Running out of Time
Dave stared at his phone in disbelief. His eyes were wide and shining with tears behind his shades, his mouth slightly open. This wasn't possible, he thought. In the blue that was John's text, the words bore into Dave.
eB: hey dave... i'm moving..
Dave couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. He had known John for so long! And they'd lived together for a long time, too. Why was John moving all of a sudden? John couldn't move yet. He hadn't even been able to tell John. And he wouldn't be home for at least three days, according to Bro. Dave swore under his breath as he punched the brick building beside him. He shook his head and punched the building again, clenching his hand into a fist around his phone. He wanted so badly to chuck it as far as he could, for the words and their truth to disappear. But he didn't. Instead Dave brought the phone up and casually asked what was up with that. No emotion at all. Dave kept a straight face and put his throbbing hand in his pocket.
Every time he got a new message, Dave responded with a mask, showing no emotion in his features, mouth, or movement. But if someone were to take off his shades, everything he was feeling would all be revealed. He didn't do anything when his phone lit up with John's chum handle, he just responded without emotion, acting like he didn't care his best friend was moving halfway across the world. He didn't offer to call or video John, didn't do anything at all. For fear that if he heard John's voice, much less saw it, he would cry. That he would break down and tell John everything while simultaneously breaking into shattered pieces.
So Dave walked back to the apartment Bro had rented for them and he expressionlessly messaged back John the whole way. His hand didn't throb anymore, it hurt instead. Dave breathed out and clenched his teeth, everything was just hurting more for him today. It hurt to breathe and it hurt to not cry and it hurt even more to be emotionless to John. Dave sighed quietly before opening the door and walking into the apartment. He didn't see Bro anywhere so Dave told John he had to go and he fell asleep.
Dave woke up to find Cal's blue eyes in front of his shades. He shot up and flung Cal off of him and onto the bed. Dave looked around and saw Bro leaning against the door on the opposite side of the room. He checked his phone, two hours he'd been asleep. He rubbed his head and swung his legs over the bed. He was going to leave again, but Bro spoke up.
"Dave," His voice was monotone as usual and no emotion showed on his face.
Dave looked at him, "What do you want, Bro." He didn't say it as a question, he said it as a statement.
Bro sighed and shook his head at Dave before going to sit across form him on the other bed. "What happened now."
Dave was slightly ticked off at how monotone and apathetic he was all the time, especially now. "Nothing," He seethed.
Bro's mouth twitched in an angry line. "Dammit, Dave. Just fucking tell me why your hand is a bloody, purple mess."
In that instant Dave was shocked. Bro hardly ever showed emotion to him, much less anger or irritation. Dave looked away, "John is moving tomorrow. ." Dave's voice broke off as he clenched his shaking hands. He was irritated and a little angry John hadn't told him earlier, but he was sad because he was moving. Dave shook his head and looked at the messages from John that were lighting up his screen.
eB: dave..?
eB: dave talk to me..
eB: come on.. dave please...
eB: talk to me when you can. i need you, man... i know it's lame but i do..
Dave gripped his phone and threw it. He forgot Bro was in front of him and watched as Bro easily plucked it from its path and looked at the messages. Dave shook in spite of himself as Bro saw what he didn't want him too.
Bro looked at Dave and shook his head. "This? This is why you're so worked up? Dave, I'm sorry to say but that's path-"
"Shut up! You didn't even see everything, asshole. He's moving. He's moving halfway around the world. . Tomorrow." Dave took off his shades and flung them to the ground, they sat face down on the carpet between them.
Bro was beside Dave almost instantly. He put down Dave's phone and put an arm around him. "It's alright to cry, Dave. It doesn't make you weak, or a pussy. You're still you, but at a worse time. Look, I can't get us home tomorrow, but I can cut the trip short one day."
Dave looked at Bro with wide and shining eyes. "Really? Bro. . You'd do that. . For me?" Dave was dumbstruck. He couldn't believe it. But it still wouldn't be soon enough.
