Day Sixteen

Raj had not seen the sun all day.

He sat on the bed, covers pulled up to his chin despite the heat, and just stared at the opposite wall. He’d been doing it for nearly twenty-two hours now, and he was almost certain he hadn’t slept at all. He didn’t feel like it, anyway.

Beth peeked in the room after calling him several times when she came in the door. She had groceries in her hands, an odd look on her face.

“What’s going on?” she asked, as if nothing was different at all.

“I’m thinking,” he said, unsure why he didn’t just come out and say it. Ask it. Express it.

She nodded.

“I’ve got to put this stuff away. Can you give me a hand?”

She disappeared around the corner.

“No,” he said, almost to himself.

“Sorry?” Beth asked, leaning in again. “What did you say?”

“I said no. No. Not now.”

She frowned at him.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Reggie’s dead,” he said, and the words almost made him throw up again. His hands clenched under the sheets, trying to expend the helpless fury he had in him.

Beth took a step in the room, mouth a bit open.

“Wait, did the police…?”

“No, the police didn’t come. Not yet, anyway. I saw it, Beth! I saw it happen!”

She put the grocery bag on the floor carefully and walked towards him, hands at her sides, and he watched them, feared what they might do.

“Raj…” she said gently. “How did you see it?”

“Don’t try that with me!” he cried. “You know damn well how I saw!”

She stopped mid-step, recoiled almost, and he could see her switching gears. She was on the defensive. Almost like clockwork. He’d played it out a thousand times, and it was all coming true.

“What are you trying to say, Raj?” she asked, an edge to her voice.

“It was on iSA! I saw it all! The heli, the blades… I saw it happen!”

Her eyes widened.

“What do you think you saw? Wait, what did you do Raj? Are you saying—”

“You killed Sam and Laura too, didn’t you?”

“I what?”

“You killed them, and you killed Reggie.”

“Oh my god, Raj, I know you’re depressed about your job, but this is—”

“This has nothing to do with that! Don’t you try and—”

Beth kicked the bed viciously.

“This has everything to do with that, Raj!” she yelled. “I don’t know if you’re hallucinating or role playing or just plain nuts, but I swear the god if you don’t snap out of it, I’m—”

“What? Going to kill me?”

She grabbed the covers and threw them off the bed, and he fought the urge to curl into a ball.

“Get a grip. I’m… no, you know what? I’m done with this. I’ve put up with enough of this shit, and I’m done.”

She stormed out of the room, and Raj heard her kick the bags of groceries across the room. A few heavy stomps later, the front door slammed shut, and he was alone.

He slept in the closet that night, right at the back.