'So what are you getting into tonight?'�


'I'm going to cook'� he said, standing up from his doctor's couch and making his way to the door, their appointment finishing up a little bit earlier than normal.

'That's wonderful.'� The doctor replied, noticing the smile on his face as he opened the door for her, a courtesy he had shown each and every Sunday evening for the past fifteen years they had known each other. As they walked single-file down the cramped hallway, she could hear him humming behind her. She thought to herself, and wondered if she had ever noticed such behavior. She made a mental note to bring it up to him the next time they chatted as he slipped out of her front door and into the dark, December evening.

As he passed along the streets, he almost began regretting walking the ten blocks to his appointment, his feet slipping through the first dustings of the season. He continued to hum to himself, keeping time with his footsteps as he moved from one street corner to the next, stopping to say hello to some of his old friends.

'Hello, there!'� called the grocer, waving out to the street.

'Perfect night'� he replied as he tipped his imaginary hat and bowing slightly, the gesture causing a few giggles from the market patrons.

He continued his walk, bunching his naked hands together as the wind whipped through his fingers and around his body, but with each step he came closer and closer to home. A few more hello's and good-day's was all that stood between him and comfort.

His mood still spry, he almost danced his way from Baker to South Street, his toes moving in and out of rhythm with those of the people around him, the last minute shoppers barely noticing him, but he did not care ' not tonight. His doctor had told him she was beginning to see the biggest leaps of improvement that she had ever seen, and that it would only be a few more months before he was healed. The statement had been a long time coming in his mind, and his smile grew wider as it echoed through the back of his mind.

'And you are off your medicine, now?'� she had asked, and he had smiled, handing over an empty bottle, the last in a long line of small pale orange containers that he was glad to have out of his sight and out of his mind.

'I have never been better'� his exclamation showing through with pride in his accomplishments. 'I almost feel like a whole new person.'�

'That's wonderful'� The doctor had been as supportive as ever, calling him multiple times a week to make sure that he was doing alright, the bond between them having grown to a level close to that of family, or so he would guess, having not fallen under that category in quite a long time. The thought always tended to drag him down, but as he turned the last corner to home, he could not help but to jump and click his heels, the fluidity of his movement surprising even himself as he stepped up onto his stoop and fumbled for his keys.

Within seconds he found himself inside, pulling the jacket from his shoulders and throwing it nonchalantly onto his chair as he made his way through the kitchen, down the hall, and to his tiny secluded bedroom where he stripped to nothing, his bare body free to the world as he made his way back toward the kitchen, turning on his faucet as he stared at the pile of dirty dishes before him.

He began to hum again, a few notes passing through his lips as he reached for his loaf of bread and fingered for two slices, dropping them into his toaster and sliding down the handle before heading off to the bathroom, his pale torso and backside swaying to the beat of his own little drum. He stepped into his tub and turned on the water, the spray from the showerhead catching him off guard as he reached to turn it on, only to stay hunched over and stare at his feet as the water cascaded down over his body. He shook himself like a dog, throwing droplets out in every direction only for new and cleaner drops to take their place on his skin, soaking him through. He stayed in this position for a minute, only occasionally lifting his head to let a blast from the shower catch his hair and face before he shook it off as well, clearing out his eyes before finally reaching down and turning his shower off, the flow trickling up his spine and over his neck as the pipe emptied out.

Arching himself back up, he cracked his back and stepped from the tub, walking straight out and down the hall back to the kitchen, his body still dripping and his skin slightly pruned as he grabbed his toast, the dry bread soaking up a bit of moisture from his fingertips as he ate them and watched both of his sinks fill to the brim with water. As he munched at his second slice, he took care to pull the dirty dishes from their own bath and placed them to the side of the sink.

'Time to cook'� he said to himself as he dunked his head into the sink, his left arm swinging out and catching the side of the toaster, knocking it down into the water, the sound of his cooking nearly drowning out the ring of the telephone just a few feet from his body before the answering machine clicked on.


'This is Stewart, leave a message'�'�

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