sound as sarcastically positive and helpful as I could. If they bought it, they were terrible at their jobs. They left the room and as soon as the door closed, I relaxed and sunk back into the bed.
It didn't take long before Sloane came barging into the room carrying a couple bags of chips. Eyes wide as she scurried to the bed. “What happened? Did you tell them what you told me?”
“Nope.”
She looked mad but in a Care Bear pouty kind of way. I don't know how anyone could take her seriously when she is mad and me laughing didn't seem to help. She threw a bag of chips at me. “I don't like Lays, lemme get them Doritos!”
Showing her petty side, Sloane crushes the bag. All the chips inside turned into crumbs, the bag popped and she tossed that bag at me as well. Stomping around the bed, she headed back to the couch. I had two bags of chips.. I wasn't complaining about the crumbs.
“Give me my damn chips!” She lunges in and snatches the bag of Lays. Scowling at me as she backs away and onto the couch. Covering herself back up with the blanket. “Jerkface.” She turned the TV back on and things went back to how they were when I first snapped awake. All I knew was that I had seen his face. Heard his voice. Knew he had more plans for me, for us. Him and I. That's all I had right now and being in here was about to end and outside, I would find out more.
