Another Day, Another Door

Chapter 10

*A/N: Going to apologize in advance for any feels you might get*

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Patrick woke up early the next morning and immediately looked at his phone. Still no new calls or messages. So he faked being sick that morning to stay home. 

He was going to go see Dan whether his friend liked it or not. But his parents had taken both vehicles to work. 

Patrick almost thought about hitchhiking his way to Dan's house. But suddenly he saw a piece of paper sticking out of his backpack.

A number was scrawled on it in girl's handwriting. Patrick snatched it out of his bag and dialed. "Hey, it's me. Can I ask you a huge favor?" he asked quickly.

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It was around 11:30 when Louisa came by Patrick's house. She agreed to drive him to Dan's house. 

"I'm sorry about all of this...take a left here," he apologized while giving directions. "I'm just happy I can help. I had no idea he had depression," she said, driving a little over the speed limit.

"Here! Right here. Third house on the left!" Patrick pointed to Dan's medium-sized house. 

As soon as she pulled into the driveway, Patrick hopped out of her truck and ran to the front door. He knocked rapidly and rang the doorbell. Dan's mother opened the door and looked quite grateful when she saw Patrick.

"Oh, hello dear. Are you here about Dan?" she asked, opening the door for him. 

"How bad is he?" he asked as he stepped inside. "Not too good," she admitted. "He hasn't been out of his room in days. I've never seen him this bad. Can you please go talk to him? Please Patrick, I don't know what else to do," she looked like she was about to cry.

Patrick nodded and ran up the stairs. He made his way to Dan's room and foolishly tried opening the door. But of course it was locked. "Dan. Dan it's me. It's Patrick."

He heard a loud frustrated sigh from the other side of the door. 

"Dan, please. Can I come in?" he asked.

"Can't you take a hint? There's a reason I didn't call you back. I don't feel like talking...to anyone," he said a little angrily. 

Patrick jiggled the handle again. "Please, just hear me out." 

He was frightened when he heard something crash against the door. "I said leave me the hell alone!" Dan yelled as he threw things against his door. "I don't care what you have to say," he continued in a shaky voice. "I don't care... I don't care about you. I don't care about anything. I don't care about me. Just...leave me alone."

Patrick stood there in silence, looking for the right words. But there was nothing left to say. 

Suddenly he heard the doorbell ring. Damn it, he forgot about Louisa. He cursed himself for leaving her in the truck after she'd ditched school just to drive him over here.

"Dan...listen, you may not care about anyone but everyone cares about you. We want to help. I want to help," Patrick said. He was greeted with silence. 

He sighed and continued, "Look, you don't have to open the door, but I still want to talk with you. Can't we just talk?"

He heard a strange muffling noise from inside of Dan's room. He put his ear up to the door and realized Dan was crying. "Nothing's making sense anymore," Dan said in a wavering voice. His tears were starting to fall harder. "I know," Patrick said quietly.

"No, you don't know. Nobody knows. Everything's just...wrong. I'm wrong," Dan cried. 

His pain was breaking Patrick's heart. He stood there for a few minutes listening to his friend cry.

"Dan, I know it's bad now, but you can get through this. Look how strong you've been in the past," Patrick said encouragingly. He heard his friend start sniffling as his tears eased up a little.

An un easy silence passed. "Dan are you alright?" Patrick asked.

"It's been here for days now," he finally answered. A puzzled look came over Patrick's face. 

"It's been hanging from the wooden beam in my room." "What's been hanging?" Patrick asked quickly.

Dan wiped away more tears and answered, "I made it myself. Just tied my bedsheets together. It wasn't that hard. It's perfectly fit to my neck."

"Dan, stop it," Patrick said sternly, realizing what his friend was talking about. 

"They say it's one of the easiest ways to go. I've always been curious if that was true," he heard Dan say.

"Dan, stop it! Just stop it!" Patrick raised his voice. He heard a chair being dragged along Dan's bedroom floor. "Daniel! I'm going to yell for your mom!" he threatened. 

He heard Dan step onto the chair. "Then tell her I love her," he said sadly.

"Mrs. Reynolds! Hurry! Get up here!" Patrick said as he jiggled the handle with all of his might. 

"Goodbye Patrick," he heard Dan mutter. The next noise Patrick heard nearly made his heart stop. He heard the chair fall over, followed by silence.

Dan's mother ran towards Patrick's side. "What?! What is it?!" she asked frantically. "He's trying to kill himself!" Patrick said as he tried kicking the door open. 

Dan's mother turned white and helped Patrick kick down the door. She screamed when it opened. 

Her son was hanging with his eyes closed and looked strangely peaceful.

Patrick immediately put the chair back up and stood on top of it. "Fuck! Fuck!" he yelled as he fumbled with the sheets. That were tightly wrapped around Dan's neck. 

"Here!" Louisa held up a pair of scissors to him. Patrick didn't question how she randomly appeared. He just snatched the scissors and cut the noose.

Dan fell to the floor with a giant thud and his mother quickly rushed to him. She took off the noose but could barely see a thing through her tears. 

Patrick put two fingers up to Dan's neck. "He's still alive. Barely," Patrick said worriedly.

 Louisa was already on the phone with 911.