Solaris Rising by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Short Stories
Published: 2011-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

On the phone, Trish said, “How are you feeling?”

“Still haven’t slept.”

“Jesus. You’re up to nine days. Okay, I’ve got a number for you. A Dr. Weinstein. That Greek letter on the pills? It identifies them by experimental lot-trial. I made some calls.”

“Thanks. What’s the number?”

She told him and he wrote it down.

“Brian? Maybe you should come over, not be alone.”

“I’m all right.”

“Then maybe you should come over so I don’t have to be alone. I’m just saying.”

“I’ll call you.”

“I doubt it.”

He knew he shouldn’t say anything else, but he did: “What’s wrong?”

“A lot of things.”

“Trish, you know I never said –”

“Here’s what it is. I don’t hear from you for like a month, sometimes even longer. Then you have a crisis, and you want one of two things. The first is a mother. The mother’s the one that listens patiently, commiserates, tells you it’s all better, even takes you to bed, for God’s sake.”

“All right.”

“The other is a child. When it’s the child, you get to take care of me, fix stuff. Convey wisdom about things you know and I don’t know, whatever. Be a comfort. Be a man. Here’s what’s sad. I used to mistake both of these for the wrong thing. Love.”

“I love you,” he mumbled, like a guy coasting into a four-way intersection without conviction, just begging for a bus to T-bone him. And it did.

“You’ve learned to say it, but I think you’re sketchy on the concept.”

“Come on, you don’t even –”

“Don’t get all dramatic. All I’m saying, what I mean is… that I can’t really do it anymore. I can’t alternate between mother and child. Because you know what? I’m not either of those things. If you ever think you’re over yourself, then call.”

“Trish, I have to go.”

“Big surprise.”

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