A Hitchhiker on the Downward Spiral (945 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.96 on 23 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Rawrgy McRawrgerson <uber.rawrg.at.gmail.com> (View user info) at 2005-05-08 21:14:29 EDT
"You call the doctor! You tell her what kind of pain I'm in!"
The woman was obviously delirious, rocking back and forth in the large king-size bed, clutching a cigarette in one hand with the inch long ash somehow hanging on. Her voice was slurred and her eyes shut tight in agony and frustration. Her husband came into the room and sat down next to her. This was going to be the sixth time he'd had this same conversation with her today.
"Nancy, I've already called them three times today and Dr. Long isn't in her office today."
"I don't care, find her! She's a doctor for fuck's sake! She has to be on call!"
"She's not on call. I've tried to get a hold of her. She's not there today. What do you want me to do, call her secretary again just to hear her say that she's not in again?"
"Damn it David! I worked for those fucking people for twelve fucking years and they're always on call!"
"She's not that kind of doctor. She's not on call."
"You wouldn't know David. Do you know how many times I couldn't get a hold of a doctor when I was saving their asses from malpractice charges?"
"I sure they gave yo-"
"NONE! Damn it, None! They have private numbers, you-"
"I can't get her number, she's out for the day and her secretary-"
"God damn it David! You just have to ask for their private numbers. She's sure to have a cell phone."
"I've asked them 5 times already. I already look like an idiot to these people. What do you want me to do?"
She calmed down, taking on the air of a sophisticated lawyer relegating a task to her personal secretary.
"Call them. Tell them that an important client needs to speak with Dr. Long urgently and that it cannot wait until tomorrow."
"I'll call them only if you'll calm down an-"
"I'm perfectly calm. For someone who's in as much pain as I'm in right now, I'm doing great. Let's light your cock on fire and see how well you compose yourself."
"Nancy, I'll call them, but if I can't get her number, this will be the last time I call them today, ok?"
"Of course David, you just have to ask them the correct way."
"Ok, I'm calling them."
David punched in the hospital's number on the bedside phone. For the first time in an hour, there was a momentary silence. The bedroom was mottled with old laundry and various long-forgotten momentary projects. Cigarette burns littered the mattress at her side and the hundreds of books that she had read. A half-eaten gallon container of light ice cream mixed with light maple syrup lay next to a 2 liter bottle of diet soda on the nightstand, and in the next room was their twelve year old son, listening.
"Hello, this is David Walmer again, I'm calling to try and get a hold of Dr. Long again. .... Yes, I know she's not in today. I'm calling because an important patient of her-"
Nancy sat up indignantly.
"Say client!"
David continued.
"... of hers needs to speak with her today."
"Say urgently!"
David covered up the receiver on the phone and looked down at her.
"Look, do you want me to do this or not?"
"You have to say it the right way!"
"Nancy, damn it, I already look like a fucking idiot to these people and now you're going to make me repeat myself?"
"Oh fuck it David, just give me the phone."
"You're in no condition to talk to them."
"Well at least I can say the right fucking words!"
David spoke into the phone again as she lay silent, not wanting to be overheard.
"That's fine, I was just hoping that there was a personal line for emergencies. As I've told you before, my wife's in a lot of pain right now and she's not coming out of it. Now if she could come down to the hospital and perhaps get some Methadone, I'll even check her in...."
"David! Just give me the phone!"
"Hold on just a moment please."
He put his hand over the phone again.
"Nancy. I'm trying my best. You need to be quiet so I can hear what she's saying."
She looked up at him fiercely as he resumed his conversation.
"Listen, I'll be straight with you. I've been trying to be diplomatic about this in the hopes that perhaps you would compromise and help make both of our lives a little bit easier to deal with. My wife's been sick for seven years with this disease. You're a woman, so I don't know if you understand what it's like to come home to your wife doubled over in pain even after she's packed her vagina full of ice. It's the worst feeling in the world to see the first person that you're supposed to take care of in crippling pain and all you're able to do is sit there and try to talk her down when she feels like she's being burnt alive from the inside."
"Your doctor prescribed her this ridiculous amount of Methadone, I'm sure you know what that is right? It's what they step heroine addicts down on. .... My wife is not addicted to the Methadone, that's a God damn lie your boss is trying to pass off because she knew that she prescribed too much. We agreed to try the ketamine nasal spray and my wife quit the Methadone cold turkey. Addicts don't quit cold turkey without going insane. That's because addicts want the drug. She just wants to be rid of the pain."
He waited on the phone while the secretary explained her situation.
"So if I called you and told you that Dr. Long's daughter had been killed in an accident, you wouldn't be able to tell her until Monday? .... I don't care if she doesn't even have any children. Does she have a mother? My son does. Do you want to tell him that his mother killed herself because your boss didn't leave a forwarding number? .... I'm not being the least bit dramatic. She's flat out told me she will and I can't stop her. I've got to work two jobs just to pay the $1200 a month premium on her health insurance. Should I just gurney her up and tote her to the jobsite or would you suggest a straight-jacket?"
The secretary tried to redirect him to admissions, but he objected.
