(no subject)
We had to fit an entire story idea into five pages, double-spaced. It's crap.
David glanced up at his assistant as he coated his fry with ketchup. “Let’s just say, I hope you have another job in mind.”
“You really shouldn’t talk with your mouth full.”
David quickly looked away at her words, but said nothing. Out of the corner of his eye she saw her familiar red nail polish descend upon a stray fry. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for stealing: it was, after all, her desk he was using.
“So…you have cancer, don’t you?” Her words were hesitant.
“…yeah-?“
“All the doctor visits. Specific doctors. I look them up, you know, to tell people where you are. I mean…that’s how I know. They haven’t helped…have they?” David shook his head, purposefully keeping his eyes away from hers. “Well, of course they wouldn’t. They all try the same thing here. In North America. I had back problems, see,” David finally looked up at her, and she caught his eye. “I’m just suggesting you try something unconventional. There’s this guy who has a shop about thirty minutes down. He’s a n herbalist…specializes in Eastern medicine. Don’t give me that look. You’re desperate, aren’t you?”
The stare she gave him over the rim of her glasses unsettled him, but he continued his silence. After a minute, she grabbed at the wrapper he was using as a placemat for his food and pulled it toward herself. “Look, go. You have nothing to lose, right?”
The small scrap of paper was nearly lost as a gust of wind swept through the streets of lower Manhattan. David tightened his grip on it as he read it before glancing at the building before him. David couldn’t help but question the address, as doctors usually didn’t work in run-down, cramped, one-story building, but nevertheless, shrugged and entered. A bell rung above his head, but he barely heard it. An overwhelming smell of incense had taken hold of his senses, and he quickly reached for his scarf to block it out.
“Hello?”
The faint sound of beads rattling forced David’s attention to his left. “Good morrow!”
David paused, sizing the man before hesitantly responding, “…are you. Remi? The doctor?”
“Totally.” The man - Remi - showed a thumbs up before sitting on what David could only assume was the patient’s table,
as a multitude of blankets and charms made it slightly hard to define. “You’re the cancer guy, right? David Rush? Rush man?”
“…yeah, totally. Look, maybe my assistant misunderstood me, I’ll just step o-“
“Naw, she understood you perfectly. And I understand you, too, man.”
David paused again. Something in the way Remi’s words were said made David believe they held an undertone of something more than a simple patient-doctor relationship. “…so you can help? With the cancer?”
“Oh, absolutely. And more than just that, y’know? I can help you with your life.”
“…no, no, that won’t be necessary. Just the cancer.”
Remi responded with a smile and a shrug. “So no other doctors worked, huh?” David didn’t respond. “Bummer. But y’know, that’s how life is. Sometimes the people you think’ll know better, well, they don’t. They just follow each other like lemmings, y’know? You gotta think outside the box if you wanna find a cure for stuff. Here, drink this.”
“…these are just tea leaves, right?”
“Totally.” He leaned forward. “So, tell me about yourself. Confession is therapeutic, y’know.”
David grimaced at the bitterness of the tea. “Nothing much to-“
“One of those guys. ‘Nothing much to tell’. Life sucks, huh?” David simply looked at him, still grimacing, but apparently that was enough of a confirmation for Remi to nod. “Drink. Y'know, life only sucks as much as you let it. Me? I stopped letting it, y'know? You should try it.”
“It's a bit late for that.”
“It's not. Go on, sit down. Better late than never, right? And if I were you, I'd want to make the most out of the rest of my life, eh?”
“...yeah, guess so. Too bad I have nothing I want to do.”
“I dunno about that. You probably have a lot of stuff, y'know? Like, you ever wanted to skydive? Visit Japan? Learn how to kayak? See all the wonders of the world?”
David shifted uncomfortably. Remi was currently rubbing some type of lotion onto his hands, and David didn't want to think about getting a massage from a thirty year-old man who was still stuck in the sixties. He sipped at the bitter tea. He was beginning to feel oddly loose and relaxed. “I don't know. I'm just stuck here. Maybe at one point, but nothing happened, and I'm in a comfortable rut...what's in this tea?”
