The Drunk Logs Read Online Free PDF Page A

that I liked. Was it his devil-may-care attitude toward life or the sense I got that he might be the first person who genuinely didn’t need something from me? Only time would tell, and I would keep my guard up for now , I thought.
    I stared into the distance until the burnt tobacco from my last cigarette crunched under the sole of my tennis shoe, and then I headed down the path. I dreaded going into the building, let alone what might await me in my room. I walked down the hall and shook my head, still upset at Barry Eugene for defecating all over the bathroom. No matter how well they cleaned it, the mere thought of how it looked and smelled could not escape my memory.
    I peered around the corner that led into the hallway that housed all the detox patients and tried to see if anyone exited or entered my room, but nothing happened. I proceeded toward my room, and stared at only the crème doorway and nothing else, as my apprehension grew. I stopped shortly before the cracked door and struggled to push it open. To my surprise, Barry Eugene was asleep under his comforter, snoring with only the desk light on. I noticed that the black stain on the carpet was gone, and there was a sweet aroma in the air from cleaning products. I pushed the bathroom door open and switched on the light. Cautiously, I stepped in and noticed that the bathroom was clean, the smell of bleach overpowering. I turned off the light and stared at Barry Eugene as I inched toward my cabinet locker.
    I reached into my pocket, pulled out my key, slowly inserted it into the lock quietly, and made sure not to awaken my roommate. I undressed and put on some gray sweat pants and a white t-shirt. I hung up my other clothes and got my toothbrush and toothpaste, and walked over to the sink by the door. The water trickled as I turned the faucet and looked back at Barry Eugene; still no movement. I brushed my teeth and stared at my face, looking better now in the dim light. I finished and tiptoed back to my closet, put away my toiletries, and locked the door. Slipping under my comforter, I forgot about the light, and didn’t bother to turn it off; I just wanted to get some sleep. Rolling over, I took one last look at Barry Eugene, closed my eyes, and hoped the next day would be better than today.
    Gradually, the light from the hallway leered into the room past the open door and rested onto my eyes. Peeking through my eyelashes, I saw the comforter next to me move; the figure farted as it positioned itself. Barry Eugene was still there. In the doorway behind him was a shadowy figure that walked in closer to me as I pulled off my bed cover and sat up straight at the side of the bed.
    “Matt. We need to check your vitals. So, just follow me when you’re ready,” Molly whispered.
    I took a deep breath, pushed out of the bed, and shuffled my feet after Molly. My eyes struggled to focus as I walked down the hallway; carpet was still green, walls were still vanilla. I arrived at the vitals room, tried to make out the blurred images I passed in the hallway, and hopped up on the table. My eyes came back into focus as Molly slid the blood pressure belt on the same arm and pushed the start button. Relief came when I heard the whistling of air.
    “Looks like your blood pressure came down slightly, but it’s still high, so we’ll just keep an eye on it.” She ripped the Velcro, clicked her pen, and wrote on her clipboard. “You can go back to your room now, and another nurse will check on you in a few hours.”
    I took a deep breath and slid off the table, eyes half shut, still fighting the Valium and other medication given to me before. I exited into the hallway past the nurses’ station and turned the corner, confronted by two lonely figures coming towards me. The first one that passed was a young man wearing a black t-shirt, black sweat pants, and flip flops. I didn’t notice his face, only the tattoos growing on his neck, arms, and feet. I wondered if what I was seeing