The Illusion Of Dellusion

Chapter 5

I was about to get ready for work when I looked over at my schedule and realised it was my day off. "Lucky me" I muttered under my breath. Thomas crept up behind me and I gasped when he wrapped his arms around me.
"sorry"
"no no it's ok, you just startled me"
"You're off work"
I sighed this isn't going well
"Apparently, but I hate this feeling of leaving James all alone. Who knows if his state will worsen even more, or if someone will take care of him? I'm so confused with everything that's happening."
"can you not talk about your work for today?" he said with a tone reaching the annoyance.

I stayed silent, he was never like this, he never used a tone like that with me when I was in a loop hole with work.
"What's up with you this morning? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" I joked, but he only gave me a disapproving look.
"I planned an activity for us"
I looked up at him confused
"What is it?"
No answer he just grabbed his keys and stopped in his tracks, turning over to me and motionning for me to follow him. I frowned and did as asked.

***

After a while, Thomas stopped the car in an almost deserted parking lot.
"Bowling, really?" I asked him visibly confused
"yeah, just like when we were teenagers, it was so much fun. I thought it could get your mind off work for a little bit." he said sheepishly.
I

chuckled softly and we slowly made our way inside to the front desk. We got our shoes and everything we needed before heading to our alley.
"Come on, show me you still got it!" Thomas encouraged me as I took a ball and made my way closer. I took a deep breath in before aiming and throwing it. I watched it quickly making it's way towards the goal and finally hitting bullseyes.
"First strike!" I exclaimed sitting down and opening my beer. After my first sip, I remembered James saying how much he loved to go bowling before he was brought in, I sighed and shook the idea out of my head. We kept bowling for about an hour and a half and I was getting lost in my thoughts, thinking of James and if he was alright. As if the universe was sending me a sign, I got a phone call from one of my colleague, Shawn.
"Hello?"
"Hey Annie, I just wanted to let you know that you will have a bit more work to do with James. He said he's been hearing voices ever since you left yesterday."
"You're kidding me right?" I asked obviously not wanting to believe a single word.
"Sadly no, his case is not getting better now, is it?" he asked a hint of pity in his voice
"No" I sighed silently as we then both said good bye and I looked up to see Thomas already staring up at me with a sad look on his face.

"Honey..." he started softly, trailing off as he looked elsewhere not able to hold my pleading gaze. "If you keep being caught up in your work like this constantly, I don't think it's going to work between you and me." My eyes became glossy as his words hit me like a train.
"What are you trying to say Thomas, my job is a big part of my life, actually it's a big part of who I am." my voice quivered.
"That's the problem, your work takes so much place that I feel like you're forgetting to think about me and even love me."
"But..."
"Im even feeling like you care more about that James patient than you actually care about me, since that accident in the ward, it's always about him, you're always thinking and speaking of his case. I'm sick and tired of it Annie."
I looked at him, completly lost at words and feeling sick to my stomach. As tears started to roll down my cheeks I simply muttered that I needed air and ran to the nearest exist. I pulled out my phone and called my mom, alerting her that I was making my way over.

***

Once I was in front of the door, I stopped in my tracks a million thoughts going through my head as I took a deep shaky breath and rang the door bell. My mom opened it after what felt like an eternity and seeing my face she took in her arms. Finally the tears I had been holding back came down in one big wave of sadness as my whole body shook with evry sob that escaed my mouth. She held me softly in her arms as she guided me inside and sat with me on the couch while I cried my heart out to her. I explained her everything and she looked at me softly.
"Everything will be okay" she shushed me softly as I softly stopped crying, regaining my composure slowly but surely. She took my face in her hands and looked at me.
"Listen to me my dear, everything will get back into place, it's never pink skies and rainbows, right now there's a storm, but what is keeping you from dancing in the rain and embracing this bad pass by seeing the good in it?" She said softly before continuing "You have an amazing job, you have the most interesting and mysteriously crazy patients that exists and you are a gorgeous young woman, Annie. You have so many good things coming your way, I can feel it." she dried the remaining tears off my face as she smiled, I couldnt help but smile back at her as we chuckled together.
"Let me make you some tea and we can watch a movie" she said and I nodded sofly, closing my phone completly to receive no notification or call as I settled in the couch with a grey blanket. She came back with a smile and two fuming cups of herbal tea, we chose a cliché movie to watch and stayed up as late as we could before sleep got the best of us. 

The next thing I knew, I was waking up with an horrendous pain shooting down my spine from the bad position I slept in. My mom offered me breakfast before driving me back to my shared appartment where I got ready very quickly. When I made my way back outside, she was waiting for me with a smile on her face, wrinkles formed around her eyes. I chuckled at the sight of my mother so happy to help me out as she drove me to work and gave me a hug. I sighed and tried to keep a straight face as I made my way in. This was going to be a long day, again.