Roommates

Forever Susan

"How could you?" Jonathan sobbed, his words echoing up from inside the toilet bowl. He'd puked up his perfectly good Lobster Bisque dinner.

"How can you say that? The solution is perfect. I wanted Susan. And I wanted you. Susan wouldn't let me have both. Thanks to science now I have you both."

"But you made me out of pieces of your God Damn ex-girlfriend!"

"Would it help if I told you she had a terminal brain disease?"

"She did?" Jonathan said, brightening up a little and lifting his head out of the gloom and doom of the Great White Telephone.

"No. But I'll tell you that if you like."

"You'd lie to me?"

"No. After all it's not a lie if you already know I'm lying.

"You and your stupid logic and honesty. Just answer my question."

"Go ahead," Edmond grinned, folding his arms on his chest. He didn't even pretend he wasn't having a good time.

"Did you make me from parts of Susan?"

"Yes. I gave you her best parts. And took from you–Jonathan–your worst parts."

"Took from me..."

"Yes. You never really wanted to hear it but all your changes–they're obviously irreversible."

"But you promised! You said if I didn't like them, you'd undo them."

"Silly, Rabbit! You know you've always thought like a woman. What I said was, 'If we didn't like the changes we'd undo them.' I—myself am very happy with my Frankenstein's bride."

"I'm stuck!" Jonathan squeaked.

"Most definitely. All those nasty boy things are now part of the past. Actually, if you're really interested, I've preserved them."

When Jonathan was done dry heaving, he asked the big one.

"Did you... Did you...."

"Kill Susan?"

Jonathan couldn't even say it. He just nodded his head.

"No. I mean, some of her lives on in you."

"Shut up!" Jonathan screamed. "Answer my fucking question! Did you kill Susan?"

"You're sure you want to ask that? Remember, you should never ask a question you don't want answered."

"I'm... sure," Jonathan stammered, not really very sure at all.

"I killed her, all right. Slowly too."

"Barrrrph," Jonathan said, dry heaving yet again.

When there was a break Edmond said, "You're not going to let this come between us are you, Susan?"

Then Jonathan did something he'd never done since this whole thing began. He thought very carefully before he answered. "I'll have to think about it."

"Think?"

"I mean–no–of course not. I love you. And you love me. You do love me, don't you?"

"More than life itself. I don't know what I'd have to do if I thought I was going to lose you again, Susan."

"Well, you needn't worry about that, Darling. Because it's simply not going to happen."

"That's my Kitten. Now clean yourself up. It is our wedding night after all, remember?"

"Right."