9:12am
"How was he?" The man taps his pen against the table.
"Did he act strangely during his final days?" The woman's fake nails tap against a clipboard.
"Was he mentally well?" Another man.
"Could he properly talk?" Another woman.
Pens click.
Legs shake.
Constant voices.
Constant pressure.
Leave me alone.
"I think you all should leave." Dr. Choi enters the room containing me and the annoying interviewers.
"He hasn't said a word yet!" A woman points at me, angrily.
My lifeless eyes meet Dr. Choi's.
"He is grieving. Give him some time."
The interviewers huff angrily as they gather their stuff.
"We'll be back Mr. Wang." They leave the room.
Silence welcomes my ears.
"Jackson." Dr. Choi hands me a bag of chips. I take the bag.
I stare at the bag in my hand.
"Eat something." Dr. Choi begs.
The bag drops out of my hand.
Food is tasteless.
There's no need to eat.
Dr. Choi sits on the couch beside me. He yanks my body to face him.
"You need to eat! You haven't eaten in weeks! You haven't slept in weeks!" Dr. Choi stares at me angrily.
"Would Mark want you to starve yourself?"
I shrug his hands off of me.
I'm going home. To our home.
"Jackson!" Dr. Choi grabs my arm.
"Let go!" It's the first I've spoken since Mark's funeral.
Dr. Choi doesn't give up. He pulls my arm until I fall back onto the couch in his office.
"Stop it!" He yells furiously.
"I know he's gone but, he wouldn't want you to die too! After all he's done to save you, how can you just give up on your life!"
"I-I-I..." My voice breaks as I cry.
I made a promise to Mark. I promised that I wouldn't kill myself.
"I know you're sad! You've been sad your entire life but, please Jackson." Dr. Choi's eyes water as tears form.
"I can't lose you too."
How selfish of me.
I have friends now...
People actually care about my existence...
I promised Mark...
"I'm not going anywhere." I sniffle.
"I'll make sure you don't. I'm coming by your house every day to make sure you're still alive."
"Okay." I rub my sore, tired eyes.
Dr. Choi walks me out of the hospital and I walk back to my house, alone.
I'm not going anywhere.
Not yet.
