Wait, wait.. When I pictured it,
I imagined just like a shriek.

Was it more than that? Like, you told him off for it??

You’ll have to demonstrate tonight when I bring out the teddy bear again.

I didn’t cut my hand open. It was a blister that split!

You didn’t even notice, did yuh? It was minor, I promise. I just wanted to seem gritty and tough on the job for you.

I posted the picture for you not cut my hand open just to seem tough!

Maybe my hands need to inspect you.

HA a hypocrite how??

..like, literal ones? What are you
talking about?

Alright pause everything for a sec. What are you talking about?

Doing what?!

Is that why you've been.. Every time I’ve tried to come on to you this week, you change the subject. And fall asleep before I get back and all that..

You’re acting weird

What happened?

Like a car accident.

That’s what you told me the last
time. And it wasn’t true.

You don’t have to explain anything.. You can just tell me what happened.

Okay.

It’s late, you should go to bed.

No. Why would I be mad?

Scared.. Apprehensive, maybe.

Yeah, I guess. I don’t really have a word for the feeling.

Like spinning and floating but heavy and also real still. Vertigo maybe? Making me a little nauseous, I should probably get outta the car and go for a walk or something but I’m not sure if I really wanna move.

Move from my seat.

Anyway, I think I’m gonna spend the night at Ron’s. You don’t have to wear long sleeves and all that just to hide whatever from me.

I’m not.

It’s just for one night. I gotta think, some stuff.

Look, you didn’t want me to see, right? I’m just making that easier.

Whether I worry or not, that’s up to me. You can’t keep deciding that for me. Simone’s school and, this. Whatever this is. How the hell am I supposed to know what else I’m maybe not supposed to worry about but nothing’s changing that maybe I should be.

Well, guess we’ll never know now. Maybe something like figuring it out together before you hide it and I find out anyway and I can’t trust every damn time you say you’re fine.

I’m sorry. I don’t know what to think about all of it.

I’m not people.

I don’t need protecting from the truth. Okay, Maya? If you don’t wanna talk about something, we don’t have to talk about it. But I’d like to know what we’re not talking about.

Has she been around my kids?

I don’t want her around my kids.
Not Simone either.

I don’t care if she’s Mother Teresa, I don’t want her around the kids.

And I don’t want you waking up
with bruises anymore.

So it’s true then? You’re one of these.. Christ this whole world’s gone nuts.

You’re mine. You’re my whole fucking world, what am I supposed to do with this?

Besides the time in January, has there been other times? Bruises and stuff you didn't tell me about?

Am I spending too many hours working, how come I don't notice? If she's been around my kids, she's been around me, right? You're saying I can't tell the difference when you're somebody else?

Because it's insane. This is insane.

There's a group. Concerned citizens against insanity or something like that. Saw them picketing out at City Hall. I want us to go. One of their meetings or whatever.

I don't know.. Some crazy, conservative right-wing type group... Those folks on the news making a bunch of noise about what the government's doing about this problem right under our noses.

They gotta have some answers,
right? How to fix you?

I don't mean that you need fixing, but.. It can't go on like this. You said you were pretty beat up the last time. You say you can't stop it from happening again. What if it's worse next time? And, I mean, what's she even doing with you, y'know?

Yeah, I figured. That's why I'm asking if we can go. Just to see what it's all about. If the government should be doing something, if they can do something and they're not, then.. I don't care what group I gotta join, y'know? Someone should be doing something about it.

I'll go then. I'll go pick up some pamphlets or something. Hear them out... I keep switching the channel every time they're on the news or the radio...

And then war, probably.

I don't know, Maya.

And never know when I'll wake up without you? Kissin' a stranger before I leave for work, come home and find out you're in the ER 'cos some fucking superhero couldn't just stay out of it.

Hawkeye's a superhero and all he's got is a bow and a buncha arrows. And he's an Avenger. A team of superheroes.

Babe, that's not helping your case a whole lot. Unless she's an Avenger and gets to own a farm somewhere.

Shit.. What I'm saying is it doesn't matter what she is or isn't. If I'm getting this right, she comes around and you go away. But whatever she does, it falls back on you, right? That's like giving a total stranger your car keys and not expecting to wake up without a car.

Yeah but you want us to just not do anything about it..

We don't know anything about it.. I haven't been paying attention. Seemed like other people's problems...

You said Tyler Durden not Hawkeye from the Avengers who's in over his head.

Not when some guy out there's claiming to be Aquaman.

That's not what I was saying.. I'm saying that when you told me you were different, it was along the lines of a... Personality issue. Split personalities. Not that you're part of some.. Epidemic or whatever.

I never saw it. I don't know what I thought. It didn't come up again after those couple times at the start..

He's not the only one.

If they have information.. Like, even just when it happens. Maybe we can leave town before it does. So far all the stuff's been happening mostly in this city, right? Maybe if we leave town before it happens.. You don't.. Wake up with fucking bruises.

Maya, it's not up to you, whether I worry or not.. It's.. I have to. It's part of caring for someone and all that. And I don't want you involved with this, any of this.

You keep saying that if you could stop it you would, but then you don't wanna do anything different from what I'm guessing you've already tried. And I'm sorry, but.. You can't tell me to not care. Don't you see that? It's a burden 'cos.. I'm in this.

You not wanting it to be a burden to me, that's like saying you don't want me in this.

This is some weak, victim mentality and you know it. I'm not okay with it. I'm not okay with just.. Sitting back and pretending like.. Like this shit isn't happening for you. Like I could be kissin' a stranger good morning and 'not notice'.

And I still wouldn't be okay with it.

I'm gonna stay at Ron's for awhile. You should go to bed. I might come by in the morning to pick up some things.

That's it about what?

I don't know what to do.

How do I even look at you, Maya?

When I can't protect you.

How?

I feel lost. Lost like when I first left for this city. Like when I was first here.

Right, 'cos me finding out after we'd gotten married and had kids and our perfect fucking life, that'd be a way better time to find out.

Or if I saw the bruises myself. Whatever thing you have on your arm. Fuck.

If I had terminal cancer, would you wanna know? If for nothing else, just so I don't have to keep it a secret and carry that shit on my own.

Yeah. Sometimes a road's taken more often for reasons, pretty sure.

Is that what it comes down to? You end up with somebody like you?

Yeah okay. Goodnight.

Me too.

I'm sorry for not being a superhero.

Just go to sleep, I'm not feeling real fly myself

Yeah, sure. Whatever.