54

who could give you drugs
or hypnotise you or something?

– I don’t like doctors

– I know
I mean, I don’t like them either
I mean, when Mickey was
I guess Bob told you all about it
I just remember all those drugs they made him take
he’d swell up sometimes
his skin would get all puffy
or he’d tell me that his eyes felt like
they were turning backwards into his head
& eventually they’d say that it was a rare side-effect
but by then we’d been through six months
of screaming nightmares & fits
sorry, I guess that’s not much use
I’m supposed to be trying
to talk you into this

– Of course you’re right
I may have to … at some stage
but it seems like a last resort, you know?
I keep on thinking every morning when I wake up
that it’ll just be there
I’ll be able to remember everything again
& then I can’t …

– & I guess when you do
you’ll forget all about this
about everything that’s happened to you since

– I honestly don’t know
maybe
but I really can’t believe
I’ll ever forget about you