Day 4 - Only Laugh - Chapter 4 (1,303 words)

©Wayne Webb and constantwriting.blogspot.com, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Wayne Webb and constantwriting.blogspot.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

ONLY LAUGH WHEN IT HURTS

By Wayne Webb

CHAPTER 4

Tony opened his eyes slowly.

Where am I?

“Tony? You're awake?”

Who is that?

The room was one he didn't recognise, clean and spacious like a hotel but with etal railings everywhere, including to his sides, he felt them on his arm as he moved.

IS this a hosptial bed?

This did not look like the hosptial.

“Where?” He could barely hear his own voice, seeping out through dry air and desert mouth.

“Water, you need some water.” The man he didn't know swam out of vision and it was then he realised that he wasn't quite seeing straight. Alone in the room now he tried sitting up but it was a bigger struggle than he anticipated and got barely halfway there, crooked elbows bearing weight they felt unable to sustain. He let himself go limp again and crashed back with a plump thud to the firm but comforting hospital bed.

What the fuck happened? How did I get here? Where is here? Who is that? What is going on? Why am I …?

Questions rattled through him as his brain caught up with his body, his consciousness filling up gradually to full awareness and his eyes adjusted and things became sharper.

There was a tube in his left forearm, clear but unambiguous in it's seriousness.

I'm on a drip?Is this pain meds?

He tried crossing his arm to the wound in his right side and it was only then he realised the truth of his situation, why he could not rise up off the bed to sit up.

He had been restrained.

Both his hands and his torso were restrained, firmly but not severely. His legs were free but he was unable to move laterally.

The confused look on his face was apparent when the man he did not know, but clearly knew him, returned. He brought with him a jug of water and a plastic cup he was filling as he walked towards the bed.

“Hey you look more awake already!” The perkiness in the statement let Tony know that it was designed to make him feel better rather than a statement of fact.

“Who are you?” Tony framed the question with an edge to his voice, the frustration of being restrained and not knowing anything was like a blanket, claustrophobic and pressing inwards from all angles.

“I'm John, sorry we haven't met officially anyway. Let me just get...” Calmly the whole time he was talking 'John' was pouring a glass of water and setting it and the jug on the table to the side of the bed. When he placed the cup there Tony saw that there were flowers and a note there, there was writing on it and a name but he could not focus in enough yet. He made a move to reach for it and again felt the hard grasp of the restraints preventing him.

The movement caught John's attention and he looked at the restraints and then back at Tony. Indecision crossed his face and he looked back over his shoulder at the door and bit his lower lip in thought. The light went on behind his eyes and he moved to remove the restraint.

“Fuck it, I am your assistant after all right?” He busied himself with removing the right side, freeing the arm and then walking to the left.

My what?

“Here this will feel better, then I'll get the doctor, and call Jane, she'll want to know you're finally awake.”

Finally? How long have I been … asleep? In a coma? Jesus have I been in a coma? I was … on stage? Wasn't I? Was that real?

Despite this surreal feeling that the world had gone awry, Tony knew inside that he had been back on stage. The applause was the one thing he knew was real. Dreams are not that loud, that hard and fast in your mind. Only reality bit that deep. That laughter left a mark on him, filled the need he knew he had, but never appreciated until it was filled completely.

That was real. But is this?

“Three and a half days.” John had freed both his hands but left the torso restraint in place.

“What?”

“Sorry, I thought you were wondering how long you have been asleep? Trying to anticipate your needs, like a good little assistant would.” John's tone was playful and slightly flirty, only adding to the sense of misplacement that Tony felt.

“Three and a half days? Jesus.” Tony shook his head.

“Don't flatter yourself, Easter was a week ago!” John laughed at his own joke, Tony smiled back through the haze of information that made no sense.

“Let me call Jane yeah?” John picked a cell phone from his pocket and tapped it twice, Jane was obviously in his address book.

“Can I get up?” he tried sitting up again but the restraint held him down, atop his chest like a school-yard bully, his efforts kittenish and useless against the superior strength and intent holding him down. He sank back down again and Tony looked back at the door once more before leaning over Tony to press the call button above the bed.

Tony got a whiff of sweat and cologne and in that sensory overload concluded that John had been here a while waiting for him to wake up. Probably not three and a half days, but at least overnight. The clothes he wore were expensive and high quality, but looked like they had been slept in.

“I've called the Doctor and he'll tell you all about it. Hi Jane? Yes honey, yes, yes. He's awake.” John nodded a couple of times and then smiled at Tony at the end. “He looks much better, you can see the colour coming back to his cheeks, the little dear. See you soon honey.”

Honey?

Tony dropped his head back and stared up at the ceiling, everything and nothing was clawing at him. The weariness of years draped over him and he felt tired and used.

My wound? I can't feel it?

He reached across his body and tried to poke at the cause of all his issues of late but like a coiled tiger John snapped and with a grip than gave steel lie to his gentle demeanour trapped his exploring hand in a vice and held it in mid journey, immobile.

“No, no, no love. That's why we had to restrain you in the first place. You need to heal.” his voice had hardened considerably and Tony was no longer sure who the real John was. The supercilious and slightly camp assistant, or the steely protector of his body and mind. The change was like flicking a schizophrenic switch, a click in the brain that change the routing and chemistry that made you who you were.

You need to heal? Do I? Really? Where's the fun in that?

John let go his hand and returned to his Jekyll persona as the Doctor and a very attractive nurse came in.

The voices droned in his head now, he stopped listening. Fingers were snapped at him and readings were taken. The nurse injected something into the drip bag, he could see it now, but it and the room was fading fast. Each blink seemed to last a little longer, feel a little heavier. The restraint flew off his chest and he felt freedom rushing in to his body, lifting it with the air.

Am I flying? What the hell was that stuff they gave me?

“Tony?” The longest blink ended and he saw Jane.

“Jane?”

Her smile was more fear than joy and it made him feel cold and long for sleep again.