FOR DEATH'S HEART

| Eleven |

| Eleven |

Salem:

"Thank you Doctor," I sighed, "Have a good day."

She nodded, smiling at me as I left. Holding onto the new prescription dosage I was not happy. She had upped my dosage to a hundred twenty five grams a day. It wasn't fair, I was doing better – I could feel it. Why didn't she see it?

Because Carter talked to her, I thought bitterly. Ever since the scene at the funeral home a week ago, I had barely left my bed. Carter thought this would be an excellent thing to tell Doctor Amkor thus the old woman upped my dosage.

Not that I had told Carter about the scene. To be fair he didn't ask. He never did. Instead he worked seven days a week and most of those days came home at one or two in the morning. Not to mention he had been doing it more and more lately and it was starting to piss me off.

"I'm home," I called, reaching our apartment then pushing open the door.

"Oh hey babe," he greeted from the couch, "can you make steak for dinner? I'm starving."

I frowned slightly, peeling off my shoes, "Do we have steak in the fridge?"

"Well no," he replied shutting off the t.v. to stare at me, "But I thought you wouldn't mind running to the store? Bright side I'm off work at ten tonight so I can come back and I can show you how much I love you."

My brow twitched with annoyance, "Well I do mind. I had a hard day, thanks for asking and I don't want to cook let alone go to the store."

His eyes turned to slits as he stood slowly, "You know you're being really unfair. I work all day and you stayed in bed for a fucking week. I thought you'd at least cook breakfast but nope. Not you Sal, you think you're too good for me now because your work at that damn cemetery?"

"That's not it at all!" I snarled, "But I am starting to see how much of an asshole you can be!"

He moved towards me like a snake. His hand striking across my face. A cry left my lips as my eyes widened. I was frozen – never before had he hit me. Sure a push here and there, or even a pull but this was a slap. A sober slap.

My fingers rose to my hot cheek in disbelief, "You hit me."

"Sure," he snapped, pushing past me to grab his coat, "Make me look like the asshole. I'm going out and I want space. I'll be back at eleven. So you can find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

I looked at him, my lips quivering, "I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Maybe you should have been a grateful girlfriend tonight than a bitchy one."

The door slammed shut loudly making me flinch. I didn't know what was wrong with me. No...that was a lie. I don't think I truly did anything wrong. Even if I did he kicked me out for tonight? I don't know where he expected me go to.

Not like I could run to my parents like he could.

"Fuck him," I muttered bitterly storming into the kitchen.

In the cupboard above the fridge sat Carter's collection of fancy rums and whiskeys. I grabbed the biggest bottle and sat on the kitchen floor. Carter would be home in around five hours – I wondered how hammered I could get in that time. If he thought I would leave he was more fucked in the head than I was.

I cranked open the bottle and took a sip. The spiced rum burned my throat and made my eyes tear up. However, like all things it took practice. By the time ten rolled around my mind was settling with a delicious haze.