Transcending Abnormality

Calm Demeanour

The entrance to the hospital was busy, overcrowded.

Virgil had to wait a little to ask the receptionist about Roman. They'd asked for the last name, which the teenager had provided. He was met with a disinterested room number and nodded, thanking the person before heading out of the waiting area.

Virgil hated hospitals.

He didn't even know why. It wasn't like he visited them often, but he guesses it just reeks of death and pain. There was some faint beeping accompanied by the blinding white colour of the walls and the ceiling, both of which made his stomach churn and his lips curl upwards in disgust.

He hated hospitals.

Eventually, the boy found the room he was looking for.

It was.. quite a sight.

In the centre of the room lay an empty bed with ruffled blankets - making it abundantly clear the bed had recently been used. Beside the bed lay an unplugged heart monitor and various other medical devices that Virgil hadn't payed enough attention in school to know the names of.

To the left of the bed was a filing cabinet.

Roman sat on it, wearing the same white t-shirt and red jeans as earlier. He'd shedded his jacket, and was noticeably no longer wearing eyeliner. His knees were brought to his chest and his head was buried in between his legs. The boy's arms were propped over his head, and he was loudly sobbing into the fabric of his jeans.

Virgil stood for a moment, not really sure what to do. Roman was yet to acknowledge Virgil's presence, so the uncomfortable feeling of worry was left to soak in the air for a few seconds, before the dark-haired boy decided to end it.

"Ro? You okay?"

He peered up at Virgil with puffy eyes sitting on reddened, tear-stained cheeks. Immediately, he leaped off the cabinet and had his arms wrapped around Virgil within a matter of moments.

Virgil could feel his shirt getting wet, but he wasn't all that sure he minded.

Noticing that they were stood in the middle of a busy hospital hallway, Virgil pulled Roman back into the room and sat down with him on the bed.

Ten minutes following, Roman was still crying endlessly into Virgil's arms. He felt completely in the dark, not understanding the scenario, but offering sympathy nonetheless.

Then, a tall man entered the room. He had brown hair, and a little bit of a beard, but clearly not one that had been growing out for ages. He too looked sadness-stricken. Upon walking in, he stopped. Both of the boys sitting on the bed looked up.

"Dad!"

Roman speaks for the first time since I walked in.

The man's eyes drifted to Virgil. "And who are you, young man?"

"This is Virgil, remember?"

Virgil swallowed, smiling awkwardly. "I don't mean to invade your personal space, I can leave if you-"

In the exact same way as his son, the man quickly approached Virgil and engulfed his frail body in a hug. Virgil heard sniffles as the man held onto him tighter before pulling away. "It's nice to meet you, son."

Virgil still wasn't sure what was going on, but he couldn't find it in himself to ask. It felt rude, almost?

Luckily for him, it was only another twenty minutes of the silent room being racked with sobs from his friend before the attention of the two others was turned to him.