night - joshler

I Will Fear

"hey. it's okay. you're okay."

joshs reassuring words and hand on his forehead are nice.

"you were out for a little, babe." he chuckles nervously. tyler notices the bags under his eyes, and how red and smudged they seem.
"I'm glad you're awake. it's been a couple days. how are you feeling?"

when Tyler opens his mouth, nothing comes out. josh sighs a bit, and glances over to the end table, handing the cup of water to Tyler.

the boy drinks it all and speaks again.

"I'm okay. throat hurts."

Josh chuckles, "I know babe. it'll so that to you."

tyler furrows his eyebrows and pouts. but then he smiles softly.
"everything will work itself out."
"You've been saying that for moths, ty."
"that doesn't make it any less true."
Josh chuckles, curling up next to Tyler, he rubs patterns into the young boys neck.

-

"Josh."
"yes, Tyler?"
"I killed a man."
joshs face goes a bit pale, and tyler turns to face him, Josh scoots back.

"w-what?"

"don't worry. I went to court and I wasn't found guilty. it was self defense. but I thought you deserved to know, I've been thinking about it recently."

Josh nods slowly, "why?"

"it was a man and he make multiple videos assaulting me haha." Tyler says this all too calmly, he starts to twitch. Josh holds his head.
"uh- baby, what do you mean? do you mean ra-"
"yes!"
Tyler interrupts, causing Josh to jump slightly.

"when?" he says quietly.

"how old am I? seventeen? four years ago. I was thirteen, I think. oh Josh you should have seen it." the boy pauses to laugh, but it's not the laugh that Josh loves, it's a laugh like a psychopaths. a maniacs. "his blood- it was all over my hands. I had to do it!" he throws his arms up. "and it was in the best way I could have done it. I slit his throat, I couldn't take it anymore. but I did it. I did it! but it just made me even more delirious. ha! ha ha ha!" the fragile boy begins to laugh and laugh, he's scaring Josh.
"Tyler, you're scaring me."
the boy keeps laughing.
Josh takes his hand and brings him to the car. he now feels thankful about Tyler telling him about the therapy.
"what's the address, ty?"
the boy doesn't answer, he just laughs, tears stream down his face, Josh can't tell if it's from all the laughing, or from unfiltered sadness.

Josh sighs, googling the name of the Doctor in an attempt to find him.

"is he in today? is he seeing anyone? you've gotta let me see him. tylers having a breakdown. please."
the receptionist nods, Josh leads Tyler into the room.

"he's been laughing since ten, after he told me about a man he- he killed. is that true?"

"I'm not allowed to share that infor-"

"Tell me goddammit!" Josh slams his fist on the table, causing Tyler to roll on the floor with laughter.

"It is, and since he told you, I guess I can." Josh puts his head down.
"please make him stop laughing, he's hurting and it hurts me to see him hurt."
the doctor nods, dialing a number into the phone, saying a jumble of words that Josh doesn't even try to comprehend. everything seems like a jumble right now.

almost immediately a nurse wearing scrubs comes in the room, a syringe and a number of other tools on a cart come with her.

"Oh no."
Josh whispers.

"this is getting so out of hand! everything was fine last week!" he mumbles.

the nurse walks over to Tyler, whos still laughing, like he never stopped.

Josh goes and sits by him, holding his hand and keeping him still.

the nurse dabs a small pad covered in medical alcohol on his wrist, and she pulls out the needle, squeezing it shortly once.
Josh grasps the laughing boys hand, and looks away.
the needle is injected into his vein.
everything gets dark for Tyler.

stop laughing. why can't you stop laughing. Josh is going to think you're crazy. stop laughing.

tylers mind nags and nags at him, and when his vision gets darker he feels his eyes get heavy. and he hears himself shut up.

and then he hears nothing at all.