Page 57 of Rock Me

"SHHH.”

"Dear Group." He pauses. "Oh, so there’s a ‘Hi, Seb’ for Seb but no ‘Hi, Brad’ for Brad? That's okay. I'll cry about that later. I would like to say that as a group, I think we are sick and tired of Jeremy’s boo-hoo attitude. and we shouldn't take it anymore. Someone should remind him that he has the best friends in the world, millions of dollars and a six pack. What more does he want?"

"Hear, hear!"

"Thank you for your touching words, Brad.” Anca tells him and turns to the group. “Anyone else?"

"Um, I have one." A voice from the doorway speaks up.

"Oh! Toni... everyone, this is Jez's day nurse, Toni.” Anca introduces my traitor nurse to the crowd. “I bet she has a lot to add."

"Yes. Um, Dear Group, I'm Toni."

"Hi, Toni," everyone chants.

"Sure," Brad grumbles.

"I have been taking care of His Highness Petrescu for about two months now, since he came out of his beauty nap and moved up here from ICU and I have to say, he is very lucky to have you as a group. As a group you are kind, and loving, and rowdy as all hell, but I've seen you, and I could only wish that every single one of my patients had a group like you. So, I would like to be added to the intervention group ethos, that we shall no longer allow ourselves to be bullied by his Dimple Butted Highness."

"Thank you, Toni. We love you, too." Anca says, giving her a hug. "Alright! Is that all?"

I sigh and step back into the middle of the room. "Since it's my intervention, surely I get a chance to say something"

"But it's not your-..."

"Yeah, yeah. Your turn to shush now, little sis. Okay, Dear Group. I am Jez."

No one says anything.

Brad jeers. "Yeah, see how you like it."

"I'd just like to say... I get it. I'm sorry I've been a sour dickpuss and I'm going to try harder. I’m sorry. I really am."

Everyone’s eyes are on me, waiting for more. But there’s nothing else to say. I was wrong. And I will try.

"What do we think group? Should we believe him?" Anca asks.

"Let's make him do something to prove it,” Sebastian suggests to the sound of agreement.

"LET’S MAKE HIM STREAK THROUGH THE HOSPITAL WEARING NOTHING BUT A SHOWER CAP!” Brad yells, and the cheers drown out all other sound for a minute.

“Er, I think this is where I go on break,” Toni leans over and whispers to me, patting me on the shoulder. “Hang in there, Mr. Petrescu. Everything you can do, you’re doing it. And everything you can have that will help you, you've got it. Just have a little faith. Push the button if you need anything, Mr. Petrescu.”

"Hey, Toni?" I call out to her as she slips through the door.

"Yeah?"

"It's Jez."

She winks and closes the door behind her and I turn back to my friends.

"Alright, shut up, you degenerate bunch of crazy titmuffins. Look, I'm not whole yet. But I'm going to be, ok? I'm going to do whatever it takes, to be whole again."

"That's all we want. For you just to try. We'll take it from there,” Marius says, giving me a hug. “Now, where’s that damn shower cap.”

I run into the bathroom and lock myself in there until I’m sure they’ve all gone home.