“Medicinal herbs, man. Just lay on your stomach and relax.”
“...right.” He handed the tea to Remi, barely noticing he did so, and lay upon his stomach, allowing Remi's hands to strip the coat off of him. For some reason, the thought of Remi's hands, dipped in incense oil and odd lotion, didn't much bother him anymore. Neither did the incense...David's hands played with the beads hanging from the blankets under him. “...you're certified, right?”
“Totally. Now, how do you feel about your parents...”
It wasn't long before David began to notice significant changes in his health. A month after the news of his limited life span, David had felt weak, unmotivated, and near constantly felt as if every light in the room was too bright for his liking. But, after two months visiting Remi, finding himself more and more comfortable with both the office and the doctor, David found himself daydreaming about visiting Italy and playing tennis. He even allowed himself an occasional flirt or two with Betty, to which she could only hesitantly reply that he was being weird. He didn't care. Life was starting to look bright, cheery, fun, adventurous, and the idea of quitting his job was becoming more and more favorable. He even talked about doing such a thing with Remi, who not only encouraged him to do so but suggested he simply do away with money altogether. And, surprisingly, even that sounded like a brilliant idea, because that's just how much of a good mood David was in.
And, when David surprised all the doctors he had visited prior to Remi, all those who had told him he had zero chance to live, only to leave the office with a smug smile as the doctors stood dumbstruck over his tests, David felt even better. Good enough to see that his life was good, and even if his job wasn't something he was passionate about, it didn't matter. Even as Remi constantly suggested he quit into the last sessions between them, David began to see that his life, as it was, was decent, and changing it was just too much to do. It provided money, had good hours and perks, and made his family happy. He didn't need to visit Italy, give up money, or try and find a purpose in life, because he had everything he could want right now. With the near-death experience gone from his life, David couldn't help but see his life in a better light.
David signed the last check before handing it to Remi, who simply didn't bother to look at it.“So, you're not taking my advice, then, after alllll those sessions? I totally thought you were going to go through with it, y'know? Would've made you happier.”
David shrugged and pocketed his pen. “Maybe, but I'm pretty happy right now. Having cancer kind of gives you a new perspective.”
“Right, man. But what about when your life just gets into, y'know, another rut?”
“I'll see if I can contract cancer again.”
“Hey, whatever you wanna do, man. To each their own.”
“Glad you could see it my way.” David smiled at him before holding out a hand, to which Remi shook after a moment of silence. “You've been a big help, but I'm alright with where I am now. I'll see you later, alright?”
---
It had been a week since David's last appointment with Remi, and David was surprised to find himself missing the incense-scented room, filled with blindingly colorful carpets and pillows. Even Remi, who David had come to like but still found a little too spacey for his taste, was beginning to be missed, especially as David found himself sitting on the couch watching TV rather than spending his time listening to his semi-crazy anecdotes and questionable 'wise man' sayings. The image of Remi was beginning to fade from his memories, despite his remarkable fashion choices, and David was beginning to think of calling him, just to see if he had any half-truth stories to tell. But as David's hand reached for the phone, the sight of Remi out of the corner of his eye caused him to pause.
David was forced to double-take as he realized Remi's picture in the upper-right hand corner of the TV screen, a woman holding a stack of paper to his left. The sight was all-too familiar, and David couldn't fool himself into believing Remi had simply won the lottery for long. The woman's voice was clear. 'Murder', 'former patient', 'linked to gangs', 'mugging', 'left to bleed to death'. 'Remarkable life', 'pressured into a profession he never wanted', 'traveled the world', 'worked as a herbalist'. David could only stare as each sentence hit him like a brick wall. Remi's life, so similar to his own, trying so hard to stop David from making the mistake Remi nearly made himself, yet letting him choose. Why hadn't he just told him, rather than the hundred crazy side-adventures he may or may not have done? If he had only told him how similar they were...
David's hand slowly grasped the remote control. Remi's face flashed by once more before the news turned its attention to the next big thing, and David set his jaw as Remi's eyes looked into his own. He pointed the remote control at the screen, and with one, purposeful motion, turned the TV off, and stood up.
