Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Surreal
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Chapter Thirteen - Without
The screech of tires, the shattering of glass, the bright yellow lights ... those were the last things she remembered. All of a sudden, she was on a stretcher, in pain ... so much pain ... with sirens and red lights flashing all around. People were screaming about IV drips, injections, stabilizing ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The ground thaws
The rain falls
The grass grows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... And then Roger's voice. High, terrified, uncertain, confused: "Delilah! Oh God, Delilah, please! Oh fuck, Goddamn it. Fuck, Delilah, /please/! Please, Delilah, please ... Oh fuck, no ... I'm so sorry ..."
"I'm sorry, sir, but no one is allowed in the vehicle. We have to get her to a hospital now!"
Delilah felt the stretcher she was on move; she was being loaded into the ambulance. The black was closing in around her, slowly dragging her down, down, down ...
Through the small part between her lips, she managed to whisper, "Julius ..."
*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The seeds root
The flowers bloom
The children play
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He hadn't been able to believe it, when Al had told him. Imagine ... imagine being roused in the middle of the night, from the safety and peace of your dreams, to hear that your best friend, the person you cared most about in the world, had been in an /accident/.
"Julius ... wake up ..." Even before he switched the light on, he knew that something terrible had happened. Al had the tight sound to his voice, the sound that you got when you were trying hard not to cry.
Still groggy, he had sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong, Al?"
Al had sniffed, and barely managed to choke back a sob. "There's been an accident."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The stars gleam
The poets dream
The eagles fly
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No ...
"Delilah's ... um, she's been in a car accident."
His heart skipped a beat. No ... "Is she alright? Who was driving?"
"She's ..." Al whimpered again, "... the paramedics just called to say she'd slipped into a coma. As for who was driving ..."
"It was Roger, wasn't it?" His fists clenched at the thought.
The answer confirmed it. "That has yet to be confirmed." Al was an awful liar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Earth turns
The Sun burns
But I die
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He didn't even bother to get dressed; Al said he'd bring along a change of clothes when he arrived with Scarlett, Nosey, Ursula and Emmet. Seconds later, he was in his car, revving it up, and heading towards the hospital in Halifax. To hell with the weird looks he'd get when he came in the lobby, dressed in pyjamas decorated with orange basketballs.
As he left the Academy's parking lot, his mind couldn't help but wander to his partner. Was she in the trauma center, with medical staff all around her, fighting desperately to keep her alive? Was she in ICU instead, hooked up to various machines keeping her breathing? Was Roger dead, or sitting by her side? Had he left her far behind?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The breeze warms
The girl smiles
The cloud moves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God, I am a fool. If I hadn't have given up on her ... If I'd barged inside her room a few hours ago and interrupted them ... Then maybe she wouldn't be in that position right now. What if I'd told Al or Scarlett about Roger? They would have kicked him out and she never would have gone for a drive with them. What if I'd refused to let her take Roger to his room? Would I be the one hooked, instead of Delilah? Would I be the one, lying in a hospital bed?
He sighed. Even though he didn't want to think about it, Delilah had basically saved his life. If he had been the one to take Roger to his room that night, he might have been pulled in by the smooth-talker's silver tongue. He could have been the one in the car. He should be the one in the hospital bed.
"Why did I let her out of my sight? Why did I give up on her?" He paused to make a left turn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The tides change
The boys run
The oceans crash
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why am I such a failure?" Tears were welling in his eyes. "I always swore I'd be like my parents and /never give up/! Why did I have to do that now?"
He was a disappointment, a catastrophe. Why had Al even let him become a spy, if he was just going to let his partner down when she needed him most? God, he was a disgrace to agents everywhere.
"Never give up, never give up," he continued berating himself. "Never give /up/! Then why did I have to go and Goddamn fucking /give up/?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crowds roar
The days soar
The babies cry
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He bit his lip. You're never supposed to let your partner down. That's the first rule in the Handbook, and I broke it. No one has ever, ever lost a partner before! Why the hell do I have to be the first one? Al and Scarlett must be so disappointed in me. Nosey ... aw man, he'll effing hate me. If she goes, how can I ever face any of them again?
