𝙾𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙸 ~ 𝟷𝟶 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂

monday

TW: Hospitals, mentions of abandonment and severe loss of weight.

The hospital wasn't far away. Just a short drive. It had been a while since I had been in the Faraway Hospital. It was hard to think that that time last year, I was in one of the beds, and I was fighting against the worst demon of all: something behind me. After I pulled into the car park and clicked it shut, then I wandered to the front door. And, there was Basil, scrolling through his phone and leaning against the wall. He looked up when he heard me approaching, and he gave me a soft smile. He didn't admit it, I didn't admit it, but there was a sense of dread in the air.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be."

I let him lead me down the hospital's halls, his hand comfortably rested in mine, but it was trembling slightly. I made the choice to say nothing. As we made it to the front door, he gripped my shoulder. "I-I don't know if he's alright," he whispered softly.

"Of course he's alright, it's Hero we're talking about. Hero... Hero always soldiers on." I couldn't help but feel as if it was all a lie. I was terrified for his life. But, I tried to suppress my fear as we wandered into the room. He was right next to the window, a ventilator over his mouth and nose and his breathing slow and heavy. He had a stubbly beard and dark rings around his eyes. I hadn't seen him in years. He looked so different... but still the same.

"There we go, there's our Hero," Basil sighed, a drained tone in his voice.

"Hero..."

"Pardon me," a voice behind us asked. I turned around to see an elderly woman in the bed across from his. "Are you two young gentlemen Hero's family?"

"His friends. We're... the closest thing to his family at current," I responded, attempting to put on a small yet polite smile, the same one I had practised for meeting up with fans.

"Oh, that's wonderful. Having people care for you so very much." The woman examined our faces closer, then extended a frail finger to point at me. "Are you one of the members of that Space Army band?"

"Star Navy, that's me. Sunny White, it's a pleasure."

"Oh, it's wonderful to meet you. Call me Ms Marsh. You know, my granddaughter loves your music. Anyway... You don't want to listen to an old woman like me ramble on and on. I'll let you have your moment with him."

I turned back to Hero, listening to the monitor beep. His pulse was steady and slow. Although he's been sleeping for so long, he looked so tired.

"...Sunny. Let's go now."

"Alright."

After we went to the cafe, I went back to my dressing room, falling down on the couch. I needed to sleep. I knew that I did. There was a horrendous welling of pain in my stomach that I couldn't shake, but I tried to ignore it as I closed my eyes.

Then...

There was silence.