Unusual Beings

Five • The Aftermath

"I'm sorry but I cannot serve you any more drinks tonight." The bartender sternly told me.

"But w-why? I'm paying.. I'm a paying customer? See?" I handed him a $10 bill.

"You've had enough. I can call you a cab home." He offered as I frowned.

"This IS my home." I giggled.

"Alright well.. I'm still not serving you any more." He said.

"You mister sir are no fun at all, do you- do you know that?" I glared before trying to get up from the barstool I sat on.

A wave of nausea and dizziness hit me as I stumbled onto my feet.

I felt as if I were going to tip over, so I clutched onto the table in front of me.

I closed my eyes, trying to focus but I couldn't.

"Are you alright?" The bartender asked with concern in his voice.

I felt my hand loosen from the table and my legs buckle from underneath me.

"Woah hey!" The man rushed over to me lifting my head from off of the floor.

"Can someone call a paramedic!?" He shouted out to other nearby customers.

-

I woke up in a hospital bed,  feeling like complete shit.

Then I looked down to see my arms hooked up to machines.

I panicked instantly trying to remove the needles from my veins.

"Hey, hey, no don't. It's alright just take it easy." A nurse said to me as she gently pushed me back down onto the bed.

I opened my mouth to speak but my throat felt too sore.

"Shh, don't speak. You need to rest. I need to ask you a few questions. All you have to do is nod your head yes or no." She instructed.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" She asked, I shook my head no.

"You had a seizure before paramedics got to you. There was a deadly amount of alcohol in your system so we had to perform a gastric lavage." She informed, I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"Meaning we had to pump your stomach." She explained. "Do you have any family we could call?"

I shook my head no as a tear rolled down my cheek. None at all.

-

Once I got out of the hospital, I went back to the apartment my friends and I once shared.

As I approached the door, I noticed something stuck to it.

"No, no, no.. fuck!" I cursed as I ripped it off.

An eviction notice.

I quickly ran down the stairs and went directly to the head office.

"Please just give me some time, I can get the rent for you." I pleaded to my landlord Clarence.

"I'm sorry but your rent was due two weeks ago." He stated.

"I know but it's just me now, the rent is so high for just one person working a part-time job." I explained.

"I know Rocco. I feel for you, I really do but in two more weeks I'm going to need next months rent as well and I know you won't have that on time for me either. Maybe it's time you looked for a cheaper place."

-

"Rocco you've been missing too much work. I've got plenty of people interested in your job who would actually show up to do it." My boss said to me as I ran my fingers through my hair.

"I'm so sorry! I just got evicted and only have a few days to move out and find somewhere else to live." I tried to explain.

"That's a personal problem that you have to deal with. Whatever's going on in your personal life shouldn't be affecting your work. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to let you go."

"No, please you don't understand. I'm going to find a cheaper place! I need this job or I'm going to be homeless, I swear I'll show up!" I begged but my boss wasn't having it.

"My decision is final. You'll receive your final paycheque by the end of the week."

I quickly sped out of his office with tears streaming down my face.

My entire life had fallen apart, again.