imaginary / muke a.u | c.

eight; suicide

"Calum, did you talk to Austin much?"

The past few days had seen each patient in the hospital having a private talk with a doctor about the recent death of the suicidal Austin. Calum hadn't been looking forward to his go; he hated talking to Dr Smith on a good day.

"Not really." He muttered in reply.

"How do you feel about his death?"

"I dunno," Calum roughed his fingers through his hair. "I'm sad, I guess."

"Why do you think you're sad?"

"Because somebody's dead?"

Calum was sick of these questions. He just wanted to go back to his room, to lie in bed and sleep for a while.

"That's right. Do you want to address the elephant in the room?"

"There's no fucking elephant in the room. I'm done talking." Calum growled. He stood up and stormed out the door, his exit followed by a deep sigh from the doctor.

***

"We're leaving tonight." Michael whispered to Calum at lunch.

"What?" The other boy's eyes widened, and he put his fork down.

"We're leaving tonight. As soon as the security guard goes past our door at three, we leave. I've got the route down and everything."

Michael's eyes were bright with excitement, and he had barely touched his food.

"Michael -" Cal started.

"I know what you're gonna say. That it's a bad idea after what happened to Austin. But it's not a bad idea - it's a great idea. I swear I'm gonna follow the kid if I have to stay cooped up here much longer."

"Don't joke about that shit, Michael." Calum growled. "It's not funny."

"Fine. But you have to be ready tonight, okay? I'm going - with or without you. I don't want it to be without you, but if I have to... I will."

Calum paused.

"Michael, I think we should stay," he said softly. "Where are we supposed to go?"

"I dunno, man. Calum, come on! We can't stay here anymore -"

"Why? Because you don't like the doctors? Because you don't like the other patients? I'm crazy. We're both crazy! We're insane! We can't be out there with normal people, Michael, we're crazy!" Calum snapped.

"That's bullshit, Cal!" Michael slammed to his feet. "We're not crazy, okay? You're not crazy!"

"Shut the fuck up Michael!" Calum stood too, glaring at his best friend. "You don't know that! Why are we in here, huh? Why? Because we're fucking crazy!"

Michael stared at the black-haired boy for a moment before turning and storming away. Calum watched him go with a furrow in his brow.

"Everything okay here, Calum?" Luke asked cautiously as he stepped up to Calum. Cal paused before nodding.

"Michael's just being dumb," he muttered in return.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really." Calum said.

"Okay. You don't have to. Do you wanna talk about anything else?" Luke had lowered himself into Michael's now unoccupied seat. Cal shrugged.

"Austin, he - did you ever talk to him?" He asked anxiously. Luke sighed.

"Yeah, I did. He was a nice kid."

"Why did he..." Calum trailed off.

"He was depressed, Cal. There wasn't anything specific that triggered it."

"How..." Calum was struggling to put his thoughts into words. "Michael's depressed, right? He's not gonna... hurt himself, is he?" He finally got out.

"I don't think he will if he has you, Cal," Luke smiled softly at the younger boy.

"What if... what if he doesn't have me?"

"I'm getting the feeling that as long as you're around, he'll have you."

***

"I'll come with you." Calum said softly. "Tonight, I mean."

"You will?" Michael looked up from his place against the wall, a hopeful glint in his bright green eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, I will."