[30th December]
[Nick's POV]
On my way to Johnny's private room, I heard cries and screeches nearby. My brows furrowed in astonishment. Was a mad patient lingering near Johnny? I made a mental note to inquire about it and have his room changed to somewhere more secured. I was searching and darting left and right for the source, the screams were getting brasher the farther I marched down the hall. I was getting concerned. What if Johnny was in danger? The thought of him getting injured made me quicken my pace until I was running on my feet to his bedroom.
I halted at the entrance and was bewildered when I realize the noises were arising directly from his room. "Johnny!?" I swung open the door, already in a fighting stance. Though, I didn't really know how to fight. Maybe a few tricks I learned from Silas.
"What the-"
There, I saw Johnny crouched in the corner with pillows scattered all over the place. Some were even ripped and the feathers fluttered around the room. With haste, the nurses gave me quick nods before hurrying out of his room, relieved that someone came to the rescue.
I shut the door after them and shoved the extra sandwich into the pocket of my coat. Maybe, he wasn't in the mood to eat. I approached him with care, observing as he cried and trembled in his spot.
"Johnny-"
"You know how much I fucking despise hospitals!!" he immediately spat, tears spilling out.
"You fainted-" "Couldn't you have sent me home instead!? I don't need to be barred up in this shithole!" he scrambled to his feet before running out of the bedroom, jostling my shoulder harshly in the process. I was distressed, but I didn't let it get to me. I followed and turned to chase him down the hallway. "Johnny, wait!"
His body didn't even let him go far as he stood frozen in front of the entrance. "Johnny!" I reached the door and watched with furrowed brows as he glanced around the hallway, a hundred thoughts racing through his mind.
"Fuck!" he suddenly shrieked, dropping into a crouching position as he clutched his ears. He continued to scream and shout, sometimes muttering a soft yet desperate, 'make it stop'. It took me a couple of seconds to process.
I promptly ran my feet and grasped the fleece blanket on his rumpled bed. Without a second thought, I sheltered him with the bedding from head to toe before pulling him into an embrace.
"Johnny, it's okay." I sought to reassure him, rubbing soothing circles around his quivering back.
"Make it stop..." he whimpered. Passersby stopped and stared shamelessly.
"Scram," I said through gritted teeth, eyes piercing into their souls. They hurried on their merry way. I supported Johnny on his feet once he had quieted down into hiccups and escorted him out of the building, somewhere that isn't triggering for the boy.
If I had remembered prior, I wouldn't have taken him to the hospital, particularly this one.
The one where his biological mother died.
Delicately, I lifted the blanket to expose his puffy face and red cheeks. "I'm sorry," I immediately told. He turned to me with a shake of his head. "It's not your fault." he replied, sniffing lightly. We remained in silence as we faced away from the building.
"Here," I recalled the sandwich I had stuffed in my pocket. I believed it was still warm and nice.
His face scrunched up in repugnance as he regarded the tinfoil-wrapped food. "Disgusting. I'd rather starve." I pursed my lips and set the sandwich on the bench.
"You've got to eat something, at least."
"That's definitely not coming anywhere near my mouth," he made clear. "I'll get you something else-" just then, my phone buzzed aloud.
"I see you're still a dull person." I assumed Johnny was pointing out my default ringtone. I delivered a glare to him, bringing the phone to my ear. "H-"
"Jay just got out of the emergency room!" I abruptly stood up. "I'll be right there!" Johnny furrowed his brows as he watched me, side-eyeing the sandwich that had gone cold on the seat.
"What's wrong?"
I instantly froze in my spot. Shit, how do I break it to Johnny? "Uh," I scratched my neck. "Ethan needs toilet paper; he took a huge dump!" I almost tumbled on the way to the entrance. "You're just going to leave me here!?" Johnny shouted from afar. "Sorry! I'll be back!"
My chest heaved as I finally reached Jay's room.
Room 17.
Pushing the door open, I had hoped to see the grin Jay would give me when he sees me, again. I really missed it. But no. I was greeted by, once again, a dead and quiet room. The only sounds detected were the beepings of the Holter monitor and the digital clock on the nightstand. I took a deep breath before stepping closer.
"Doctor stated that he's back to normal." I sighed in relief.
"Normal as in the state he was in before the seizure. He's still in a coma." my frown deepened when I caught sight of the translucent mask that blanketed Jay's entire face.
It was supposed to help with his breathing.
The countless cables and machines required to assist him were sickening to the core. I released a shaky breath. I watched as Ethel's hands lifted to softly rub against Jay's pale ones. I wasn't happy with it but it was not the time to ponder on such irrelevant topics.
"Has his parents visited before?" Ethel suddenly asked. "Yeah, twice. When he was first admitted in and this morning. All for less than an hour,"
"Why's that?"
"A business meeting." Ethel scoffed in disbelief. "Heartless monsters," he muttered, allowing his hands to drop to his lap. Silence fell between us.
"Johnny is awake, by the way." Ethel stiffened in his seat as he turned to face me. "Do...does he know?"
"Not yet. Should we tell him? He's obliged to know. He's returning to school soon too." Ethel tilted his head down.
