I'm Still Here

Hospital Corridors

A/n: I'm not gonna apologize anymore because you probably don't care. That's fine. Here's the chapter. Enjoy.

 "I'll give it to him, thanks," Dan here's just as he's awaking. Something feels different. His covers, they aren't as soft. This doesn't feel like his bed. His eyes flutter open and he's greeted with the familiar bright white light and sterility of a hospital room, His heart monitor beeps steadily. Now he remembers.

"Hi," Phil says softly, lifting his eyes from his laptop. "You were asleep for a while." He's holding a small cup which Dan assumes contains his pills. "The nurse was just here, you have to take these. I brought you some snacks, too. Are you feeling okay?"

Dan smiles gratefully and rips open the bag of cookies that Phil gives him. "I feel alright." He takes a bite of one and tilts the cup into his mouth, swallowing the pills and the cookie together. He finishes off his snack to make everything go down easily. Phil hands him some water. "Are you editing something?"

"Oh, yeah," Phil says, showing Dan the screen. "Just a vlog."

"How's it coming?"

"Almost done."

"They're worried about me," Dan says. "I mean, they're sort of right to be, but I-I can't..."

Phil sets his laptop aside and puts a hand on Dan's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Dan."

"No! They'll keep asking questions and in the next video...oh god, I can't do this."

Phil pulls Dan into as much of a hug as possible while not disturbing any of the devices attached to him. "We'll get through this. I promise you."

"How long have you been here, Phil?" Dan asks, breaking the hug.

Phil shrugs. "Few hours?"

"Go home."

"Can't make me."

Dan narrows his eyes. "Go. Home."

"What?" Phil says, "I've got my laptop, my pyjamas, there's good wifi here, I brought some fuzzy slippers." He pauses. "Got my best friend. What more could a boy want?"

Dan grins reaches upwards to adjust his hat when he realises it isn't there. "Where did it go?"

"It's right here." Phil reaches next to him and hands it to Dan who snatches his and shoves it on his head.

"You don't need to wear that," Phil reminds him, frowning.

"No one wants to see me bald. Including me."

"No one minds, Dan. You should see all of the encouraging posts and twe--"

"I care. And I don't want to take the hat off, end of story." Phil nods carefully.

A nurse walks in. "Dan? It's time for your treatment." Dan gives Phil a look of dread as the woman hooks up a bag to his IV.

Dan clears his throat. "Uh, c-can I walk around a bit? With the IV."

The nurse, Janice, her nametag said, tilts her head. "I don't see why not as long as you're feeling up to it. You should stay in the ward, though."

"Oh, and uh, how long will I be in the hospital?"

"You're receiving high dose chemotherapy. Usually that warrants a few weeks' stay in the hospital." Dan gives her a nervous nod. She leaves, attempting to give them both a reassuring smile.

"How am I gonna make videos, Phil?"

"It'll be okay for a few weeks. We already filmed a gaming video. I'll edit it, don't worry. They'll be fine."

"I hate this. I hate this, I hate this."

"I--"

"Don't say anything, Phil."

Dan pulls down his covers and swings his legs over the side of the bed. Phil jumps up immediately to assist him. "I can do it!" Dan snaps, and Phil raises his hands in surrender, watching as his friend uses the bed frame to push himself upright.

"Okay?" Phil asks. Dan gives him a slight nod. He grabs tightly onto his IV pole.

Hospitals are generally pretty depressing, but there's just something even more depressing about the cancer ward. All of the people, withering away. The thought makes Dan shudder.

He walks through the halls at a slow pace, Phil by his side. "You'll have to go home at some point," Dan reminds him.

"I know," Phil sighs, "But I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be okay, don't worry about me." Dan attempts to assure him. "You've been here for too long. Go home, take a shower, get some fresh air. Phil. Please."

"Okay, we'll walk back to the room and I'll--"

"No, I want to walk around a bit more. Go on, I'll be fine." After a few moments. Phil yawns and nods.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning," he promises.

"Okay," Dan says, and he watches Phil disappear down the hall.

Dan sits there for a few minutes, watching the people pass him by. Patients, nurses, doctors. He raises his eyebrows when a familiar face passes. "A-amy?" Dan croaks out, his voice has been hoarse all morning. He tilts his head at her.

She pauses at his voice. "Dan?" she says, smiling. He pats the space next to him on the bench and she sits down, her IV next to her. Dan notes that it isn't a chemo bag, however. "They admitted you?" Amy asked, her initial happy expression replaced with a frown.

"Uh, yeah, t-they said they didn't like the way I was responding to the initial treatment and are giving me a different drug. They, uh, want to monitor me."

"How long?"

"Few weeks," he says, letting out a bitter laugh.

"I'm sorry," she says.

"I-It's fine, I'm okay."

"I see you shaved your head," Amy says in what she believes to be the most horrible way to change the subject. Dan pulls his hat down instinctively. "It's better that way, trust me," she assures him. "I used to have the longest hair and then I woke up to it in clumps on my pillow. It isn't something you want to experience."

Dan nods. "And why're you here?" he asks.

"Oh, complications, the usual," she says nonchalantly. "I'm usually fine don't worry."

"What a cheerful ward," Dan says sarcastically.

"Ha, yeah," Amy says. "I mean, you get used to it. Not that that's a good thing."

"Right," Dan says, sighing.

"Well, I best be off," Amy says. "It was nice to see you again."

"I'm in room 203...if you want to visit sometime," Dan says hesitantly. C'mon, Dan, it'll be good for you to make some hospital buddies.

"Okay, will do." she smiles. "Goodbye Dan." She leaves him to brood alone on the bench.

After a few moments, he gets up, bracing down on the bench for support. Within a few moments of being upright, however, his vision starts to blur. He blinks but it does nothing to help. It feels like he's spinning. "No," he manages. He hears a faint shout before everything turns dark. 

A/n: "Another cliffhanger, rosalie?" yes because why not it's not like many people even made it this far in the story lol. I'm not going to apologize anymore. 

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