Who Dad?!

Let Me Explain

When I woke up again, I couldn't move. I was in restraints! WTF?! It appeared to be a hospital room. I started screaming.

Eventually, a big nurse came in, calmed me down, and explained that I was found unconscious in a wash and brought to the hospital the night before. When I regained consciousness, I acted irrational, claimed to have come from outer space, and all kinds of other baloney. That's when the restraints and a sedative were administered. After that, I hadn't made a sound all night.

They didn't find any identification on me, so, once unrestrained, a phone was provided. I called Susan, let her know where I was, and to bring my wallet. Calling from a hospital was exactly the best way to confirm her concern and avoid any fury for my unexplained absence. I wondered to myself if that was why Ivy left me the way she did.

It also gave me a chance to contemplate what to tell Susan. How could I not tell her everything? But, then again, how could I?

She was more happy to see me than mad, but some explanation was needed.

"All I remember was bringing some water and supplies down to the homeless encampment. Some guys jumped me, and then it all went blank. The next thing I knew, I was here in the hospital."

"They must have drugged you. I was so worried. Your truck was in the garage, so was your bicycle. I looked everywhere. When I saw your wallet on your desk, it didn't make sense. Where could you be? I imagined terrible things. You were gone for almost two days! I thought I'd never see you again because I also found this on your desk."

She handed me a poem I only vaguely remembered writing.

Marriage

I keep a Fury tamed

or at least hypnotized to remain

in this place contained

Who knows exactly what would happen

if she were to burst free?

What would flame

behind her dancing sparks?

I get up early to tend the cage

(Shouldn't it be simpler as we age?)

Once, with spirit craving flesh

and flesh craving spirit

we were almost one

I remember the words to the music

but the dance, impossible to maintain,

threatens to separate us

as if this body, a garment,

need only be discarded

before the party started

"The discarding your body part sounded like your stupid idea of a farewell love letter. I went back and forth from worrying to being furious. It was making me crazy."

Another really great hug allowed me to not respond to whatever that poem was supposed to be about. Of course, the bigger sin of omission was eating me up. How could I keep something so incredibly huge from Susan? I felt so bad about it. But, how could I ever convince her? She'd only think that I had lost my mind.

And so, we went home and slowly resumed our old life. But my mind was elsewhere. I tried doing the math of how much had happened in such a short time. How far had we traveled?

How fast was Ivy's vessel? I never asked her about what fueled it, what allowed it to travel such great distances so quickly. And how and when did she get me out of the space suit and back into my clothes? I really wished I could have kept that space suit.

Unanswered questions swirled with alien images. My father! Now what? I was cut off from knowing anything. I felt an emptiness from whatever of my father was in me being removed. And, I wanted to talk to Ivy. I wanted her to still be here.

The only thing that felt right though was to love Susan as much as I possibly could. I was so sorry she had to go through what she did.