Stitches of Life

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Chapter Ten: Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

"All hail the champ!" A larger man yelled as I saw George and Cristina walking into the bar from my seat next to Meredith at the counter, the dirty blonde having been slamming back shots since the moment she walked in. She had gone through ten shots while I was still sipping at my first beer, having no desire to get drunk. "So my guy Alex finally got what was comin' to him?"

"George knocked him down in one punch." Cristina told the guy as she and George made their way over to Meredith and I. "You shoulda seen it."

"I don't want to talk about it." George sent the both of them looks.

"Brag, champ, brag. You've earned it." The man told him before walking away.

"Can I have a beer?" George asked the bartender.

"Let's play a game of whose life sucks the most." Meredith told all of us. "I'll win. I always win."

"Well, you don't wanna play with me." Cristina shook her head as she was handed a water and George was handed a beer.

"Oh, I do." Meredith insisted. "I'll even go first. Derek's married."

"George, beer is dripping from your nostrils." Cristina told him after he'd spit out his beer at Meredith's news. 

"Told you I'd win." Meredith said as George got up to go and clean himself up.

"No, you don't win." Cristina shook her head. 

"Did you hear me?" Meredith asked her. "I said Derek is married. As in pigheaded, adulterous, liar married. Nothing you could say could top that."

"I'm pregnant. I win." Cristina looked up at Meredith and I. Before either of us could say anything there was a crash behind us and we turned to see the larger man from before on the ground. "Okay, maybe Joe wins."

"Ya think." I muttered as we all hurried over to the man, Joe, as did everyone else. Meredith, Cristina, and I all pushed our way to the front, kneeling over him to get a good look. After a minute we stirred, trying to get up off the floor.

"Joe, lie down. The medics are on the way." Cristina told him.

"You called the gurney patrol?" Joe frowned as he sat upright. 

"Sit back and relax." Meredith said. "We have to take you to the hospital to run some tests."

"Tests? No. I don't need any tests." Joe argued as Cristina and I tried to look at his head and neck for any obvious signs of injury. "I'm fine."

"Dude, you collapsed on the floor." Cristina reminded him. "This is your bar. You know how filthy this floor is."

"Radial pulse is strong." I said, taking Joe's pulse from his wrist.

"Minor skull contusion." Cristina pointed out. 

"You're sleeping with someone?" Meredith asked Cristina, still stuck on the fact that she was pregnant.

"What?" George asked, lost. "Who?"

"Why is that such a shock? Even George managed to get some action." Cristina shook her head.

"Correction. George got some syphilis." George corrected her.

"How could I not know you were sleeping with someone?" Meredith frowned.

"Forget this." Joe said as he got to his feet, not letting any of us help him. "The hospital is right across the street. I can sure as hell walk across the street by myself."