Better Than I'd Thought | Sally Face x Travis Phelps

nineteen

Sal understood quite well that his understanding of the world around him was slipping as his condition worsened.

When the medics had taken him from the apartment, his hearing was still nearly perfect. He could pick out voices and recognize who was speaking even though he was too weak to keep his eyes open.

At the time, he understood what was happening, he could hear just fine, he just couldn't find the energy to speak.

But now? Sal wasn't sure where he was. He didn't know if he was awake or asleep. The voices around him were nothing more than a quiet hum. Maybe no one was speaking at all. Maybe he was all alone.

Had he died? It was possible. Sal wouldn't rule it out.

He felt like he was floating. Existing in nothingness. Even that day ten years ago, Sal didn't feel as close to death as he did now.

He couldn't feel anything. He could barely hear. He couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't speak.

Sal wondered if his heart was even beating.

__

   "Travis!" He was shaken awake after God knows how long.

   "W-what?" He jolted in the chair. Travis looked around the room, startled. He had almost completely forgotten that he was in the hospital.

  "It's Sal..." Lisa whispered, swiping at her eyes with her sleeves as tears came pouring out.

  "What happened?" Travis jumped to his feet, still dizzy with sleep.

   Larry sat against the wall a few feet away, staring blankly ahead of him. His face had a few tear stains going down it and his expression was cold. He held his knees close to him.

Henry was nowhere to be seen.

"What is it?" Travis asked, looking between then nervously, "What?"

"He's dead," Larry said blankly, holding back tears. "He didn't make it."

"...What?" Travis stared, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

"I said that he's dead!" He snapped, gritting his teeth at him. "Sal is gone!"

Lisa clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle her sobbing before rushing out of the room.

"N-no, " he shook his head. "There's no way. He was fine this morning."

Larry slumped back against the wall, letting his head fall into his hands.

Travis stared into the abyss, vision cloudy. "Dead?" He mumbled. He's gone? Forever?

"Fuck you, man."

"Huh?" Travis's dark eyes widened.

Larry's gaze pierced through him. "You should've brought him here earlier. You should've said something."

"No, " Travis shook his head, "No, I tried, but-"

"But what?" Larry scoffed. "You didn't feel like it?"

"No!" He cried, leaning towards him. "That's not it at all! I-" He felt tears gloss over his eyes. "It's not my fault! I wanted to bring him! They both kept telling me not to! Henry said-"

"Oh, you're accusing Henry now?" Larry mumbled. "Isn't that guy struggling more than anyone right now?"

"No, no, " Travis pressed his hands over his ears, "That's not what I meant. I was just saying that-"