Just Friends

Part 5: When he doesn't remember

I sat in the waiting room biting my bleeding fingernails. I jiggled my legs desperately trying to stay awake. It had been hours and I still wasn't allowed to see Phil. I missed him. I needed to know if he was going to be okay.

Phil. Phil. Phil. My brain chanted his name over and over until it didn't even sound like a real name. I needed Phil. I just needed to know that I would be able to hear him laugh and hold his hand and know that he loved me.

I slumped down just in the hard plastic chair and tried to sleep, but my brain was going a million miles an hour. I knew that sleep was impossible.

"Phillip Lester?" Called a tired looking nurse.

I jumped up and ran over to her.

"Are you family?"

I thought for a moment. "Close enough."

"Oh okay." She led the way through the maze like corridors. Finally we arrived at a door. "He's in there love. Oh he has some memory loss by the way, so be careful with him."

Memory loss? I pushed open the door. "Phil?"

Phil looked back at me in confusion. "Who are you?"

My heart shattered. He didn't remember me. "Hey my name's Dan. I've been your best mate for years. We live together." I decided not to add the whole sometimes we make out thing, because he was already confused enough.

Phil looked at me. "Really? How did we meet?"

I bit my lip. "Through YouTube. You had a channel and I was a fan. Now we both make videos."

Phil nodded and smiled at me. "When can we go home Dan?"

I smiled. "The nurse said today if you're up with that."

"Good." He paused. "I don't remember anything Dan, and it scares the shit out of me." Phil hardly ever cursed and it felt strange to hear him say that.

The nurse bustled back in. "Mr Lester you're free to go home when ever you wish."

"Thank you." He said with a smile.

"Mr Lester?" She said turning to me. "His brain is fragile right now. Be gentle even if he doesn't remember."

I blushed. "I-I'm... we're not married."

She didn't hear me apparently and left with out a word.

I turned to Phil. "You ready to go? I have some clothes for you if you want them." I tossed him a backpack full of clothes.

"Thanks. You seem like a really good friend Dan. I'm glad I have you."

I blushed bright red. He emerged in a moment looking almost normal, except for the cast on his arm and the stitches on his face."

"Ready?" He nodded. "Okay good." I took him by the hand without even thinking and let him out of the hospital and into a cab.

I turned the key in the lock. "Here we are. Home."

Phil looked around and grinned. "This is familiar. How long have we lived here?"

I set my keys down. "A few years. Umm do you want me to give you a tour?"

He nodded.

I led him around the flat. He said the living room and my room were the most familiar. We sat down in the living room.

"Do you want to know anything?"

"Yeah umm. What kind of person am I?"

I thought for a second. "You're the person who when they touch you you just feel a little better. You radiate happiness and you're awkward and beautiful and I-I miss you." I started crying.

He drew me close to him. "Dan I don't know you at all. You're a stranger to me, but I want to know you. I want to know everything about you. Start from the beginning."

I did. I started with how we met. He asked me about my interests, why I dropped out of law, basically everything. I talked for about two hours. "Does that help?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "It really does."