Another excerpt from "The Baslicato"

On her way back to him, Brook stopped at the hospital pharmacy to pick up some things he would need to feel better.  He was dressed and packed when she came back.  He went into the bathroom to comb his hair.

“Nicole!” he screamed.  “Bears a strong resemblance to me?  Who in the hell is the bloke in the mirror?”

“Calm down, Richard.  The man looking back at you is Jason Allessandro Maxwell.”

“I’m… “ he had trouble coming up with the word, “…short!”

“No Honey, you’re not short.  I’m short.  You’re just not six foot two anymore.  You’re about Garrett’s height, about five ten, I guess.”

“And this NOSE!”

“Honey!  Jason Maxwell is half Italian.”

“And all nose!  Wake me up!  I’m tired on this nightmare.  What the hell is going on?  I want to be ME again!  I happen to LIKE my nose.  You like my nose.  You told me.”

“If you don’t calm down and lower your voice, they’ll cancel your discharge and you’ll have to stay here, upstairs, on the observation floor.  Now, finish combing Jason’s hair and let’s get out of here,” she giggled.

“This is not amusing. Nicole.”

“I know, Sweetheart, I know.”

“But he does have nice thick hair though.  I bet he doesn’t worry about going bald.  I wonder… when Jason looks in the mirror, does he see… me?  Where is Jason?  Is he dead?”

“Why do you ask that, Honey?  It’s the second time you’ve asked me if Jason’s dead.”

“Because I don’t feel anybody else in here with me,” he said patting himself here and there.  “No voices, no contradictory opinions, no feelings of inner conflict.”

“This is not amusing,” they both said at the same time, laughing.

“You know, this would be terribly frightening for me if you weren’t right here with me.”

“I know.”  She nodded and hugged him tightly, kissing his nose,  “But I am.”