To The End

11 Mikey

  "Oh, hi Mikey" Madeline smiles. I open the door for us. She'd run into me when I was going... er, home. "Hey Mads," she smiles and walks inside, smacking the button on the elevator. When it reaches us, we just stand there awkwardly until the doors open. She walks out first, then disappears in her apartment after fumbling with her key a moment. "See you soon Michael..." the door shuts behind her.

        I walk to the apartment and reach for the door, before I get it open, I smell something burning from inside. I quickly push the door open and bust inside "Dakota??" I yell, then run to the kitchen, where there was broken glass on the floor, and a pan on the stove with something charred and smoking. I turn the burner off and throw the pan into the sink. "Dakota?" I yell again, before I hear the shower running. The door to the bathroom is open. I walk to the doorway "Dakota?!"  still no response.  I guess I have to. I walk in.

        There Dakota was, she's sitting in the tub, fully clothed, under the running water. She's hugging her knees, and staring right in front of her, at the blank wall of the shower. "Dakota?" No response at all. I put my hand on her shoulder. Jesus, the water is freezing! How long could she have been in there?? "Kota?" she continues to stare. I grab her other shoulder and try to make her face me. She starts screaming. She's kicking and hitting me. She's clawing at my face, trying to get me away. This isn't right. "Dakota! It's me! It's Mikey!" I let go and jump back, holding my hands up. She glares at me for a moment, then returns to her staring. Shit shit shit. She's having an episode. She told me she has to take a pill  when she does, but what pill?! I feel a small stream of a warm, thick liquid, tricking down my cheek.  I reach up and go to wipe it off, and when I look at my hand, I realize its blood. It's a cut on my cheek. She'd surely scratched me hard enough. I just wipe it from my hand, then look around.

        The medicine cabinet would be a good place to start. I open it. Oh lord. There are so many pills. There's like ten bottles. I scan the bottles. Shit, these all are prescribed to Dakota. Every one of them. And they're all new too. I didn't even know.

Aha! This is what I'm looking for! I think, seeing there's a sticky note on the bottle that says "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ----->)"

I'll guess it's this one.  I grab it and fumble with the cap. Someone is pounding on the front door. I finally get the bottle open, but end up spilling the pills on the counter. I grab one anyway, then turn back around towards Dakota. I carefully, slowly, step in the tub, her watching my every move  now. I sit down. "Take this?" I whisper, and hold the pill out. She just tilts her head, and watches me. I make a bit of a charades move, and imitate me eating the pill. She nods and takes it from me, hesitantly, she pops it in her mouth and swallows. Then she looks back towards the wall she had previously been staring at, and continues.  After a few minutes of sitting under the water, I'm completely drenched and freezing. I wrap Dakota in my arms, she doesn't push me away this time. I can feel her shaking, which is her shivering, and she was crying. "It's okay" I whisper in her ear.

        Someone was still banging on the door. The water was still running, and I never thought to turn it off. I think Dakota had passed out, because her breathing had steadied and she had stopped crying. Moments later, I hear people come in the apartment. "Dakota??" It's Madeline.. "Mikey?!" and Frank. I stretch my hand  out and turn the water off. Frank runs in, "What happened? Are you two okay?!" Maddie follows Frank in. "I heard Dakota scream earlier, and the door was locked... so I called F-" she trails off when she sees her in my arms. "She's alright," I stand up, and grab a towel. I wrap Dakota in it and pick her up. I struggle, but make it to the couch. I sit down, so I don't drop her. I just sit there now, my arms around her. I put a blanket over her. "So, what happened??" Madeline and Frank were both looking down at me questioningly. "Well..."