Panel // Daniel Howell x Reader

23 Croak

You wake up in your bed. With your legs crossed and Sally is sitting at the end of the bed. Clutching a tissue, and texting someone. The curtains are closed.

"Hey." You manage to say, your throat is coated in sand.
Sally turns, her eyes are glossed and she is shaking.

"Oh my god. Thank you." She says now hugging you.

"What- what- what the hell happened?" Your lips are chapped (and faded) and Sally hasn't let go of the hug. All you can remember is feeling Dan's tear on your cheek.

You hear the door open, and Dan and Phil run in.
Dan look pale and his hair looks untamed.
Phil looks tired and his face looks sad.

Dan hugs you and you sit there in confusion.

"What actually happened?" You say. They all exchange glances.

"You stopped breathing. For, like, four minutes. Sally had to explain that this had happened before, and the best thing was to try and get you fresh air, and for you to rest..." Phil says.

"What time is it?" You ask.

"Four - eighteen." Sally says.

"In the morning?"

"In the afternoon..." Dan says.

"I was out for eighteen hours... woah..." You say.

"Its- its been tough... you were gone, and- and I didn't know what to do.
Everybody feels bad, cause you haven't tweeted, or instagrammed, or haven't been on social media- they all feel bad, cause they think its their fault an-" Dan is speaking a yucky and choking on his words.

"I missed a day of social media.. so what?!" You say.
They again, exchange glances.
Phil looks at Sally seriously.

"Its been two days..." Sally says.
He voice is so quiet, and minute...
You can tell she is feeling bad, but you want to scream at them.

"Two whole days... I was passed out for two days... and you didn't get a medic or anything! I was just gone for two days! Why?" You are quiet, but to you, you are screaming. Your voice is so hoarse.

"Its my fault..." Sally whispers, but no one hears.

"We heard you had had an experience like this before, we-" Phil says.

"Its me! I told them to leave you! Phil, don't! This is my argument! Just, just, just, leave...." she says. You hug her and shoo the boys out.

Sally is crying into your shirt. This was one form of her panic attacks.
She just cries.
Once she cried for days,
Once she cried for an hour,
And once, she cried for three minuets, then insisted on getting pizza.

You hug her and rock your bodies back and fourth. You sing a song her mother wrote,

If I could smile,
Just like the sun,
And bring joy,
To everyone,
And sing,
To all the trees,
And feel them laugh,
But as a breeze,

I would bring the world,
to peace,
Everybody smiles,
For a day,
Or just,
One hour,
Where we all,
Would be okay..

And you,
My little darling,
You will be there by my side,
And we sing,
The song of happiness,
And sing,
The songs of pride.

I don't care,
How you turn out,
As long as your happy,
If you smile, just one more time,
That would mean the world to me.

I'd love to bring the world,
to peace,
Everybody smiles,
For a day,
Or just,
One hour,
Where we all,
Would be okay.

Now Sally,
Farewell,
I love you with my heart,
Its just one hour,
Bring peace,
With this I part.

Dan comes in smiling as Sally is resting. Your throat is now throbbing, but Sally is smiling, and her dimples mean the world to you..

"Sally used to cry an awful lot as a baby, so her mother sang that.
I always lived it. So she taught me it on ukulele." Dan smiles while you croak out those words.

He smiles while you walk into the kitchen to get some tea.
He sits you down, and asks a question.

"What will we say..."