Ride The Lightning - Episode 16
Whisky
I finally woke up. I lay in bed and thought. I began to put the fragments of my memory together. I began to remember what had happened.
A while later Officer Bob walked into the room. He took one look at me and his expression turned serious. “I can see that you are still not resting. I talked to one of the EMTs. He’s a friend of mine. We have a plan. Try to hide it, or everyone will want some. If they catch you I’ll deny all knowledge of where this came from.”
Bob grinned and showed me with a bottle of Jack Daniels Black. Ah yes…good old Black Jack Whiskey. Bob poured a generous portion into one of the hospital’s plastic water glasses, and a lesser portion into another one.
Bob took the lesser and gave me the greater.
“Drink up…. Absent comrades.”Bob toasted…and followed his own advice.
“Absent Comrades” I echoed the toast. I drank. We sat and chatted for a few minutes until I began to nod off. I barely managed to set the, mostly empty, glass onto the nightstand before I fell asleep.
Tel-Com with the Broker
I regained consciousness much later. I barely recalled the dreams. All I recalled was the grin.
The whisky had helped. The dreams weren’t so up close and personal now. More like watching a movie or watching TV.
Shudder
Strike that. I Don’t…I do NOT… watch TV…I tried it once…for about an hour. It psychologically scarred me for life.
Later that day I received a call from my freight broker. We talked about my health, women, beer, women, sports, women, guns, women, trucks, women, politics and of course…. Women. The guy’s a Satyr. He really likes wimmen.
Eventually….FINALLY…he got to the point.
“When do you think you will be needing a load?” he asked.
“I’d been meaning to tell you.” I told him “I found a load.”
“ No SHIT?” he said. “How did you manage to find a load on the Ass End of nowhere? Where’s it going?”
“It’s a long, sad and tragic story. I wouldn’t want you to cry so I can’t tell you how. I can, however, tell you where. You won’t believe this.” I said. “It’s going to Norway.”
“You’re right…if anyone other than you told me that I’d not believe it. Well that’s certainly good news then. No deadhead.” He said “Oh…I gotta go. I have some fires to put out. I’ll talk to you later. Let us know when you need another load. Norway’s a long way from where you are. Perhaps you’d like something more along the way. I’m pretty sure I can come up with something.”
Delay Placing a Call
Ok…I’m a coward. I really hate to hear women cry. I’d been putting this off. My ‘excuse’ was that I’d been unconscious most of the time. Was that an excuse or a reason? I wasn’t sure. I need to think about it.
I poured a stiff drink, drank it, and went back to sleep while I was still thinking….it was an accident. I really intended to make that call…THOSE calls…
I really HATE to hear women cry…
I woke up later. I felt better.
I ordered breakfast. I had a serious case of the HONGRIES.
A little bit later it was delivered…by Bob.
“Good to see you” I said.” That medicine you gave me worked wonders. I slept like a baby. I feel much better.”
“Glad to hear it” He told me. “I’ve got good news. I was chatting with my Dr. Buddy and he said that you can probably be released from the hospital pretty soon. For some reason you’ve healed much faster than normal. They had hesitated to tell you because…shrug …hospital policy? That seems stupid doesn’t it?”
I thought about that while eyeing the grub. He’d brought a huge breakfast…lots of protein. Steaks and Seafood. I really WAS hungry. “It certainly sounds stupid. After all, it’s MY body. I’m paying the bill. You’d think that I’d have a right to know?”
“I’ll certainly be glad to get out of here. I’m going stir crazy. Time to go truckin’” I said.
“I’ve seen your truck I think. Isn’t it the lightning truck? We don’t see many of them around here. None actually.” He said “Too far from the Bridge. Bad roads.”
“Ain’t they? I’m not looking forward to those goat trails between here and there either, but that’s the reason I’ve had my Truck modified so I can come down here. It gives me a competitive advantage” I told him the truth. I didn’t tell him the WHOLE truth. That wasn’t the ONLY reason I was down here. But I didn’t need to tell him that. He didn’t have the need to know.
We chatted for a while longer and then he had to leave. Oddly enough he managed to leave me another bottle of whisky.
I was going to make the call...that is… the calls. I was GOING to call Chris’s sister and my family…really…I really was going to but…
After a full meal and a glass of whisky I just naturally went to sleep.
Yup..I dreamed.
To Be Continued
Yarn
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