The Best Medicine

Open scene in hospital room, beeping of vitals in the background. FATHER is lying in the hospital bed with SON sleeping in a chair next to him. A young NURSE enters with her cart.

NURSE

Alright, sit up. We need that white blood cell count to be high today, Mr. Morris. You need your strength. The doctor wants to try something new and if your count isn’t high enough, we have to stop treatment.

FATHER

Here’s to hopin’ right?

NURSE

You keep that hope up and you’ll be just fine.

FATHER

Thanks Linda.

SON wakes up hears the conversation.

SON

Yes, but hope only goes so far. Nurse, can you please explain the severity of the blood cell count. Exactly how many did he have previously and exactly how many does he need? And what exactly is this new procedure that the doctor will be following? What are you injecting into his main line? Can I see that chart?

FATHER

Please excuse my son, he’s a med student and thinks he knows everything. Will ya stop with that fancy talk? These people are saving my life, son.

SON

And apparently not doing a good job of it. I got here just in time. Look at this chart! I need to speak with his attending physician. How old are you anyway, Nurse?

NURSE

I will go see if the doctor is available after rounds.

SON

Now would be better, actually.

NURSE forces a smile and then exits.

FATHER

Now you’ve pissed off my favorite nurse. Where do you get off? These people are my friends.

SON

Friends? Dad, they are your doctors. They have plenty of other patients. They only care about you when it’s time to pay your bill. I know these things. I’m a doctor.

FATHER

I like to think they care because I have no one else that does. All my friends can’t make the trip to come see me and the only family I have don’t call me back when I tell ‘em I’m dyin. Where the hell have you been?

SON

I’ve been busy. It was a hard semester, you know. It doesn’t help thinking about you like this.

FATHER

I didn’t mean to inconvenience ya, son. Ya know, you’re sure as hell gonna be sorry when I go dyin’ on ya and you were too busy worryin’ about your damn patients.

SON

You just don’t get it. I’ve done anything and everything to make you proud of me, any normal father would be delighted to have a son like me. You are just set out to be disappointed in me.

FATHER

Now you know that’s not true.

SON

Name one thing you’ve congratulated me on.

Silence.

FATHER

Well I’m not that good at expressin’ how I feel but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t proud of what you’ve accomplished.

SON

Hmph.

FATHER

What does that mean?

SON

Nothing.

FATHER

Come on now, you can’t hold back those things anymore. I’m dying. You don’t have much time to get it off your chest. Out with it.

SON

I’ve spent my entire life trying to impress you and I’ve never gotten anything more than a, “You look like a girl in that dress.”

FATHER

Well why the hell did you have to wear a dress anyway.

SON

It was a gown.

FATHER

What’s the difference?

SON

ALL GRADUATES WEAR CAPS AND GOWNS. It’s a tradition!

FATHER

Well how the hell else am I supposed to know that. I never graduated high school.

SON

Yeah, I know.

FATHER

You act like you are so above me. You forget where you came from. Do you know how upset your mother would be if she saw you like this? We raised you to care for your family, to do things for your family.

SON

I joined med school FOR YOU. FOR mom. After she died, I made a promise that I would contribute to a cure for cancer. I’m doing this all on my own. No help from you. Do you realize how many scholarships I have received? You haven’t had to pay one penny. Do you realize all the things I have done to please you? To please Mom?

FATHER

I could give a shit about your fancy schoolin’. I want to look at you and be proud of the man you’ve become. I don’t even know who my son is anymore, you’re not a man.

SON

I am a man!

FATHER

You’re a doctor with a bad bedside manner.

SON

Well, what could I have done differently to please you Father? Please tell me.

FATHER

Don’t put so much effort into something that isn’t gonna happen in this lifetime. You might cure cancer, but it will be too late for me and too late for your mother. Your mom died and you ran away. You shoved your nose in your books and you left me. Why can’t you see how short this life is? Meet someone, start a family…

SON

That’s what this is about? You never got your grandkids. I shoulda known…

FATHER

Dammit. No. Have something to live for. I got cancer because I had nothing left.

SON

You’re blaming me for your cancer? That’s just great. You know that’s impossible. There is no proven cause for cancer. Attitudes don’t affect health anyway.

