It's Hard To Be Holy

EP. 53: Chapter VI

Coarse and Offensive Language. Reader Discretion Advised.

A hospital environment is not one that usually benefits hopeful jitters. Edward Towne never said as much, but Bud was sure he was glad to have the company. He certainly blathered on as if he was glad, talking non-stop from the moment they left Curly's, all the way to the hospital downtown. So animated was he that Bud did have to wonder if this was a new stage of grief that had yet to be categorized, or if he had latched his denial and guilt over his aunt's sickness to something so elusive as a woman that—

'I wanna fall in love,' he'd said on the roof. 'Not like in the movies. Like for real—'

He was drunk.

'Like I wanna meet the most beautiful woman in the world and fuckin' marry her—'

He didn't mean it like that—

He was honest, Bud! Edward Towne will always take care of himself—

Why shouldn't he?

Why don't you?!

I do! No, you're wrong. This will put an end to...whatever this is. He hasn't even met her. He doesn't know her name. This will blow up in his face—

Edward Towne always gets what Edward Towne wants. He doesn't work for it like you and me, Bud. It just comes naturally.

He wants me—

He's done with you. You should have kept a closer eye on him—

What was I supposed to do?! Sit on him?! Be honest?!

Leave him before he leaves you!

He wouldn't! He needs me! You'll see...This will blow up in his face, and we'll laugh about it! Dalliances are not rejections. I won't be rejected!

And so sure was Bud of this, so sure was he of Edward Towne's dependency on their friendship—something akin to what Bud himself had in Alan—that he did not engage the Creature for the rest of the journey and noticed nothing amiss as they entered the hospital.

'Look,' said Ed, stopping outside of his aunt's door. The color in his face had paled even more than was natural. 'I need...um...I just need a moment to prepare.'

'Okay, where you wanna go?'

'No, look...You go in there, and I'm gonna find a bathroom.'

Bud frowned at the door. 'You want me to go in there alone?'

'Yeah, it's fine.'

'But your aunt and uncle are in there...'

'So?'

'They hate me.'

'No, they don't! They...no, they don't! Look. It'll be fine. I just need five minutes!'

'I can wait until you—'

'No, no, I won't be long—I need to...I think I'm gonna be sick, okay?'

Don't let him out of your sight, Bus!

What do you want me to do?! Follow him into a stall?!

Don't—

'Fine,' conceded Bud. 'But five minutes, okay?'

'You're the best,' said Ed, shuttling his friend into the room with a push, before ducking out of view lest his relations spot him.

It didn't take long for Bud to start to suspect some form of duplicity on Edward Towne's part, and shorter still for the Creature Alan's fury to rage; and as expected, Eugene and Claire Towne were not overjoyed to see their nephew's friend.