Wish You Weren't Here

TIME FOR SOME FUN WITH DAMO TEHE

"Keith" Keith growled. Was Rèamann really waking him up again? "Come on Keithy don't tell me you forgot about me already?" Keith's eyes snapped open. That was not Rèamann's voice. There was nobody there. "You are lucky he didn't strap you in."

"Cam?" Keith knew he must be dreaming.

"I am afraid so, and you aren't dreaming so stop trying to wake up."

"But-you-where are you?"

"I'm dead. Remember?"

"Yes, but- "

"So you can't see me."

"But I can hear you?"

"You didn't let me finish there Keithy, of course you never let me finish when I was alive either…I was going to say you can't see me yet." Keith gulped he didn't like the way this was going. "The only reason you are hearing me right now is because of the incredible guilt you feel and…you are lying in my bed." Keith gasped.

"But-"

"No buts Keithy, you are going to drive yourself and possibly others insane."

"No"

"No? NO!.. Okay, you won't."

"Cam?" There was no answer. "Cameron…CAMERON!" Silence. Keith suddenly wanted to be out of his bed more than anything.

Damian had fallen asleep in the car and Neil really hated to wake him up. He studied Damian contemplating whether or not he could lift him up. Damian's mouth had fallen open slightly. If he could carry Ryan surely he could manage Damian right? Neil called Ryan again and told him to leave the door open. Neil got out of the car and walked to Damian's side. He opened the door and put one arm under Damian's knees and his other arm around Damian's shoulders. As he carefully lifted Damian out of the car he realized he would have to grab Damian's cane too. With some swift maneuvering Neil was sure he could never repeat again he got Damian's cane and rested it on top of Damian, carrying both of them into the hotel where Ryan was waiting.

True to his word Ryan kept the door open.

"Neil" Ryan said with a smile.

"Sshhh" Neil said as he laid Damian on the puny fold-out couch. He looked around the room, grateful this particular hotel had nice rooms and couches. He would hate it if this was a cheap hotel with only a bed.

"I missed you" Ryan whispered and wrapped his arms around Neil's waist.

"I missed you too, but it was only an hour." Ryan kissed Neil's neck.

"I know but I was going crazy by myself. Can you believe how tense today was? I mean between everyone waiting for Paul to punch Keith again, Cameron's funeral, Damian's obvious avoidance of Keith, and how bad Keith looked it is nice to have something that is normal." Neil flinched. He always forgot how sensitive Ryan could be to other people's problems because he was always the strong one in their relationship. Neil found it ironic that the "dark destroyer" of the group was actually probably the most sensitive.

"I'm so sorry babe." Neil gently led Ryan to the double bed. They sat on the edge just watching Damian sleep. "Do you ever think that we are wasting our lives in these hotel rooms?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I just mean we have been spending practically all of our time in hotels recently." Ryan laughed.

"Yeah I guess we have, but what other option do we have?" Neil shrugged. "Plus, I think it's kind of…romantic."

"Romantic?"

"Yeah I mean just you and me…and apparently Damian…in a building full of strangers with nothing to do but have fun." Neil sighed that did sound nice. He yawned, suddenly feeling the effects of the long day. Ryan laughed. "Bedtime?" Neil nodded slowly. Ryan, already in his pajamas, jumped straight into bed. Neil had to drag himself over to his clothes and change before he could collapse into bed. He glanced at Damian. Damian looked so peaceful. Neil sacrificed his pillow and gently slid it under Damian's head. He found a spare blanket and tossed it over Damian. Finally, he could go to bed. He crawled beside Ryan who gratefully offered his chest as a pillow. Neil laid his head on Ryan and fell into a blissful sleep.

"Are you ready to listen to reason Keithy?" Keith had amost fallen asleep again but his eyes snapped open.

"Cam?"

"Kind of…anyway. If you find yourself injured or sick do not, I repeat DO NOT go back to the hospital. Things will only get bad for you and everyone else if you do." Keith was confused and scared.

"But-"

"No buts just remember no hospitals and you will be fine now get some sleep"

"But Cam…Cam?" Keith had wanted to ask him what it was like to be dead, but once again he was gone.

