The Boy Upstairs /tronnor/

five

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Connor 

I get the call from Laurelle the next morning, her voice sounding extremely tired and sleep deprived as she recounts the night's happenings to me. She says Troye's lungs filled with fluid out of nowhere, his morphine put him under and now he's unconscious, and his body is seeming to begin to reject the drugs they were giving him. "The cancer's progressing." She informs me in a grave tone. "We're going to have to start more intense chemo. We don't know if that will shorten his time or not, but we're moving forward with it anyways."

I nod with understanding, my lips dry. Then, of course, I realize she can't hear a nod, so I just croak out a simple "mmhmm." My chest burns and I'm positive that it's not only a mix of the pain, that has only been intensifying over the past few days, but my heart aching for Troye. I can't even imagine being 18 and not knowing that you won't be able to see yourself in five years. Then I let my mind wander, thinking about what Heaven must be like.

"Connor?" Troye's mom brings me back to earth.

"Oh, right, sorry, Mrs. Mellet."

"Sweetheart, please. Call me Laurelle." I can hear her speaking through a sad smile. "I think Troye's waking up. If you want to come see him, I can tell the staff that you're family. They'll let you in."

"Really? That means so much, thank you." My words hit a raw spot in my throat and I gag a bit before coughing so hard I lose my breath, heaving as I cough, feeling my turkey sandwich threaten to come up. I try to hold it down but continue hacking, my cough getting worse and worse for what feels like eternity, but is only actually like six seconds. 

"Are you okay, dear?" She asks as I finally catch my breath and pull my hands away. I want to scream or cry out, but I decide not to make a scene on the phone with Troye's mom. She has enough to worry about.

"Perfectly fine." I say, trying my hardest to remove my palms from my eyesight. "Perfectly fine. Well, I should let you go so you can check on Troye."

"Thank you." Laurelle whispers, and my eye sockets sting threateningly at the still present pain in my chest. "See you soon, I hope?"

"Yeah, see you soon." I take a sip of water and sigh. "Bye."

"Bye, sweetheart."

I hang up and look at my hands again, alarmed again by what I see. I walk over to a mirror and almost cry at the sight.

My hair is completely disheveled, my eyes red and teary. My skin an insane pale. My mouth matching my hands.

Both are covered in blood.

I run downstairs after cleaning myself up and tap my mom on the shoulder, and she turns around. She screams, alarmed to see blood still at the corners of my mouth.

"Mom, something's wrong." My voice quivers. "I think I need to go back."

"I think so too." Her eyes fill with tears, obviously knowing something I don't. "Get in the car, we're going to the emergency room."

I get my headphones and get in the back of the car, laying across the seats. I close my eyes and press play on my music, "All I Want" by Kodaline, my favorite song, starting softly. My mother runs out, wiping her eyes as she gets in the car, talking on the phone in a hushed voice. Probably just the hospital, she's probably calling to get me a room. I gently let my eyes drift shut and sleep on the way there.

(HI GUYS. SORRY THIS CHAPTER WAS SO SHORT BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 400+ READS OMG. 5 VOTES BY 8 PM AND I'LL UPLOAD THE NEXT CHAPTER TONIGHT??? LOVE YOU ALL!!)