Outrunning Death (Dream SMP School AU) (Book 1)

Chapter Ten

Trigger warning: hospital (I still don't know if anyone wants a trigger warning for this but it's here), mentions of death

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Ranboo anxiously waited in the hospital's waiting room. He was holding a small card that said get well soon, staring down at the card. A nurse walked over to him, a small smile on her face.

"Ranboo?" She asked.

"Yeah? May I go see Techno now?" She nodded.

"I'll take you to his room." She turned and walked to a door leading to a hallway. Ranboo followed her. They walked down the hall quietly. The nurse glanced at the anxious boy. Ranboo was looking down at the card again. "So what's your relationship with Mr. Blade?" She asked. Ranboo looked up at her.

"Oh... uh- I'm one of his students. I got a bunch of my classmates to sign this card for him... and he's like a brother to me so I just wanted to make sure he'd be okay." She smiled and nodded.

"Never heard of a student seeing a teacher as a brother."

"Oh- Well, my half brother is a friend of his and I see him a lot out of school so he's just like a brother to me I guess." She hummed in response and stopped at a door, opening it. She turned to him and smiled.

"Well, this is his room." Ranboo peeked inside. Techno was laying there quietly, a bunch of machines hooked up to him. Ranboo stood there for a second, questioning if he should actually go in or not. The nurse looked up at him. "You know, no one has really visited him. Only two people have. One was someone who claimed to be his brother and the other was his friend. They didn't stay long though. They barely said a thing while in his room. Talking to him might help the process for him to wake up. If you really do have a brotherly bond with him, try bringing up some good memories."

"I have a bad memory... It honestly just sucks, especially when something like this happens." Ranboo muttered. The nurse nodded.

"Then just talk to him. I'm sure he'll enjoy it." Ranboo nodded slowly and walked into the room. The nurse closed the door softly. Ranboo glanced at the door before walking over to Techno. He hesitantly set the card on the moveable table next to the bed. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and sat there for a bit, quietly. He didn't know what to say... It wasn't like Techno was going to talk back to him. He was in a coma.

"I made a mistake earlier today... I almost threatened Mr. Dude this morning." Ranboo muttered. "Instead it sounded like I was gonna do something to the school or the school board. I'm not gonna hurt anyone, though. I don't have the stomach for that... I was just really upset because Mr. Minecraft got suspended from teaching. I don't know what happened exactly but I was upset because you're here and now I can't talk to Mr. Minecraft about getting through this because he's not teaching for a week and it'd be weird if I just went up to his house... I miss you a lot, Techno. I just hope you wake up soon. I don't know how many more nights I'll be able to stay up and check my phone for a text from Dream telling me you're awake." Ranboo's eyes teared up. "I'm so tired." He muttered, wiping his eyes.

Ranboo had fallen asleep next to Techno's bed. His head was on his arms on the bed next to Techno's hand. The nurse had come to check on him but Ranboo had already fallen asleep. She had put a blanket over the boy, not having the heart to wake up a boy with a tear stained face. It was late, past visiting hours. It was quiet, aside from the machines running and the occasional footsteps of the nurses and doctors working the night shift.

Techno shifted slightly. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times. He looked around before spotting Ranboo. Techno slowly lifted his hand. He patted Ranboo's head softly. Ranboo grunted. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Techno smiled softly at him. Ranboo jumped when he saw Techno's eyes open. He stared at him for a second before standing up. He quickly walked to the door. Techno watched him from his bed. Ranboo peeked his head out of the room and waved a nurse over.

Once the nurse had made sure Techno was alright, they left the room. Techno was sitting up slightly, the top of his bed reclined upwards. Ranboo was sitting in the chair again, quietly. Techno was staring at him, quietly. Ranboo was looking down at his lap awkwardly. It was mainly just an awkward silence.

"You should be at home, sleeping." Techno muttered. He reach over towards the card Ranboo had brought earlier, picking it up. He opened it and started to read it.

"I fell asleep here by accident. I meant to go home but I fell asleep while visiting you..." Ranboo pulled at his sleeves. Techno sighed, shaking his head. He closed the card and set it on the table again.

"Does Dream at least know where you are?"

"He knew I was visiting." Techno rolled his eyes and put his hand out. Ranboo stared at his hand for a moment before taking out his phone and unlocking it. He handed it to Techno. Techno went to Dream's contact on Ranboo's phone and texted him.

"You guys don't text a lot, huh?"

"Not really, no... Don't look at my texts with Dream." Ranboo glared at him. Techno shrugged.

"Okay then what about your texts with Tubbo?" He went to Ranboo's texts with Tubbo and started reading them. Ranboo yelped and tried to take his phone back. "Oh wow. Is this really how kids flirt nowadays?"

"We aren't flirting. We're messing around. Give me my phone back."

"No. I think I'm gonna keep exposing you." He pushed Ranboo's face away. "Oh my god. 'Ranboo my beloved'." Techno snickered. Ranboo snatched his phone back and locked it. Techno pouted playfully.

"I'm never giving you my phone ever again." He grumbled. Techno hummed, leaning his head back. Ranboo looked up at Techno. Techno had closed his eyes and put a hand over one of his wounds. "Are you alright?" Techno opened his eyes and glanced at the teen.

"I'm fine. I've had worse."

"You almost died."

"I have died, technically, when I was ten. They brought me back in time. I promise, this is nothing." Ranboo perked up a bit.

"You've died?" Techno nodded. Ranboo looked down at his phone that was in his hands. They both became quiet. Ranboo shifted his phone a few times, searching for some words to say. "Was... Was it dark?" Techno turned his head to look at him.

"Sorry?"

"Was it dark? And did you see someone while you were walking in the endlessness of the darkness?" Ranboo asked, staring down at his phone. Techno sat up a bit.

"Where's this coming from, Ranboo?" The teen glanced up at Techno before looking down at his phone again.

"The summer before freshman year... I... I think I may have died but I don't know for sure because before I got to talk to the person I saw, I woke up..."

"How'd you..?" Techno asked, tilting his head. Ranboo's eyes watered up.

"I um... I guess I can tell you... since Dream is the only one who knows the full story... Or at least the parts of story I can remember." Techno nodded, sitting up to the properly.