"I'll tell him," he spoke. "Oh," I was genuinely appalled he offered. But then again, Ethel's soul was not in his own body.
"N-now?" I stepped back when Ethel left his seat, reaching for the door. "Or else, when?" with that, he shut the door, the sounds of footsteps fading into the background. I sighed, moving to replace him on the little stool.
I faced Jay, who was unable to return my gaze, his face shielded with a mask. I let out a humorless chuckle. "You're causing a lot of trouble, y'know?" I reached out to smoothen his distasteful white gown. Jay would probably wake up grumpy if he found out he had been wearing something so repugnant throughout his stay.
"You'd call Rikki the troublemaker but I think you're starting to learn from him." my smile faltered when I realized I had mentioned the youngest. I leaned on the backseat with a heavy sigh.
"You got to wake up and tell us the truth, everything." I watched as his chest rise and lower. It was a minute movement. Too small.
"I'm having difficulties believing Rikki did all this. Hell, that guy adored butterflies and dared not kill a bug." I laughed bitterly, furiously rubbing my eyes that were starting to sting.
Then I cleared my throat, feeling a tad bit ridiculous. "Anyway, you have to wake up, Jay. I'll be counting.
Today," I drew a number one on the pure white sheets with my finger.
"Will be day one." I glanced up at him, suddenly getting an idea.
I frantically scanned around the room for paper. There, on one of the cabinet tops laid stacked documents that were used to jot down Jay's daily report. I didn't care as I got up and seized one.
"It's rectangular but it will do." I began folding the paper thoughtfully as I recited the steps in my head.
"There," I set a neatly folded lotus by his bed. "Wasn't this your favorite flower?" I smiled before correcting myself. "Or should I say, Johnny's favorite flower?" I chuckled, nonchalantly fixing parts of the origami.
"I wonder if Johnny knew..." I hummed, leaning back.
"That you had a pond of lotuses grown for him in your backyard. How long has it been? Two years?" his eyes remained close. One would've thought he was simply napping if it wasn't for the enormous respirator on his face. I grimaced. That was sure to leave a mark on his face when it will be removed.
When it will be removed.
For the better or for worse?
I shook my head to discard the intrusive thoughts. "I remembered how you'd never let him go into your backyard when we slept over. It's being renovated, you'd say." I closed my eyes as I reminisced.
"You attempted to grow the one Johnny particularly fancied, didn't you? Wasn't it a rare one too? What a lover boy, you are." a gentle smile came across my face.
"It was blue colored, right? Wait, he liked two kinds. The other one was the royal lotus, wasn't it? I remembered you had a massive bee problem with it." I laughed softly before sighing heavily.
"I used to wonder how you even managed to sow that. It was a particularly rare species from Thailand. You even grew two...one in pink and one in white." I stared at the ceiling.
"Anything is possible for love, right?"
No response.
The entire time, I felt like I was talking to a wall; a one-sided conversation. But I read that according to many researchers, coma patients can hear conversations happening around them...just not able to move a muscle. I shifted to stare at Jay with pity. He must be struggling so much right now.
"It's getting late," I lifted myself and arranged the stool to the corner before clutching onto my bag.
It was two in the morning.
I headed for the door and held onto the doorknob. I took a deep breath before turning around.
"I'll fold lotus flowers for you every time I come to visit, which would be every day until you open your eyes. I might bring the others too." with one last smile-that didn't particularly reached my eyes, I shut the door.
An unsteady sigh left my parted lips as I leaned on the door. "Ow," I gripped onto my head when it suddenly throbbed. I could feel a migraine on its way.
Before I could even move another muscle, I was shouldered to the side before the door reopened. I glanced inside to see Johnny by Jay's bed, body bent over as he pleaded for Jay to wake up. Wide-eyed, I faced Ethel who was struggling to catch his breath not far away from me. "I..." he wheezed.
"I tried to stop him!"
"Oh my god." I reverted to the room to drag Johnny away from Jay. "Let go of me!!! How did this happen!?" tears were already spilling down his cheeks as he frantically tried to free himself from my hold.
God, he's strong! "Johnny! Let us explain, please!!"
"I don't give two shits about your explanations! Jay is in a fucking coma right now!!" people were peering in to watch the commotion and it wasn't helping one bit. Thank god Ethel promptly locked the door after him.
"Ethan-" Johnny suddenly grunted. "Where's Ethan!?" he looked around the room as if to look for the boy.
"He's in the toilet, right!?"
"He's not here right now!" I gasped when his elbow jabbed into my stomach, making me loosen my hold. Johnny immediately shoved me away and raced out of the door, this time making it all the way out of the hospital.
I was bewildered, and clearly in physical pain.
Didn't he want to be here with Jay for the time being? Regardless, I followed after him, clutching onto my wounded side.
"I think he's headed to the bathrooms! Or Ethan's house!" I spoke as I passed by Ethel, who ran alongside me.
"But why? He's innocent!"
"Johnny doesn't know!" I was starting to run out of breath. Running in the snow was definitely draining. "He doesn't know that you're in Ethel's body!"
"But I did tell him!!" Ethel heaved. "Maybe it flew over his head! What matters now is that we stop him before he awakens Ethan and his entire family!"