Tom Schreck - Out Cold

I got to the third level of the garage. It didn't look familiar at all though that didn't really surprise me much, because I didn't pay attention to anything when I parked except for what level I was on. Two more guys in Army get-ups passed me. I figured somebody in the reserves must've got hurt doing weekend maneuvers or whatever it is they do.

I walked around level three for a few minutes and decided that wasn't right. So I headed back down the stairs. The three Army guys gathered around the soda machine talking, but they got quiet when I came down the stairs. Now all three of them stared at the soda machine, which seemed a bit odd.

"Hey fellas, there's no chance you guys saw an old orange El Dorado on any of these levels?" One of the guys grunted and none of them looked at me. I stood there kind of waiting for an answer. Finally, I just turned and went through the doorway to the second level.

As I stepped out of the door's threshold, a car came screaming around the tight turn of the garage, coming so close to me I had to jump back. As I jumped back I felt a sharp whack to the back of my head, like I banged my head against something. Everything went a little wobbly and when I turned, things were a bit murky. The pain was sharp and a weird wobbly feeling came over me. I looked up the three guys in fatigues stood in front of me. The one in the middle, the biggest guy of the three, threw a punch right square into the side of my head.

I went down and everything went black.

"I think he's coming around," the soupy voice said.

"Duffy-Duffy. He's blinking like he hears me," I recognized Trina's voice.

"Easy, kid, easy." That was Rudy.

I wasn't in a ring. I was in a hospital bed and my head really fuckin' hurt. I had one of those rubber ID bracelets on that said

'D. Dombrowski', with a long number next to it. There was tape on the back of my head and I wore one of those silly dresses they give you when you're in the hospital. I had taken a shot to the head, but the last I remember, I was working with Tayshaun and he wasn't in any kind of shape.

"Phew…kid you had us scared," Rudy said. I looked at him and thought about speaking, but I still felt detached.

"Don't worry kid, they got you on some shit to make you comfortable. It's why you feel weird," Rudy said. Trina was crying. She still looked good, but she was crying.

"It's all my fault for getting him involved." A voice came from somewhere behind Rudy, but lower. Rudy half turned around. There was Karl in his Redskin's helmet still sitting in a wheel chair.

"Did they get you?" came out of my mouth. It came out slushy.

"Not this time, my friend. They got you instead. From the way it looks, I don't think they counted on you waking up at all."

"That's enough, Karl," Rudy said.

A male nurse, or at least an official looking male who wasn't a doctor, came in and asked everyone to leave except Rudy. Trina kissed me, sniffled, and scurried away.

"I ain't got nowhere to go. I'm staying," Karl said.

"Is he family?" The male nurse guy said. I looked quickly at Karl, who had a panicked expression on his face.

"Yeah, he can stay," I said.

I heard someone else crying, and looked toward the doorway to my room. It was Rene.

"I'm okay. I'm okay…take it easy," I said and smiled. My head really, really hurt.

She just stared at me and got really pale. The room got uncomfortably quiet.

Rene looked me up and down and then looked at Rudy and Karl.

"Can I be alone with Duffy for a minute?" She said without expression. Rudy nodded and he and Karl walked out.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. It's not-"

"Duff, the timing of this sucks but I have to tell you something. I can't live like this. I won't." She sniffled. I just looked at her.

"I'm moving on. I can't marry you. I just can't." I went to say something, but nothing came out.

"I'm sorry I had to say it to you like this, but I'm moving. I have to go in the morning. I'm sorry." She stopped crying. She wasn't looking at me, but she wasn't crying either.

"Good bye, Duff," She said and left. Just like that. Rudy came back into the room.

"What was that all about?"

I just shook my head. I was having problems thinking. Things didn't quite feel real.

"Look, Kid, I have to talk to you a bit," Rudy said. He touched my arm and my focus sort of returned.

"Yeah, go ahead."

"You got a concussion and it's nothing to fool around with this time."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Rudy looked down for a full a few seconds.

"That's not all Duff, they found damage."

"What do you mean 'damage?'"

"There were at least two other recent traumas to the head. There's a chance you might be in some trouble. Head injuries are nothing to mess with."

"Trouble?"

"In addition to headaches you might have problems with memory, short term and long term. There could be depression, post traumatic stress, your behavior could become unpredictable…but now as I think of it, I'm not sure how that would be any different than it usually is."

"Those are all 'coulds'".

"They're likely," Rudy said. He was sweating.

"For how long?" I said.

Rudy didn't say anything.

"C'mon, Rudy-how long?"

"It might not even happen…"

"Or…"

"It might be chronic…"

"Chronic-plain language, Rudy!"

"You might be fucked up forever," Rudy said.

They let me out of the hospital the next morning with a pretty good headache and even better broken heart. The other thing that ached pretty good was the fact I got whacked over the head by a couple of G.I. Joe types and I had no idea why. I started to give Rudy's scary message about being forever fucked up some credence because I started to think everything had to do with Karl, just like he said it did. That, in itself, scared me. I began to fear I wasn't too far away from getting my own Redskins helmet. Of course, if I was as screwy as Karl, I would've been wearing one and when the guys whacked me on the head it wouldn't have harmed me. Karl was crazy, but just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you.

My new roommate, Karl, and I got to the Moody Blue. He got to see first hand what it's like getting assaulted by an 85 pound basset hound. When we opened the door Al, went double nuts at the prospect of his company increasing by 100 %. He jumped at me and pushed me back and then went after Karl.

Karl dove on the floor on his back and lay perfectly still. Al went over and began to sniff Karl's crotch and ass. Karl just stared at the ceiling.

"Karl, buddy, what the hell are you doing?" Al's nose did double duty over my new roommate's privates.

"Two things, Duff." Karl kept his eyes focused straight up at the ceiling while he spoke. "First I got into a submissive position to let him know I wasn't threatening his territory and I just wanted to offer my genitals so he could get to know me."

"Excuse me?" Before I could get an explanation Karl was up on all fours sticking his nose dangerously close to Al's ass.

"Now, he's returning the favor and offering me his scent."

"Trust me, he's very generous with his scent." Karl made exaggerated sniffing sounds around Al's business end. Al maintained a very concentrated and stoic look. Then, he turned and rolled over on his back. Karl sniffed him from head to toe.

This had become an olfactory runaway train and nothing I could do to stop it.

"This is his way of saying we can be friends," Karl said.

"I guess I'm more of a 'Hey, go fetch my slippers' kind of guy."

"Typical species-centric attitude. Like all creatures are here to serve humans."

"Don't worry about Al's servitude. He's never gotten my slippers once, mostly because I don't own slippers. Trust me on this one-Al hasn't embraced the whole master-servant deal."