"So, uh, Sheila," he asked uncomfortably. "When did you uh, need to get home?" when are you going to get out of here? his mind asked. She was begining to creep him out.
It had started out nice enough. They had gone to dinner, and he had invited her over to be polite. He wasn't really attracted to her, and now would rather she leave.
Sheila smiled at him flirtatiously. "I don't have to go home at all."
Conan swallowed and tried not to roll his eyes. Wasn't he supposed to choose who he slept around with? He almost laughed at his own thoughts. "Well, you should. It's late and all......."
Sheila frowned. This was not going her way. She turned up the charm a notch. "But Conan," she cooed. "it's so late and I hate to drive home alone in the dark....."
Conan closed his eyes and sighed. She was getting to him......
"Besides," she went on. "we've both been drinking........speaking of which, I'm a little thirsty........" she said, shaking her glass.
Conan got up wordlessly to fill her glass. Sheila quickly got her little secret out of her purse and dropped it in his drink.
Conan returned, eager to hurry her up and quickly swallowed the last of his drink. Sheila smiled and merely sipped hers.
Conan sighed to himself, trying to think of new ways to get rid of her. He sat back in the chair, suddenly relaxed. He looked at her. Maybe she could just crash here one night...........
Something in the back of his mind complained that something wasn't right, but he ignored it, and just sat, hypnotized by his own wall. Somewhere far off Sheila asked again if it was okay if she stayed. Conan was slightly aware that he mumbled "Okay......"
Conan could not beleive how relaxed he felt. He hadn't felt so good in his life. There was still a nagging thought, and it was digging it's way up. Before he even realized it, he was mumbling "What........what did you........" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, or the thought.........
Sheila smiled to herself and caressed his forehead "That's not important.........." she murmered. Conan was now almost unconscious, still mumbling to himself.
Sheila took three more of the same pills out of her purse. She held them in her hand and stared at them. With just the one, he would pass out and wake up in a few hours, without much recollection. With two or three he would OD, but possibly survive.
Hence the fourth.
She slid all three remaining pills in Conan's mouth and forced him to swallow. "That should teach you not to ignore somebody for five whole years." she murmered, standing up and walking away. Conan watched her go, not caring. Then everything went black.
*******
The next morning, the news was in an uproar. Andy watched the TV as station after station made assumptions about his best friend. He looked over at Conan in the hospital bed, hoping he could not hear what people were saying about him.
Andy had found him that morning, he had stopped by because the two were going to breakfast, something they rarely did. Andy had shown up at the place to meet him at 8:30. When Conan had not shown up by 8:45, he knew something was wrong. He tried Conan's car phone first, no answer. Then his home, no answer. So he had gone there, figuring he had forgoten. When he found the door unlocked, he panicked. He walked in to the apartment, and there was Conan slumped in his chair. But he was too slumped down to be sleeping.
Andy sighed. The doctor had said that he had overdosed on some drug with a long name. Andy wanted to beleive in his heart that his friend was not on drugs, but he had taken the pills......
He wished the doctor had not told him that Conan was nearly dead when he came in. He did not want to think about it. He just wanted to know why he had done it.
*******
Sheila got up calmly; there would be no work today. She flipped on the TV and immediatly heard "Conan O'Brien, host of NBC show Late Night With Conan O'Brien was found near dead in his New York home this morning........"
Sheila jumped like something had bitten her she was so suprised by that. Near dead? No, he was supposed to be.......
"...........sources say he suffered of a near-fatal overdose, self induced........"
Hmmm, they thought he had tried to kill himself, huh? Sheila was glad. He would deny it, they wouldn't beleive him.....she was safe.
*******
The Late Night staff was in an uproar. Everyone had come to work seeking comfort this morning. Everyone just wanted to know how he was doing, what had happened. Susan, the intern, was in hysterics, whaling something about how she should have know. There was an aura of denial in the staff. Conan, the Conan they knew, had no reason to kill himself. "But he's changed." others would argue. Others would agree that he had changed, but he was happier.
*******
Sometime around three in the afternoon Conan woke up, sort of. The doctor warned Andy and Conan's family not to bombard him with questions, he was going to be very confused as it was. Once he established where he was he seemed okay. Then his sister gripped his arm and asked what had happened. Conan closed his eyes, trying to recall. Unfortunatly he could not even remember going out with Sheila. He remembered asking her, but not going.
