January 29th, 2013

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god-"

"Troy, are you okay?"

"Oh my god, oh my god-"

"Troy!"

A burst of white light blinds him. He frantically covers his eyes and cries out in agony as his eyes begin to burn. The pain hurts, the memories hurt, the dreams hurt... His arm is jerked off his face, and he shuts his eyes tightly. Water falls from his eyes.

"Troy, open your eyes!"

Light floods through his pupils. Everything is blurry, undefined as if he's blind. He struggles to make out distant objects and people, but to no avail. He grips the cotton underneath him and grits his teeth. Unbearable pain in his head follows, then down his spine to his feet, and all over his body. He groans deeply in agonizing pain.

"It hurts!" Troy finally spits out.

The intensity of the light is lowered. Now, objects are clearing up, but not enough. He still cannot define things as they are. His hearing is crisp, as he can hear Rex barking in the distance and he can hear voices perfectly, but his ability to see is gone.

"Troy, we're here, it's okay!"

"Connor, Dr. Wolf, mom-"

Silence finds the people that are with him.

"Gabriella's brother and his mom's old doctor?" one person says.

"And his mom..." another one says.

His vision becomes sharp in a matter of miliseconds. He stares into Keith, Randy, and Bryan's faces.

"What the hell-"

"Troy, are you okay?" Keith says.

He looks around at his surroundings. Many snow banks pile along the road, many of which have been sloshed in by Rex. The ground underneath is blacktop with a dotted yellow line going down the middle of it. Many houses surround the road. Underneath himself is a white blanket, and he is covered with a red one. Dull pains travel through his head. He screams and holds his head. Wet tissue surrounds his forehead, and he quickly pulls his hands away, only to stare at dark red blood dripping off his fingers.

"Stay still," Bryan shouts.

Bryan's voice causes Troy's ears to ring.

"Where's Connor?" Troy pushes himself up but is half-thrown, half-set back down.

"Probably at home, sleeping,"

"Sleeping? At home? By himself?" Troy pushes himself up once again but is forced back down.

"Stay down!" Keith shouts.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY KID?!" Troy screeches.

"He's delusional," Bryan says, "just let him be."

Troy closes his eyes. Muffled voices surround him, and he's gone.

…..

Beeping monitors and doctors surround him. He sits up in his bed, fighting for consciousness.

"Troy! You're okay! It's okay!" Keith says.

"No, no!" Troy cries out, tears falling down his cheeks. He fights the arms that try to hold him back, "Connor, my kid!"

"Troy, calm down for a second!"

For once, Troy obeys. His rapid breathing and fighting subsides. His eyes are enlarged and bloodshot..

"Jessica didn't have your baby yet, Troy. I don't know who the fuck Connor is, maybe Gabriella's older brother, but you're being stupid about this!"

Troy looks around the room, watching various nurses check monitors. He stares over at the clock, which reads 3:43 AM.

"How the hell did this happen to me? What happened?" he says.

Keith sighs. He takes a seat in the chair that he originally must have been sitting in, "You left your house. Bryan assumed you were going to Gabriella's. We got worried when we heard a car horn and a bunch of screams outside, so we went out, and you must have went unconscious or something while you were walking. You only got to the road and then you collapsed."

"I was bleeding too?"

"We wrapped your head up pretty tight. We put a blanket under you and we covered you up with one to keep you warm, since your heartbeat was so faint," Keith stares at Troy, who is in obvious disbelief. "Are you okay, man?"

Troy shakes his head, "Fuck me..."

"It's alright now, you're in the hospital. The nurses said you have a mild concussion and a slice on the back of your head from the ice, but other than that, you're okay."

Troy lies back in bed and rolls to his right side, away from Keith. None of it was true. It didn't happen. He never went to see his mom, nor did he see Jessica or his baby. He was a deadbeat father, a scared son, and a mean bully towards Jessica.

"Keith, can I be alone for a while? Just so I can... Figure some things out..."

"Sure," Keith stands up slowly and starts towards the door, "just push the nurse's button if you need anything, okay?"

"Sure thing," Troy says, "and thanks for helping me out."

"No problem," the door closes.

How alone can one man really be? No mother, no father, none of his sisters, a few good friends that only come around once in a while. Although he does have Rex, Rex cannot give him advice on life. Rex can't work and provide him money. Rex can't speak. Rex can only listen and love.

Still, he fights to find love. He fights for a person, someone who really cares about him. The only person he can really think of isn't here. His own child.