Brian Saves the World, Maybe

Chapter 3 - But first, coffee.

Brian gazed at the dark fluid in his cup as if looking for answers there. He studied a single, frothy bubble, clinging to the edge of the mug, and his mind began to wander. I'm like that insignificant little bubble, floating in a sea of black, he thought. His brows furrowed. If it could talk to me, I wonder what it would say?

The bubble popped.

Not much, apparently.

Brian frowned into the cup. Hope that's not a sign of things to come.

His phone chirped, jolting him out of his reverie. He checked the caller. Jessica.

Jessica was a receptionist at Talon. She had taken the job about 3 years ago, and had always been very friendly to Brian. His friends had joked with him several times that Jessica was after him, but he didn't see it. She was friendly to everyone, after all. It was part of what made her a good receptionist. Still, he thought she was nice.

Ugh. Must have heard about my headache and is checking up on me. If I don't answer, she'll probably just keep calling.

He took the call.

"Jessica, hi," he said, not sure what tone of voice he should employ to best convey that he was sick enough not to talk for long on the phone, but not sick enough to worry about too much, and certainly not sick enough to drop in on—or maybe, too sick to drop in on?

"Brian! How are you doing? I heard you left work on Thursday and I noticed you weren't in yesterday. Dale says you had a migraine and that those always take 1-3 days to recover,"—Brian was wondering when he would have a chance to answer how he was doing—

It sounds like she wants to help. Perhaps you should listen to her, TV interjected, as Jessica continued,

"—looked it up online and read that you can sometimes shorten the recovery by—"

Stay out of this, TV!

I apologize—

"—on my way over now to bring you some."

Wait, she's coming over? Brian thought.

Yes, she said she's bringing you some soup.

"Brian?"

Brian had to take a moment to let his brain catch up to the conversation.

"Uh, I'm doing okay," he found himself saying. "Thank you, you really don't have to do that," he finished.

"It's no trouble at all," she replied. "I was headed out your way anyway."

A few seconds later, the doorbell rang.

"I'm here, Brian," Jessica said, still on the phone.

Brian looked at the door, then back at his phone, unsure if he should end the call, or go to the door first. He wandered to the door in a daze, hearing Jessica both through it and his phone, as she explained she hadn't wanted to give Brian an excuse to decline her bringing him something.

Scratching his head, he opened the door.

* * *

Jessica sat on the couch, opposite Brian. "You keep your apartment nice and neat, Brian, even when you're sick. When I'm not feeling well I'd never want someone showing up at my door," she said, smiling.

I can relate to that feeling, he thought. "Thank you, Jessica. I'm feeling a little better today actually."

"That's great! You up for a movie, then?" She pulled something out of her handbag and held it up. It was The Princess Bride. "I used to watch this when I was sick. You know, like the kid in the movie. He was sick and his grandfather came to read to him. Anyway, I thought maybe we could watch it."