Are We Out of The Woods Yet?

Part 32

Possible trigger warning for this chapter, it's different for different people, but a warning anyway, just in case.

It was half past two when Robert was awoken by the sound of a hard object colliding with the floor. He woke up with a start, for a second not recognising where he was, an unfamiliar ceiling above him. Then from where he lay on his back, he peered to the right. There was a heart monitor, its noise echoing around the room. Its repetitive beeping was already getting annoying. "Sorry about that, dropped my phone." The sound of a voice startled Robert. His eyes widened, his ears perked up. Facing his palms down flat on the mattress, he pushed himself up hurriedly. His eyes met with a darkened figure standing at the end of his bed. He blinked hastily, trying to see who it was, trying to shorten the amount of time his eyes took to adjust to the lighting. The hospital turned the lights out in the corridors at night, only toilet lights were kept on and there wasn't a toilet outside his door so it was almost pitch black.

"Hello?" He said in a low and quiet voice. Nurses were still around, he didn't want to alert them yet.

"Aw come on Rob. You can't have forgotten me already." The figure moved round the bed on Robert's left. Robert instinctively shuffled more towards the right side. "They didn't tell me they'd battered your brain in."

"W...Who didn't tell you?" The heart monitor frantically beeped louder and quicker for a couple of seconds, before it settled on a quieter, rhythmic beeping similar to how it had been before. Although it was evidently beeping more frequently now.

"Heart monitors ey? Giving you away. So you're scared of me? I quite like that." Joe chuckled darkly, stopping beside the head of the bed. Robert stared up at him with wild eyes.

"You need to go."

"Go? I can't yet, Doctors orders." One of his hands rose in the dark and a clicking sound could be heard. Then a luminous screen became apparent, he was holding his phone. The light captured the dark strangers face, he was wearing a hoodie so it remained partially still in shadow.

"Joe." Robert croaked, his throat dry and gradually tightening. He'd had a hunch it was him but he hadn't been certain...until now.

"Yup." Robert watched in confusion as Joe toyed with his phone, his finger movements blocking the light every now and again so his facial features appeared and disappeared like the lights at a zebra crossing. "This Pokémon Go game ey, so addictive." He murmured. "You tried it?" He looked up from his phone, his fingers pausing over the screen. Robert sat, his mouth a little open and his eyebrows furrowed, breathing loudly and saying nothing. "Mm, well you're missing out, seriously. There's nothing here but yesterday..."

"What do you want Joe?" Robert interrupted, nervously glancing up at him.

"Oh yeah." Joe said as if he'd forgotten and then only just remembered what he was there for, turning on the flashlight and putting his phone face down on the cabinet next to the bed. His calm persona was ripped away like a mask as he suddenly slammed his now free hands, down on to the mattress near Robert. Robert flinched. "Bet I sound a bit nasally don't I, ey?" Robert nodded timidly. Joe chuckled sarcastically. "Yeah well, they broke my nose didn't they? Had to come in here didn't I?"

"Who?..."

"Aw come on!" If they hadn't of been in a hospital, Joe would have shouted that part, but instead he spat and said it in a sharp whisper. "Who did you go and see earlier, ey? Who did you tell lies to? Mm?" Robert blinked, swallowing as he understood who he was talking about.

"Your mates? I had to tell them the truth." Robert half shrugged, not quite confident enough to do a full one.

"Did you now mm? And why's that? You thought you could save Liv?" Joe mocked him. Robert looked down. "Pathetic."