One more disturbing thought crossed his mind: If she dies ... I'll have lost everyone I loved. And it'll be all my fault.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The moon glows
The river flows
But I die
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
As he pulled up in front of the school, his stomach twisted into a knot of nervousness. Could he really walk in there and face her? What if she was awake, and hated him? He couldn't blame her. She had needed him, really needed him, and he'd turned his back on her.
All this time he had thought that she had been the one betraying him, when in reality it was the opposite. What bigger betrayal was there than abandoning your partner, your friend?
There was none.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The world revives
Colours renew
But I know blue
Only blue, lonely blue
Willingly blue
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just get out there, Chevalier." He told himself. "Get in there and go see her. You owe her. 'Sides, if Roger's there, I can maul him."
To his shame, the thought made him smile. Why he was ashamed, he didn't know. Maybe because Roger had probably been a nice kid before he'd gotten messed up in drugs. Who was he to judge the guy? Maybe he'd gotten kicked out of his home, let down his mother, had to come to Halifax to live with a relative that couldn't afford to take care of him and their own child ... Maybe he thought that drugs were the only way to escape his pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The hand gropes
The ear hears
The pulse beats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, he forced himself to get out of the car. Delilah needed him, and he wasn't going to turn his back on her again. He walked inside the ICU Waiting Room and allowed himself a pitying smile as he saw other husbands/wives/brothers/sisters/fathers/mothers in pyjamas, sitting and looked worried.
The receptionist saw him walk in. "Excuse me, sir, can I help you?"
He hurried up to the desk. "Yes. Do you have a Delilah Devonshire on your list?"
She typed something into the computer. "We do-"
"What room is she in?"
The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir, you can't see her. Even if you were a family member, which I doubt you are, she's still in the Trauma Centre. If you'll head to the main waiting room, you'll be informed immediately of any changes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The eyes gaze
The legs walk
The lungs breathe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His heart was broken. From studying, he knew that the Trauma Centre was where people in critical condition went after some kind of trauma - like a car accident. It meant that they were still fighting for their lives, and could slip away at any minute. Most people thought ICU was for the people in the worst condition, but they were wrong. There were three places you could go from the Trauma Centre: to ICU, to continue battling death; home; or the morgue.
Dismally, he trudged to the waiting room, which turned out just to be a lobby. This time, he did receive odd looks as he slouched in. For now, he was the only one wearing jimjams. Defeated, he slumped down in an empty seat, and waited for Al and Scarlett to arrive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mind churns
The heart yearns
The tears dry
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
Around an hour later, Julius recognized Al's hippie van pull up in front of the hospital. He, Nosey, Ursula and Emmet hopped out as Scarlett drove away, presumably to park. As they walked inside, Julius waved them down.
"Dude, what are you doing here?" Al asked, looking confused. "I thought you'd be with Dee."
"I would, if I was allowed in the Trauma Centre."
The four froze instantaneously, completely shocked. The /Trauma Centre/? ICU, they had expected, but the Trauma Centre ... it was all too much to take in. The magnitude of it finally sunk in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life goes on
But I'm gone
'Cause I die without you
Without you
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They stood in silence for what seemed like forever. Each passing second - sitting there in that lobby, with sobbing family members and friends, young children sitting, looking solemn, having no idea what was going on - was like an eternity. Scarlett joined them, but could not speak in her grief.
Finally, the lady at the reception desk spoke. "Mr. Chevalier?"
The spies were up and in front of her in seconds. "Miss Devonshire has been moved from the Trauma Centre to a room in ICU: 243, on the second floor."
Walking briskly to the elevator, the group surprised an Asian couple getting off. They barged inside and pressed 2. Reaching the floor, they exited. As they neared Delilah's room, Julius slowed down. What would he be faced with inside? A mangled body, barely recognizable? Was she conscious? Were all her limbs still attached?
As Al walked in, Julius heard him breathe, "Holy fuck ..."
