A/N: Ah yes the second chapter of Please be here tomorrow is here! I hope you enjoy! There might be some minor grammar mistakes I'm sorry about those;;
The real story starts on next chapter so this is kinda short chapter and stuff I'm sorry.
2. chapter
2.
Mornings were the hardest to Dave, they had always been. When the nurse knocked on his door around 7am and told him to get up Dave wanted to throw a pillow over his head and keep sleeping. Especially on Wednesday mornings since it was the weighing day. And it was Wednesday today.
"Dave, it's almost 8am already. You have to get up now", a nurse with a long ponytail said and opened the curtains. Dave groaned and sat up with his eyes closed. It was an early December morning so the light coming from the window wasn't thankfully blinding. Still without opening his eyes Dave managed to get his shades on his head covering those sensitive to light eyes of his.
"I will be waiting you in the scale room, please come as soon as you can", the nurse stated and closed the room's door. Dave sighed and got the rest of his body from under the blanket. His back was aching and he was cold. Slowly Dave got himself a thick hoodie and pants to wear from the drawer and after quickly checking how his hair looked like from a small mirror Dave left the room.
Dave couldn't remember how he survived in a normal world before he was hospitalized. He used to skip most of his school days because he couldn't get out of bed, and when he had enough energy to get to school he couldn't concentrate because he was either too hungry or too tired. When his older brother finally caught Dave forcing himself to throw up and saw all the deep, purple scars on his younger brother's arms Dave wasn't given any option – it was either hospital or death. Dave was signed in the hospital three months ago with words "dangerously underweight" and "fresh scars on his arms".
Dave knocked on a familiar door and stepped in when he was given the permission. When asked he slowly removed all his clothes except underwear and stepped on a scale his back to the numbers. After some excruciating seconds that felt like hours to Dave the nurse put his little notebook away and told Dave to put his clothes back on.
"It's the same as a week ago, but I'm happy it hasn't gotten any lower", the woman smiled and Dave nodded. He wasn't told his weight, BMI, calorie intake or any other numbers since they might trigger his eating disorder-ish thoughts and make recovery harder. Apparently Dave was still dangerously underweight because he hadn't got a permission to visit his family or friends outside the hospital. He could get a weekend holiday when his BMI was big enough but since Dave didn't know any numbers he had no idea when he could visit home.
It was a bit after 8am when Dave arrived to the dining room. He was happy to see John sitting on the table already and after getting his breakfast he sat in front of the black-haired boy.
"Mornin'", Dave said and smiled to John.
"Good morning", the shorter boy said and yawned. He looked pretty tired and uncomfortable – Dave guessed he had just woken up.
"Did you sleep well?" the blonde continued the conversation while trying to eat an apple.
"Yeah. Took me a while to remember where I was. It was pretty hard to get up because of that tranquilizer", John said and slowly ran his fingers through his messy hair.
"I feel you."
"Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday night. I wasn't myself and I hope you aren't angry or think I'm a crazy or..."
"I do think you are crazy but you wouldn't be here if you weren't crazy. I'm not angry. It was scary as fuck but no one got hurt so I guess it's fine?" Dave interrupted John's apology speech and got a relieved smile from the black-haired boy.
"I'm glad He didn't hurt you. My door will be locked from the outside for nights now on so", John almost whispered. Dave felt sorry for him – John seemed to have problems controlling his other personality but he seemed to be very clever and nice guy who was now missing important classes and quality time with his friends. John looked like a person who would educate himself, get in the best schools and work in highly respected and internationally recognized company. It was probably because he had such a professional looking glasses, Dave thought.
- turntechGodhead [TG] began perstering gardenGnostic [GG] at 09:02-
TG: hey jade
TG: i have my phone for an hour now
GG: hi dave!
GG: how are you?
TG: im fine
TG: theres a new guy here and hes pretty nice
TG: he has a therapy now tho so i decided to check on you
GG: sounds exciting :B
GG: the guy i mean im not excited over his therapy
TG: yes
TG: his name is john
GG: is he cute?
TG: jade
GG: whaaaat
TG: im not answering to that question i just met him
GG: but you know how he looks like so
GG: is he cute
TG: i guess yeah
The common room was a bit noisier than yesterday after dinner. Some younger patients were doing their homework or playing games together. Most of patients who went to the hospital's school did their homework in a noisy common room even though there was a special, more silent room for that. Patients who were dangerous to themselves didn't have the permission to stay alone in their rooms outside the silent times; nights and an hour after lunch. John wasn't in this patient category but he was in the need of other people around him so he was sitting in a cozy armchair reading a book. Next to him in another similar chair was Dave who was reading a comic book. Dave had taken a shower after breakfast and now his hair was shining in the dirty light and John saw how his eyes moved behind those dark shades. Dave was wearing a red T-shirt and without the blonde seeing John was glancing the other boy's arms.
Dave's arms were the saddest arms John had ever seen. The arm itself was so small and skinny John probably could snap it in half with just one hand. Dave's skin was pale and between small bruises there were numerous scars on the boy's arms. Some of the scars weren't so visible, just white or pinkish lines on the skin but some of them were deep purple and wide – John didn't even want to think how Dave had managed to hurt himself that badly. And the worst part was that John knew the scars on arms weren't the only ones, Dave also had them on his legs, thighs and stomach.
"They are purple because of a malpractice." John snapped out of his thoughts and blushed when he realized he had openly stared on Dave's arms. He was too ashamed to look on Dave so he buried his face behing a book and tried to mutter an apology.
"It's okay, I know they look bad. Some doctor tried to treat them but he put some liquid incorrectly in them and something happened and well... now they're purple and ugly", Dave said and laughed. "It's okay, really."
"I'm sorry that doctor failed treating them", John whispered behind his book. Dave lowered the book so he could see John's reddish face and rolled his eyes.
