My Blood, Your Bones - Phan

Chapter 12 - A Thing

Dan's POV

I was speechless. What just happened? One minute I'm staring nervously like an idiot at my friend, next I'm kissing my boyfriend. I'm not even gay! Or bi. Or... whatever all the others are. I guess there are just people that are the exception; that one person that's different, and makes you do things you never expected to do. It just felt so real. It felt so right.

"Just do what feels right," is what she said, after all.

That person she told me about in that dream a few weeks ago.... The one that "needs me a lot more than she does...." She couldn't have meant him, could she? Mum never knew about Phil. Dreams aren't even real.

Phil finished his breakfast, and I rewarded him with a kiss. "Good job," I said. "You look so much healthier. I'm proud."

Instead of being shameful of himself, he looked happy. You could see the improvement on his body. Though still visible through his skin, his ribs were fading back into his chest. His backbone wasn't as rigid. His face had more of a shape, rather than being only his skull. His hands were warmer and not as boney. Still though, he had malnutrition, and still had work to do. He wasn't cleared yet.

Phil got himself dressed and brushed his black fringe down. I looked for the time on my phone, but saw something more important – it was Saturday. Today, he would be weighed in again.

Not long from then, Beth returned with her clipboard. Phil seemed only a little nervous, otherwise confident. He undressed and stepped on the scale. I stood right next to him.

"My God," Beth gasped. I read the number. He was just bobbing below the line of underweight. If he could gain a bit more, he would be at a healthy weight!

Phil's breath was shaky, but I could see him pleading with himself to be content. I took his hand and laced his fingers with mine.

"I'm so proud of you."

He sighed out. "You know what?" he held me tighter. "I am too."

"Phil, dear!" Beth exclaimed, reading her charts.

"This is incredible progress! At this rate, you may be let out this summer! Oh, we'll need to get you checked. I'm scheduling a doctor's appointment right now!"

"Doctors appointment?" I questioned.

"They're just going to check up on me. They'll inspect the malnutrition, and tell me if it's gotten better or worse."

"Oh."

Phil dressed himself and I took him back to his room.

"I'm impressed," I said. "Look how much better you've gotten."

"Thank you, Dan."

"Don't thank me. Thank yourself."

"Come on, get real. I was dying. Get it? I was going to die. I was fatally underweight. Now look at me. I look somewhat normal, even though my insides are still mush from the disease. But who can I thank for getting me to eat? For helping get out of a pit of fear? Did you even hear her? She said I might get released! I've been trapped here waiting to die for a year and a half. Dan, I don't know if you can see this, but you saved my life."

I didn't want the credit for his life. It seemed too much for me, when I hadn't done much.

"I know you don't think so, but you've literally saved my life. A-and you're so beautiful, and kindhearted and, and I get so happy when I see you every day. I don't know why you kept coming back. I never expected you to. But I've suffered for a long time, and I've never been happier. And I think...."