Lost Souls ~ Phan

Chapter Twenty-Two

By the time Dan spotted Max, the boy was standing in front of a doctor that he most likely crashed right into. Dan quickly walked over and took Max's hand.

"Sorry." he mumbled to the doctor.

"It's alright." he chuckled and bent down in front of Max. "What's your name, little man?"

"Max." the boy sniffled.

"How old are you, Max?"

"5." he rubbed his eye with his fist.

"5! Wow! I miss being 5." The doctor shook his head. "Is that your dad in there?" he gestured to the hospital room. Max nodded with a pout.

"He don't remember me though." Max sniffled.

"He didn't remember me either!" the doctor smiled.

"Are you gonna fix my daddy?" Max whispered.

"I will. I'm trying as hard as I can. He'll remember you in no time!"

"What's wrong with him?" Max asked quietly.

"When he fell again he hit his head and I was hoping it would have fixed him but it made it worse. He told me the last thing he remembers is primary school."

"Fuck." Dan grumbled from where he was standing.

"Pinky promise you'll make him better?" Max held out his little finger to the doctor. The man chuckled and linked fingers with the boy.

"Pinky promise."

Max smiled.

"I'm going to go and check on him. Have a good day, Max." the doctor ruffled the boy's hair a little with a smile and walked off. Max looked up to Dan.

"See, Daddy? The doctor is gonna fix him!"

"Yeah." Dan sighed, not a lot of hope left in him. "Let's go sit down." he led his son over to the chairs in the waiting room and Max crawled into one.

"Are you doing okay?" Phil's mum asked him quietly, pulling him gently to the side. Dan just shrugged. "It's okay to cry." she told him.

"No it's not." Dan shook his head and crossed his arms. "I can't. I've cried too much. Besides, we're in public and I can't cry in front of all these people or in front of you or in front of Max. I don't want to let myself be dragged down again. I won't cry."

"Come here." the mother sighed and pulled him into a hug. Dan clung onto her even though she was quite smaller than him. He scrunched his eyes closed to hold back his tears but he eventually had to let it out, breaking sobs the he tried to smother back with his hands. It was like he had lost all control of his tears. They just kept coming.

"Oh my God." he grumbled, desperately trying to shut himself up. People stared with pitied looks at the giant man sobbing in the small woman's arms.

"It's okay." Phil's mum whispered, rubbing his back a little. "It's okay to cry."

Dan pulled back from her and wiped at his eyes, his breathing short and rapid, his chest rising and falling unevenly.

"I'm such a mess."

"It's okay."

"I-I just want my Phil back. Not this one!"

"We all do but we have to be strong and we can't blame Phil. The doctors are really helping him now and eventually he'll be back home with you again."

"Daddy! I got candy!" Max ran over to him and held up a small plastic bag of colourful candy.

"Where'd you get that?" Dan asked quickly. Max pointed to a man standing on the other side of the waiting room. The same man who was messing with Phil. "Give it to me." Dan ordered, snatching the bag from him.