Jack met me out in the smoke pit again on Monday. Had a book with him, about the size of my Anatomy book. The cover was weird though, like one of those mind’s eye pictures. And it was funny to the touch, kind of a crispy texture? It smelled like oranges too, no foolin’.
I opened it to a random page and it was blank. The entire thing was blank.
“What the piss?” I shoved it back at him.
He took it from me and tucked it under his arm, then lit a cigarette. “Hold out your hand for a second.” I stared at him. He beckoned at me, the cigarette held between his index and middle fingers.
I held my hand out and quick as a whip, he pressed the fresh cherry into the back of my hand. Then while I was cussing and threatening bodily harm against him and everyone he’d ever known, he pulled the book out from under his arm.
“Treatment for a cigarette burn.”
“I’m going to go talk to Dr. Nelson and get your ass kicked out!”
Ignoring me, he opened the book and thrust it at my face. It read:
Cigarette burn
Apply antibiotic cream and cover with gauze.
Approximately seven days to heal.
Mild epidermal scarring.
Well that shut me up pretty quick. I reached for the book, but he pulled it away. “You have to do something for me.”
“Uhh…”
“You’re going to take part in a very special game. If you win, you get to keep this book and go on to be one of the most successful doctors of the century.”
“And if I lose?”
He inhaled deeply on the cigarette and waited for a moment before blowing out a perfect smoke circle. “If you lose? You lose the book, of course.”
It seemed like there should be more, but he left it at that. I put the book in my backpack and headed home. That was on Monday. I went to the hospital again today, and Jack was gone. No one even remembered who I was talking about.
I wonder what kind of game he was talking about? Well, I guess I’ll find out soon enough. I wonder how he’s even going to know how I do? I don’t know where he went, and hell, I probably won’t even have to give it back if I do lose. What’s he going to do, sue me? Possession is nine/tenths of the law, sucker!
The Games We Play 
August 8th, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Well, not only are you royally screwed this is the first time I’ve seen one of Jacks deals come out so shoddy. Putting ointments or creams on a burn before the burn has cooled down is as good as basting yourself. Just makes the damn burn worse.