7 July 1977

Still rather dizzy, I dabbed at my lip to see the extent of the damage and winced when I saw the drop of red it left on my fingertips.

The minute blood gets involved, it's time to go home; I turned to my driver. "Rudy, could you go get the car?"

Eve's glassy eyes widened. "W-we don't have to leave yet, Freddie," she slurred breathlessly. "I'm all right. I swear I a-"

Without warning she cut herself off with a gag, hands wrapping around her mouth. On frantic, wobbly legs she stumbled toward the WC. I followed her. I don't really know why, I wasn't thinking all that clearly at the time. But I did it anyway.

No sooner had I entered than she busted a vacant stall door open and went in, not bothering to close it behind her. I hesitated, initially wanting to give her a little privacy- but once she began to retch two seconds later, I abandoned those plans entirely and came closer.

I was met with the truly pitiful image of the poor girl kneeling on the tile in her ivory jumpsuit, face hovering inches above the commode and hands gripping either side of the bowl for dear life. She took a deep, ragged breath, then started to convulse again.

"Oh dear, wait a minute, wait wait wait," I mumbled nervously as I edged inside and pulled her hair out of her face. "All right, now."

And polite thing that she was, Eve did exactly as I commanded. She emptied the entire contents of her stomach into the bowl, shuddering violently and letting out a little strangled whimper. I took a bit of tissue and dabbed at her forehead, which shone with perspiration.

Suddenly she gagged, leaned further toward the bowl as if getting ready for another round- but this time all she could muster was a bit of saliva and a hard, painful cough.

"It's okay," I whispered against her ear. "It's okay, you're all right. Just take a deep breath." To demonstrate I put my arms under her shoulders and lifted so that her shivering back was pressed up against my chest. From there I inhaled slowly through my nose, and released. With effort, Eve copied me. Vaguely I thought I heard the outside door open and close, but I was too preoccupied to give it any real attention. Whoever came in there left in a matter of seconds anyway.

"Good girl," I murmured. "Take it easy. Just keep breathing. In, out, in, out. Like that. Okay?"

Eve gradually began to regain control of herself. In my grasp her taut muscles relaxed, and her shudders subsided. When I decided the purge was finally over, I helped her to her feet and led her toward the sink. In silence she soaped and ran her hands under the faucet. Through it all, her eyes could barely hold themselves open.

My poor darling, what did you get yourself into tonight?

"Better?" I asked.

"Mmmmph," she groaned.

"You going to be sick again?"

Eve shook her head. "Mmmm-mm."

"Promise?"

She paused a moment, thought about it, then nodded.

"Right, then let's have a look at you." So saying, I turned her around to face me and leaned her against the counter so I could take inventory of what kind of mess would be walking out of here with me. There were very light smudges of dirt on the knees of the jumpsuit, but mercifully, beyond that, her outfit had emerged unscathed.

Now it was time to inspect her face. I put my hand under her chin and lifted- only for her head to drop heavily back down again when I pulled away.

"Keep your head up, dear, I want to see-" I began, doing the same as before, but once again, her head swung forward. With a little huff, I tried once more, this time holding her head in place. Presently Eve began to snicker, and I realized she was doing it on purpose.

"Oh, you think this is funny, do you?" I said coolly.

All she did was giggle- a soft, sweet, vulnerable little sound that cancelled whatever irritation was brewing within me. Still, for the sake of appearances, I rolled my eyes. "Right, do you want me to leave you here?"

Her smile vanished, eyes widening a bit with fear.

"Mm, that's what I thought," I nodded. "Now stop it."

So saying, I wrapped my arms around her waist and sat her down on the counter, leaning her up against the mirror so she would have no excuse this time round. While she watched me, hands limp and useless in her lap, I ran a paper towel under the cold tap and squeezed out the excess water.

"What the hell were you drinking tonight, darling?" I quipped softly.

After a moment, Eve's dry lips parted. "...Just... just a coffee..."

"Yes- but what was in the coffee?"

She swallowed. "Well... a' first I thought it was sugar, but..."

"Oh my God," I scoffed, unable to help laughing a little at her expense. "Did you drug your own bloody drink, Eve?"

"Didn't mean to," she slurred. "Honest."

"I can't leave you alone for a minute. Don't you know better than that?"

"I do now."

"My God," I said again. "You are nothing but trouble, you know?"

Eve nodded, closing her eyes. "I know," she whispered.

At once I regretted scolding her, especially now while she was still suffering. With a start I remember the paper towel I still clenched in my fist; I began dabbing it against her flushed face and arms.

Suddenly she spoke again. "Bet you think I'm pretty stupid now, huh?"

"No," I replied, much more gently this time, "but I do think you're very silly."

A ghost of a smile flickered on her lips. "Mmm, you're silly too."

"I'm not half as silly as you are, at least I've got half a brain enough to know a drug from su-"

"Silly and beautiful."

I froze. Eve's expression hadn't changed, her eyes didn't open. Her words had been as drowsy and muffled as they were in the moments before this one. She likely didn't realize what she was even saying to me. But just the same, I froze.

"I know you jus' think I'm annoying," she whispered, "and you got your hands full anyhow... but you're so beautiful... and so nice t' me, and... I don' know why... but thank God for you, anyway... my dahhhling."

I swallowed hard, looked down at my hands and found that they were shaking. I was too thrown off to reply that no, I didn't think Eve was annoying. Certainly, she was a major distraction; sure, she turned my world inside out without even trying- but even so, I didn't mind all that much somehow. In fact, I seemed to almost welcome it.

Besides, she wasn't too hard on the eyes herself.

I said none of this of course, and instead tried to go back about my business. I resumed dabbing at her face, the caresses much more lingering now for some reason- when with a start, I suddenly realized the towel was not in my hand anymore. There was nothing between her cheek and my bare palm.

Before I could pull away, Eve opened her eyes. That same glazed, bleary expression filled them, but there was a steadiness to her gaze that hadn't been there before. She seemed to sit up a little straighter. In blank surprise I watched her slip her arms around my neck and lean closer. My heart pounded. Her face filled my vision.

What the hell is happening?

Before I could find out, however, Eve's eyes rolled back in her head. Her body went limp and fell forward directly into me, knocking me off balance and flat on my back. She had passed out cold.

I don't know how long I just lay there staring at the bland yellow ceiling overhead, with Eve sprawled on top of me and the heavy pulse of disco music rattling the thin walls that surrounded us. My lip still stung from where Rod had punched me, and so now also did my spine and the back of my head where they had hit the floor. But right then, all I could hear was the sound of her breathing, all I could feel was the beat of her heart, and all I could see was that look she wore just before she sent us tumbling, the image burned into my eyes like sunspots.

And I smiled.

Suddenly the door opened again, and in peeked John. "Oh," was all he said.

Still grinning like a fool, I reached up with the arm she wasn't laying on. "A little help?"