The Long Goodbye

Tedesco had ruined countless lives, in service of his overwhelming ego. I wanted to see what divine retribution looked like. I dropped by Northwestern Medical. I was carrying a nice little bonsai tree as a get-well gift. I knew the nurses would let me in if I looked like I was a concerned friend; instead of the perpetrator.

Visiting hours had just begun. When I appeared at the nursing desk, the friendly nurse was more than accommodating. She said, "You can go in for just a minute. I'm sure he could use all the moral support he can get. He hasn't had a single visitor in the three days he's been here."

I walked into the room. Tedesco appeared to be asleep. He was lying helpless in a therapeutic cradle designed to ease his pain. The drugs were doing the rest. The bags for his bodily functions were hanging on the bed, as they would be for the rest of his miserable life.

He was as good-looking as ever. But all the luster had been scoured off the Golden Boy. Underneath the clean hospital sheets; his cock was a useless flap of wasted skin. He would never fuck another woman. For that matter he would also never piss, or shit on his own. He looked destroyed. Maybe he would take the coward's way out and end himself. Maybe he would live his entire life. Either way Pia had won.

He opened his eyes and saw me standing in the doorway. I was just staring at him. A look of astonishment, mixed with fear, crossed his face. That quickly morphed into a mask of infinite hatred. He knew that I had done it.

I smiled evilly. He started to yell for the nurse. But I had already pivoted and walked out of his life. My wife could rest easy now.

I could too.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Those of you who read Noir know that the hero can never get the girl. But I like serials; and these two are interesting enough, that you can expect more stories involving them. Maybe we'll violate the rules and get them together. What do you think? Thanks for reading me – DT