Damian sighed a sigh of relief. He was home, in his apartment with Cameron and it had all just been a terrible nightmare. He rolled over and saw Cameron in the bed next to him. He could have cried. A sigh escaped his mouth.

"A dream Damian?" Cameron asked. Cameron's back was to Damian but Damian could picture the smile on Cameron's face.

"Yeah, it was extremely weird."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"It's kind of a long story."

"That's okay…we've got time Damian…SO MUCH TIME" as he said this he rolled over to face Damian. Damian wanted to scream. Cameron was somewhere between zombie and skeleton. His pupils glowed red like lasers and clumps of dirt and maggots hung off of him. Damian rolled off the bed and started backing away. "You can't escape me Damian! You tried to forget me but I am everywhere! You little shit, I am everywhere." To Damian's horror Cameron started sitting up and getting out of bed. As he stumbled toward Damian, Damian noticed he had something in his hand. "You made the wrong choice Damian! You thought that lunkhead surfer was good for you. Look at him now!" Cameorn held up Keith's severed head in his right hand. Keith had a look of pure terror frozen on his face forever. As Cameron moved closer to Damian Keith's mouth began to twitch. Before Damian knew what was happening Keith was screaming at him.

"DAMO, I love you! Why did you let him do this to me? I thought what we had was good." Cameron laughed.

"Good…you hear that Damo? He LOVES you! Give him a kiss." Keith's face was back in that frozen expression of terror.

"No" Damian said trembling.

"Awww what's a matter Damian? You don't love him anymore? It's a good thing you didn't…lose your head." He said with a laugh. "Listen to me Damian. Be very careful what you say or do with Keith. If you aren't it could have disastrous results for you and your loved ones, whomever they might be." Damian was fairly sure he was crying now. Could you even cry in dreams?

"What do you want:? WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Damian screamed.

"Isn't it obvious?...I want you to suffer." Cameron stuck his face in front of Damian's and laughed. Damian screamed.

Neil was happily running his hand idly up and down Ryan's happy trail. As tired as Neil was he couldn't sleep he just wanted to talk to Ryan, his best friend, not about anything in particular but just to hear his voice and maybe hold him. Ryan wished he was asleep, but he wasn't. He also wished that the room would stop spinning and his headache would go away.

"Neil" Ryan whispered.

"Yes Ryan?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"You, Damian, Keith…you." Ryan glanced to the clock, it was 1:15 in the morning. "Why are you up?"

"Besides you taunting me?...I don't feel very well." Neil moved off of Ryan and sat up. He looked Ryan in the eyes. "No, don't move." Ryan pleaded.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Neil put his hand on Ryan's face. He was a little warm, but nothing to worry about. Ryan sighed.

"I wish you wouldn't worry so much Neil. I am fine. It's just a headache and a slight stomachache. Honestly it's probably just from stress."

"But what if it's not?"

"It is, I promise."

"I wish you wouldn't worry so much." Neil said.

"Funny I was just thinking the same thing." Ryan laughed.

"I'm serious babe, one of these days you are going to worry yourself sick and wind up in the hospital."

"well as long as you take care of me that doesn't sound so bad" Ryan said with a smirk. Neil lightly slapped him on the arm.

"Shush you" Ryan opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Damian. Damian started moaning in his sleep. Ryan sat up, getting a mini head rush. Neil turned to Damian contemplating whether or not he should wake him up. Damian started twitching and fighting in his sleep. Neil expected him to wake up when he fell off the couch, but he didn't. He just kept saying
"What do you want?" and "NNOOO" over and over again. Ryan got scared, really scared. Neil jumped off the bed, turned on the light, and ran to Damian. He wrapped his arms around him attempting to restrain his flailing limbs.

"Damian, Damian wake up! Damian wake up! You are dreaming" Neil said. He turned to ask Ryan for help but saw Ryan jump of the bed, his hand over his mouth, and dash towards the bathroom.

"Just stress my ass" Neil muttered. "Damian come on" Neil shook Damian and Damian slowly stopped fighting.

"N-Neil?" Damian whimpered.

