There was a moment during the night before that I remembered vividly. When Dharia stuck her foot in the sand and turned on Paradigm, she looked so strong that my heart skipped a beat. Then, I pulled inward. Like a crinkled soda can, I crumpled when the pressure was too much for me. I wanted to run; Why didn't I?
She watched me with stagnant, but curious, dark eyes. Her feet slipped off of the side of the bed and dangled loosely. Her hair hung undone with its black curls and frizzy locks pouring down and around her shoulders. Big porcelain plate glasses sat at the end of her nose. She yawned.
"So you are real," she said simply. "Well, I guess we may as well introduce ourselves. For real, this time." She placed an emphasis on the "real".
I nodded. "Alright." I stuck my hand out at her. She flinched, but it went just about as quickly as I registered it. My hand wavered over the empty void between us. "My name is Monty Court, but I'm sure you knew that already."
She studied my hand and smiled. She reached out to meet me half-way, taking it and giving me a firm shake. "Dharia Rhodes, but I'm sure you knew that already," she parroted.
"Nice to meet you Dharia, officially at least. I'm glad you didn't kill me."
"Likewise, Monty. I'm glad I didn't kill you too." Both of us shared a laugh, oddly as if we were old friends.
"Well, do you drink coffee?" I asked her.
She contemplated for a moment.
"I prefer energy drinks."
It didn't take long for me to run to the hospital cafe and pick up a coffee and energy drink for the both of us. I had forgotten to ask her which brand she'd prefer, so I swiped a colorful SUPER MEGA ENERGY, which just screamed Red 40 at me. I hoped she wouldn't mind.
I came back to find nurses surrounding Dharia. They poked and prodded the poor girl with stethoscopes, thermometers, and other instruments, as they were dissecting a frog. A flashlight hovered over her head and flooded her vision. Her pupils popped open and dilated before recognizing me as I walked into the room.
"Little held up at the moment," she said through the jungle of scrubs. "Mind hanging onto it for a bit?"
"No, it's no trouble," I said. I sat down on an empty stool and waited for them to do their thing. Nurse Sharon turned to me.
"Oh, Monty. Didn't see you there kiddo. Why don't you be a dear and wait for Dharia out in the hallway?"
"Oh," I said, dejected, "alright."
"Don't worry kid," she said. "She ain't going anywhere."
I left the energy drink on a tray and stalled towards the exit.
"Wait!" Dharia shouted. I turned back to her. "I wanted to say … uh, how should I say this." She pondered a moment. "I guess--what I should say is, thank you, Monty. Thanks for helping me out."
My face lightened and a smile lifted off my cheeks. "No problem." I left as light as a feather.
I spent a little over a couple hours just hanging out in the lobby watching the TV. A middle aged guy who waited for his colonoscopy sat next to me and watched too. Mostly just the news, a sitcom here or there. He surfed the channels, saving a moment when he came across a rerun of a particularly melodramatic soap opera, one that I'm positive David devoured, before stopping on a segment hosted by The Daily Carpe Diem.
"Thank you again Dr. Cowles for that excellent insight into recent therapeutic developments. ATLAS must be glad to have YOU on board as a consultant."
"Please, you flatter me. I wouldn't be where I am today without the corporation's support."
The man waiting for his colonoscopy whispered to me, "That's a load of bull. Look at the guy. He's practically glowing."
"Now, I could be wrong about this, but I really have to ask—"
"Wait, let me guess. I can think of another reason why someone from the DCD would have me on the show, oh, well besides therapy. Pardon my interruption."
"It's no trouble Dr. Cowles. And I do believe you already know what I'm about to ask." She shuffled around a stack of paper in her hand.
"I can't promise total transparency."
"Well, let's start with what the viewers want to know most."
"And, that is?"
"Is it true that you're going to be working with the city's AAD Commision?"
Dr. Cowles whistled.
"Oh boy! That's a hard hitting question. Well, like I just said, I can't be fully transparent with the press…quite yet."
The woman conducting the interview leaned forward conspiratorially.
"Buuuuut, I can say that I have been approached for a potential position within the commission." He leaned in and whispered it into the mic, like a spy spilling his secrets. "And that's all you're dragging out after me!" He laughed heartily. The interviewer laughed with him.
"Yea," I said aloud. "He's loving it."
The guy next to me nodded. A slight jingle alerted me to the elevators. Out walked a familiar face.
"Dr. Crowe," I said.
"Monty, my boy," he said. "I hope you're doing okay?"
I nodded.
"Feeling way better."
"Thats good. Good news. Well, I've got some good news of my own to offer."
"Good news?"
"That's right. Sharon and I have figured you stayed here long enough. It's about time we send you home."
"Oh," I said. The excitement began to drain from me.
"Why the long face? Didn't you just sneak out a couple days ago? I thought you'd be happy."
"It's not like that. I am happy, and grateful. It's just…" How could I explain it?
"That's alright, Monty."
"Thank you Dr. Crowe," I said. "Thank you for everything." His warm smile returned.
"Of course, I've requested that you come in every once and a while so I can monitor your heart. But, yes, you should be fine to go home." He looked up to watch something behind me. I turned to see what he was looking at. Dharia entered the lobby, spotted me, and smiled.
