Categories > Original > Drama
"I'm afraid he's gone Ms O'Connell."
I stared at the doctor with amusement. He was joking with me again. He and I knew perfectly well that Mark was lying in bed in the next room, reading a book, or watching TV or listening to music. I laughed. Dr Thomas looked at me curiously.
"Your boyfriend is dead miss. This is hardly the time for hilarity."
I stopped laughing hesitantly.
"Mark's dead?"
"I'm very sorry."
I felt behind me for the seat that from which I'd risen when the Doctor had entered the small private waiting room. It seemed to take me hours to sit down again. I knew that Mark wasn't dead. He simply couldn't be. The whole idea was completely stupid and I told Dr Thomas as much.
"I'm sorry, but he passed away at 01:30 this morning."
"Why didn't you tell me then instead of waiting and calling me in now? There must be a mistake! Maybe he's passed out, or in a coma or something."
"I'm afraid there's no way to deny this. Now, you're obviously distressed, so I'm going to prescribe you some mild anti-depressants and then I'm going to call a taxi for you to get home. Is there anyone I can call to see if they'll look after you?"
I shook my head, hoping that the tears that were welling up in the corners of my eyes wouldn't be dislodged by the motion. A wave of terrible realisation swept over me. If Mark was dead, what was the point of going on?
I stared at the doctor with amusement. He was joking with me again. He and I knew perfectly well that Mark was lying in bed in the next room, reading a book, or watching TV or listening to music. I laughed. Dr Thomas looked at me curiously.
"Your boyfriend is dead miss. This is hardly the time for hilarity."
I stopped laughing hesitantly.
"Mark's dead?"
"I'm very sorry."
I felt behind me for the seat that from which I'd risen when the Doctor had entered the small private waiting room. It seemed to take me hours to sit down again. I knew that Mark wasn't dead. He simply couldn't be. The whole idea was completely stupid and I told Dr Thomas as much.
"I'm sorry, but he passed away at 01:30 this morning."
"Why didn't you tell me then instead of waiting and calling me in now? There must be a mistake! Maybe he's passed out, or in a coma or something."
"I'm afraid there's no way to deny this. Now, you're obviously distressed, so I'm going to prescribe you some mild anti-depressants and then I'm going to call a taxi for you to get home. Is there anyone I can call to see if they'll look after you?"
I shook my head, hoping that the tears that were welling up in the corners of my eyes wouldn't be dislodged by the motion. A wave of terrible realisation swept over me. If Mark was dead, what was the point of going on?
Sign up to rate and review this story