The Subplot

This will be the last installment of The Adventures of the Adverse Reaction. I'm tired of talking about it. I must finish with the subplot, because it goes with the movie this little episode seems to be in my head. It's like Keystone Cops.

Right in the middle of all of this, my neighbor Sarah was having her condo bombed for fleas. All of us neighbors have agreed on a time days before; Friday, between 9 and 11 am. Who knew that the Friday would be the day after I spent a few hours in the ER? Everyone had to be out of the house for four hours while the bombing did its work. We had already worked out a plan: my across the hall neighbors George and Christine would put their two cats and my cat Shelby in their VW van in the driveway, and pray that they wouldn't freeze to death.

The man from Terminix showed up at 9 on the dot, and we all set about to put the cats in the van; Sarah would bring her two cats to the vet's. Got Kipper in the van, but where was Phoebe? Couldn't find Phoebe. Finally, I opened a closet door, and there she was. "Got Phoebe!" Put Phoebe in the van. Put Shelby in the van. Whew.

I went upstairs to Sarah's. She said to me that she didn't think that her cats had fleas anymore, because she didn't see any flea dust on Benjamin. If there was no evidence of fleas, there was no reason to have the place bombed. What did I think? No bombing? I could sleep in my own bed? Great. Call off Mr. Terminix.

I went downstairs and told George and Christine, who were happy as well. Went back upstairs and just for kicks, decided to check Benjamin one last time, to be sure. I combed through the fur on his neck, which was very dense. After about three seconds, I found it. A bunch of flea dust. Evidence. Mr. Terminix was on again. Go downstairs to tell George and Christine. Get my stuff.

In the days we were making this plan, I figured I'd be at work, and just return home like any other day and be done with it. But now I was doped up on Prednisone and Benadryl and I had to find somewhere to be, because my boss had given me the day off to rest after my "adventure".

I immediately thought of my friends Liz and Chris. They have a room off of their basement that I used once when my floors were being redone. I had an image of this room as I thought about where to rest for four hours: the lush burgundy carpet, the double bed with flannel sheets, the cozy feeling...

I called Liz and she said to come on over, she'd be in and out. I went over. And got a phone call. From Sarah. Okay, next one is last installment. I swear.