David glanced up at his assistant as he coated his fry with ketchup. “Let’s just say, I hope you have another job in mind.”
“You really shouldn’t talk with your mouth full.”
David quickly looked away at her words, but said nothing. Out of the corner of his eye she saw her familiar red nail polish descend upon a stray fry. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for stealing: it was, after all, her desk he was using.
“So…you have cancer, don’t you?” Her words were hesitant.
“…yeah-?“
“All the doctor visits. Specific doctors. I look them up, you know, to tell people where you are. I mean…that’s how I know. They haven’t helped…have they?” David shook his head, purposefully keeping his eyes away from hers. “Well, of course they wouldn’t. They all try the same thing here. In North America. I had back problems, see,” David finally looked up at her, and she caught his eye. “I’m just suggesting you try something unconventional. There’s this guy who has a shop about thirty minutes down. He’s a n herbalist…specializes in Eastern medicine. Don’t give me that look. You’re desperate, aren’t you?”
The stare she gave him over the rim of her glasses unsettled him, but he continued his silence. After a minute, she grabbed at the wrapper he was using as a placemat for his food and pulled it toward herself. “Look, go. You have nothing to lose, right?”
The small scrap of paper was nearly lost as a gust of wind swept through the streets of lower Manhattan. David tightened his grip on it as he read it before glancing at the building before him. David couldn’t help but question the address, as doctors usually didn’t work in run-down, cramped, one-story building, but nevertheless, shrugged and entered. A bell rung above his head, but he barely heard it. An overwhelming smell of incense had taken hold of his senses, and he quickly reached for his scarf to block it out.
“Hello?”
The faint sound of beads rattling forced David’s attention to his left. “Good morrow!”
David paused, sizing the man before hesitantly responding, “…are you. Remi? The doctor?”
“Totally.” The man - Remi - showed a thumbs up before sitting on what David could only assume was the patient’s table,
as a multitude of blankets and charms made it slightly hard to define. “You’re the cancer guy, right? David Rush? Rush man?”
“…yeah, totally. Look, maybe my assistant misunderstood me, I’ll just step o-“
“Naw, she understood you perfectly. And I understand you, too, man.”
David paused again. Something in the way Remi’s words were said made David believe they held an undertone of something more than a simple patient-doctor relationship. “…so you can help? With the cancer?”
“Oh, absolutely. And more than just that, y’know? I can help you with your life.”
“…no, no, that won’t be necessary. Just the cancer.”
Remi responded with a smile and a shrug. “So no other doctors worked, huh?” David didn’t respond. “Bummer. But y’know, that’s how life is. Sometimes the people you think’ll know better, well, they don’t. They just follow each other like lemmings, y’know? You gotta think outside the box if you wanna find a cure for stuff. Here, drink this.”
“…these are just tea leaves, right?”
“Totally.” He leaned forward. “So, tell me about yourself. Confession is therapeutic, y’know.”
David grimaced at the bitterness of the tea. “Nothing much to-“
“One of those guys. ‘Nothing much to tell’. Life sucks, huh?” David simply looked at him, still grimacing, but apparently that was enough of a confirmation for Remi to nod. “Drink. Y'know, life only sucks as much as you let it. Me? I stopped letting it, y'know? You should try it.”
“It's a bit late for that.”
“It's not. Go on, sit down. Better late than never, right? And if I were you, I'd want to make the most out of the rest of my life, eh?”
“...yeah, guess so. Too bad I have nothing I want to do.”
“I dunno about that. You probably have a lot of stuff, y'know? Like, you ever wanted to skydive? Visit Japan? Learn how to kayak? See all the wonders of the world?”
David shifted uncomfortably. Remi was currently rubbing some type of lotion onto his hands, and David didn't want to think about getting a massage from a thirty year-old man who was still stuck in the sixties. He sipped at the bitter tea. He was beginning to feel oddly loose and relaxed. “I don't know. I'm just stuck here. Maybe at one point, but nothing happened, and I'm in a comfortable rut...what's in this tea?”
