Dan skidded up to the desk "Phil Lester" he panted, he had considered just running into the hospital and opening every door until he found him but this way was probably simpler, probably. His stress riddled mind couldn't really tell. The woman at the desk scrolled through the data achingly slowly. Dan had to restrain himself form yelling obscenities at the woman and demanding that she hurry up. He just wanted to see his friend again; he just wanted to see Phil.
"Ahh, Phillip Lester, and Age: 26 DOB: 01/30/87 is that correct?" Dan nodded franticly "I'm sorry but he is in the Intensive Care Unit and will not have any visitors at the moment" and when Dan looked like he was about to protest, the elderly lady interrupted "it's company policy. I can't do anything about it." She looked around for a bit after Dan and his friends didn't move, before settling on the trio sat at the side. "I can direct you to the people who brought him in though. They must've been worried because they've been sat there for hours."
Dan supposed it was reasonable that he wasn't allowed to see Phil, but that didn't men he wasn't any happier about it. He looked at Chris and PJ before nodding, whoever these people were he owed them so so much for bringing Phil back to him. The woman pointed to a group situated in the corner, they looked roughly Dan's age and there was something slightly familiar about them, he couldn't place it. This feeling continues to niggle at him as he walked toward the group, with Chris and PJ in tow, intending to thank them.
Well, he says group. There were only three of them but, judging by the empty seats next to them, there must've been more. But that nagging feeling only grew as he walked towards them and the details grew more distinct. One was notably taller than the other and had mousey blond hair styled into a Mohawk. He was wearing a weird tailcoat that clinged to his muscled frame.
The other smaller one was sitting next to him, his dirt brown hair falling into his eyes, he was eating a lollipop, Dan wasn't sure if you were allowed those in a hospital but who really cared? The smaller one looked a lot like a hamster, the lollipop only enforcing that mental image as it was outlined in his cheek. The final person was a girl who looked like she just woke up; she sat next to the lollipop boy, their fingers intertwined. Dan guessed they were together.
They didn't seem to look up as he approached, Chris and PJ hung back, not wanting to seen too intrusive. Dan cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Hey" He started "thanks for-" He cut himself off, he looked at the two guys, really looked.
Could it be them? Surely not? He didn't think his mind could take any more shock. At a loss for something to lean on he sat down heavily on the ground, shaking slightly. "Dan" PJ called "are you okay?"
Dan shook his head, as if eradicating those images, and accepting the help up. he knew those two, they always addressed each other by their nicknames no matter the situation, and he couldn't remember their real names but the people sitting in front of him with the worried expression on their faces definitely weren't them. They were too big, the hamster lookalike and the tailcoat? A coincidence.
"So, err, yeah" he continued once he was on his feet again "you guys saved my friend Phil, i'm Dan by the way, and I just wanted you to know how grateful I am to you, so yeah, thank you" He smiled, confused when he didn't get a smile back from either of the guys. "It's fine really" the girl said "what sort of people would we have to be to find him and not help him?"
"Yeah, I guess you're right" Dan grinned, so happy that Phil was safe.
The girl stuck out her hand and waited for him to take it. When he hesitated she just rolled her eyes and gripped the larger hand. "It's called a handshake, when someone does that; they want to get to know you. My name's Jessie. This is my boyfriend..." she looked to the duo next to her and, seeing their warning looks, continued. "This is my boyfriend Mike and our mate Jack." PJ and Chris reached forward and the boys took the hands offered. "PJ" "Chris" they nodded in reply.
Dan looked around, unsure of what to say, so he decided against saying anything. His mind was too exhausted to think rationally anyway.
After a few moments of awkward silence they bid their farewells and went to sit in another part of the waiting area. Dan collapsed in a chair, more tired than he had previously believed himself able to be. His mind, though dreary, was still able to drag up the memory of that summer, the summer he had waited all day for his best friends, who never showed up.
He had been sitting there for hours. The wind was especially strong today and he couldn't wait to tell his best friends about how many new people he had met, and about his first girlfriend. He rubbed his hands across his windswept face and leant back against the hard tree. Playing with the flowers planted around the edges of the marble grave. Ahh, it's a good life. He thought, he was a bit exited and arrived a few hours early so that would explain why his friends hadn't arrived yet. Dan was tired as well, he couldn't sleep the night before but, that wouldn't matter. He looked up at the old tree as an idea came into his head. This'll be fun he climbed as quickly as he could up the tree and hid up there, in the branches.
He plan formed in his mind, to his 12 year old self it seemed rather devious i'll hide up here, jump them, and scare the living daylights out of them. He nodded to himself, yawning slightly. He adjusted his position so there wasn't a branch digging into his leg, and began peeling the bark off said branch in an attempt to keep boredom at bay
Up in that tree the wind seemed that much stronger, the leaves protected him from it but it made a nice gentle rocking. It was relaxing and the branches mostly obscured his view of the ground. It was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open and there was a nagging feeling at the back of his head saying that he could be missing something important. But he dismissed it, it's not like his friends might not see him.
After all, Hamster's sight was amazing. He let the swaying of the branches carry him off to sleep, aware of it and not at the same time.
He jolted awake with a start, almost falling out of the tree; he regained his balance and went to check his watch. His wrist was bare, that's when he remembered his mum had made him leave it at home, she knew they would be climbing trees and she didn't want it damaged.
She didn't want her son damaged either but there was no way she would stop him and his friends climbing. No one could. Dan shrugged, it couldn't have been that long, the sun was still in the same place, and at least he thought so. He perched on the branch, determined this time to stay awake and pounce them.
But he was waiting for too long and he decided that they just forgot about him.
Some friends they are.