When he slowly entered, he could not have been prepared for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Without You"
By Rosario Dawson & Adam Pascal
From Rent
=============================================================
Synonyms for /Without/: lack, need, want, incomplete
_____________________________________________________________
I love the lyrics to this song. If you have not seen /Rent/, go see it. Now. Honestly, the best movie in the world. I just love how the song says that, yeah, life goes on and all, but you're in agony ... But no one else knows.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/rent/
1. Open up a new Internet window/tab
2. http://youtube.com/watch?v=OoBNcxmhmaU&mode=related&search=
Chapter Thirteen - Without
The screech of tires, the shattering of glass, the bright yellow lights ... those were the last things she remembered. All of a sudden, she was on a stretcher, in pain ... so much pain ... with sirens and red lights flashing all around. People were screaming about IV drips, injections, stabilizing ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The ground thaws
The rain falls
The grass grows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
... And then Roger's voice. High, terrified, uncertain, confused: "Delilah! Oh God, Delilah, please! Oh fuck, Goddamn it. Fuck, Delilah, /please/! Please, Delilah, please ... Oh fuck, no ... I'm so sorry ..."
"I'm sorry, sir, but no one is allowed in the vehicle. We have to get her to a hospital now!"
Delilah felt the stretcher she was on move; she was being loaded into the ambulance. The black was closing in around her, slowly dragging her down, down, down ...
Through the small part between her lips, she managed to whisper, "Julius ..."
*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The seeds root
The flowers bloom
The children play
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He hadn't been able to believe it, when Al had told him. Imagine ... imagine being roused in the middle of the night, from the safety and peace of your dreams, to hear that your best friend, the person you cared most about in the world, had been in an /accident/.
"Julius ... wake up ..." Even before he switched the light on, he knew that something terrible had happened. Al had the tight sound to his voice, the sound that you got when you were trying hard not to cry.
Still groggy, he had sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong, Al?"
Al had sniffed, and barely managed to choke back a sob. "There's been an accident."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The stars gleam
The poets dream
The eagles fly
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No ...
"Delilah's ... um, she's been in a car accident."
His heart skipped a beat. No ... "Is she alright? Who was driving?"
"She's ..." Al whimpered again, "... the paramedics just called to say she'd slipped into a coma. As for who was driving ..."
"It was Roger, wasn't it?" His fists clenched at the thought.
The answer confirmed it. "That has yet to be confirmed." Al was an awful liar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Earth turns
The Sun burns
But I die
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He didn't even bother to get dressed; Al said he'd bring along a change of clothes when he arrived with Scarlett, Nosey, Ursula and Emmet. Seconds later, he was in his car, revving it up, and heading towards the hospital in Halifax. To hell with the weird looks he'd get when he came in the lobby, dressed in pyjamas decorated with orange basketballs.
As he left the Academy's parking lot, his mind couldn't help but wander to his partner. Was she in the trauma center, with medical staff all around her, fighting desperately to keep her alive? Was she in ICU instead, hooked up to various machines keeping her breathing? Was Roger dead, or sitting by her side? Had he left her far behind?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The breeze warms
The girl smiles
The cloud moves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God, I am a fool. If I hadn't have given up on her ... If I'd barged inside her room a few hours ago and interrupted them ... Then maybe she wouldn't be in that position right now. What if I'd told Al or Scarlett about Roger? They would have kicked him out and she never would have gone for a drive with them. What if I'd refused to let her take Roger to his room? Would I be the one hooked, instead of Delilah? Would I be the one, lying in a hospital bed?
He sighed. Even though he didn't want to think about it, Delilah had basically saved his life. If he had been the one to take Roger to his room that night, he might have been pulled in by the smooth-talker's silver tongue. He could have been the one in the car. He should be the one in the hospital bed.
"Why did I let her out of my sight? Why did I give up on her?" He paused to make a left turn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The tides change
The boys run
The oceans crash
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Why am I such a failure?" Tears were welling in his eyes. "I always swore I'd be like my parents and /never give up/! Why did I have to do that now?"
He was a disappointment, a catastrophe. Why had Al even let him become a spy, if he was just going to let his partner down when she needed him most? God, he was a disgrace to agents everywhere.
"Never give up, never give up," he continued berating himself. "Never give /up/! Then why did I have to go and Goddamn fucking /give up/?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crowds roar
The days soar
The babies cry
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He bit his lip. You're never supposed to let your partner down. That's the first rule in the Handbook, and I broke it. No one has ever, ever lost a partner before! Why the hell do I have to be the first one? Al and Scarlett must be so disappointed in me. Nosey ... aw man, he'll effing hate me. If she goes, how can I ever face any of them again?
