The trip to the bank the previous day had completely wiped Dexter out. He had to beg off from lunch with Mark, because he was feeling extremely weak. When he arrived at the apartment, he had gone straight to bed and had taken a six hour nap. Upon waking, he realized that he should probably follow the doctor's orders.
He was to take two short walks a day, gradually increasing the distance walked each day. Apparently going to the bank was a little more stressful on his heart, than taking a short walk around the block. He was supposed to take his medicine as instructed. Unfortunately, Dexter was not in the habit of taking medicine, and had forgotten to take some of his pills. He was to eat well balanced meals. The previous night, he had been too tired to eat.
His first task of the morning was breakfast. That meant he needed to tackle the refrigerator. He had put it off out of fear of what he would find.
There was a half-quart of milk that had gone bad, a head of lettuce that had spoiled, and some lunch meat that had turned green. He threw the spoiled items away. He grabbed a tub of margarine and a bottle of syrup for his toaster waffles. Maybe it wasn't a well balanced meal, but it was food.
His first walk of the day was to carry his trash out to the dumpster. It wasn't that long of a walk, and he didn't have much trash to take out there. He made the trip without much effort. The hard part was getting the bag of trash over the rim. Dexter discovered that raising his arms pulled on his stitches.
Dexter returned to his apartment, thinking it was time to get back to work. It couldn't be too strenuous, he thought, since he would just be sitting at his desk reading and typing occasionally. He worked on a 'return to work' article.
The article wasn't about the workplace. It was about the attempt on his life, and his subsequent heart attack. He still didn't know many of the details about his assailant. All he knew was that Brian Gaines had placed and detonated a bomb in his office before attempting to kill him in front of the courthouse. He still didn't know why the man wanted to kill him.
Dexter gave a simple time sequence of events as he had experienced them, as well as a few comments about his reactions to what had been happening. In the article, he avoided naming the individual, although it was already public knowledge. He could just imagine getting sued, even though a film of the man attempting to shoot him had aired on national television. It was a screwed up world when a criminal could sue the victim ... and win. Dexter knew he wasn't going to fix the absurdities of the legal system all by himself.
Concerning the email death-threats, he described the incredulity he felt when initially reading them. His first reaction was to assume that they couldn't be real. He began to fear for his life, when it became obvious that one man was very serious about killing him. He described how he had fled town, after having evidence that his assailant was stalking him. He didn't say where he had gone, despite the fact that news reports had placed him in Nevada.
He made minor mention of the shooting outside the courthouse, without getting into the vast difference in his version of events and the version that had been broadcast. All he said about the episode, was that it was the most frightening thing he had ever experienced in his life.
With regards to his heart problem, he discussed how important it was to have an annual checkup. While a company might not want to give an employee time off for activities like that, the company should understand that it is better to give an employee time off, than losing an employee to death. An hour spent at a doctor's office could add years to one's life.
Dexter wrote about being completely unaware of his high cholesterol. A simple medication, a minor change in diet, and a little exercise could have prevented his stay in the hospital. He added that he had suffered from an ulcer. Knowing that there were others out there like him, he suggested that anyone drinking the pink stuff by the bottle should visit a doctor as soon as possible.
He gave testimony concerning how too many of his fellow employees at his old company had died young. He mentioned that they had left behind widows and children whose futures were significantly impacted by their deaths. Threats of unemployment had to be weighed against the loss that a family would suffer if the person died. In the long term, one could always find a new job, but resurrection from the dead was impossible.
Dexter concluded his article with a paragraph about how he appreciated all of the emails wishing him a speedy recovery. He mentioned that being in the hospital had made it impossible for him even to read the emails. The amount of emails would provide him with a year's worth of reading material. He gave a rough calculation that it would take roughly one hundred days working twelve hours a day, to read and reply to all of the emails he had received, just on the day after he had been taken to the hospital.
Dexter finished his doctor ordered walk for the second time that day. This time, he attempted to go around the block. It hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be. He still had some energy left. Walking around the block had proved interesting, as well. He had been surprised to see how many people actually slowed down their cars to stare at him. If he had been jogging, then no one would have thought twice. But to see a man walking on a sidewalk appeared odd enough to arouse curiosity.
