Medic, Ch. 5

Chapter 5
There was no evidence.

“You always fall for things like that.” I heard as I turned my head to see who I least expected: my dad, crouching next to the bench with his arm around me.
“I thought you were traveling” I said, shrugging his hand off of my shoulder and inching away.
“On business, yes, but your aunt called me and I came as soon as I could.” He walked over to the empty seat next to me and sat down.
My father had always been on business trips as I grew up, so we weren’t too close. I don’t know why I acted so coldly towards him, but it snuck into my voice like venom, “Why do you care?”
“She is my wife, that might have something to do with it.” He sighed.
“How did you get here so quickly?” I drilled at him. I had just found out myself, so it should have taken him hours to get here.
“I just so happened to be on my way home for a visit when your aunt called.”
All I could think to say was, “Why?” said with the same poison I had given him so many times before. His body must have become immune to the toxin because he started joking around about the situation.
“I can’t come visit my family? You know, with your mother’s failing health and all…”He trailed off, chuckling to himself. I could feel that he was trying to lighten me up.
“I understand,” I said looking away, “Um, I’m going to go home now.” I stood up.
“Hold on,” He stopped me from leaving, “do you mind if I pay you a visit later?” He pleaded.
“Yes, well… I do mind. Not tonight, okay?” I said looking back to him. “Tell Mom that I had to leave, and that I hope she gets better soon.”
“As you wish, Pumpkin Pie.” He said, unbeknownst to him that with his use of words, he was stabbing a dagger to my throat.
I paced away calmly but quickly, trying to keep my tears dammed up, because they threatened to burst at any moment.

When I got home, all I wanted to do was take a long shower and nap. I satisfied those needs, but I was awakened during my sleep by my phone ringing. “Hello?” I answered drowsily, “Kristy speaking.”
“Where have you been?” My stomach churned, my boss was the person on the other end.
“I’m so sorry! I’ve been at the hospital.” I apologized.
“Couldn’t you have called? We could have taken care of it for you.” He said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.
“It was short notice, honestly, work was the last thing on my mind.”
“Well, you come in tomorrow at 6pm, okay?” He said, I heard him begin talking with someone away from the phone.
“All right, I’ll be there.” I said quickly, trying to hold back my own annoyance.
“Good, see you then.” He hung up. I turned the phone off and threw it across the room. “Good night,” I mumbled to myself. With that, I fell asleep.

I awoke to a knocking at the door. I got out of bed, and went to answer it, in my pajama’s. The opening of the door revealed a friendly face, Matthew’s. He was standing on my porch. “Uh…” I stuttered, muttering some nonsense about my pajamas and closed the door. “What am I doing?!” I questioned myself.
Upon reopening the door, I found that no one was standing on my porch. I stepped out to look around, and saw not a soul was lingering about.
Suddenly, I was tackled from the rear. I looked behind me to see Matthew. He gave me a big bear hug.
“I came to visit, pumpkin pie.” I heard my father’s voice say. Matthew was no longer holding me, in fact, he had vanished. I found myself a little disoriented, and my father was standing in my driveway. Could this be? I wondered to myself.
I shivered at the coldness I directed at my father in saying, “Go away!” Running inside, I locked the door, and dashed to the living room window to take a look-see. I saw Matthew standing in the middle of the road, holding a single red rose. My father was no where to be seen.
I was about to dart out of the house to greet Matthew, when before my very eyes, he was hit by a car. Everything seemingly playing in slow motion, as I watched the rose fall to the ground and roll to the gutter.
I felt like I was going to be sick. I had just witnessed a man, that I now realized I was very attracted to, get hit by a car. My heart dropped to my stomach, and my stomach was in my throat. My organs felt twisted up and mutilated. My head rushing, my knees gave out, I fell to the floor and blacked out.

I awoke with a startled feeling, in my bed. I panicked, stumbling over obstacles through my house, made my way to that window in the living room.
There was no evidence. Nothing on the road to prove to me that what I had seen was true. No scattered Matthew, and no stray rose in the gutter.
Stepping out of the house, traveling across the lawn and stopping on the sidewalk, I examined the scene. I expected to find something morbidly disturbing. Possibly, Matthew’s attractive face spread along the concrete like cream cheese on a bagel. The only crushed body I found was that of a caterpillar.
Was it only a dream?