“Medicinal herbs, man. Just lay on your stomach and relax.”
“...right.” He handed the tea to Remi, barely noticing he did so, and lay upon his stomach, allowing Remi's hands to strip the coat off of him. For some reason, the thought of Remi's hands, dipped in incense oil and odd lotion, didn't much bother him anymore. Neither did the incense...David's hands played with the beads hanging from the blankets under him. “...you're certified, right?”
“Totally. Now, how do you feel about your parents...”
It wasn't long before David began to notice significant changes in his health. A month after the news of his limited life span, David had felt weak, unmotivated, and near constantly felt as if every light in the room was too bright for his liking. But, after two months visiting Remi, finding himself more and more comfortable with both the office and the doctor, David found himself daydreaming about visiting Italy and playing tennis. He even allowed himself an occasional flirt or two with Betty, to which she could only hesitantly reply that he was being weird. He didn't care. Life was starting to look bright, cheery, fun, adventurous, and the idea of quitting his job was becoming more and more favorable. He even talked about doing such a thing with Remi, who not only encouraged him to do so but suggested he simply do away with money altogether. And, surprisingly, even that sounded like a brilliant idea, because that's just how much of a good mood David was in.
And, when David surprised all the doctors he had visited prior to Remi, all those who had told him he had zero chance to live, only to leave the office with a smug smile as the doctors stood dumbstruck over his tests, David felt even better. Good enough to see that his life was good, and even if his job wasn't something he was passionate about, it didn't matter. Even as Remi constantly suggested he quit into the last sessions between them, David began to see that his life, as it was, was decent, and changing it was just too much to do. It provided money, had good hours and perks, and made his family happy. He didn't need to visit Italy, give up money, or try and find a purpose in life, because he had everything he could want right now. With the near-death experience gone from his life, David couldn't help but see his life in a better light.
David signed the last check before handing it to Remi, who simply didn't bother to look at it.“So, you're not taking my advice, then, after alllll those sessions? I totally thought you were going to go through with it, y'know? Would've made you happier.”
David shrugged and pocketed his pen. “Maybe, but I'm pretty happy right now. Having cancer kind of gives you a new perspective.”
“Right, man. But what about when your life just gets into, y'know, another rut?”
“I'll see if I can contract cancer again.”
“Hey, whatever you wanna do, man. To each their own.”
“Glad you could see it my way.” David smiled at him before holding out a hand, to which Remi shook after a moment of silence. “You've been a big help, but I'm alright with where I am now. I'll see you later, alright?”
---
It had been a week since David's last appointment with Remi, and David was surprised to find himself missing the incense-scented room, filled with blindingly colorful carpets and pillows. Even Remi, who David had come to like but still found a little too spacey for his taste, was beginning to be missed, especially as David found himself sitting on the couch watching TV rather than spending his time listening to his semi-crazy anecdotes and questionable 'wise man' sayings. The image of Remi was beginning to fade from his memories, despite his remarkable fashion choices, and David was beginning to think of calling him, just to see if he had any half-truth stories to tell. But as David's hand reached for the phone, the sight of Remi out of the corner of his eye caused him to pause.
David was forced to double-take as he realized Remi's picture in the upper-right hand corner of the TV screen, a woman holding a stack of paper to his left. The sight was all-too familiar, and David couldn't fool himself into believing Remi had simply won the lottery for long. The woman's voice was clear. 'Murder', 'former patient', 'linked to gangs', 'mugging', 'left to bleed to death'. 'Remarkable life', 'pressured into a profession he never wanted', 'traveled the world', 'worked as a herbalist'. David could only stare as each sentence hit him like a brick wall. Remi's life, so similar to his own, trying so hard to stop David from making the mistake Remi nearly made himself, yet letting him choose. Why hadn't he just told him, rather than the hundred crazy side-adventures he may or may not have done? If he had only told him how similar they were...
David's hand slowly grasped the remote control. Remi's face flashed by once more before the news turned its attention to the next big thing, and David set his jaw as Remi's eyes looked into his own. He pointed the remote control at the screen, and with one, purposeful motion, turned the TV off, and stood up.