In the entire time that Dexter had been living in the apartment, he had never seen anyone sit outside of their front door. He dragged a kitchen chair through his front door, and placed it on the building's small porch, next to the door. Taking a seat, he watched people returning to the apartment from their various jobs.
There was a short period of time in which a lot of people returned home from work. He watched the influx with interest, wondering what kinds of jobs these people had that allowed them to come home at a reasonable time. There were a few who wore uniforms that announced their occupation.
A young man in his late twenties shuffled tiredly up the walk to Dexter's apartment. His head was down while he was walking. When he stepped onto the porch, he was startled to see Dexter seated there watching him.
Holding out his hand, Dexter said, "Hello. It appears we are neighbors."
The man stared at Dexter's hand without offering his hand. After an uncomfortable pause, Dexter ended his offer of a handshake.
"I'm Dexter."
The man frowned and looked at his apartment door as though wondering if he could make it inside without having to deal with this strange man. He hoped that he wouldn't get harassed like this every time he left or arrived at his apartment.
"I've been living here a couple of months. I thought it was kind of odd that I never met any of my neighbors," Dexter said.
The man said, "All I want to do is get in my apartment."
"Sorry. I didn't mean to hold you up," Dexter said.
The man sidled to his apartment door, keeping as much distance as possible from Dexter. He awkwardly unlocked the door, while trying not to turn his back to the strange man seated on the patio. Once it was unlocked, he quickly disappeared inside. Dexter could hear the deadbolt being thrown.
Dexter had watched the young man make his escape with a frown, and a wrinkled brow. It wasn't so much that the man acted afraid, but more like distrustful. After all, the man was younger than he, and was certainly in better physical shape.
A few minutes later, the door to the apartment opened. The man stuck his head out and said, "You're Dexter."
"Yes," Dexter said.
"You're the guy who was on television a couple of weeks ago," the man said.
It was more like a week earlier, but Dexter wasn't going to correct the young man. He nodded his head in agreement.
"That wasn't one of my better days."
"Do you mind not sitting out here like this?"
"Why?" Dexter asked.
"It isn't a natural," the young man answered.
"I beg to differ. People have been sitting in front of their homes greeting neighbors and passersby for thousands of years," Dexter said.
The young man closed the door. Dexter heard the deadbolt click into place. He snorted at the man's reaction.
A while later, a woman briskly strode up the sidewalk. She constantly looked around at her surroundings. She slowed upon spotting Dexter. Her hand went inside her purse.
Waving at her, Dexter said, "Hello."
"Stay away from me, creep," the woman said. She pulled something out of her purse and added, "I've got mace."
"I didn't mean to frighten you, young lady," Dexter said wide-eyed.
Of all of the reactions that he might have expected, that was the last one Dexter had foreseen. He wondered when saying hello had become seen as a threatening action. He viewed himself as a non-threatening type, since he was basically out of shape and not particularly macho looking.
The woman went over to the stairs keeping her can of mace pointed at Dexter the entire time. She ran up the stairs. While she unlocked her door to the apartment above, Dexter could hear her mutter, "I'm going to complain to the manager about this."
'At least she isn't going to call the police, ' Dexter thought. For a moment, he actually wondered if greeting people was against the law. It was clear that greeting people was against the rules at the apartment complex.
The reaction of his neighbors only pointed out how alone in this world he was. The only people with whom he occasionally talked, were his lawyer and his employee. It seemed to him that he wouldn't be able to establish a network of acquaintances at the rate he was going. At least, he wouldn't be able to make any friends there at the apartment.
Dexter dragged his chair back into the house. His energy was flagging, but not so bad that he needed a nap. He went into the study and read over the latest article for his website.
After reviewing the article, Dexter felt it was good enough to post. He uploaded it to the website and sat back in his chair. He yawned, realizing that once again he had overdone it. He nuked a 'lean ready to eat' frozen meal and ate it while seated in his easy chair. At least this evening, he didn't fall asleep in the chair.
Dexter woke late the next morning. He rummaged through the refrigerator looking for something to eat. His stash of frozen meals had dwindled down to a single burrito. He had to get some food in the house or starve. He didn't even have a car to take him to the store since his car was still parked in Nevada. Going to get his car was just another thing he had to do.
He waited in the living room for the call from the taxi that would let him know that it had arrived. In a way, waiting for a cab was extremely depressing. It pointed out just how badly his personal life was going. He was alone, without a car, living in a small apartment, and trying to recover from surgery, without anyone to nurse him. He was also hungry.