FATHER

All I’m saying is that I’m goin’ a lot faster than your mom did. I’m tryin to keep my hopes up, but why? What’s the point in livin’ when ya got nothin’ to live for? I didn’t raise my only son to abandon his family. You stick by them and remind them of what good they have in their life. That’s the best medicine.

Silence.

FATHER

Great. Whatcha cryin’ for? Do you see me crying? Shove in that bottom lip and make an attempt at being a man.

SON

You’re right, Dad. I haven’t been there. It is my fault. I’m so sorry.

FATHER

No no, no need for sorrys. Too late for that. Shit happens. It’s just life. Every second is a chance to turn it around.

SON

But I’m not ready for this, I don’t know what the hell to do.

FATHER

No one is ever ready for life, You just gotta take it as it comes.

SON

You did this with Mom. I just stood by and…

FATHER

Cried. I know. But now is your chance. Show me whatcha got. I gotta do this whether with or with out you. Now what’s it gonna be?

SON

I’m with you Dad.

DAD

Alright well quit your crying. I can’t have some wuss at my bed side every minute boo hooin’.

SON tucks in his bottom lip and wipes his eyes.

SON

Alright. I’m done.

NURSE enters

NURSE

I apologize, sir. Your father’s attending physician has taken the day off. He will not be available until tomorrow.

SON straightens his coat and smoothes his hair.

SON

No worries. We have plenty of time. I apologize for my behavior earlier. I’m just not a morning person. I hope we can start over.

NURSE

It’s quite alright, you aren’t the first concerned family member I have dealt with.

NURSE and SON exchange smiles. DAD catches on and starts grinning.

DAD

Linda, I would like to introduce you to my son, Larry Jr.

NURSE

Oh, pleased to meet you. Your son is quite handsome, Mr. Morris, he must take after you.

DAD

Yes, he is quite a man.

Do you think you could take my blood again? I have a feeling my count will be a bit higher this time.

NURSE

Umm ok? But, what was wrong the first time?

SON grabs DAD’s hand

SON

He wasn’t ready.

____________________________________________________

Fashionably Late and Awkward

Sandra’s boss was making it mandatory to attend some silly fundraiser. She knew it was nothing important and she wouldn’t know a single person other than her boss. But at least she could donate to underprivileged kids in Latin America.

For some reason, she felt butterflies in her stomach. She had a sudden rush of nervousness about this night. She took the extra time to get ready and decided on being fashionably late rather than punctually present. She went with the Donna Karen perfume, rather than her normal free samples. She went with the high heels rather than her flats.

She had an unusual piece of mind- a definite serenity in which the origin could not be placed. As she walked up to the front door, she wished she had better things to do on a Friday night.

Everyone turned their heads as she walked in the front door. There she stood, fashionably late and awkward. What was she thinking? Her boss was walking towards her. Here comes my fake smile, she thought. This was of course accompanying the perfected imitation of someone who actually gives a shit.

“Donald!! Hi! I’m so glad you found me!”
“Oh, San. So glad you could make it!” She hated when people called her San. She gave him a wink.

She traveled around the social circles and was introduced to everyone worth knowing. As she dazed off while pretending to be stimulated in a conversation, she locked eyes with the man in the corner. He was the only one who seemed just as out of place as she was. Awkwardly handsome and his eyes were almost hypnotizing; she became lost in them. Then she realized- he was walking towards her.

-------------------

Bert sat in the corner of the fundraiser, trying to remember how he heard of this event. He knew it was an email but he couldn’t put a name to it. In fact, he couldn’t even put a name to any face in the room. This took place of his ordinary Friday night. There was finally something else to do instead of watching his weekly television shows. Could his life be any more boring? God, he couldn’t wait to move. Even if it was an hour from where he lived, at least it was a change.

This party sucked. What was it benefiting? As he became lost in thought about nothing in particular- she arrived. Who she was, he didn’t know. He bounced back into reality as butterflies bounced around in his stomach. There was a serene presence about her that set him at ease. He knew at that moment,
“I love this girl.”

Bert sat in the corner and watched as she worked the room like it was her job, walking from person to person, interacting in one stimulating conversation after the other. He saw their eyes- everyone was watching her. It wasn’t just him- everyone loved her. How could he fall for a girl that was so far out of his league? He felt frozen in his loneliness.

