The Toothache Diary Chapter 7

TOOTHACHE DIARY
CHAPTER 7


So this is what death feels like. It’s dark, cold, and lonely. Am I in Hell? I can’t be. Not because I’m a saint mind you. No way. I’ve done some things in my life that would make Satan scratch His head. Besides, there’s no fire, no burning, no laments or cries. Just nothing.


Am I in Heaven? If so, where are the pearly gates? Where’s St. Peter or who ever it is that greets you? I don’t feel any wings growing on me nor do I have a harp in my hand. Maybe I’m stuck somewhere in the middle. Like a transition. I guess soon enough I’ll come face to face with my Creator or the Father of all lies.

But one thing is puzzling me. I keep hearing this beeping sound. I don’t know where its coming from, but it’s driving me nuts. It’s a constant beep….beep…beep. What’s going on?


“I understand you are Regina’s sister, so you’ll be making the decisions since her daughters are both minors, correct?
“Yes doctor. Can you tell us what’s wrong with my sister.”
“To be honest there’s a lot wrong with your sister. When the ambulance brought her in, she was unconscious. As a matter of fact she still is. She is severely dehydrated, she has labored breathing and she’s malnourished. When she was brought in she had nasty gash on her head. We assumed she fell. So with that tied in with the other symptoms we checked her BAL. It came back clean. So then we ran a tox screen. My God, her toxicity levels are through the roof. In other words, she overdosed. She has enough drugs in her system to take down a buffalo.”
“Oh my God, my sister is a crackhead.”
“No…she’s not actually.”
“But you just said she overdosed on drugs…”
“Yes, but not street drugs. It’s not a pharmaceutical drug either. When we got the toxicology reports back, we were shocked by what we saw. Regina overdosed on acetylsalicylic acid.”
“Doctor, what the hell is acetylsalicylic acid?’
It’s aspirin. Regina overdosed on aspirin.”