Stars (Logicality) - Completed

Chapter 12

Wednesday

TW: Anxiety attack/overall panic, toxic 'relationship'

"You might want to pull up a chair, Virgil..."

Roman hurried over to them, carrying a chair. He sat it down beside Patton's hospital bed, gesturing for Virgil to sit. He hesitated, chewing his lip, but did so.

"We'll give you guys some privacy," Roman said, softly, referring to Lina and himself. He turned and started to walk away.

Virgil reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together and effectively stopping him in his tracks. "Stay, Ro...please...?"

Roman took a deep breath. He leaned over, reaching for another chair. He pulled it over beside Virgil's, never letting go of the teen's hand.

Patton sighed. "I wish I could do this later...I've been waiting for the right time to tell you all of this, Virgil, I swear. But this medicine is already causing me to spill out a bunch of things...so I might as well explain since I've already said too much..."

"Many years ago, when you were just a few months old, Vee, I was in the car with you...as well as my brother, August, and his wife, Nina. It was Nina's birthday, and she, even though August protested, invited me along to dinner with all of you. I was in the backseat, sitting next to you, and I noticed there was somebody going way too fast on the road, swerving this way and that..."

Virgil listened intently, squeezing Roman's hand so hard, it made the former's knuckles white from the tight grip.

Patton continued. "I tried to warn August, but he just dismissed what I said, which was a usual thing for us, him ignoring me. Our car slammed into the other car, head-on..." As Patton spoke of this, a few tears escaped his closed eyes, though he'd been trying his hardest hold them back. "August and Nina died on impact...as did the drunk driver who was driving the other car. I managed to get us out of the car before it...before it...it-it..."

"...Our car caught on fire..." Patton managed out, his voice as soft and quiet as a whisper. "They never recovered the bodies or anything..."

"N-N-No!" Virgil said. He had been silent through all of this, but now tears streamed down his face. "Y-Y-You're lying!!"

"Virgil...I don't think he is..." Roman said, trying to help him relax as he spoke. He slowly rubbed Virgil's arm, comforting him in a way Patton would have done if he wasn't confined to his hospital bed with limited movements.

"You're my dad...not this August guy..." Virgil mumbled, looking up at Patton, though his vision was blurred a bit.

"...Now I am, since I adopted you as soon as I could after their deaths...But biologically, I am your uncle, Virgil...Though just because you were born to August and Nina, and they were your parents first, doesn't mean I love you any less, Virgil..." Patton slowly opened his eyes, locking onto Virgil's with his own. "I only kept this from you because I wanted to protect you...I meant no harm, really, I swear..." Letting out a choked sob, Patton said, "Virgil! I love you so much! Please don't be angry with me!!"

Going silent, the teen's vision swam a bit, world blurring even more, though not from tears. He didn't know what he felt, or even what to do or say. Everything was too much.

Too much!!

Virgil didn't realize he was swaying and starting to fall over until he felt Roman gripping his arm, saying his name over and over, each time getting louder and more panicked.