After a half-hour of waiting, his cell phone rang to let him know the taxi had arrived. Depressed, he headed towards the door. When reaching for the door knob, he came to a decision not to let his situation get him down. He forced a smile on his face and opened the door.
Stepping outside his apartment, he said, "Good morning, world!"
After closing the door, he turned to find that he was suddenly blind.
A woman was screaming, "Rape! Rape!"
Dexter couldn't see who was shouting. His eyes were burning. The pain was so horrible that he wanted to cut them out. He couldn't imagine anything so painful. It just never seemed to end. He heard a noise like a cat with its tail caught in a door, and realized he was the one screaming.
While rolling on the ground, Dexter could hear a conversation taking place next to him. It appeared the cabby was pissed about his fare being ambushed like that. The woman and he, were in a screaming match. Dexter didn't really care, he was in too much pain.
Dexter became aware of more voices talking around him.
He yelled, "Help! Would somebody help me?"
He had no idea how much time passed before someone started pouring water into his eyes. The relief, was almost immediate, but it was not complete. The sensation that his eyes were burning had toned down to where it felt like they were smoldering. Nobody would ever say that having his or her eyes washed was a pleasant experience. Dexter's suffering had eased but not ended.
"He came out of his apartment, and then she maced him. He didn't even have a chance to know she was even there. Now I'm stuck here for half a damned hour, not making a living, because of her," the cabbie said to the arriving policeman.
The woman screeched, "He was trying to rape me."
"Ma'am, I know this man. He just had heart surgery a week ago. He's not raping anyone," the policeman said.
"I don't care what you say. He's a creep. Yesterday he was lurking over there, and tried to get me to come closer to him so that he could grab me. This morning he leapt out of his apartment," the woman said.
The cabbie said, "He stepped out, turned around to close the door, and then turned around to leave. There was no leaping."
"You're in this with him," the woman said.
"You're crazy, lady!" the cabbie said. "He wasn't threatening you."
"You didn't see what he tried to do last night," the woman said.
"What did he do?" the policeman asked.
"He talked to me," the woman answered.
"What did he say?" the policeman asked.
"Well ... he said ... hello," the woman answered.
"Hello? He said ... hello," the policeman said.
The cabbie said, "She's crazy. You better lock her up before she kills someone."
"It wasn't so much what he said, but how he said it," the woman said.
"How did he say it?" the policeman asked.
"With a leer," the woman answered.
"Someone is going to have to pay me for wasting so much time, here," the cabbie said.
Dexter could finally see without his eyes tearing up. His eyes still stung at bit, but it was a whole lot better now. His eyelids had swollen, and he was seeing the world through narrow slits. He could see a policeman standing behind the medic.
The medic said, "I need to see some id," as he repacked his bag from washing Dexter's eyes.
Dexter dug his driver's license out of his wallet and handed it to the medic. The man filled out some papers, and then returned the license along with a bill.
"Let me guess, it's $725," Dexter said.
"That's right," the medic said. "You can mail it in, or pay it on-line."
Dexter said, "That's great."
The policeman said, "I need to see some identification, Dexter."
Dexter handed his license over to the policeman.
"Can you tell me what happened?" the policeman asked.
"I locked my apartment, turned around, and then I was maced," Dexter answered.
"That agrees with what the taxi cab driver said," the policeman said.
"Is this 'Kill Dexter Month', and no one told me?" Dexter asked.
The policeman laughed. "I'm sure it seems that way to you."
"I've been shot at, and now maced. What's next?"
The policeman said, "She'll be charged with assault."
"Assault!" the woman screamed. "I was in fear for my life, and you're going to charge me with assault for defending myself? Are you crazy?"
Dexter reached into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. After taking two hundred dollars out of it, he gestured to the cabbie.
While holding the money out, he said, "Go to the grocery store and buy some lunch meat, bread, eggs, milk, apples, cereal, and some frozen dinners. I don't care what you get, just get it and come back here."
"Sure thing," the cabbie said. "You want breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Right?"
"Right," Dexter said. "And some eyewash."
"I'll be right back," the cabbie said.
While one of the policemen led the woman away, she looked over her shoulder at Dexter and shouted, "You creep."
Edited By TeNderLoin
Edited By TeNderLoin