One more disturbing thought crossed his mind: If she dies ... I'll have lost everyone I loved. And it'll be all my fault.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The moon glows
The river flows
But I die
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
As he pulled up in front of the school, his stomach twisted into a knot of nervousness. Could he really walk in there and face her? What if she was awake, and hated him? He couldn't blame her. She had needed him, really needed him, and he'd turned his back on her.
All this time he had thought that she had been the one betraying him, when in reality it was the opposite. What bigger betrayal was there than abandoning your partner, your friend?
There was none.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The world revives
Colours renew
But I know blue
Only blue, lonely blue
Willingly blue
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just get out there, Chevalier." He told himself. "Get in there and go see her. You owe her. 'Sides, if Roger's there, I can maul him."
To his shame, the thought made him smile. Why he was ashamed, he didn't know. Maybe because Roger had probably been a nice kid before he'd gotten messed up in drugs. Who was he to judge the guy? Maybe he'd gotten kicked out of his home, let down his mother, had to come to Halifax to live with a relative that couldn't afford to take care of him and their own child ... Maybe he thought that drugs were the only way to escape his pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The hand gropes
The ear hears
The pulse beats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Finally, he forced himself to get out of the car. Delilah needed him, and he wasn't going to turn his back on her again. He walked inside the ICU Waiting Room and allowed himself a pitying smile as he saw other husbands/wives/brothers/sisters/fathers/mothers in pyjamas, sitting and looked worried.
The receptionist saw him walk in. "Excuse me, sir, can I help you?"
He hurried up to the desk. "Yes. Do you have a Delilah Devonshire on your list?"
She typed something into the computer. "We do-"
"What room is she in?"
The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir, you can't see her. Even if you were a family member, which I doubt you are, she's still in the Trauma Centre. If you'll head to the main waiting room, you'll be informed immediately of any changes."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you
The eyes gaze
The legs walk
The lungs breathe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His heart was broken. From studying, he knew that the Trauma Centre was where people in critical condition went after some kind of trauma - like a car accident. It meant that they were still fighting for their lives, and could slip away at any minute. Most people thought ICU was for the people in the worst condition, but they were wrong. There were three places you could go from the Trauma Centre: to ICU, to continue battling death; home; or the morgue.
Dismally, he trudged to the waiting room, which turned out just to be a lobby. This time, he did receive odd looks as he slouched in. For now, he was the only one wearing jimjams. Defeated, he slumped down in an empty seat, and waited for Al and Scarlett to arrive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mind churns
The heart yearns
The tears dry
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~
Around an hour later, Julius recognized Al's hippie van pull up in front of the hospital. He, Nosey, Ursula and Emmet hopped out as Scarlett drove away, presumably to park. As they walked inside, Julius waved them down.
"Dude, what are you doing here?" Al asked, looking confused. "I thought you'd be with Dee."
"I would, if I was allowed in the Trauma Centre."
The four froze instantaneously, completely shocked. The /Trauma Centre/? ICU, they had expected, but the Trauma Centre ... it was all too much to take in. The magnitude of it finally sunk in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life goes on
But I'm gone
'Cause I die without you
Without you
Without you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They stood in silence for what seemed like forever. Each passing second - sitting there in that lobby, with sobbing family members and friends, young children sitting, looking solemn, having no idea what was going on - was like an eternity. Scarlett joined them, but could not speak in her grief.
Finally, the lady at the reception desk spoke. "Mr. Chevalier?"
The spies were up and in front of her in seconds. "Miss Devonshire has been moved from the Trauma Centre to a room in ICU: 243, on the second floor."
Walking briskly to the elevator, the group surprised an Asian couple getting off. They barged inside and pressed 2. Reaching the floor, they exited. As they neared Delilah's room, Julius slowed down. What would he be faced with inside? A mangled body, barely recognizable? Was she conscious? Were all her limbs still attached?
As Al walked in, Julius heard him breathe, "Holy fuck ..."
When he slowly entered, he could not have been prepared for it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without you ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Without You"
By Rosario Dawson & Adam Pascal
From Rent
=============================================================
Synonyms for /Without/: lack, need, want, incomplete
_____________________________________________________________
I love the lyrics to this song. If you have not seen /Rent/, go see it. Now. Honestly, the best movie in the world. I just love how the song says that, yeah, life goes on and all, but you're in agony ... But no one else knows.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/rent/
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