"Monty!" Dharia rushed over to meet me and Dr. Crowe. "Um, hello," Dharia said.
"Ms. Rhodes. I'm glad to see you awake," Dr. Crowe said. His eyes lit up when he saw her. "I had heard the news. I'm Dr. Crowe. I've been helping Monty with his stay here. How do you feel?"
"How do I feel?" she parroted. "I feel great." She winked at me. I returned the gesture.
"Wonderful," Dr. Crowe said. "Well, be careful. You haven't walked in a few days. I'd advise that the both of you continue to get rest. However, we'll have to keep you in bed for a little while longer, Ms. Rhodes."
"And Monty?"
Dr. Crowe looked at me. "Today, he's been discharged."
"Oh," she said. Her face fell.
"I'm sorry Ms. Rhodes. I did not realize that the two of you knew each other. Though, since you seem to be in good spirits, I can assure you that his visits will remain liberal."
"So, can he visit?"
"Yes. He can visit whenever you want."
Her face lit up again. She turned to me and her eyes were so dark and full of fire that I blushed. I didn't know if she noticed.
"Hear that? You better come back tomorrow. We have to talk … about things."
"Things?" Dr. Crowe said.
"Oh, sure," I agreed. "But before I go, I wanted to ask something."
She looked at me puzzled.
"Mind if I bring a friend?"
"Sure," she said. She raised her eyebrow. "Only if you trust her."
I nodded. "With my life."
"Seems a little melodramatic," Dr. Crowe said. "But, sure, bring a friend too."
I looked back up at Dr. Crowe. "Thanks."
"Anytime, kid."
The scuffle of feet on tile drew our attention back to the lobby entrance. Out of the corner, Nurse Sharon came rushing in. Her badge was a mess and she huffed with her chest. "Young lady," she said to Dharia.
"Whoops," Dharia said. "Tomorrow. You hear me? We need a plan." She pointed at me. Before Nurse Sharon could object, Dharia jogged through her arms back down towards her room.
"A plan?"
Casey was kind enough to pick me up from the hospital and bring me home. She told me David was still hung up at work, so she could bring me home. She wore a nice blazer and blue jeans. She had tied her hair up in a ponytail today. She came up to the apartment with me. After making sure I was settled in, she left to go back to work.
When I was sure she was gone. I slipped out into the hallway and made my way down to Cindi's apartment. Apartment 403b. That's what she told me the night of the lightshow. I knew that I had to tell her what happened with Dharia. The mysterious "Paradigm" or whatever he called himself. No one else would believe me. Not Dr. Crowe, not Casey, not even David. It sounded so crazy, but Dharia recognized me when she woke up. So, it had to have been real…right?
The black box. It was there. I had it on me in the dream. I remembered that vividly.
When I got back, just before I left I tossed out everything in my backpack, checking if I had stored it away before I collapsed at the pier. I didn't find anything. All that fell out were wads of gum and used erasers.
"403b, 403b, 403b…there it is."
I knocked and waited patiently. A few minutes passed by. Maybe she wasn't home?
Then, footsteps.
"Hello?" said a familiar voice from the other side of the door.
"Cindi! It's me, Monty."
"Monty!?"
The inside lock rattled fervently. She unlocked the door and swung it open. She stood in the doorway, across from me, in pink pajamas.
She reached out, grabbed my wrist, looked up and down the hall, and then jerked me inside.
"Jeez Cindi. I'm not feeling great," I said and rubbed my wrist.
"Dude! You were in a coma."
"Uh, yea?"
"Why did you say it like it's a question?"
"Well--"
"Ah who cares. I'm glad to see you slacker."
"Slacker?"
"Come on." She grabbed my wrist again and pulled me deeper into her apartment. It was small, but tidy and neat. We passed a tea kettle taken off the stove and two used mugs. She flew through the living room, where a TV was playing reruns of last year's Major League games. I caught a glimpse of an empty lazy chair with hundreds of crocheted blankets on it.
"Here," she said. Her room, much like the rest of her apartment, was tidy and neat. Organizational boxes and bags littered the walls. Nervously, I stepped around, as if me just being in here was enough to dirty it.
"Nana just left. She'll be back in a little while."
"This is your room?"
"Of course it is."
I blushed. She rolled her eyes so fast that they almost flew out their sockets.
"Oh get over it. Tell me what happened."
"Honestly, I don't remember much about how I fell into that coma."
"Same. It was all so fuzzy. Like a dream. I woke up as you were getting hauled away to the hospital in an ambulance." She told me what happened when things died down; How she visited me in the hospital. She also told me that she tried to track down Lynn, aka. Tall Dude, by using the apartment directory but when she went to knock on his front door, no one came to see her. Not even his family.
"It was weird," she said. "I knocked on his door like a million times."
"Did you try to call the building manager?"
"Yea, and guess what? No one answered the number he gave me."
"That's weird."
She scoffed. "Ugh, yea. It's very weird."
"No, like. It's weird that neither of you guys were affected like I was."
She shrugged.
"Cindi. I have to tell you something. I think something happened that night. Something wrong. And…"
"It's connected to the AADs, isn't it?"
"That's what I was thinking, yea."
The room became quiet, and for the first time since I've met her, I didn't know what to say next.