The Transformation of Rod - Part 7

Rod spent the rest of the day moping in bed.  When dinner was served, he ate a little, just to prove he could.  He was preoccupied with re-examining his life.  In his mind, he was reliving every recent encounter he had with anyone, trying to recall if there were any signals he'd missed.  What he remembered was unsettling.  He'd always thought that Denny at the office had some sort of breathing disorder.  Now Rod realized Denny was probably holding his breath whenever Rod came by.  And Rita, the receptionist, she always seemed to have a cold or allergies, always a reason to have a tissue over her nose.  Rod saw all of this for what it was now.  He stunk.  Rod asked that his lights be turned off early and he tried to sleep.

By morning, Rod's mood had improved somewhat.  This was helped by news from Dr. Rogers that he could be discharged, although he would need to rest at home for at least another week.  Dr. Rogers gave Rod a baseball cap with the name of the hospital printed on it.  He admonished him to always wear a hat when he was outside in the sun.  Given his injuries, Rod's scalp had little tolerance for additional exposure.  Rod grudgingly took the hat, deciding that having no hair at least meant having no hat hair.

Rod was sitting on the edge of his bed when Rhonda brought him a surprise.  She'd taken his clothes home last night and washed them herself.  After soaking them for a couple of hours in near boiling water she'd been able to finally rid them of any odor.  Rod thanked her for this kindness.  She was a good person.  The old Rod would have confidently tried to get her number, assuming any woman would be grateful for the chance to date the Rodster.  But now Rod was less sure of himself.  Rod had always expressed himself fairly, plainly and openly.  He'd assumed everyone around him did the same.  To find that this wasn't always the case troubled him.  Plus, Rhonda smelled like his Mom, so that was a deal breaker right there.

Rod put on his uniform and found that he'd lost considerable weight during his hospital stay.  He was able to wear his pants at a normal waist level.  It would be good to have a full stride once again.  Rhonda helped him arrange for a cab to take him home.  Rod said goodbye to Rhonda and Dr. Rogers and before he knew it he was on his way home.  As the cab pulled up to his apartment complex, Rod noticed that his truck was in the parking lot.  Someone from work must have brought it home for him.

As Rod opened the door to his apartment he was met with the same horrible stench he'd sensed at the hospital.  Rod stepped back, held his breath and put his nose plugs on.  He entered the apartment and immediately began opening windows.  He set a fan in one window blowing out, trying to expel the smell.  Rod grimaced at the thought of sleeping in this place.  He cautiously wandered around, picking up items, removing his plugs and giving them a quick sniff.  It was difficult work - everything stunk.  He grabbed a large garbage bag and began stuffing it with sheets, curtains, clothing, anything that could hold a smell.  Rod knew that he was supposed to be resting, but there would be no rest until the place was at least somewhat tolerable.

Rod spent the day throwing out most of his clothing and linens.  When he finished with the apartment, he went to work on his truck.  It felt good to be doing something.  He feared he would tire easily but instead found renewed energy.  He was driven to remove all vestiges of his past smelly self.  His reduced weight also made the task easier.  By evening he was still going strong but getting hungry.  Rod kept little food in his apartment and anything in the refrigerator had gone bad during his time in the hospital.  There was a small strip mall just down the street, easily within walking distance for someone with a full stride.  Rod set off for his favorite destination in the mall, Nina's frybread.

As he approached Nina's, Rod detected the aroma of fresh deep-fried bread.  At first, the smell was wonderful and subtle.  But Rod was still a half-block away.  By the time he reached the shop, the smell was sickeningly sweet.  Rod stood outside the shop, leaning over with his hands on his knees.  He felt his mouth watering, but not in anticipation of a savory treat.  Rod vomited on a small bush next to the shop door.  He wiped his mouth and took a few quick steps, trying to get away from the smell.  Rod wandered along the strip mall, looking for something else to eat.  Finally, he entered a small grocery store on the far corner.  He bought a bag of celery, a bag of carrots, an apple and a can of carpet deodorizer.

Rod took a different route home to avoid passing by Nina's.  Munching on some carrots and celery helped get rid of the foul taste in his mouth.  Rod couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten an apple.  With his first bite he decided that this was his new favorite food.  He wished he'd bought more.  By the time Rod arrived home he was done eating and ready to clean some more.  Between the apartment and the interior of his truck, he used the entire can of carpet deodorizer.  Rod wasn't crazy about the smell of the deodorizer but it was better than the stink it masked.

And so ended Rod's first day home.  The rest of the week would be filled with more of the same.  Every time he thought he'd cleaned things sufficiently, he'd awake in the morning and realize he could still detect some odor.  Eventually, Rod made a trip to a large grocery store where he stocked up on various fresh fruits and vegetables, the only things he found he could easily eat.  As a result of all his activity and his new diet, Rod continued to shed pounds.  His hair was starting to grow back but Rod bought a clipper and decided to keep his hair very short.  Not quite bald but close.  If he had to wear a hat, this was one way to avoid hat hair.  Rod hated hat hair.  Plus, he would be seeing Dr. Rogers for follow-up appointments.  The short hair would make it easier to check on his scalp.

It was Sunday night.  Rod had been home for just over a week.  He stood in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom.  His uniform was a little too big for him now.  He needed a belt to keep the pants up.  He found the hat that went with uniform and put it on.  He hardly recognized himself.  He wondered what the reaction would be when he returned to work tomorrow.