This short story is based off a song by the band A Perfect Circle, the song being under the same name.

Beside the sun hovered the rain clouds. Julia was driving down to Johnny's home. With the rain as bad as it was Julia felt okay. Upon reaching Johnny's home the rain refused to die down, she stepped out the car and walked towards the door.

There was a knock, followed by the door opening. Johnny gripped the knife against his arm. Julia entered the room to which she started shouting at Johnny to drop the knife. A quick cutting of the arm Johnny blacked out. Was this the end of Johnny? Julia hoped not. The wailing sound of an ambulance to the tear ridden Julia came as a calming sound of relief. Julia looked down to Johnny, the arm covered in a makeshift bandage pulsating. She prayed for Johnny, even though she was an atheist.

3 Days ago.

She bent down towards him as he tried lifting himself off the floor. Helping him to his feet she seated him down on the chair. She muttered to herself, most likely about the pill he took.

“Everything alright now Johnny?” She asked.

“Yes, yes. Thanks Nurse” Johnny replied.

Johnny sat there. Brown cargo trousers all ragged like a homeless dog. A faded white T-shirt covered with dirt and thousands of occupants slithering in the threads. Underneath his bright blue and shameful glasses lay his eyes. His eyes were like shopping bags. He looked like a psychological mess but his seemingly fine hair implied something different. His face was ravaged with obvious signs the of mistreatment. His arms were as thin as copper wires. He was him, a broken man and a broken spirit. His right arm had a tattoo with militaristic symbols and dates. He stood out from his surroundings like a black dog in white snow.

Johnny was drowsy, light headed and felt sick, the pill he took to calm his nerves seemed to have taken a big effect. Yet he felt good when the Nurse came, and felt bad when she left. He thought to himself. ‘She got everything I need, Pharmacy Keys, but yet she acts like a Nurse, with all the other guys. The phone rang unexpectedly, he reached for it but fell like a baby, unable to stand on his own, he crawled towards it hoping to get it in time but he failed. He grabbed his mobile phone and called the Nurse again.

“Hello Julia.” He said.

“What now Johnny” She replied with disappointment.

“I am on the floor again.” He said with a peculiar tone.

“Again? Do you want me to place you in your bed instead?” She said with haste.

“Um… Yeah, yeah that might be better.” He said with thought.

Julia turned her car around, blocking the road accidently when she hit the curb unexpectedly, then reversed into traffic. They shouted at her till they saw her outfit, they apologized and let her turn around.

The Nurse is on the way.

Underneath the roof of number 41 was Johnny. Scoured with rubbish his wooden oak floor was vacant and hidden under monstrous piles of rubbish due to Johnny's fall. Johnny was not the only occupant of the building, thousands of bacteria plastered all over the walls. The unwelcoming smell of grime devoured the place. His television was an old one with it's images gray. The sun burst though the window having zero effect on the lighting of the room. Darkness had 'set up shop' here.

Johnny waited for her to open the door. She was late which made him paranoid, then he heard the unlocking of the door and he smiled. She walked in and said to Johnny. “So, how are you on the floor, again?”

“Well the phone rang and I went to grab it, but fell li...” He said but got interrupted by Julia finishing his sentence. She helped Johnny up onto the chair and picked up the phone which once rang.

“It was your brother, want to call him back?” She said to him.

“I will call tomorrow.” He said.

She helped Johnny up, and took him up the stairs. He rose up the stairs, with Julia behind his back, escorting him up. He opened the door and clambered into his bed.

“Everything alright now? Need anything else?” She said.

“No, thank you Nurse.” He said smiling.

Julia left and Johnny relived his day before him.

Unexpected surprise.

Julia drove home; it was the end of the day, end of her work hours. She placed the kettle on and entered the front room to see her cat, lying down purring as it always would when she returned. As she stepped down to pet him she received a text, it read “I need to say thanks for the past few weeks, so I booked us a meal at the local restaurant.” She saw it was from Johnny, she replied acknowledging his request.

The following day, Johnny was stood outside Julia’s house, nervous with bags under his eyes. She looked with thought, something had happened put she couldn’t place it. Yet the day continued, they stepped into Julia’s car and drove to the location. Delicious smells of food drifted in the air. Upon entering men and women spoke and laughed to each other. The red tinted windows has light bursting though it, all red. Walking slowly, Johnny felt that tonight will go well.

Later on that evening, Johnny collapsed in his seat. Julia watched him collapse, watching him collapse sweat flowed down her forehead. Her eyes widened as he hit the table. She felt her heart beat faster. Julia grabbed him and pulled him up, she checked the pulse but couldn’t pin down the problem. She ran to her car to collect her equipment to see if she could help, yet it was not there. She ran back in and saw him fine.

She said fiercely “What the bloody hell was that?”

“I wanted to see how much you cared.” He said politely.

She looked at him with confusion not understanding his direct point.

It was time to head home although they had only been there 30 minutes. Julia helped Johnny into the car then entered the driving seat. On the way home Johnny thought to himself, 'I'm taking her home with me, all dressed in white. She's got everything I need.' The car came to a halt at Johnny's house. Upon entry he asked Julia to sit down for a minute. They sat and he turned to Julia.

“These past few weeks you have helped me, you have become my friend and I want that to be more. I want to be with you.”

Julia went white like her clothing.

"Johnny, you are my friend and patient. Nothing more. I'm sorry.”

She reluctantly helped him to his room and left.

Rainy day.

The following day the sun was hidden under the rain clouds, Julia drove down to Johnny’s home. She entered the building to see him on the sofa, with a knife to his arm. She shouted at him to get rid of the knife, on the sound of her voice he cut his arm. She phoned for an ambulance while she tried stopping the blood. Johnny went unconscious during the process. The wailing sound of the ambulance came like a calming sound of relief. She hoped for his life.

Few months later.

Johnny lay on his sofa, he thought to himself. ‘She got everything I need, some pills in a little cup’. Depression had hit him like bricks. He hoped for love yet the only one he received was fake love. Now on depression pills he felt high and mighty each time they were taken, he wanted that all the time. He saw the trees connect together to create a shield from the sky. He watched as the flowers tumbled happily in the wind. All in his head. Despite all that, he never forgot the day that the Nurse who loved him. Never did.