Bro sighed, "Come here. It'll be alright, little man." Bro put his arms around Dave's shaking back and Dave buried his face in Bro's chest. He hadn't cried since he was little. And Bro hadn't comforted him like this for a long time.
Maybe twenty minutes later Bro slightly smiled at the sight of Dave sleeping. He lay Dave in the bed and wiped a few stray tears that leaked from his closed eyes that were puffy. He took Dave's phone and looked at John's chum handle. On his own phone Dirk found him and talked to him. He was going to make Dave happy, even if it was only this once, he would see Dave smile genuinely. So he made a plan with John, but Dave wouldn't know that for a few more days.
An hour later Bro walked from the bathroom and shook Dave awake. Groggily Dave sat up and half opened one of his eyes. "Come on, Dave. We have to get your hand checked out."
So Dave got up and washed his warm and sticky face from the tears. He looked into the mirror for a split second and saw his bright red eyes surrounded by red. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, making it all red. He smirked at this thought. He went with Dirk to the hospital and talked to John finally.
- turntechGodhead [tG] began pestering ectoBiologist [eB] -
tG: hey egbert
eB: dave! Where were you this whole time..
tG: i was asleep man. i'm at the hospital now
eB: what! dave what did you do?
tG: its just my hand i dont know yet
eB: god dave. . you left and you have to go to the hospital.
tG: yeah hold on doctors back
eB: alright.
- turntechGodhead [tG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [eB] –
Dave sat awkwardly on the weird bed table and waited for the doctor to return with his x-ray. Bro and him had been there for almost two hours and already Dave was irritated. So he continuously made silly faces at Bro who would smirk and make one back while they waited. He thought about John and wondered if he was worried. But instead of being worried and sad, Dave was also happy in a litter part of himself.
He and Bro hadn't gotten along like this since he was maybe four. They never showed emotion, never played around, never made silly faces. Being with Bro and not having to be apathetic, not having to show no emotion, not having to keep a straight face or be serious and ironic, it made Dave happy. Dave laughed when Bro pulled his cheeks out after puffing them up and squinting his eyes.
He stopped when Bro shook his head and relaxed his face back to normal only moments before the door opened. The doctor walked in with a large manila folder and hung the x-rays up. He switched on the machine and turned off the lights, illuminating the bones in Dave's hand.
"See here," He pointed to Dave's knuckles in both x-rays. One was of his hurt hand, the other was of his hand that was fine. They both instantly saw it. "This is what his knuckles should look like, and this here is what they look like in his other hand. I'm afraid two of them are broken and two others are fractured with immense bruising to all five. His thumb knuckle wasn't damaged, but it has bruising, too. The bruising should heal within a week. Down here," He pointed to Dave's two broken knuckles and the bones that should have connected to them. "These bones here are slightly fractured, but they should heal within the week with the bruising. The two fractured bones, well they shouldn't take long either. Maybe three weeks, if that. His broken bones should heal within six to ten weeks. Mr. Strider, we're going to put a hand cast on your so-"
Bro cut off the doctor, but not rudely. "He isn't my son, doctor. He's my younger brother."
The doctor nodded and cleared his throat before nodding. "Yes, excuse me for that. We're going to put your brother's hand in a cast. In six weeks if there isn't much pain and the bruising and swelling is gone come either here or see a different doctor to get it examined and maybe removed. Alright, if everything is alright with you Mr. Strider then you and your brother please follow me so we can get him fitted for a cast."
Bro and Dave followed the doctor throughout the halls until they got to a room in which the doctor held the door open for them to go in. Inside were multiple bins of colored cast gauze and a few bins of discarded pieces. Dave once again sat on the bed that was like a table while Bro sat close to him in a chair against the wall, the doctor sat in the rolling chair and asked Dave questions.
"Your name is Dave, correct?" Dave nodded. "Alright, Dave, what color would you like your cast to be? I might be able to do two colors, so give me two and I'll see if we have them."
Dave thought for a second, "If I showed you a picture with the color in it, would you be able to find it from that?"
Bro shot Dave a little smile that only he saw, he knew what color Dave wanted. He knew who's color he wanted. The doctor thought for a few moments before replying, "I suppose so if the color is evident. Let's give it a shot, young man." He smiled.
