My Sweet Cupcake- A Nightvale Fanfiction

Chapter 21

The hospital room seemed darker than before when Carlos pushed open the heavy door. The light coming from the hallway illuminated the cloud of dust filling the room. When the door swung shut behind Carlos, the room was encased in petrifying darkness. 

"Cecil?" Carlos asked. There was a second before someone responded.

"Carlos..." A hoarse voice replied. Carlos felt his way across the room and knelt beside the bed. He saw a dark outline of what had to be Cecil.

"Cecil, where's the light?" Carlos asked. Cecil didn't respond. There was silence. "Cecil?" Carlos asked again, more sternly. Carlos took out his phone and shone the bright light onto the wall, exactly where the light switch was. A pale hand quickly covered the switch.

"No...don't turn it on." Cecil pleaded sadly. Carlos' expression quickly changed from anger to worry. 

"Why?" Carlos whispered. He quickly pushed Cecil's hand away and flipped the switch. The room was illuminated with light. Carlos gasped when his eyes met Cecil's. Cecil's face was nothing like Carlos had seen only a while ago. Cecil's eyes were rimmed with bags and he looked extremely tired. His normally pink cheeks and healthy face were replaced by yellowed pale skin and a sickly hue. "What happened to you?" Carlos asked. Cecil stared at his hands.

"They started chemo today. I tried to call you, but..." Cecil trailed off. Carlos checked his phone, which was now lighting up with various missed calls messages. His cell service must have been cut off when he went to see Kevin. Carlos felt a knife of guilt stab his stomach. Now Cecil thought Carlos was ignoring him...just because he had cancer! Carlos stuttered as he tried to explain where he had been, and that got quite a reaction from Cecil. " You were with Kevin?! When?" Cecil pushed himself up in the hospital bed. Carlos could now see the tattoos and birthmarks stretched over Cecil's arms. They looked out of place and misshapen. 

"No, I had to talk to him about something." Carlos said.

"What was it?" Cecil raised and eyebrow. Carlos remembered why he had to go talk to Kevin. That's right! Cecil didn't know...

"It's nothing important." Carlos waved his hand in the air, like he was wiping away the conversation. Cecil gave him an angry glare and Carlos felt bad for lying to his boyfriend. Cecil looked sad, as if he felt left out or underappreciated. Carlos lent forward to kiss him. 

"Don't." Cecil said immediately. He turned on his side, his back facing Carlos. "I need some sleep. And... I think you should leave." And Cecil was silent. Carlos got up and stepped back with a hurt expression crossing his forehead. Cecil's words had slapped him in the face and Carlos didn't know how to react. 

"Oh, okay." Carlos whispered. He turned around and walked out of the room, encasing Cecil in a shell of his own loneliness. Cecil turned around, surprised that Carlos had actually left him alone. Cecil looked down at the tattoos on his arms and wrists. 

"Damn it." He whispered. The tattoos on his skin seemed to twist and warp as his eyes filled with tears. Cecil tried to look around the room, but he only saw the twisted outlines of tables,chairs, and other objects in the room, blurred by his tears. Would Carlos come back?