Almost Famous

William turned in place, holding up Penny’s limp body, her arms dangling and feet slightly dragging on the floor on the empty hotel suite. Completely passed out, her head rested against his shoulder; her curly hair fell into her make-up streaked face.

Nervously babbling to the passed out Penny, William professed his love to her. He continued to turn in place holding her up. He knew he wasn’t the first person to tell her this and boldly going where many men had gone before, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. She made an almost inaudible noise but remained motionless and fell to the floor with a thud.

Two doctors rushed into the hotel suite and when they asked, William told them her name was Emily. The large pudgy man in a blue sweater and middle aged woman in a dress frantically carried “Emily” to the bathtub by her hands and feet. Penny slurred and made sluggish movements to bat them away as they attempted to force a rubber hose down her throat. “Emily you’re going to have to cooperate,” the large man kept saying. William hung back and watched with a blank expression. Penny cringed, trying to keep her mouth shut and squirm to avoid the hose, but the large doctor kept a firm grip on her until it was down.

“All done. Now we have to feed some liquid into your stomach,” the doctor said as he held her in place. Penny began puking into the tub. William slowly lowered himself onto the couch. He watched as Penny’s toes curled every time she bent back over the tub. The corners of his lips turns up ever so slightly as he looked at the woman he loved.