Hypnotised (Magnets Book 2)

Chapter 30

Phil's POV

My headaches were coming back.

It'd been 2 months since we'd come down to Manchester. The chemo, whilst a long and difficult process, was for the most part over. My body was weak; I looked pale and skinny and rather sickly, and fatigue hung over me like a shadow.

But it was finally over.

I would have given up if it weren't for Dan, my lover, my carer, my soul mate. Every single time when I was throwing up what I'd been able to eat for dinner, he was right there, kneeling beside me, patting my back and telling me that it was okay, that it would be over soon. Whenever I lay awake at night, incredibly tired yet unable to sleep, he'd stay up with me, and then we'd rise in the morning with huge bags under our eyes. He'd cuddled me for endless hours when I felt unwell.

And now it was over.

But was it really? On the first Monday of the last week of our stay in Manchester, I felt a headache as soon as I woke up. In the same spot, right at the base of my neck.

I initially freaked out. It's back, oh god, what if it's back, what if it's terminal, what if I die. Fuck.

Then I calmed myself. It was just another ordinary headache. Nothing special. I'd had plenty of migraines before, surely this was one of those. My imagination was just going crazy.

But it didn't feel normal.

I dismissed all thoughts of he headache and wandered downstairs to the kitchen, where my mum was cooking bacon and eggs. My socked feet made no noise as I creeped over to her. "G'mornin'."

She jumped, hand flying to her heart in shock. "Goodness gracious, Phil! Don't creep up on me like that!"

I yawned and stretched. "Where's Dan?" I asked, having assumed he was down here, eating.

"He ducked out to the shops. Said it was important." She returned to the pan. "Seemed in an awful rush."

I nodded and sat down at the table, staring around at the house. Whilst I did love it, I missed our London apartment. I longed for the intimacy, the not having to worry about your parents hearing you have sex with your boyfriend.

Although, with the chemo and being ill and all, we hadn't really touched each other intimately in weeks. I missed that; the closeness, the way he held me.

I also missed Chris and Peej. Aside from a couple of late night Skype calls, we hadn't really connected. They knew we needed space from our hectic London lives, space to heal both mentally and physically, yet we still missed them. They were our best friends.

My mother spoke up again. "Would you like some breakfast?"

I grimaced at the thought. "No, thanks."

She was not disappointed in the slightest, as she knew how tough it had been for me to stomach things. "Okay. Just make sure you eat lunch."

I nodded and stared down at the paper that was lying on the table. Teen Commits Suicide, read the front cover. Original. I frowned and pulled it closer.

Teen Commits Suicide on Manchester Bridge

Xavier Wood, a 17 year old boy, was found dead in the Dale River last night after jumping from the bridge above it and into his death. Police reports have confirmed that the death was intentional, a suicide.

When interviewed, the distraught mother of Xavier urged people to raise awareness of suicide, a growing problem all around the world. "You need to recognise the signs," She quotes, "Children need to be educated about suicide, and not treated as if the word itself is a swear word."