Forces Beyond The Grave

9.5

The heavy feeling about leaving her dad in Will's capable hands weighed Lennox down for most of the day. She was grateful to receive a few updates every here and there, but the majority of her day was spent distracted by her own feelings. How does anybody get anything done? She'd thought. It'd been a long time since she'd felt much, and as it was coming back, she was realising how much of a pain emotions could be. 

After receiving a text from Will saying that her father wanted to talk, she headed back to her childhood home once her last class was done for the day. He'd improved a lot since that morning; he still looked as though somebody had tried to gouge his eyes out and was left with the bruising, but he was upright and cognizant, which in itself was a surprise to Lennox when she'd arrived home. He had a look of pain cemented on his face, as though every move he made caused him discomfort - something she would've believed to be true after a night of writhing and vomiting to the extent he did.

"Are you staying?" Will asked quietly as he walked over to her. 

She hesitated, but nodded after just a few seconds. "Yeah. Thanks for staying with him." 

"No problem. Let me know if you need anything." 

"I will." She watched him leave, eventually closing the door behind her as her phone vibrated in her pocket.

'Still on for tonight?' Read the text message from Jay.

She sighed as she put her bag down. Her plan to come home and change before going to meet him was going to have to wait.

'Dad's awake, I'm at home. Raincheck?' She'd replied. Not twenty seconds later she got a text back.

'Tomorrow then. Here if you need.'

She felt a small smile tug at her lips as she put her phone back in her pocket. 

"Jay?" Her dad enquired. 

She raised an eyebrow, her face returning to its normal blank expression as he forced a smile. 

"You used to get that same look on your face whenever he'd message you. It's good to see it again." His voice was weak, as if speaking caused his breathing to become laboured. 

She went to sit on the coffee table in front of him. "How are you feeling?" 

"Better. Will gave me some light pain medication, to take the edge off. He said he'd come back, in the morning, to replace the saline." 

"Good. You look better." 

"I look like death warmed up." He said with a laugh, his laugh quickly replaced with a strained cough before a deep inhale that was staggered on the exhale. 

Lennox's furrowed brows and slightly narrowed eyes were just a subtle indication of the concern she was recognising in her stomach, remembering what the sunken pit of fear used to feel like. 

"Lennox, I'm so sorry." He sighed breathlessly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry you had to find me in that state. That you saw me like that. I'm only grateful that you can't feel pity or sympathy for me, I don't deserve it."