Michael Jackson Imagines and Short Stories

Recovery

"He won't eat." Elizabeth said, distraught. 

"He barely speaks. The only time he moves is to go to the bathroom and bathe, but now he isn't even doing that as often. We didn't know what else to do except call you. If he keeps going down this road we're going to lose him. I've seen it so often and I cannot take seeing it happen to him. Please," she took an exasperated breath, "please, do something."

Aluel had received a call two days ago about her old best friend, the first man she ever loved. A man who was everything in her life from a rock to hold her, to the rock opposing the hard place. Regardless of their past, she loved him, and that was the bottom line.  His camp was contacting her as a last ditch effort to help him to his feet after terrible rumors concerning a boy named Jordan began to swirl. After years of overcoming the lies of the tabloids, such a cruel fallacy brought him to his knees.

A plane was already booked for her to leave the next evening, and without further detail, she packed a bag and prepared to go.

It was unreal standing there in his hotel room, being closer to him than she had been in almost 7 years, when three days prior she was sure that he had forgotten her. With trepidation, she followed Elizabeth through the corridor that led to his room and was left staring at the door.

"Michael?" She called, lightly rapping on the door.

"I'm coming in."

The room was dark, and, from what she could see, nothing had been disturbed except the bedsheets. She walked around to the opposite side of the bed to find him laying on the floor, covered in sheets. She knelt down and gently touched his arm.

"Michael."

Nothing. She waited for what seemed like a minute and just as she was about to speak again, the sheets were removed from his face, his eyes fluttering open. He sat up and stared for a moment but then raised his hand out to her as if to touch her cheek.

"I don't know what's real. I've seen you walk in here dozens of times but in the blink of an eye you disappear."

She took his wavering frail hand and said,

"I'm here."

To be continued...