Dr. Camel… (I wanted so bad to be)

I going to tell you a story. A short, very short story. Most of the details mentioned will be filler. Its the ending that contains the story. But don't skip ahead. That's cheating.

I became ill in late May. Just a cough. I get them every year when the weather starts to change. Real pain in the ass too. Keeping me up at night. Uncontrollable. Quite irritating. Typically it will last a few days. Towards the end of this cough i came down with a bad cold. All the symptoms. Sneezing, coughing, congested, poor smell, and taste, headache, muscle pain. All of them. I don't take medication, and i smoke... so it lasted over two weeks. Stuck at home to sleep, eat soup and drink tea. Missing 5 days of work. Good bye vacation time.

I was talking to a friend about my illness. I mentioned going to the doctors the next day. This friend asked what i would do if i found i was terminally ill. I said i would move home. Sell my truck and get a little sports car to recklessly drive around town. Id frequent the bar. Get in fights. Smoke a carton a week. Drink, smoke, do what ever. Party and have fun till i passed away. Why fight it? I wasn't worried about being terminal. I figured it was just a really long cold anyways. Take two more days off from work. Drive home to go to the hospital. And wait way to long for the answer i didn't want to hear.

Its only a fucking cold? Ive missed 5 days of work. Felt like shit. At crappy campbells soup. Drove for over an hour. Sat on a bed waiting for Dr. whoever to give me an answer i already knew? Thank god i have insurance or id refuse to pay.

I stuck around till the next day. Told my dad i was broke when he asked for money. Ate grandmas cooking. Picked up my brother from his neglected girlfriends house. Drove my mom to the vet, with her cat. Tried not to tell everyone i wanted to be back. Left the next morning.

On my balcony, with a trusty camel. I stood there. Completely disappointed. I wasn't terminal. And i wanted so bad to be.