Fantasia

XCI

They brought him back to room 838 after the first test results had gotten back.
"It's remarkable, how you're able to move your muscles already", the doctor in charge had stated, waving charts and papers left and right, "Normally, patients need days to start doing the simplest movements, you however, lifting your arms after minutes of being awake...", he'd shaken his head in disbelieve.
"What do his values say, doctor?", Mrs. Yang had asked with a polite smile. Amazing, how she'd already gained her composure.
"Looks good!", he'd smiled back, "Stable. You'll need time to recover of course, and gain strength. We'll monitor you closely for some time and will have to do further testing and a brain scan for sure, but it all looks very promising."
With that, he'd sent them their way with two nurses pushing Brett's bed to the elevator.

"So, this is where I've been the last six months?" Brett's eyes roamed the blue curtains while Eric brought chairs for everyone to sit around him.
"Yeah", Alan confirmed, "what you reckon?"
"Pretty blue..."
"Calming, no?"
"I hope it was, for you guys."
"We were just glad that you got a private room", Brett's mum said, her hands holding Brett's again.
"Isn't that normal for comatose patients?"
"Not always", Eric answered Brett's question and laid an arm around his wife, "I mean, the patients 'sleep' anyways, right? So it doesn't really matter."
"True..."
"How is it, to be awake again after such a long time?", Alan wanted to know and sat down.
"Sucks, to be honest", Brett revealed and received a small slap for that on his shoulder.
"Duuude!!!", his brother shouted and even Eddy made big eyes.
"No like... obviously I'm grateful, but I was at least able to move around."
"That's gonna change soon", Mrs. Yang assured kindly, her mood not affected by her two son's banter, "Have patience."
He smiled at her. "I will!" And Eddy could hear the determination in Brett's tone, instantly putting down any worry that quickly flared up because of Brett's previous, probably not so serious remark.

And then, Brett looked at him.
"Eddy, sit down. You okay?"
Eddy had been standing there, violin still in hand and kind of didn't know what to do with himself. Now that Brett was awake, his purpose was fullfilled, no? He didn't doubt that he was welcomed here, Brett's family had made that very clear several times, but this uneasy feeling of being useless still managed to creep up on him, despite the talk he'd had with his mum, despite the fact that he'd worked through at least some of it in his dreams with Brett.

"Uhm...", he made. Should he just leave? Let the happy family celebrate their reunion?
"You okay?", Brett asked again, with a frown this time.
"Uh... my violin case" Eddy looked down at his instrument. "I left it somewhere. I'll gotta go look for it."
With this, he left the room, taking a deep breath when he closed the door behind him.

He felt so stupid about himself, about having these feelings, as he walked towards the elevators. Shouldn't there be nothing but happiness, now that he had his best friend back? He shook his head to himself and pressed the button, hopefully summoning the right lift, where he'd left his violin case before he'd stormed into the ICU. Eddy had no luck with the first one, so he pressed the button again.

Maybe he just needed time alone with Brett. In the other world, it had just been the two of them. Now, with other people around, even if they were the loveliest individuals, his introverted ass might be having some difficulties to adapt to the new circumstances. Also, how open could they talk in front of Brett's family? About what had happened and what Brett had experienced? Eddy had told them everything. It should be alright then, chatting about some dream world doctors would send in an army of psychiatrists if they would overhear that conversation, right?

But there was no denying, that Eddy was in fact craving for being alone with Brett again, and he hated himself for that. As if he had some sort of monopoly over his best friend, even if he'd been the one who helped him come back. How selfish could he be?

"Little brother, of course you're confused!"
"Why?", he asked, phone pressed between his ear and shoulder and desperation clear in his voice, while he put his violin back in it's case he'd finally found after pressing that stupid button five times, before he'd headed to the reception and had asked for lost and found items because every elevator had been violin case-free.
The clasps closed with a click when Belle laid it out for his poor soul.
"For the past few weeks, nah, six months! You've been chasing after what laid behind the mirror and when you found out, you put your whole energy into saving Brett. Now, you've achieved that."
"Shouldn't I be happy then?"
"You probably are! But you also feel empty. It's like after winning a big competition you've practiced ages for. What should you practice now? What to do with all the new free time? It's frightening."
"You saying, having Brett back with us is like winning a competition?", Eddy summarized, elbows propped up on his case and fingers scratching his chin.
"Kind of", Belle confirmed, "And now, he's awake after being in a coma for such a long time. After you just having talked to him in your dreams. That must be weird! And it takes time to get used to it. It's like a new reality, so give yourself time. Take it step by step."
Eddy sighed. "I don't know... It feels wrong to feel like that."
"I get that. But Brett has been awake for what, like two hours now? And what you described to me, how you saved him... Eddy! That was traumatizing! You carried your best friend's life on your shoulders! Now with this gone, it's inevitable that there are all sorts of emotions crashing down on you and that you need time to process all of this. By yourself and with Brett, without any bystanders."
"His family are no bystanders."
"You know what I mean."
"I guess...", Eddy sighed again. What she said made a lot of sense and there was sunlight breaking through the dark clouds which had started to form around his brain, now that he'd heard that it was totally okay for him to have these feelings. Still...

"I wished you'd be here."
"Oh, I wished I could hug you now! But maybe you need a hug from someone else."

Maybe... Brett was probably wondering where Eddy had gone off to anyway. Last thing he wanted, was for Brett to worry he'd bailed on him.

"Alright, sis! Thank you so much! I needed this."
"No worries! Any time, little brother!"

Yeah. A conversation with Brett was probably a good idea. And that Brett's hugs were a remedy for all sorts of things was no secret either...