King of Nothing

Now

It turns out I didn't have to kill anyone to reach the front of the line. All I needed was something warm to bundle up in and a load of patience. I waited an entirety of two hours until I found myself at the front. 

I shivered unconctrollably as the woman with a permed hairdo and boring face moans, "Next..." Her voice is dry and her entire presence reminds me of the slug woman from the movie Monsters Inc. 

"Oh, yes, um, hi." I stutter as I make my way to the front. This is the first time I have done this and I do not know what to do. 

"State your name...age...gender...and if you have any partners or children." The woman croaks. She is sitting, wait no, standing in front of a tiny mahogany desk with papers neatly stacked on every square inch of the table. 

She reaches out her arm and hands me a gold crested pen. I reluctantly take it, and begin writing on the blank information form. "Name...Noah Maverick. Age...thirty-nine. Yes, I have a wife... Yes, I have one child..." I mutter it to myself softly as I fill out the sheet. Once it is finished, I slide it over to her and she nods. "Here you go!"

"Yes, I see that you're done. Now go with Dr. Atkinson and let him do a full body check up on you, just so we know you are healthy and will not be a hazard to everyone else. Who knows what you bums could catch out there." This old woman slides in her snide comment so nonchalantly, it is surprising. 

"Ouch," I say as I shuffle my feet past her and follow this doctor into a secluded room in the shelter where he has a reclinable chair and various doctor gadgets he can test my body with. 

"Please have a seat Mr. Maverick, and we can begin with your testing." Dr. Atkinson informs me. I obediently follow his orders and we begin. He has me close his eyes because the light he is using it quite bright and their budget couldn't "afford" sunglasses. Cheap asses. 

I hear a bunch of noises and lots of cool metal objects touching my body. I wish I knew what he was doing, but I don't, I have no clue about the subject. 

"Okay, you can sit up now. Let me go run some of this data through the computer." I nod, showing I heard what the doctor said. 

I wait for five minutes tapping my leg impatiently. All I want is to get into this stupid little homeless shelter. I shouldn't be calling it stupid though. It is giving me food and shelter for a night. 

"Mr. Maverick I have some information that I would like to share with you." Dr. Atkinson says with a stern voice. 

"Oh dear God, don't tell me you are denying me access because I have some disease like...like, Herpes or something! Because I know for a fact I don't, you better be letting me in. I have been waiting all freaking day. " I shout. I'm sorry but when you wait all day for this, you do not want to be denied access. 

"Oh no. No, no, no," the doctor laughs, "it's not that at all! You are being let in. I'm afraid what I have to tell you is tremendously worse." I scratch my chin as Dr. Atkinson gazes at his seat.

"Well, spit it out. What is it?" Why is he avoiding this, he shouldn't be so nervous. 

"Uh...Mr Maverick? I am terribly sorry to say that you have cancer."