snapshot •josh dun

seventeen

The hospital practically buzzed today. Shuffling and laughing could be heard outside of her room. Little kids with head bandages giggled as they were wheeled around by parents. Abigail just sighed and struggled to get up from her bed. The sun was shining. She wanted to go outside. Josh had gone out to check on the animals at the shelter for her. Wincing in discomfort and pain, she shifted to suddenly notice her IV was tangled with her cannula. The medicines were making her muscles weak lately, including her lungs. Breathing had become a labor.

Her pale hands carefully unhooked her cannula from her nose, untangling the tubes. It was already hard to breathe. Josh walked in as her breaths became short and staggered. She was laid back on the bed, the room dark. She was scared. Her lungs were burning. Clenching onto the sheets as Josh dropped a bouquet of yellow tulips onto the table, she began to cry. The translucent yellow liquid that was being injected into her freckled skin was causing her pain.

"Abigail!" Josh exclaimed, helping her get the tubes back into her nose.

After she regained her breath, she ran a hand through her brunette bob. The tips of her hair ripped off with ease. The chemotherapy had started two weeks ago and the affects were setting in.

"Joshua. Cut my hair. Dye it too." Abigail said, looking down at the locks in her hand.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You're only here for a month more. I've my hair for only two more weeks at most. It is time for change."

Josh nodded and within the hour, Abigail's hair was pastel pink and in a pixie cut.

A bottle of dye resided in the bin, and the room was now lit by fairy lights Josh had brought back. Yellow tulips sat in a vase, and the smell of antiseptic filled the room. Josh snapped a picture of his girlfriend in a pastel yellow sweater and Abigail snapped a Polaroid of Joshua in his glasses, skinny jeans, and matching yellow sweater. His freckles and blonde hair only made her smile with such joy.

"You look beautiful. Josh. I was right when I said you were my Polaroid boy." Abigail said smiling and kissing Josh's cheek. Josh just smiled and helped her into the wheelchair. After making sure her IV pole was secure, he carefully wheeled Abigail into the flowered courtyard.

"It feels odd saying you're only here for a month longer." The pink haired girl sighed.

"Not to worry love. I'm gonna find a way to stay here. Perhaps I'll move here. London is a beautiful place to start up my photography studio. And besides, you need me here. I'm not gonna let you go through treatment alone after all. And I never really felt connected with Ohio. I'll always love it of course, Ohio is my home, but I have more a connection to London. And maybe my friend could fly out here and meet you, and my family too. Have I ever told you of my family? Or my best friend? Tyler Joseph?" Josh said, holding her hand.

"I can't say you have." Abigail smiled.

"I've two sisters, Abigail and Ashley. Ashley is a poet. I've a mom and a dad, and a brother, Jordan. Jordan was always there for me as a kid. My best friend is Tyler Joseph. He's a musician. He has a wife too, her name is Jenna. I think you'd like them." Josh said smiling.

Abigail nodded, looking at a bush of roses.

"I'm an only child, and my mum is obviously dead. My dad left as a kid. I'm glad you're here. Im not so alone anymore." Abigail said, hugging Josh. Josh smiled and kissed her pink head. Birds chirped and bees buzzed. The sun warmed their cold hands.

"Yeah. I think I will do that. All I would need to do is go home for a few days, tell my family in advance. They always wanted me to follow my dreams. They'd understand. My friends too. I'd only need one box. Most of my belongings are here in my flat. And my job at Elle provides enough money for us both to I've comfortably and to pay for your treatment and our insurance." Josh said confidently.

"Does that mean... Does that mean you're staying?" Abigail asked, her eyes going wide in excitement.

Josh nodded and Abigail cheered and locked lips with him, Josh tumbling over a bit, since they both sat on a wooden bench. Abigail lost her breathe again because of the kiss, but it was alright.

Her love was staying.