Mercy (Ether)

Ether (call a physician, apply artificial respiration, also hot applications, massage extremities, if patients face is pale, lower head)


Mercy is drunk and texting Patrick #2 in Alaska, where he does not have cell phone service, where he hasn't had cell phone service in months. I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF, it says. In 3 months. I am going to off myself. in three months. This is the trajectory of the messages. Two weeks later, when is off the mountain and checking is voicemail messages and checking his email messages at the library, he will get a flood of texts that say these things but out of order I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF in three months I am going to off myself I am going to off myself I am going to off myself. In 3 months. In 3 months. I'M GOING TO KIL I am goi 3 mon,  they are getting cut off, they come in a wave and then are incomplete.

What does Patrick #2 do with this information? What does Patrick #2 do now two weeks later. She is still writing letters, he is getting one or two every other day, when he picks up his mail he has so many letters from Mercy. Patrick #2 is sad but does nothing and does not respond. Patrick #2 does not respond even through letter, its like Mercy had not sent those texts in the first place.

Mercy does not really want to die. She is drunk and eating a tuna fish sandwich from 7-11, she is eating Cool Ranch Doritios, she is drinking orange mango juice and watching Chasing Amy, a film that is offensive, now that she really watches it with adult eyes, its actually really offensive. Mercy is crying but she does not know it. She drunk and texting Patrick #2 says I'm going to kill myself and she doesn't mean it. She is tired of watching Jessica H. Christ die. She is tired of watching herself wither away. Death doesn't mean as much now that everyone is dead she thinks to herself but that thought doesn't make sense, she misses her father already and he is not even gone yet. Patrick #2, why tell Patrick #2 she is going to kill herself, what can he do, is it because he is so far away, yes, its because he can't do anything, or won't do anything.

She tried to pull this shit on Patrick #1 once and he called the police. She was a few cities away and he found the area code and called the police and the police showed up to her apartment where she was in her underwear and eating a taco bell burrito with sour cream that was all over her tank top and she had to convince them that she was fine, she was fine, she was fine. Don't ever tell Patrick #1 anything, he will call the police.

Patrick #2 won't call the police, he won't even get the texts in real time.

Patrick, I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF.

Patrick, IN THREE DAYS.

Not really, though. Mercy is going to eat the tuna sandwich and change her dad's catheter and wig and bathe him with a sponge and wash his testicles because she has to, she was lectured by the caregiver from the hospital, I know its uncomfortable but you have to wash underneath everywhere to prevent all kinds of things like sores and disease. Wash her dad's balls and comb all of his wigs that are now all on face stands surrounding his bed like gallery scene in the Return to Oz film where the Ozma has all of her heads and faces on display. But these styrofoam heads are faceless, they simply hold shape to the various hair of her father's her father's various identities. You can't just keep the hair in a box, it won't hold, it'll look like absolute garbage, her father told her.