The room was silent. Then someone asked what everyone was dying to know. "Why did you do it?"
Conan was confused. "Do what?"
His brother sighed "We know you've been going through some rough times......."
Conan sat up, horrified. "You think I did this?"
All eyes in the room averted his.
"I did not try to kill myself!" he exclaimed. "Somebody tried to kill me!" he insisted with a crazy delight as the night before rushed back to him.
"Conan, lay down......" his mother pleaded.
Conan felt sick with realization. They didn't beleive him. He was feeling dizzy, so he layed back down. He was suddenly exhausted, and fell asleep right then. His family looked at eachother and got up and left.
*******
Conan walked into his apartment greatfully, Andy close behind. Lynn stood up as they walked in. Andy looked suprised, but Conan had known she would be there. She had called him at the hospital tearfully, asking if she could come see him. He had plans to get out of the hospital that same day, only a day after he was brought in by ambulance.
Conan had finally convinced everyone that he didn't do it, and Sheila was promptly taken in for questioning.
Who knew what was next.
Lynn was trying to get him to look her in the eye, which he couldn't do. "Did the reporters get to you?" he asked quietly.
Lynn sighed. "Yes. How did you ever get past them?"
Conan frowned "I didn't. I just walked right through them. You didn't say anything did you?" with each word his voice got higher and more distressed. Andy took this as his cue and left quietly.
Lynn forgot the initial problem and glared at Conan. "Well, I thought you would know I wouldn't want to ruin your precious reputation, but I guess not. No, Conan, I did not tell anyone about your little adventures."
"My little........this is uncalled for. We are not here to fight, are we? Remember, you called me." whoops. He was getting good at blurting things out.
Lynns eyes widened. She was about to retaliate but he cut her off. "No, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just stressing out."
Lynns look softened "So........are you OK?"
The couple smiled at eachother, and Conan offered his arms. Lynn accepted, and the embraced. "I can't tell you how sorry I am." Conan murmered.
Lynn began sobbing when he said that, so he just stood there and held her until she was better. But every time she would start to talk she would start crying again, so much that she fell asleep with tears rolling down her face, her head on his shoulder. He looked at the clock. It was only nine, but he was tired himself. He easily picked up Lynn and carried her to bed.
*******
Conan woke up the next morning with a migraine, which the doctor had warned him about. So he stumbled out of bed and found asprin. Lynn was making breakfast.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He wanted to scream at her did she think he was okay, but maintained his stance and mumbled yes.
Laying next to Lynn last night he had realized that he still kind of wanted her gone. He had dreamt about Susan, the intern, and woke up in the middle of the night thinking it was her next to him.
Lynn tossed a plate in front of Conan. He sighed. "What is it?"
She didn't answer, instead just sat across from him and stared at him. "So what all did you do on your five day adventure?"
He sighed again. "We went over this. Remember, sorry, sobbing?"
He had meant that as a joke, but she wasn't amused.
"You got some phone calls this morning. Reporters, Andy, your brother, and two girls."
"People are concerned, I can't help who calls." he muttered, not looking at her.
"They both sounded awfully suprised to hear me on the phone," she went on, not listening. "One in particular. She was quite defensive. I beleive her words were 'but he left you for me!' Is that what you were telling people? You left me?"
He gave her a strange look. "I did leave you."
"Excuse me? I was the one who walked away, who moved out."
He was almost amused. "But you walked away because what I said made you cry, remember? Would you like me to say it again?"
Her chin quivered, recalling those hurtful words.
"See? I just have to remind you and your gone. Maybe that's how I get rid of you."
Her eyes widened. "My god you have changed. I don't know who you are anymore!"
"Lynn, I have to change. Everyone changes. Why can't you except that I can stand up for myself more? If you insult me, I will retaliate, not keep it quiet. Just like everytime I do you accuse me of changing for the worst. That hurts, you know. I'd like to think I am still a good person, but you never let me be!" Conan was on his feet yelling now, with this newest realization.
Lynn glared at him and opened her mouth. He cut her off before she could speak.
"So to make it official, Lynn, get the hell out. I don't want you anymore. Happy now?"
She snapped her mouth shut and nodded. "I-- I guess I'll go now......"
********