Dave nodded and turned on his phone. He went to John's pester chum and zoomed in on the name he used. He showed it to the doctor and he smiled. "Why, I believe I have that hue of blue, give me one second." The doctor rolled over to the bins and murmured to himself as he searched for the right one. He pulled it out and took out a roll of the gauze, rolling back to Dave he handed it to him. "Is that the right color, Dave?"
Dave's eyes widened a little at the so familiar color of John's text, of John's favorite color. "Yeah, it is, thanks." The doctor smiled and was about to speak when a light knock sounded on the door.
He stood and walked over to open in halfway. A shorter woman with a bob cut talked to the doctor and handed him a cut and shaped cast. He thanked her and closed the door. He walked back to Dave. "This is your cast, and, by the size of it, I can fit two colors, but they'll overlap around the middle on the bottom. Dave smiled slightly and saw Bro shake is head slightly.
"I have another color in mind, let me get it up." Dave opened pester chum once more and went to his profile. He zoomed in on the red like text and showed the doctor.
"That's an easy one, I know we have that hue exactly," The doctor rolled over and in seconds located the bin and rolled back to show Dave. Dave nodded his approval. "Alright. If you would please come and sit in the chair and put your arm on the table."
Dave got up and walked to said chair and placed his arm on the table, knuckles up. The doctor sat in the other chair in front of Dave's hand. "Alright, Dave. I need you to pull up your sleeve and then I need you to not move your hand, or arm if you can help it. Just keep still while I work, okay?" Dave nodded.
The doctor put on a new pair of gloves and shaved the few hairs that were on and around Dave's hand and upper wrist. After he rinsed Dave's wrist with a sponge and then with antiseptic. He then started to prepare the cast. He put the gauze, scissors, and the sealing on the table beside him. Once more he cleaned Dave's wrist and hand, then put the cast on. Dave watched as we closed it shut and wrapped it over and over with the colored gauze. He finished with the gauze and made sure everything was right before letting Dave move his arm. "Alrighty then, your cast is good. Now, Mr. Strider if you and Dave would follow me so you can get verification and copies of this, come with me."
Bro followed the doctor and Dave slowly got up. He looked at his cast and turned it so he could see his wrist. He smiled when he saw the blue and the red gauze intertwining and crossing over one another. It made him think of John, and right now, no matter how sad that made him, it brought him a smile. Dave stood and was about to walk out before he swore under his breath. He hadn't talked to John for almost an hour. He took out his phone and walked out the door.
- turntechGodhead [tG] began pestering ectoBiologist [eB] -
tG: john i got a cast
tG: you want to see it
tG: egbert you there
tG: calling for egbert earth to egbert
tG: egbeeeeert
tG: egbert come one talk to me man
- turntechGodhead [tG] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [eB] -
Sighing, Dave walked to the lobby and sat in a chair and watched as Bro wrote his signature on a few papers. Over and over Dave checked his phone for new messages from John, but no matter how many times he looked, he had no messages from John. Bro came up at tapped Dave's shoulder to tell him they were leaving. Dave stood up and walked out behind Bro. Dave was thinking about John when he was knocked into reality.
"I have to go to meetings all day tomorrow, I'll be back late so do us a favor and pack both of our things. Alright?"
Dave forgot they were leaving a day early momentarily. "Uh, yeah. Okay." Bro brought up his hand in a back wave at Dave and went silent once more.
Dave went back to his thoughts of John. He thought about John the whole rest of the day. He thought about him when he ate pizza with Bro and when he lie in the bed, staring at his phone, hoping for something. When he figured nothing was coming, Dave put in headphones and stared at the ceiling, thoughts of John Egbert swirling and clouding his mind. Dave took a sharpie from his pocket and on the bottom of his cast he wrote very small John's full name and put a heart at the end. It was thin line sharpie, so he knew it wouldn't be visible. He laughed at his own idiocy and capped the sharpie. Finally with his thoughts of Egbert quieting a bit, Dave was able to fall asleep without thinking about John being gone when he returned home.