Phases Eight

The Last Phase

Final chapter of Phases Eight.

My problem is, I'm living in a simple world with a complicated mind..

-Amelia Hamilton
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Jake woke up to the continuous flipping sound of fresh pages over his head. Waiting on Amy after the surgery made him so exhausted that he couldn't keep track of his consciousness. Amy had a lumbar spinal surgery for five hours and was moved to a 23-hour observation. The surgeons predicted paraplegia, a condition where the lower part of the body becomes completely paralyzed. But anything could be made sure only when the anesthesia wore off and Amy came back to her senses.

Jake prayed for nothing of that sort to happen as it might adversely affect Amelia's psychiatric condition. The last thing he wanted to expect, is an other alter indulging in Amy's life to demand her time. Rubbing his eyes amidst a yawn, Jake found Amy reading a book. He noticed the cot that was previously flat, was raised to make a comfortable reading position for her. She glanced the pages through a thin, silver lined, metal rimmed specs. Jake had seen Charlie wearing those glasses for farsightedness.

"Are you feeling good? What are you reading?"

"Es-tu aveugle?" she pressed the bridge of her glasses, "C'est un livre"

Jake heard from Lance about a French speaking alter breeding inside Amy who had a very bad attitude, but he never had a direct encounter with her. Jake had the least interest to meet the new entry. The last time when the alter met Lance, she spoke about Amy's life coming to an end. No sooner did she say, Amy had the fatal accident that broke her spine.

"Good thing you can't understand whatever I say, because I don't like you even the teeniest bit and it's better you don't know that." Jake scoffed and smiled simultaneously to facade his burning hatred.

"Art is français, but can understand Anglais very well. Art not comfortable to speak"

Her answer squarely hit Jake like a blow on face, "Art? Is that your name? Ah..Jake can see that very well. Where did you get that book and glasses?"

"A beau monsieur gave it to Art. Doctor hit Art knee, but no pain. He said Amie will never walk."

Jake's crushed the bedspread underneath his fist. The foreboding bitter news was delivered by an alter whom he never wanted to meet. The day couldn't get any worse for him. "By the way she is Amy, not Amie. You needn't say nothing. I'll talk with the doctor."

Art went back to her book and suddenly threw a fit of laughter, "The book's so funny. A little boy fall down a building and break his legs"

"Yeah. Real fun, it is" Jake said in a tone dripping of sarcasm.

"That no fun. After the boy falls one man say 'kill im e's no use'. Other man say, 'No. Death ees so terribly final. But life ees full of possi-bi-lities. Let im live.' That, Art find funny"

"What's funny 'bout it? The second man is actually right. You have so much of possibilities in living"

"Art find no use in living a handicap. A bird with no wings die"

"Pfft..bullshit" Jake punched the mattress, "Art, have you ever died?"

Art rolled her eyes in the circumference of her specs frame, "Nope"

"So have I. But I've lived and I know when one door closes, automatically the other opens. Death is a one way trip. Once you take the lane, you get no chance to return or regret." Jake, being insinuated that Art might be the next person to try killing Amy, gave his best to convince her.