"I'm fine," I replied. "Liz, thank you for everything." I didn't get it. In the three weeks I'd been in the hospital, she was the one who'd spent the most time with me. Rod had visited once, and our conversation had been short and somewhat awkward. He'd left a card, and patted my shoulder on his way out. "Feel better, Monty," he'd said. I was distant now, thinking about it, and Liz's touch, a simple hand on my shoulder, brought me back.
It was still pouring when she pulled up to my house. “Do you need help?”
"I'm fine," I replied. "Liz, thank you for everything." I didn't get it. In the three weeks I'd been in the hospital, she was the one who'd spent the most time with me. Rod had visited once, and our conversation had been short and somewhat awkward. He'd left a card, and patted my shoulder on his way out. "Feel better, Monty," he'd said. I was distant now, thinking about it, and Liz's touch, a simple hand on my shoulder, brought me back.
She handed me my keys and a tote bag of a few things I'd taken to keep myself occupied. She gave me her umbrella too. "I'll get it back from you later," she said.
Then, she'd stopped me before I could get out the car. I didn't know what was wrong. "You’ve got to be kidding me," she said, cursing under breath.
"What's wrong?
"Ssh," she said. "I'll take care of it." That’s when I saw the photographers hiding behind my bushes.
Liz approached them. “If either so much as takes another step forward, I’m filing a restraining order.” The photographers just stood there. “My bad side isn’t a place either of you want to be.”
This did the trick and they began to walk away. “I better not see any pictures tomorrow!” Once they were far enough away, she opened the passenger side door. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”
I shrugged and let Liz help me out of the car and into my house. I somehow had expected it to be different, but it was exactly the way it was. “Thank you, Liz.”
“I know you’d do the same for me,” she replied as she turned on the lights. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Sleep.”
She nodded. “Do you want me to come by tomorrow?”
“That might be nice.”
She hugged me again and I locked the door after her. For the first time in an eternity, I was alone. In the hospital there’d been my visitors, the nurses and doctors every three hours or so. I had been aching for time to myself. Now, I had it and the solitude was overwhelming.
I walked over to the couch and sat down. Outside, it was still pouring. It was relaxing in a way, watching the rain on my windows. Still, I shut the blinds in case there was anyone else outside. Once I stretched out, I realized how exhausted I was. And the rain was so calming.
“Stay a little longer. You haven’t even been here that long.”
“My call’s at 6am, Liz.”
“And mine’s at 7. I’ve barely seen you since you started shooting.”
“Alright, I suppose one more glass wouldn’t hurt.”
I woke up with a cold sweat. It was 2:30 in the morning, and the rain had finally more or less subsided. In my dream, I got into the car, but I hadn’t been knocked unconscious right after I fell. I heard Liz screaming my name, and I felt every flip before my car finally landed upside down in an empty field.
Maybe that was it. It was all just a nightmare. I went to bathroom and again, saw my reflection in the mirror. One side a little scarred, but fine. The other stretched out, deformed, on fire.
In the hospital I’d spoken to Joe, and he assured me that the movie would finish as planned. But he hadn’t seen me yet.
No way was going to pay to see my face on a movie screen, no matter how much they’d loved me before.
-
More to come.
Points: 370
Reviews: 541
Donate