Letting Him In

Chapter-22

Just stop your crying
It's a sign of the times
Welcome to the final show
Hope you're wearing your best clothes
You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky

-Harry Styles, Sign Of The Times

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Hangovers were the worst. Sitting in the waiting room, Elijah's leg bounced anxiously, his fingers pressed to his throbbing forehead. Doctor Larkson was supposed to meet them half an hour ago, but the receptionist had told him that the family in there already might take a little bit longer. So Elijah and Kaeden had found themselves sitting in the blue and white waiting room.

Speaking of the latter, Kaeden looked in much better shape than Elijah, having stuck to coke and water the previous night. It was ironic how their roles were reversed at the moment, Elijah with a hangover and Kaeden texting away on his phone.

Every time Elijah tried to peek into his phone, Kaeden would subtly close the texts. He wasn't too good at being subtle.

"Gonna finally tell me who that was?" Elijah grunted when Kaeden finally put away his phone.

"Huh? No one, dude," Kaeden said awkwardly, earning himself a small glare from Elijah.

"I'm not blind, Kaeden," he grunted half-heartedly. They both knew that the only reason Elijah was prying was to distract himself from thinking about the worst ways the meeting could end.

"Fine. I'll tell you when you tell me what had you so worked up last night," Kaeden challenged.

Elijah grimaced at the memory. After walking away from Dean, Elijah had practically run all over the house until he found Kaeden coming out of one of the bedrooms. Elijah had been too flustered to care about why Kaeden's hair was all messed up, his cheeks flushed. Now that he thought about it, he probably didn't want to know.

As memories of Dean's lips on his, his body pressing against Elijah's flooded his mind, Elijah felt his face heat up, making him slump down into his seat.

"Am I not allowed to be worked up when I'm freaking out about possibly having cancer?" Elijah said meekly, hoping Kaeden would accept that answer.

But of course, Kaeden just raised an eyebrow in question. "So... the thought of having cancer is making you blush right now?"

Sometimes, Elijah really hated his best friend.

They both lapsed into silence. Kaeden's feet drummed against the ground like they always did when he was anxious, but Elijah didn't comment on it. Instead, he closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall, as he tried to calm his nerves; but even with his eyes closed, the silence was suffocating. His mind was wandering to the worst possible outcomes, and he had to close his eyes tighter to fight away the tears that had unexpectedly welled up.

Doctor Larkson's office door opening caught their attention. A woman with red-rimmed and swollen eyes came out first, followed by a man holding a little girl in his arms, his eyes rimmed with red too. It didn't take much for Elijah to realize what must have happened. The girl couldn't have been over ten years old, and he could feel his heart breaking for her.

He hadn't realized he had started shaking until a hand was placed on his knee.

"Hey," Kaeden said in a gentle voice. "She's going to be okay... and you are too."

Elijah nodded, though he didn't quite comprehend what Kaeden was saying. He was too far inside his head at the moment. He hadn't deserved what life had thrown at him, and neither did that girl. No one did.

"Elijah, please come in," the doctor's voice said from the door of his office, making them look up.

And just like that, his breathing sped up, and he felt the panic he had been pushing away all day rise up again. All he could bring himself to do was nod, stiffly getting up from his seat.

"Do you want me to wait out here or go in with you?" Kaeden asked, looking at him with worried eyes.

"I can't handle this alone," Elijah murmured, making Kaeden immediately stand up. Elijah gave him a weak smile to reassure him that he was alright.

As they made their way to the office, Kaeden carefully put a hand on Elijah's shoulder, saying, "It's gonna be fine."

Elijah smiled again, but this time he didn't have to force it.

"Worst case scenario," he whispered, "the test results are going to be positive, and you're gonna be stuck watching B99 with me. Can't say no to your dying best friend, after all."

"Don't say shit like that," Kaeden reproached, making him smile a little. He was glad to have his best friend with him. He hadn't been lying when he said he wasn't sure he could handle this alone.

"And for the record, I'm never watching that stupid show again."

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Oops... Long wait, short chapter. 😅

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