The Book of Asa: “Diagnosis”
Notes by Chris
Issue One: Origin Stories and Final Issues
(CW: Cancer, Religious Homophobia, Grannies with Weird Auras)
October 31, 1994—Mid-Afternoon
It was 2:45 on Halloween when Ezekiel “Asa” Armstrong was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Cancer that would, most likely wouldn’t be able to be treated.
Asa, with his experience, with seeing his mother die of the same disease, knew that he had some form of it but didn’t know how aggressive or how much time he still is allotted get his affairs in order (“Doctor, it could be months, weeks, days, or even until tomorrow.”).
Using the last of his energy he has, he leaves the office quickly, while also leaving the pamphlets regarding end-of-life planning in the trash. Before he catches the bus home, he uses the secretary’s office phone to leave a message to his friend, Lily Flowers, about his diagnosis.
Feeling the effects of the dizziness, headaches, and looming weakness, he barely makes it to his apartment before immediately heading to the toilet and upchucking his breakfast.
Asa, after spending a considerable amount of time hugging the porcelain throne, gathers himself and assesses the situation. He slowly realizes that his favorite client “Auntie” Desmond will be alone without his care. Asa was able to call in to his boss, Ms. Ramirez, and convince her to let him go on a partial shift to care for Desmond. (“It’s just a little something that I have, I’ll go away on its own soon.” What’s going to happen, they’re going to get sicker?”)
October 31, 1994—Evening
Taking the bus towards the city, Asa heads towards the Seville Palliative Care Center, an old tenement building bought and refurbished by Fairfax Hospital in Arlington. Asa used to be an ICU nurse at Fairfax, but with the stress put on the staff and lack of resources for proper care, he quit and transferred to Palliative Care and Hospice.
Asa was stopped for small talk, and it took all he had to keep it together to reach the elevator to Desmon’s apartment. “Auntie” Desmond is a worldly traveled jazz musician succumbing to his own Cancer. Asa was able to make a frozen dinner for Desmond while Desmond regaled him with old stories he’s told of his worldly adventures.
Asa kept up his façade of being “okay”, but he still felt the pull of his demise on his bones. Taking care of Desmond and helping them lie down for a nap. Asa was patched through to Lily calling through his Agency, Lily, a hospital morgue attendant, was shocked as Asa updated her on his diagnosis. He tried to get her to finish her shift and go home but knew she wouldn’t let that slide. He told her to check and check in on him tomorrow afternoon, after he slept.
Asa’s façade cracked when he explored Desmond’s apartment. He realized that his time would be cut short before he really had the chance to explore the world. Desmond surprised Asa and snapped him out of his depression, even for just a moment.
Asa confessed his diagnosis to Desmond as Desmond gives him hope for a living a longer cherishing life. Asa and Desmond, as two dying queer people danced a slow and friendly dance to the Jazz Music playing on the record player.
October 31-November 1, 1994—Night to Early Morning
Asa, deciding to call off the second half of his night, (“Ms. Gates, thought I was stealing her silverware when last week she thought I was ‘one of the good ones’. Bitch.”), he checked in with the on-coming staff and went to the bus stop.
At the bus stop, as Asa was waiting for the bus, he didn’t notice that an old lady was sitting next to him on the bench. Asa didn’t notice her, suddenly sitting here knitting. Asa tried to get a good bead on her, but he felt the tiredness of the night and his illness kick in he and wanted to go home.
He figured that all of the Halloween drunks are home sleeping it off and the old lady looked innocent and small enough to not pose a threat at 11:30 at night.
Asa participated to small talk with the old woman, as the bus was running late. The conversation eerily made up of his origins of why he became a caregiver. The old woman seemed impressed by Asa’s answers, as if Asa was being tested, much to the off-putting fear of the tired Nure.
Asa mildly alluded to taking care of his mother as she passed away.
He took to helping others as a Combat Medic, then to the ICU, then to hospice care.
As the bus came up, the old lady decided to take the next one but told Asa, “You’ll get everything that you want, soon.” Asa getting on, leaves the old woman sitting on the park bench, who’s waving to Asa as it pulls away.
Asa comes back to his apartment, surprised that Lily cut out early and met him there. Asa, being too tired to hold it all in, collapsed in her arms in weariness, despair, and fear.
They’ve been fast friends for years at this point, since Asa was working for the hospital.
They both bonded over death, life, what to live for, and the night-shift life in general.
Lily is the ONLY one who knows Asa’s full birth name, outside his father in Harlem.
As they made their way to the couch Lily tried to immediately form a plan for the situation, but she quickly became flustered and panicked about her best friend dying, possibly ending up in her morgue. Asa allowed her to cry on his shoulder for five minutes. They used the rest of the night to make a care plan, make sure that his assets are assigned, and funeral arrangements are met.
As the morning came and Lily was sent home to sleep, Asa felt as if he was being watched by “someone”. Asa grabbing “Big Barda” the Bat and made an observational pass around the apartment before sleeping in the morning.
November 1st, 1994—Early Afternoon to Early Evening
After having dreams of baseball and Wolverine (“Not even Storm, LAME.) Asa calls into work and gets PTO to spend to “clear whatever’s in his system”.
The second call he makes is back home to his father’s church, “Sunrise House” (House of the Sunrise on the New Day Baptist Church). He hasn’t spoken to his father, Josiah, in years and judging by how Asa left the relationship, it’s most likely Asa’s only call to him.
After getting rebuffed by a secretary telling him that his father is “busy with another parishioner” Asa “politely” implores the secretary to ask for his father to call him back saying, “Tell him that his Gay Son is dying.”, before hanging up.
After spending the rest of the waning day in his own sad mood. Josiah calls back…HOURS later. (“How polite of you to call back…at your earliest convenience.”). The conversation became quickly heated when Asa picked up on Josiah’s insincerity, his latent homophobia, and on how he is acting holy while marrying the mistress he was sleeping with as his mother died. The conversation ends with Josiah, being blatantly homophobic And Asa cussing him out in response.
Josiah: “When I get to heaven, I hope there’s a window for me to look at burning in hell for your sins.
Asa: “When I get there, I’ll make sure your fat-ass step-wife get the home-wrecking welcome she deserves! Bitch!”
As s Asa stews in silent rage and pain, Lily stops over for work before her shift. Asa reassures her that he’ll be okay.
As Asa becomes alone again, the same sense of being watched again, as he finished his canned soup meal. He goes and opens the front door to open to the emptiness of the street. When he turns back around, the old woman from the bus stop is in his house saying, “You don’t have to live like this.”, as she lunges for him. As he dodges to defend himself, the woman disappears in thin air.
As we leave him, Asa has barricaded the front door and bolted to the bedroom to get Big Barda and ready himself into an attack stance.