— Josh —
The car ride to the hospital was a barrage of questions from Wren. She couldn't remember a thing, and it was all due to Tyler. Flashes of Tyler's violent outburst, Wren's fall, the shattering bong—it all played like a nightmare in my mind. It didn't feel real, but as Wren's questions persisted, the gravity of her injury became increasingly apparent.
The hospital entrance was a disorienting blur of harsh, fluorescent lights and blinding white walls. I felt nauseated, not only from the worry that gnawed at me but also from seeing Wren already vomiting.
The injury on the back of her head turned out worse than I initially thought. Several stitches were required in a few places, and the doctor kept pressing her with questions about the incident and her safety at home. All Wren could do was gaze at me, tears brimming in her eyes.
Finally, the doctor turned his attention to me.
"Were you with her when this happened?" he inquired. I nodded, my nerves palpable. He suggested we talk in the hallway.
"What happened?" he began.
"Her boyfriend," I interrupted, my voice trembling, "he... he hit her, and she fell, hitting her head on the coffee table."
The doctor made a note on his clipboard. "There are multiple lacerations on the back of her head. Was the coffee table made of glass?"
I shook my head. "Her boyfriend was using marijuana, and the thing he was using broke when Wren hit the table. The glass shards probably caused her injuries."
The doctor jotted down more notes before escorting me back to Wren's room. He continued questioning her, running through the basics—her name, place of birth, and the current year, as if following a script from a movie. Wren remembered everything except the events leading up to the party before our tour. In her memory, we had never broken up.
The doctor inquired about pressing charges against Tyler. It caught me off guard that he even knew who Tyler and I were, but considering our home state of Ohio, I guessed we had garnered some local fame.
I was at a loss. Wren couldn't provide any information since she had no recollection of what transpired. If Tyler faced charges for drug possession, he might point the finger at me, potentially landing me in trouble. After leaving the hospital, I explained to Wren that her doctor diagnosed her with a concussion, emphasizing the need for plenty of rest until her condition improved. She was still nauseous and unsteady on her feet, so I carried her up the three flights of stairs to her apartment.
"Will you stay with me tonight, Joshie?" she asked once I had settled her onto her bed.
"I... I mean, I suppose?"
"Please?" She pouted, and it was impossible to resist. It felt wrong, but wasn't it what I had wanted? I lay beside her, and she instantly curled into my side.
"I love you, Josh," she whispered.
"I love you too," I replied, though something kept my mind from finding peace. I decided to scroll through Twitter to distract myself.
@Tylerrjoseph of twenty one pilots caught smoking weed and allegedly abusing girlfriend. Click the link for more info.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
