She wandered aimlessly through the center of town and passed a string of stores and eateries. She knew she could have killed herself before she had to leave the apartment. She could’ve died of carbon monoxide poisoning if she’d sealed herself up in the bathroom and lit some pieces of charcoal that were commonly used in grills, but she’d been so afraid that she’d somehow botch it up. No, she wanted something quick. Something instantaneous and painless.
She studied the various trees around her. She’d read a chart online that suggested that, according to her height and body weight, all she needed was a seven-foot drop to successfully hang herself. But even that could be screwed up, right? Either way, the problem with hanging was that there wasn’t any place to hang from without being seen. Even if she came back at night, someone might spot her and interfere. She’d have to find a wooded area, but in the city, the rural areas were a bit out of the way for someone traveling on foot. She could ask a friend for a ride out to the country, but what would she say when they asked why she wanted to go out there to no place in particular? That she just wanted some fresh mountain air?
She supposed she could get a gun and shoot herself. Witnesses or not, she’d be dead before anyone could stop her if she simply whipped the pistol out of her pocket in a flash, placed it to her temple and… BAM!
Panic began to swell within her as her mind desperately searched for the best way to end her misery without interference from anyone or anything, and then she saw her.
Raising a hand to block what little sunlight was trying to break through the clouds, she scrutinized the tall, slender blond woman heading toward her.
I’m pretty sure that’s the good doctor, she thought to herself as she studied the approaching figure. It was a wet and windy day, and the doctor, who wore a fashionable trench coat cinched at the waist, walked with her hands in her pockets and her head slightly bowed. Ripples of long blond hair were lifted by the breeze to flutter lazily behind her. She’d often wondered if the curls were natural and if she lightened her hair, though the blond seemed to go well with her pale skin and blue-gray eyes.
The doctor raised her head and glanced at her just as she said, “Doctor Blakely?”
“Oh, hi, Alicia. How are you?”
Alicia shrugged and then said, “Sorry I missed my appointment.”
The doctor was now just a few feet away. Alicia was aware of her beauty even in the midst of the personal hell she was going through. As strange as it might seem, she was almost sorry she’d never see her again.
“Yeah, I noticed you didn’t quite make it in. Everything ok?”
Alicia thought for a moment and realized there was no point in holding back. She’d be gone in less than a day anyway.
History.
“My uncle died, and now I’m kinda homeless.”
The doctor blinked in confusion. “Wait… what? What uncle?”
“The guy who took me to a few of my appointments. Remember?”
The doctor looked surprised. “That was your uncle?”
Alicia nodded.
“Oh, wow. For some reason, I thought that was your husband.”
Alicia shook her head. “I’d stay with him at his apartment every now and then when things got tough. He was pretty much the only family I had.”
“Oh,” said the doctor in a sympathetic tone. “I’m sorry to hear that. But isn’t there anyone else you can stay with?”
“Uh, well…,” Alicia said hesitantly, knowing the doctor couldn’t perform any miracle for her that would save her, but also not wanting to alarm her enough to do anything that would only prolong her lost life. “Not really. I mean, I don’t drive or make much money with my online job, but my stuff is holed up at a friend’s house right now until I figure things out. I just don’t want to trouble anyone.”
The doctor just stared at her as she processed the information Alicia had given her. Finally, she clasped her hands together and said, “Well, why don’t we do this—”
A series of loud pops suddenly rang out around them. People started screaming and scattering in various directions. Alicia stood there in a daze, mystified by what she was seeing. Time seemed to slow down, and things almost seemed surreal to her, as if she were caught in a twisted sort of dream or something.
She felt herself being pushed toward the nearest building and then realized the doctor was guiding her in that direction. Next, a sharp pain suddenly exploded in her upper arm just below her shoulder. She was terrified. More terrified than she’d ever been in her life.
And then all went wonderfully and peacefully dark as ever.
The young doctor went through her patient’s list of contacts on her cell phone. There weren’t many. There were perhaps half a dozen or so names, half male, half female. One of them was Uncle Roger, the uncle she assumed had died.