"Yes, it's me. You were having a bad dream." Neil did not let go of Damian. He sat down next to him and stroked his hair. Damian was shaking and crying. "Do you want to tell me what it was about?" Damian shook his head no. "Do you want to come to my bed with me? I don't think Ryan will be getting much sleep tonight."

"W-why? What's wrong with Ryan?" Damian asked.

"Looks like he has a touch of the flu, come on Damian you don't have to go to sleep just relax. It's okay. It was only a dream." Damian knew it wasn't only a dream. He knew it was more, but he couldn't explain that to Neil. Before Damian could open his mouth he was being lifted off the floor by Neil and gently placed in the soft bed. When Neil put him down he refused to let go of Neil's shirt. "Damian, was it really that scary?" Neil looked into Damian's eyes and knew the answer. "Okay listen. I have to check on Ryan, but I can leave my shirt here for you if you need it." Damian nodded. Neil took off his shirt and handed it to Damian. Damian breathed in the scent of Neil and calmed down slightly.

Neil walked to the bathroom poor Ryan couldn't even close the door. Neil stood in the doorway looking at the disheveled Ryan leaning over the toilet.

"Stress huh?" Neil said. Ryan looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, just stress. I am fine now." Ryan stood up shakily and flushed the toilet. He walked over to the sink and washed his hands and mouth out.

"Look can we just skip the speech and go to bed?" Ryan asked looking at Neil. He looked so tired. Neil wanted to give in just like that, but a small part of him told him to fight.

"Tell you what, let me take your temperature and then, depending on the results we can go to bed." Ryan sighed, he knew this was a losing battle. He nodded. "Oh and uh we may have to share a bed with Damian. It was the only way I could get him to calm down." Ryan nodded again. Neil opened the medicine cabinet where they had stored a first aid kit. He pulled out the thermometer and turned to Ryan who was putting the toilet seat down so he could sit. Neil walked over to him and put the thermometer in his mouth. Ryan felt like the minutes dragged on like hours. Finally Neil pulled it out of his mouth. Ryan knew he didn't have a fever. Honestly he felt fine now. Neil frowned.

"Well?" Ryan asked yawning.

"100.4" No way, Ryan did not feel sick anymore. His stomach was a little sore but he thought that was just from throwing up. "Ryan, be honest with me. How are you feeling?"

"Fine Neil, just a little sore." Neil sighed. There was no way Ryan was telling the truth and yet…Ryan looked at him with fear in his eyes begging Neil to believe him.

"Okay…let's go to bed. We'll see how you feel in the morning." Neil helped Ryan up and they walked back to the bed. Damian was curled around Neil's shirt whimpering softly.

"I'll be in the middle." Neil muttered. He knew he was the shortest so it only made sense. Neil slid into the bed followed by Ryan. Neil rolled over to face Ryan who still looked pale. Ryan got out of bed and turned off the light. When he came back he told Neil to use him as a pillow, but Neil didn't want to.

"I don't know babe. I don't want to hurt you."

"The only way you can hurt me Neil is if you don't cuddle with me right now." Ryan said. Neil sighed.

"Okay" Neil scooted onto Ryan. Ryan let the smallest whimper escape his mouth.

"Neil?" Damian mumbled.

"Right here Damian."

"I don't think I can go back to sleep."

"That's okay I don't think any of us are. Especially Ryan."

"Why would you say that?" Ryan asked.

"I heard that whimper and I can hear your stomach rumble. I am not deaf." Ryan didn't know what to say. He really felt fine. Neil sat up and gently placed his hands on Ryan's stomach. The soft fabric of his t-shirt in contrast to the tight muscles underneath. "But babe, it's okay. We all get sick sometimes." He gently rubbed Ryan's stomach. "Can you just admit that you are sick?"

"I'm not though."

"I swear Ryan one of these days…one of these days."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS RYAN REALLY SICK OR JUST STRESSED? DO YOU THINK KEITH IS ACTUALLY CRAZY? LET ME KNOW, I TAKE EVERY OPINION INTO CONSIDERATION, PLUS REVIEWS (GOOD OR BAD) ARE NICE! THANKS FOR READING.