there is no healing;

He swayed a little as he walked, occasionally tripping over nothing. The prescription medications he was taking (and abusing) were giving him unwanted side effects, but at the same time they made him feel better than he had in years. He was certainly dizzy but at least his mood was stable and although he was sleepy he still felt mentally energized. He tripped through the door of the cafe, spotting Angel sitting there and then sitting down across from them. “Hello, Angel!” he said. "Sorry I’m late. I had to walk the whole way."

    Angel kept checking the time, and they felt as if it was moving slower than usual. They pulled out their phone, plugged in their earbuds and indulged themselves in the sweet sounds of a waltz and Peter Murphy's voice singing about classic gentlemen, the wind of prostitution and how he will always exist. No matter how many songs Angel actually had on their phone, they always listened to the same ones. It was nearing one o'clock now, the time that they and Daniel had chosen to meet. The bell on the door chimed, and Angel glanced up from their phone to see the smiling face of their friend, who then sat across from them. "I was afraid you weren't coming," they joked, wrapping their earbuds around their phone, tucking it in the purse on the table. "You're not late. It's 1:05. Anyway," they folded their hands on the table, smiling at Daniel, who looked equally as put together as they tried to be, "it's wonderful to see you again!"

© Dave Brown

Part 1: Brian

Janie’s Got a Gun | Aerosmith