"I can't admit her to the hospital. You won't take her because our policy has been cut to shreds. .... Well you tell me. I'm kind of curious why a 40 cent Percocet costs $45 dollars just because it was brought to her by a nurse. .... No, it's a line item cost on the bill. Listen, I'm not getting anywhere with you and I'm tired of talking to idiots. .... No, you are if you expect me to believe that there's no number I can reach her at."
The secretary tried to close out the conversation civilly.
"Yes. There is a message you can leave her. Tell her that in future not to hang the promise of a new medication over a patient's head because you need to get them off of the medication that you over-prescribed in the first place. .... Well we never got to try the ketamine because my wife quit the medication 'too easily' as Dr. Long put it. She has to be a junkie. If someone who can look up a number for me walks into the room, have them call me. You know my number."
David slammed the phone down so hard that the handle broke in two pieces and he was forced to pull the plug. Nancy looked up at him disgusted.
"You didn't even ask for the number right." She said with an angry sneer.
"Nancy, I tried everything I could. They think you're crazy."
She began to rock back and forth again, the long-dead cigarette still resting as a fitting accessory between her fingers. She began to moan and sob while she sputtered out her next volley of insults.
"All you had to do was say that an important CLIENT needed to reach her URGENTLY. They didn't have to know it was me! You can't do anything right. You always were a failure. My father always told me you were a loser. I should've stayed married to Jim. He would've understood. He would've understood me and he would've shown some compassion."
He looked on, not wanting to listen to any of it, but not wanting to leave her alone like that either.
"Do you feel better now? Huh? I've tried to do everything I can and still you need someone to blame!"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're setting me up for failure."
"What the hell are you babbling about, you twit?"
She was feigning mock indignation and laughed a fake laugh as she lit another cigarette. David futilely tried to reason with her.
"You have me call them over and over with the same result until I have to make a fool of myself to their secretary. I still have to work with these people."
"Oh stop with the pity party, I'm the one in pain here! What do you know about pain? You've never known pain like this! You've never-"
"No! You are in pain, but so are we! I haven't had a normal life in almost 10 years! I've traveled to Minnesota, California, North Carolina, Texas to try and find you doctors. I can't save any money because I'm holding 2 health insurance premiums on someone with Post-Polio Syndrome and if I miss a month they'll cancel us on a technicality! I have to carry my wife into the car because the medication takes away her consciousness. I do all of this and you have the nerve to tell me that you're the only one in pain? Fuck you Nancy, fuck you! Fuck Long, fuck Polio, fuck every doctor that ever walked the face of the Earth, fuck all of this!"
His fist slammed down hard onto the nightstand and there was a long silence that followed. It was very rare that he ever raised his voice, and afterwards, he turned to leave, partly ashamed of his outburst.
"Where are you going?" She asked, with a desperate curiosity.
"I'm going to drive for a while. I have to get out for a minute and I'll be ok."
"When will you be back?"
"Soon."
The boy waited around the corner and watch his father as he walked out of the bedroom. As he walked away, Nancy mumbled incoherently and pitifully under her breath. For the first time in his short life, the child saw his father choke back a tear.
...
Sometimes there are no happy endings, and heroes don't get a shoulder to cry on.
For my mother and father.
User Reviews
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-05-09 15:01:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
wonderfully written
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2005-05-09 10:29:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by JMG114 (user info) at 2005-05-09 09:41:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No comment.
Submitted by phuzzygish (user info) at 2005-05-09 09:13:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Holy shit Rawrg.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-05-09 09:10:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by CaptainThorns (user info) at 2005-05-09 09:08:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Supoib!
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2005-05-09 08:59:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh damn.
Now that was some good shit, mang.
You rock.
Submitted by Fabit (user info) at 2005-05-09 05:42:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
full of all kinds of coolness
Submitted by Nobb (user info) at 2005-05-09 03:52:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by CaptainSexyDevon (user info) at 2005-05-09 02:02:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice.
Submitted by williamson (user info) at 2005-05-09 01:47:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-05-09 01:17:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A good read.
Submitted by Siren (user info) at 2005-05-09 01:07:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Phallic_Cymbals (user info) at 2005-05-08 23:57:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I thought the Doctor was going to jump out from behind a curtain and everyone was going to yell "Surprise! Happy Birthday!". But this was good too...
I really liked the realistic dialogue, it's very hard to write.
Submitted by barnaby (user info) at 2005-05-08 23:36:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
sweet jesus.
Submitted by peckerhead (user info) at 2005-05-08 23:20:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Super
Submitted by HappyHappyJoyJoi (user info) at 2005-05-08 23:04:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by stardamage (user info) at 2005-05-08 22:47:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn.
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2005-05-08 22:43:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Great.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-05-08 21:42:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2005-05-08 21:40:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I kept getting inturrupted, but I finished reading it and I'm glad I did.
Submitted by pushedbyboredom (user info) at 2005-05-08 21:37:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Didnt really make me smile (+1) but definately took time and thought. Good story. I liked it.
Submitted by freebie (user info) at 2005-05-08 21:28:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn that was good. Fucking narcotics are why I'm getting out of private practice. Drug seekers, chronic pain people ODing, grandmas giving their Percs to grandkids in exchange for a place to stay and someone to cook for them oh and don't get me started on the ritalin shit.....sorry. this was god.