Chapters - Episode 12 (The One Where Albie Gets Sick)

"And you know what the worst part of this whole thing is?" Meg whined into the phone.  Emma had called her the moment she arrived home from Albie's work party.

"He never even called.  No call, no text, no nothing.  It's as if he's completely erased me from his mind."

Emma sighed audibly.  "You're right, that sucks.  If anything, he should have at least sent you a text to make sure you got home okay but Meg, what do you want from him?  You're acting like a jealous girlfriend and the last time I checked, you've never played that role before."

"I am not acting like a jealous anything," Meg huffed.  "Is it too much to ask for a little consideration?  He obviously knows there's something wrong.  I tried to explain what happened with Denise and it's like he doesn't believe what I say all of a sudden."

"Yeah," Emma agreed, dismissively.

"I mean, what would I have to gain by lying to him?"

"Nothing," Emma said, "you're right.  He's being an ass, what more can I say?"

Meg sunk back into the couch and pulled a soft, worn acrylic throw blanket under her chin.  "Nothing.  You can't say anything because it's not about you.  I guess I just needed someone to listen."

"That's what I'm here for," Emma said, sounding distracted.  Meg thought she could hear the faint sounds of a nail file being delicately passed over Emma's perfect nail tips.

"I'm gonna go," Meg finally said.  "I'm exhausted and I know you've got to be tired too."

"Actually," Emma replied, "I'm waiting for Joe Rile to call.  He promised he'd call the moment he returned from Aspen and said that it could be the middle of the night before he finally got in from the airport.  I guess he wasn't kidding."

Meg wracked her brain but did not recognize the name of the guy Emma was referring to.  "Who's Joe Rile?"

"Joe Rile," Emma repeated, as if that in itself was enough of an explanation.  When Meg didn't respond she elaborated. 

"You know, the guy who transferred here from Colorado?  I told you about him - Joe Rile Davis."

"What?"

"What?" Emma echoed.

Meg hesitated.  "Joe Rile Davis?  I thought his last name was Rile."

"No," Emma insisted.  "His name is Joe Rile.  You know, like Ann Marie or..." Emma had a tough time thinking of additional examples.  "You know what I mean," she said, sounding frustrated.  "A first-middle name combo."

Meg suppressed a laugh.  "Yeah but, Joe Rile?  What kind of name is that?"

"A cool one," Emma said quickly.  "For a very cool guy."

"O-kay," Meg said, trying harder not to laugh.  "Well, when the very cool Joe Rile calls, tell him Meg-Marie says hello."

Emma giggled and then turned serious.  "Alright I will."

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Meg said and heard Emma say It is tomorrow, before they hung up.

*

Meg dragged her feet at Chapters all day.  The iced tea she'd had didn't energize her.  The sugary doughnut was no help either.  She'd even gotten desperate and made herself a cup of strong coffee in her Keurig brewer but even that didn't provide her with the jolt of caffeinated energy she sought. 

It had been three days since Albie's work party and three days since they'd last spoke while forcing an uncomfortable 'goodbye' that night.  Meg checked her phone incessantly but there was never anything to be found in the form of text, email or phone call, from her best friend.

Later that evening she was due to receive the ladies from the murder mystery book club and she anticipated a long evening.  Lisa, Meg's youngest employee, was due to arrive as soon as she finished classes at the nearby University.  She couldn't help but watch the clock and count down the minutes until she had someone to relieve her for just a bit.  Just long enough to get out of the store for a bit and re-energize with a late lunch or early dinner. 

Shelving books was one of Meg's least favorite activities because it was never as simple as adding new stock to the shelves.  Arranging books alphabetically and according to genre caused a great deal of rearranging and the simple task of adding ten or fifteen new books on a shelf sometimes necessitated the adjusting of one or more entire shelves in order to accommodate for space.  It was tedious but unavoidable.

Meg checked her watch again.  Thirty minutes until Lisa arrived.  That would give her just enough time to spruce up the table the book club would be utilizing with free bookmarks and tiny complimentary tablets of paper. 

She could hear her cell phone ring from where she sat, surrounded by the last of her new book inventory.  Meg jumped up to answer it before the ringing stopped.  She would be upset if she missed a call from Albie after three long days.

"Hello?" she answered, trying not to sound winded from running across the store to reach her phone.

"Meg, it's Tom.  Are you busy?"

She felt a twinge of disappointment but tried to push the feeling away.  "No, it's okay."  She looked around the empty store.  "I'm working but I'm not exactly busy.  What's up?"

"It's about Albie," Tom said, his voice sounding forced. 

"I haven't heard a word from that jerk in three days so whatever you're going to say, spare me.  I don't want to hear anything about him."

"Meg, listen," Tom said, quietly.  "Albie's in the hospital.  He's pretty sick."

"What?" Meg gasped.  Her anger toward Albie all but forgotten.  "What do you mean sick?  What's wrong with him?"



"Albie never complains," Meg said.  "He must have been pretty sick to check himself into the hospital."

"Yeah, that's the thing.  He didn't go on his own...Denise took him.  Drove him there in her car.  Apparently he'd passed out."

"He passed out?  And Denise hurled him into her car instead of calling 9-1-1?  That doesn't make any sense."

Tom laughed.  "Seriously, I don't mean to laugh but that's exactly what I thought too.  I'm assuming he came to for her to get him in the car but yeah, the whole thing is a mystery at this point and I didn't want to ask Albie's mom too many questions over the phone."

"Where is he?" Meg asked.

Tom gave her the name of the hospital and just as she was about to check her watch, Lisa walked in the door. 

"Just in time," Meg said, grabbing her purse and keys.  "I hate to do this to you," she said to Lisa, "but I have to run out for a bit.  A friend of mine is in the hospital and I need to run up there real quick."

"No problem," Lisa said and she wriggled free from her jacket. 

"And just so you know, the women's murder mystery book club is due in at six-thirty.  I should be back by then but if you need anything in the meantime, call me on my cell."

"I can handle it," Lisa said confidently. 

Meg ran through the back room and into the parking lot where she quickly got in her car.  She took a deep breath before backing out of her parking space. 

She'd been so quick to get angry with Albie and here he was, sick for three days.  Denise or no Denise, no one was going to keep her from seeing her best friend when he needed her.  The story Tom had told her was a strange one but she vowed not to leave the hospital without some answers.