They made contact and smiled. Game over.
All of his blood rushed into his cheeks and his adrenaline rushed all over his body. And without his acknowledgment, he started walking towards her.

“Hi, my name is Robert and I think you’re beautiful.”
The sweetest words she ever heard. She replied, “What?”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of anything else to say.”
“Well, thank you. My name is Cassandra and I think you’re very forward.” No she didn’t. Why did she say that?
“N-no, no... I just speak the truth. I also think you’re wearing too much perfume.”
She laughed hysterically- the sweetest sound he’s ever heard.
“A swing and a miss…” she sang. “I’ll see you later, Carl.”
He hunched over with the weight of defeat on his shoulders. Strike three, he thought.

----------------------

She walked through the aisles of Central Market; she always got so lost in this place. Around the corner she entered to the paradise of wines. As she carefully selected the favorite of the week, she felt a sudden rush of nervousness. She successfully crossed everything off of her list and checked out at the front. On the way to her red sports car, she couldn’t shake the feeling. Was someone watching her? Maybe someone was surprising her- she was never surprised. She dropped a box of Kleenex and bent down to pick it up.

She drove home and parked in her normal place, the only vacant spot in her lot. In order to minimize trips to the car, she carried all of her bags at once- acting as the Incredible Hulk. She quickly walked to the front door with her keys ready. She was in- she dropped the bags and bent down to pick them up. The door shut behind her.

-----------------

With dusk in the sky, the man sat in his car and observed as she walked out of Central Market. She had an entire cart full of groceries- this was the night she went shopping. As she unlocked her Ford Mustang he watched as she peered over her shoulder to make sure there were no predators watching. She dropped a Kleenex box and bent over to pick it up- damn, her ass looked good.

He could leave now. He had to be ready this time. He would beat her home.

He drove home in silence. Contemplating what the outcome of his attack might be. He couldn’t let things get out of hand- he had been planning this night for so long. Everything must go smoothly.
He parked and got out of his car. Dressed in casually dark clothes, he was not planning on being noticed.

He was no one in particular.

He took his planned place on the bench, lingering around the corner of the front door. He heard her car, her high heels quickly clacking to the door, she grabbed her keys, she opened the lock, and he made his move. She left the door open as she walked in her unlit apartment. He followed and shut the door behind him.

----------------------

Rob was having a tough night. Work didn’t go well and he had to put in some extra hours. He didn’t call any one to tell them he would be late. He began the drive back to the city that he thought he would never have a reason to go back to. He found that reason. He drove past Central Market, this is the night she grocery shops. He pulled into the apartment complex. He couldn’t find a parking spot, so much for being fashionably late. The door was open. That girl never has concern for her air conditioning bill. He heard a muffled scream.

The lights flipped on as Rob flipped out. All of the warmth in the world went into his fists as adrenaline rushed all over his body. Rob grabbed a man on top of Sandra and threw him against the wall. The rest was a fuzzy rage onto no one in particular.

-----------------------

The next morning Sandra awoke in a hospital with Rob sleeping in a chair at her feet. She kissed his bruised knuckles to awaken him from his sleep. He wrapped his arms around her overly perfumed neck.

She was suddenly embarrassed. “Don’t look at my face! It’s all swollen and bruised.”
“I think you’re beautiful”, he whispered. “But you still wear too much perfume.”

Frank

I don't like haikus.
They are always too darn short.
Awkward and random.

Addict

The weight of the world on my shoulders,
Atlas himself couldn't compare.
Heavier and heavier, the pounds add on,
When I can't decide what to wear.

I sort through the remains of my wardrobe,
Trying to make sense of it all.
No desire of an outfit comes to me,
I give in! Destination: Mall.

The smell of my home invites me,
I am welcomed with open arms.
With the comfort of my friends on the rack,
I know I can do no harm.

Slow Motion

Everyday running
through her mind
Everything else
that didnt have time
igottadothis and ihavetodothat
this n that n that n this

Life spins around her oh so fast

Whenever the end,
However the start,
Doesn't even matter,
Place together, a heart.
This.
and.
that.
and.
that.
and.
this.
Start: slow motion,
With their first kiss.