"Shit happens, it's done now", Dave said and flashed a little smile to John.
"I'm sorry I stared."
"Believe me, I'm used to it."
~.~.~.
John was sitting in front of Dave in the dining room. It was time for Dave's night meal he was supposed to eat before going to bed every night. There were two other too skinny patients in the dining room with their nurses but because Dave's own nurse wasn't doing a night shift the other nurses kept an eye on Dave and John was allowed to be with his friend during the meal. John himself wasn't hungry at all and he couldn't understand how Dave, who was smaller than him anyway, would be able to eat another meal. It seemed to be hard to Dave but slowly he was clearing the plate.
"Why you wear those shades?" John was resting his head on his hand, eyes on Dave's face. The blonde boy raised his eyebrows and chuckled.
"For reasons."
"What reasons? They fit you and everything but we are inside and it's December."
"My eyes are kinda sick too."
"How?"
"They are sensitive to light. I guess I could be without shades inside because the light isn't that bright but my eye color is kinda... abnormal. I don't want to scare people."
"Abnormal?" Dave sighed with a little smile on his lips, looked around and after he was sure the other patients were far enough he took his shades and put them on the table between him and John. He tried to hide his slightly red eyes behind his hair but it wasn't long enough.
"Wow", John said and didn't seem to be scared at all.
"You don't think they're freaky?" Dave asked and continued finishing his meal, it was late and he was getting tired.
"Freaky? No, not at all! They are pretty", John nodded and smiled when Dave took his shades and put them back on to hide his eyes.
The rest of the meal the two boys spent in silence – Dave had hard times trying to finish his meal and John didn't want to take the other boy's concentration to somewhere else. After finishing the meal both of them decided to go to their rooms to change clothes and get ready to sleep. They were walking towards the corridor both of their rooms were when an old looking man stopped them.
"Evening, boys. Dave, I talked with Mrs. Harrison today on phone after seeing your weight diary and I'm wondering if you would like to spend Christmas with your family? It's two weeks until Christmas and you are only a bit away from the first goal", the man said with a huge smile.
"What? Really? Of course, that would be amazing!" Dave answered with at least as big smile as the doctor had. The man laughed and nodded.
"Decided then, you can call home tomorrow. But if you come back in a worse condition there will be consequences, understood?" Dave nodded and after the doctor told both of them good night they sneaked in Dave's room.
"I can't believe this! They are letting me to go home, I'm so excited", Dave said and John smiled. Patients weren't allowed to visit each other's rooms but all the nurses had something else to do than watch where older patients spent their time before going to sleep. John sat down on Dave's bed while the room's owner went to the window to close the curtains for night.
"Will you go home for Christmas?" John blinked his eyes a couple of times with no emotion on his face and then shook his head.
"I will probably be here. I have the permission to go but my dad doesn't want me home", the black-haired boy said and sighed. Dave frowned and sat next to his friend on the bed.
"You okay?" John nodded and tried to keep the tears in. He failed miserably and after one tear he couldn't hold them anymore.
"Sorry oh God", he said and tried to wipe his cheeks.
"Hey, it's okay. What's wrong?" John took a deep breathe and somehow managed to stop the tears.
"I'm here because my dad wants so. It's good for me, he says. I've had medication for a long time and I have never been in a better condition and then he suddenly decides I should be hospitalized. And he said I probably shouldn't come home after two weeks so I will spend my Christmas here with sad nurses and psychopaths", John sighed and without realizing it himself his hands were on fists. "My dad is my only family but apparently I'm not even important to him."
"What the fuck, what kind of dad does that?" Dave's tone was angry which startled John a bit. He shrugged and got himself up from the bed.
"I guess I should go to sleep, it's kinda late."
"You could spend Christmas with me and my family." When John raised his eyes from the floor to Dave, the blonde boy wasn't looking at him – he had found something interesting on his blanket.
"What?"
"I know we just met and shit and I won't force you but you are a nice guy and... yeah", Dave said so quickly it took a moment for John to understand everything he had said. A little smile made its way to the black-haired boy's lips and Dave was brave enough to get his eyes from the blanket.
"It would be cool, it honestly would. I'm just not sure what your family would think", the shorter boy sighed. For a moment he had been excited but Christmas was a family holiday anyway and John wasn't part of the Strider family after all.
"Well, I mostly live with my older brother, I guess my parents might visit on Christmas Day but other than that it would just be me and my brother who will have friends over anyway... Soooo if you want you are welcome to come over. I will asked my brother tomorrow but I'm sure he will be okay with it", Dave shrugged.
"It would be nice to come over", John said with a smile, "but only if your brother and parents are fine with it."
~.~.~.
- ectoBiologist [EB] started perstering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 09:58-
EB: hi rose!
EB: and merry christmas!
TT: It's not Christmas yet, John.
EB: it's christmas eve tomorrow so it's almost christmas.
TT: You're right. So are you going to leave soon?
EB: yes! dave's bro should come and pick us up around 10am so we're outside now.
EB: waiting for him.
EB: but dave said he is always late so i guess we will wait for a bit longer :B
EB: how're you?
TT: I'm okay, really excited for you though! I wish I could visit you but there's no way tot get a bus when it's Christmas.
EB: yeah, but you can come to the hospital after christmas.
EB: i'm sure it would be okay since i'm not a bad patient :B
TT: That would be awesome, I will ask my mom about it.
EB: cool!
EB: we have to go now, i will message you later.
EB: see you, rose!
- ectoBiologst [EB] ceased pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] at 10:07-
A/N2: About that mistreatment thing: one of my friend got a mistreatment like that (they put some liquid on her scars but they put it in a wrong way or something) and her scars turned deep purple and got wide. So yes, it can really happen.
