Far Away - Chapter Nine
"Chris, aren't you coming?"
Chris inhaled slowly, the bleachy smell of the hospital so strong he could taste it on his tongue. He didn't want to be here, but he followed after Sam and Cathy out of the elevator into the hospital wing. They had known the way to Danny's room without having to ask for directions.
But Sam did stop at the nurse's station and leaned on the counter to ask, "How's he doing today?" The froggy-looking nurse didn't even seem surprised at her question, but her eyes drifted to Chris. "It's okay, he's a Monster Buster too." The nurse nodded to Chris and he had to nod back – figures the hospital would have a few disguised aliens on staff to hide any alien-related stuff.
"He's resting for the moment," the nurse replied. "He's been having seizures all day, the poor thing. They've getting horribly worse, we're thinking he may be losing ground. We finally convinced his mother to go home and rest herself-" Chris tightened his fist and buried it deeper into his pocket as she carried on about what they told Danny's mom to cover up his real condition. The words echoed hollowly inside his chest against broken pieces. "-But you can go in now."
Chris dully stared as Sam and Cathy thanked the nurse and moved down the hall. Inanely, Chris thought hospitals were supposed to be all white – apparently, a beige and light puke-yellow color theme was in. Or someone liked their breakfast eggs a little too much. Entirely possible if aliens were on staff.
Sam walked through a semi-open door and disappeared into the dimmed light inside, and Cathy followed, unusually quiet. Chris hesitated and wondered if he could find his way back to the entrance before Sam hissed, "Oh, just get in here." Cathy's arm stretched out and snagged his elbow before he could protest, dragging Chris inside.
And he almost broke.
Danny lay in the middle of the hospital bed, an oxygen mask across his face and wires and tubes running every which way and cascading off the sides of the bed to machines. The white bed and gown had bled Danny of all his color… like the sun going out.
Chris' backpack hit the floor as his knees lost their ability to hold him up. Sam caught him on his way down.
"Chris?" her voice sounded so far away.
That was Danny – the Danny Chris so desperately wanted to call his and couldn't, even to himself – lying there. His hair in disarray, eyes shut, buried under blankets, and connected to various machines like a weird circuit. Chris wanted to throw up and add to the hospital's decorum.
Chris dug out Danny's hand from under the covers and what felt like an electric blanket and clasped it, not even really sure how he got to the bed. Somewhere behind him, Sam made up an excuse about hot chocolate to get Cathy out of the room, and the door shut behind them.
"Danny…"
Chris shut his eyes tightly and tears clung to the corners as he pressed his cheek against Danny's hand. All the longing came back in a flood that made him weak in the heart, and the jagged pain from it being broken. What the hell was that, you freak?!
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
He felt the hand he held tremble, and his chest lurched to think Danny may be waking up – but Danny's whole body began to shake in another seizure and the machines next to the bed started to get loud and fast.
"No!" Chris blurted out, his arms flying out and pressing against Danny in a strange tackle mixed with an embrace. The tremors lasted another few seconds before slowing and ebbing. "Please…" Chris whispered into the crook of Danny's neck, "Please… let me stay as long as it takes to help you. Please, I have to make this right again. Then you can hate me and I'll leave you alone forever." His heart broke even more as he spoke, and the tears rolled in rivers down his cheeks. When the trembling stopped and the breathing evened, he lifted his head and looked at the still face – the face that should be smiling and laughing and grinning in that cocky way that made Chris melt. Chris brushed back Danny's hair from his face and gently kissed his forehead as the tears fell.
The door opened as Chris leaned back and the froggy-nurse bustled in. She slowed in surprise. "His seizure stopp-"
Chris scooped up his backpack from the floor and ran past her, frantically rubbing at his face. He had to stay together right now – had to stay strong until Danny was better. Then he would let himself fall apart and shatter in a thousand pieces. His face was mostly dry when he ran into Cathy and Sam coming back down the hall with foam cups in hand.
They looked at him in surprise, Cathy starting to say, "Chris-" before Sam elbowed her in the side.
"Come on, we have to track down that Zerellian mother worm," Chris ordered. Sam smiled at him in a relieved way.
"Let's go."
Author's Note: I'm very sorry for taking so long! School just started up again and it's killing me. But if you're sticking with us, thank you very much *bows* And everyone thank Xiaolin101 for messaging me and getting me to force myself to finish this chapter today.
So, I know how the story's going to run it's course (mostly), but I've gotten a few ideas for a continuation... would people be interested in like... an epilogue?
