In the Absence of a Good Life

(12) Does Jimmy Dream of Mechanical Sheep?

The Screw Up (A.K.A The Boy - Jimmy)

I heard strange and foreign noises all around me. I managed to distinguish some of them as voices, though the others were baffling.

I tried to raise my hand to my head. I wanted to cover my closed eyes to drown out the pulses of light that penetrated through my eyelids. They were making my already painful headache excruciating. I was able to lift my hand despite it feeling as though it were weighed down by a large crate of osmium.

(I actually listened in chemistry once, the only thing that sank in through my dense skull was the name of one of the densest elements in the periodic table - osmium. It's ironic really, I thought my skull was the densest. Maybe it's made of osmium instead of calcium and whatever other shit that skulls are made from.)

I abandoned the effort to lift my hand when I felt a force push down on it. I then winced as a loud, booming sound erupted from somewhere above me. I decided that it might be around this time that I should open my eyes. Though again, the effort nearly pushed me back into the inky and unsettling blackness of unconsciousness. Being the stupid dastard and lackadaisical wimp I am, I gave up. I felt my head roll from side to side lethargically. I allowed myself to drown in the arms of the awaiting dark.

I woke up a while later, though how long I had been out for, I had no idea. It could have been hours, but then again, it could have merely been seconds. Though I'm not suicidal, I honestly wished that I had died in the time I'd been 'under'. It would have been painless rather than how I'd supposed my death would be. I'd thought it out quite well;

I'd live to be around thirty-ish and I'd die in agony over the course of a few weeks after a pointless existance. I'd be found on my bed, preferably naked with some random chick, having choked on my own vomit after an overdose of some possibly illegal drug. Or maybe I'd wind up in hospital after contracting an irreversible bout of liver failure. Not a nice way to go, but it was the most likely. Either that, or I'd get shot after winding someone up too much...

I managed to successfully open my eyes and succeeded in bringing my hand up to rub my head. I still had an overwhelming headache. I felt a scratch on the back of my hand and realised I'd been hooked up to one of those needley things in hospitals. With sudden realisation, it dawned on me where I was. I was in hospital! Points to me, I think.

I tried pathetically to sit up, but was stopped by the throbbing, searing pain in my head. This was not fun. A man was stood by my bed. He was wearing a long white coat that made him look like Dumbledore. He had the beard to match. Though I must admit, in my state of stupor, I honestly thought it was the same length, in reality, it probably wasn't.

I tried to ask him what he was doing, though my speech slurred as I spoke.

'Relax, sonny. You're probably feeling a little disorientated, it will take a while for the effects to wear off.'

He probably noticed my look of confusion. After shining a blinding light in my eyes, he continued as I shook my head and blinked a few times.

'You've been out for quite a while, we've given you quite a high dose of morphine to keep you sleeping. You're a lucky chap, son. Any longer and the risk of brain damage would have been almost certain, though of course it would only have been temporary. There's nothing to worry about. You're very fortunate that your friend came by and found you when he did.'

The man, presumably a doctor, walked away shortly after the conversation. I again, attempted to sit up. This time I was more successful than the other times I had tried. I slowly put pressure on my hands and edged myself into a sitting position. It was only after I'd endured the pain that I realised I was in one of those magical remote-controlled hospital beds.

I looked around after the lights swimming in front of my eyes faded.

I saw the familiar gorilla-built man slouching in a chair not too far away from me. His head was thrown back over the chair so he faced the ceiling. I assumed he was sleeping. Being the amazing and caring friend that I am, I decided to wake him up.

I got his attention after yelling his name a few times, much to the dislike of the employees and other patients in the room with me.

Terrance groaned and stretched out his limbs before he looked me square in the eyes. Silence ensued as we both stared at each other without saying a word. The discordant breathing of the machines around me seemed to cease, and the mechanical songs of the birds outside, stopped. Even the clicking of the nurse's heels on the floor seem to silence themselves, not wanting to break the deafening roar of the lack of sound.

Terrance had saved my life. After walking out on me, the man had saved my life. I didn't know what to think. Did he hate me? I guess I could understand if he did.

The silence between us stretched on as we glared at one another, neither of us wanted to break the tense atmosphere first.

Terrance's eyes gave no hints away as to what he was feeling. He was a cold and unfeeling stone as far as the rest of the world was concerned.

Suddenly, the silence broke.

I was engulfed in the strangling hold of my best friend. I heard him laugh from somewhere above my shoulder; 'Jimmy, you damn noob, you scared me shitless!'

'Ahh, sorry man...' I managed to say despite my lungs being crushed inside my body.

As suddenly as the hug had come, Terrance let go. He returned to his gloomy and threatening self and scolded me.

'Don't do it again you little shithead.' Man, he sounded pissed, and to prove the point, he stormed out and slammed the door after him.

So...are we friends or not? I'm confused...

....................................................................................................................................................................

Ah, poor Jimmy, again... :D

Sorry, the chapter doesn't end on a cliffhanger and it's not nicely rounded off... but hey, Jimmy's got concussion! Give him a break! :D

Hope you liked it

ifindedcake :)