Death's Captive: Will she escape eternal confinement?

CHAPTER 22

I drift along the hospital corridors with Albert on my mind. It's comforting that someone else knows about my predicament, and it's nice he wants to help me, but I don't know how he can. Although I can't remember being on the other side, I can't imagine it being a place of business where people can seek out a customer service representative. I like to imagine it's a place where every whim is catered for; a place to relax and regroup before deciding when to reintegrate into the timeline and begin again in another life. As I wander I hear raised voices coming from the car park in front of me. I look over and see Jason and Nicole arguing. I'm too far away to hear the details, so I mosey on over to listen in.

Jason's arms are flailing around in agitation. "I could have lost my job, Nicole! It could have been the end of my career!"

"You're not a kid anymore, Jason! You're responsible for your own decisions. If you want to do pills you can't blame other people when it doesn't work out for you." Nicole crosses her arms across her chest.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down." Jason's finger darts to his mouth.

"Don't shush me, Reeves. You came to me. You wanted to party. I was fine with just dancing and having a couple of drinks."

"You're unbelievable!" Jason throw his arms in the air.

"Why? Because you're looking for someone to blame? What was I supposed to do? Just let you die on the dance floor?"

"You could have asked the ambulance to take me to another hospital," Jason hisses.

"We were forty minutes away from the next hospital. You could have died in that time, Jason."

"I know that!"

"Then why are you still yelling at me?!"

"Because this looks bad!"

"Looks bad?" Nicole cocks her eyebrow. "It could look a whole lot worse. At least you've got Matthews covering your arse. You could have been pulled up on disciplinary charges if they had drug tested you. Or you could have died."

Jason releases his puffed up chest and slumps. "Yeah, I know." Jason swivels his body round to lean on the side of the car. He's looking off into the distance. "Look, Nicole. I don't think we should see each other anymore; you seem to bring out the worse in me. I've got some stuff I need to work through by myself and while I'm around you I won't do that. I seem to be spiralling out of control."

Nicole takes a sharp breath as she unfolds her arms then her face contorts as if to form a response. She halts, pushes out her breath in a turbulent force then turns on her heel and struts off in the direction of her scooter.

Reeves leans against his beaten up car and watches her go. His hand draws out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket, which he lifts to his lips to pull out a cigarette with his mouth. He lights the cigarette with the time-stricken Zippo that once belonged to Dr Reeves Senior. The metal glints momentarily as it catches the security lighting. I walk over and lean beside Jason while he draws on his cigarette. I notice Jason smokes Marlboro and I have a little flicker of recollection that Reeves Senior smoked Chesterfields during the war. Even though this moment is different, I have a sense of déjà vu. I lean my head on Jason's shoulder and my mind flickers back to a similar moment in time with Elwood. In my imagination I can feel the hot sun on my face and the heat radiating off the concrete before I open my eyes to darkness of the night and I'm alone in the car park. Jason Reeves has already left and dawn is winking over the horizon.