The air was frigid, Calum's body thick with nerves and anxiety as he walked through the double glass doors. His mind was clouded heavily with fear. There was only two other people in the waiting room, a man Calum knew by the name of Bill who's course silver hair shook slightly when his head twitched to the side, a nervous tick Calum noticed Bill had. Another middle aged women was sat across from Bill, her head leaning back against the wall with one hand on her forehead as she rocked a car-seat back and forth.
April stood at the large front desk, her long polka-dot acrylic nails clicking as she typed on the computer. Calum walked up to the counter, pulling his sweater sleeves down so they covered his shaking hands.
"I-I have an appointment with Dr. Wren for 7" Calum spoke in a soft voice, his body practically trembling with the anxiety coursing through his veins, his pills meant for Friday still in their container due to the fact that Calum had over slept.
"Sign in and you cant wait over there until she's ready for you" April said with a white smile, even though Calum could see her eyes drifting to his pink painted nails and matching flower crown with a hint of curiosity. April looked away as Calum signed his name on the sheet of patients before sitting down.
Calum could see Aprils eyes flickering towards him every once in a while, her eyes held only curiosity, but he ignored the glanced and simply picked up a magazine to read.
"Calum Hood?" The tan boy looked up from the magazine, his eyes locking with the elderly women standing by the door that lead to the psychiatric part of the hospital. Calum stood up from the chair and followed Dr Wren beyond the door of the lobby and into a long hallway. Dr Wren led the nervous tan boy up a flight of stairs and into a hallway with four doors, two on each wall. Dr Wren walked into a room with a black letter 3 printed on the door. Calum followed, shutting the door behind him.
Calum sat in a black leather arm chair, sinking into it as he sat down. The leather felt cold against Calum's sensitive skin, the tan boy shivered as he stared at the elder women before him. Dr Wren sat across from Calum in the matching arm chair, a folder held in her hands, white papers practically flowing out of it.
"How have you been feeling Calum?" Dr Wren asked, looking up rom the papers, the women set the folder down on the glass coffee table placed between the two, putting at least a foot or two of space between the elder women from the nervous tan boy.
"I've been feeling pretty good" Calum shrugged. He fiddled with the hem of his grey sweater, picking the loose strands of thread until they came off and fell to the carpet.
"Have you recently had any nightmares?" Dr Wren asked. Calum internally cringed with the mention of the nightmares, his head thumping with vivid memories of screaming himself awake in the middle of the night due to lucid night terrors.
"Not recently, no" Calum answered, his eyes refusing to look away from the hem of his sweater.
"Have you been taking your pills?" Dr Wren asked.
"Yes" Calum said.
"Last month you said you were thinking about getting a pet, something to keep you from the silence. Have you done so?" Dr Wren asked, the tip of her black pen pressed to her chin as she stared at Calum calmly. She waited with great patience as Calum's eyes scanned over seemingly every object in the room, as if he were trying to find an escape route.
"I haven't. But I don't like the silence" Calum shook his head multiple times, his hands beginning to tremble, he could feel the pent up anxiety trying to eat it's way out.
"Why not?" Dr wren asked, her face was black like she knew the answer yet she wanted to hear it from Calum.
"Because it males me feel alone and I don't want to be alone" he answered.
"Why don't you like being alone?" she asked, raising her pen to her paper as she filled out a few lines on her papers.
"When I'm alone I think of all the bad things, the things I used to do and the person I used to be. I think about hurting myself again. What it would be like to feel it again, when I should do it, how I should do it" Calum said, his voice watery as he held in tears.
"What do you do when you are alone and you get those thoughts?" Dr Wren asked.
"Sometimes I go outside so there's people around me. Or I push them away and try to do other things, watch tv, sleep, clean" Calum explained. Dr Wren nodded her head, writing more information on her papers.
"Calum have you spoken to any of them since it happened?" the thought of the events gave Calum a bubbling feeling of anger and sadness.
"No" he said coldly.
"Do you think it would help with the anxiety and nightmares if you did speak to your friends?" Dr. Wren asked.
"They aren't my friends anymore" Calum said loudly, his shaky echoing in the small room.
"They were once" Wren said.
"Are we done?" Calum asked, his heart thumping in his chest as his ears began to ring. Dr Wren sighed, staring at the distraught boy who was shaking in his seat.
"Alright Calum, you can go. I want you to think about getting in contact with your old friends, I know it's something that will be extremely hard for you but I really think this could potentially help. I also want you to think about getting that pet, something protective might make you feel better" Dr Wren advised. Calum got up from his chair and bid a goodbye to the old women before rushing out of the room.
-
Ashton puffed out a cloud of grey smoke as he watched the tan boy walk out of the strange hospital. He crossed the street, noticing the tears that were streaming down her pale cheeks. His black knee high boots tapped against he concrete as he walked, hugging himself in his large grey sweater.
"Why are you crying?"
he asked as he walked up beside him. Calum jumped, letting out a small gasp, turning to the older tan boy who was staring expectantly. Calum scoffed as he dried his cheeks, rubbing his hands over the wetness on his cheeks.
"Are you following me?"
Calum asked as he continued walking, his eyes burning as the wind hit his tears.
"I'm not, I saw you walk in so I
waited because I wanted to see you"
Ashton shrugged. He watched Calum's eyes roll, his chocolate brown orbs nearly rolling to the back of his head. He flicked the ashes off of his cigarette before placing it between his lips and inhaling, the slight burning sensation he felt when he fist started smoking was replaced by easy waves of smoke that calmed his nerves. Ashton blew the smoke out, the wind causing it to fly into Calum's face. The older boy chuckled as Calum waved his hands and glared.
"Why are you crying?"
Ashton repeated himself. Calum
rolled his eyes again, not bothering
to look at Ashton.
"Just because you're ignoring
me doesn't mean I'll just leave.
I want to know why you're crying"
Ashton insisted, his tone telling Calum
he was serious. Calum huffed out a breath of air as he hugged herself tighter.
"I just don't feel well today that's all"
he said.
"Why not?"
Ashton asked.
"Because I don't. If you want to
act all secretive and keep things
to yourself then I should be able to
do the same. Now leave me alone"
with that Calum stormed off, leaving Ashton flustered.
YOU ARE READING
Affliction | cashton |
Fanfic"I'm in a lot of pain Ashton" "I can't take away your pain" "You can stop inflicting it" "Stop giving me the power to inflict