The next name on the list was Shani. She tapped the call icon next to the name and went to voicemail after a few rings. She hung up, deciding she’d only leave messages if she couldn’t get a hold of someone who could help her.
The next name was Douglas. She got ahold of Douglas, but Douglas turned out to be a guy on the other side of the country who had once lived next to Alicia.
“I’m sorry to hear the bad news,” Douglas said after he was filled in on the situation. “Sounds pretty scary. Who did you say you were again?”
“My name is Alyssa Blakely. I’m her primary care doctor.”
“And you ran into her right before the shooting took place?”
“Yes, I did.”
“That really sucks. Roger was a great guy, and while Alicia may be a little weird at times, she certainly doesn’t deserve this string of bad luck. Wish there was something I could do to help, but my hands are pretty tied given the distance and all that. Will she be ok?”
“She’s expected to regain consciousness and eventually make a full recovery, but since she has no place to go, that could really hinder things for her unless I can find someone who might be able to help. Any suggestions?”
“Nah, Alicia was a loner. I mean, you could try Nakia, but Nakia’s got her own problems, and I don’t know how helpful she could really be to Alicia.”
Nakia. Alyssa had seen that name just under Douglas’s. “Is she a friend?”
“Yeah, they’ve known each other since Alicia ended up in California a few years ago. Not sure how they met or how often they keep in touch, but Nakia is probably someone she keeps in touch with regularly, along with her online friends.”
So many questions about the girl lying unconscious in the hospital bed just inside the door from her ran through her mind. But she needed to focus on the main goal… finding Alicia some kind of support.
“Thank you very much, Douglas. I’ll give Nakia a call real soon and see what I can come up with.”
“Ok. That’s very nice of you, Doctor. I’m sure Alicia will appreciate it. But what if you can’t find any place for her to go once she’s better? The hospital certainly can’t just turn her loose on the streets, can they? Alicia could never cut it on the streets.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Alyssa assured him. “I really think I might be able to help her get on some form of disability and assistance.”
“She was once on disability.”
“Oh, was she?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh,” the doctor said, both surprised and not surprised.
“Can I ask how she’s been? It’s been a while since we talked. Is she in good health? I mean, aside from the shooting and all that.”
“Well, I’m not at liberty to discuss confidential patient information, but I can say that with the exception of a few minor things, she’s healthy overall.”
“That’s good to hear. I knew her to be pretty fit and healthy when I last saw her over a year ago. Just a bit hyped up and anxious at times. Guess she was having to deal with some form of PTSD.”
“Perhaps,” the doctor said in a knowing tone of voice.
“You want answers, go to her blog.”
“Her blog?”
“Yeah. If she’s not in much shape to be filling you in on things, try looking her up on Facebook. From there, you should be able to link to her blog. It goes way back, and I mean way back. She’s kept it for nearly thirty years. Not the actual blog, of course, but the journal itself. She simply uploaded copies to the Net once blogging became a thing to do. Don’t know that she’d post every single thing that goes on in her life, but it should at least give you the basics.”
“Oh, ok. I remember her mentioning that she was a writer. I’ll certainly check this out. Again, thanks for the help, Douglas. I really appreciate it.”
“No problem, and good luck to you both.”
Alyssa hung up the phone and proceeded to call Nakia. It wasn’t long before she realized why Nakia probably couldn’t be of much help to Alicia.
“Aleeeciaaahhh!!” exclaimed the very old-sounding woman who answered her call.
“Nope. Wrong person. This is Dr. Alyssa Blakely.”
“Who?”
“I’m her primary care doctor.”
“Oh no! What’s wrong? Where is Alicia? Is she ok?”
As soon as she could get a word in edgewise, Alyssa filled the worried Nakia in on what had transpired earlier in the day as briefly as she could.
“Oh, good God Lord Almighty!” Nakia exclaimed as if the doctor had given her a graphic description depicting her last vomiting spree. “What’s going to happen to the poor girl now?”
“Well, I’m not sure. She’ll almost certainly recover in time. The question is where she’ll go when she does. She told me she had stuff stored at a friend’s house. Do you have any idea who that could be?”
“Sure do. You’re talking to her.”
ns216.73.216.236da2
and then Add to home screen.