Stories From VO1.2

Gina

Gina hadn't even wanted to come to the hospital in the first place. It was her stupid roommate's stupid idea. She locked Gina out of their apartment and refused to let her back in until she went to a medical professional and came back with either a band-aid on her arm or a signed slip stating a clean bill of health.

Gina wanted to be out on the town with her friends. It was Saturday night. Happy hour kicked off at Kirky's at nine sharp and she was going to miss the whole thing. Gina could be sipping on cocktails and vodka mixers, dancing with strangers, and talking smack about Phil to Cora. They were going through a rough patch right now but a few drinks and some girl talk would smooth the patch over Gina's attitude. She loved Phil. She just needed someone, Cora, to vent to.

But no, she just had to stop home on her way to the club to change into a pair of heels and grab a different tube of lipstick. The stuff she had on couldn't cut it. Her roommate, that germaphobe, had been on her way out on Gina's way in and Gina just had to cough right in her face prompting that clean freak to kick her ass to the curb.

Of course, Gina could have just left for Cora's and changed up at her place. Cora's roommate wasn't a complete maniac about a little cough. Gina didn't have any obligation to listen to Mariel. But Gina had been putting off popping into the doctor. Her cough, just a cough, had started Tuesday morning and those over-the-counter throat sprays hadn't done their usual job.

Now here she was in some hospital with some doctor with some dumb wooden stick stuck in her mouth and light shining in her face.

"Probably just a bad case of Pharyngitis," the doctor concluded. The flashlight clicked off and the stick was disposed of. "Have you experienced a runny nose? Any difficulty swallowing?"

"No. I haven't had much of an appetitie but when I eat I'm fine."

The doc smiled as he wheeled away from her. He had two rows of perfect teeth – even, white, and sparkling. Gina's health insurance couldn't afford her anything that nice. She was covered for two free cleanings a year and half of her fillings. Things like braces or whitening procedures were completely out of the question.

"That's good. Just the irritation and swelling then. One shot to the arm and you're free to go. Healthy as a horse."

"Pardon?"

"Ah," he adjusted his glasses and began to type on his desktop. "Ancient analogy I'm afraid."

"Oh."

Gina tried to think of a horse and couldn't.

"Majestic creatures," the doc continued, unasked. "I've never seen one myself. Their numbers are dwindling. VO1 victims used to feast on stray animals and horses really took a hit."

Gina grimaced a smile. She didn't really care about horses. She especially didn't care about small talk. The only thing she cared about was getting out of this damn hospital, hopping in a bubble filled tub, and nursing a cup of something strong – maybe whiskey. She abandoned any thought of partying tonight. It just wasn't happening. But that didn't mean she couldn't salvage something of tonight.

A fit of coughs punched her in the chest and Gina doubled over.

"I'll go ahead and get that shot for you. We're short on nurses tonight, they're all down at the old folks home."

He stopped short when he realized Gina was still hacking. She attempted to clear her throat and waved him on.

"Any objections to me administering the shot? I'm a little out of practice."

He was lazy, that's what he was, Gina noted as he wheeled as close to the door as he possibly could. She watched as he painstakingly rose from the chair with one hand on the door frame for support. He paused upon standing like he was catching his breath.

"You're the doc,' Gina declared.

Which he was. Once he didn't stab her in the neck or cause any bleeding a needle was a needle. Giving them should be like riding a bike right? You never really forget.

"Right there. I'll be back. Help yourself to the TV if you want."

Gina briefly considered the offer but wasn't interested in putting in the effort. Doc was going to get one needle on a dead night. She wasn't going to stick around afterwards. She'd probably catch five minutes of the news or a show and then have to leave in the middle of it.

Instead Gina began to plot the trip back home, thinking about the nearest place to purchase her needed supplies. Probably a mini mart. She could get her alcohol and a nice foaming bubble bath.

She was actually beginning to look forward to shoving her bandaged arm in Mariel's face and pushing her way back into their apartment.

Gina started coughing again and this time she didn't stop until she brought up blood.

***

It was ages before the doc returned and Gina wanted to die. She had been coughing persistently the entire time.

Thinking he wouldn't mind when the other option was to get blood all over his chair and floorShe had stolen some tissues from the doc's desk .

All the coughing and hacking had jiggled her brain loose from its socket and she was leaning back in the chair with the lights off and her eyes closed when the door opened. The absence of light helped tremendously with the pounding in her head. Maybe she wasn't going to be drinking at all tonight, it just wasn't in her stars.

"Hey, doc, am I supposed to feel this bad?"

Her eyes were still closed so she missed when the doctor pulled up the gun and took aim at her but she sure as hell didn't miss the signature click from when he pulled back the hammer. Phil was giving her lessons now that she had a conceal and carry license and she hated the sound so much. She could never shoot someone, she was sure of it.

"Doc?" she swung round in the chair and stared up at him. He was standing in the doorway, blocking the exit, pointing a gun - an actual gun - directly at her face. "What the hell! What are you doing!"

He said he was going to get her a shot. Like a shot of medicine. For the swelling in her throat. For the Farignitis. A needle. He said he was going to give her a needle and now here he was with a gun pointed at her.

Was this the shot he meant? Was he actually planning to shoot her from the beginning? Had he lost his mind and she walked in at the absolute worst time? She was supposed to be out tonight dancing with Cora and planning to make up with Phil again tomorrow and now she was being held at gunpoint by a man whose ass probably left his chair less than she'd traveled out of the country.  She had more of the cough spray at home. She could have kept using that because she'd admit she wasn't using it as directed but nobody ever did that and now it was going to get her killed. She didn't want this, she wanted to be out dancing. She wanted her bubble bath and wine and Phil. She wanted Phil. 

Her eyes watered but Gina never got the chance to cry.

"I'm sorry."

Then came the pain.

It began at her temple and exploded towards the rest of her face. The whiplash sent her face to the left and her body to the floor. She couldn't follow medicine directions and her roommate was a germaphobe and Gina was dead without another thought which sucked because she hadn't even wanted to come to the doctor in the first place.