Where We Started [Joetrick]

9. Incubus

Patrick Stump:

"Cheez-Its or Goldfish?" I wondered aloud, staring at the vending machine in the hallway of my dorm building. 

Andy walked up beside me and leaned against the vending machine. "That is a very serious question. I think I would go with Cheez-Its." 

"Then I'll go with Goldfish." I smirked at him and punched in the number for the small bag of Goldfish.

"Are you going to the hospital again?" He asked.

I leaned down to grab the bag from the slot. "Yeah, I'm going to catch the bus in ten minutes."

"This is the second week in a row, 'Trick." Andy looked at me intently. "You're missing classes." 

I opened the bag. "My teachers gave me extra time to turn in all of my assignments." I popped a few fish crackers into my mouth. "If that's what you're wondering." 

"When's the last time you slept in your own bed, Patrick?" Andy asked. 

I bit my bottom lip. "I don't  know..." 

"When was the last time you spent more than an hour away from the hospital?" Andy raised an eyebrow. 

I stayed quiet, staring into the bag of crackers. 

"The answer to both of those questions is, not since the accident." Andy said, "you need to start putting yourself first." 

"I'm just trying to be there for Joe," I said quietly. 

"And who's being there for you?" He put a hand on my shoulder. "Patrick, you were in that car too. You felt the same pain that Joe and Brendon felt when it crashed. The only thing that's different is that you were released from the hospital earlier than they were."

I bit my bottom lip harder. "I didn't lose my best friend like they did." 

"I get that, but you can't run yourself around like this. It's not healthy." He squeezed my shoulder. "I know you want to help Joe, but you can only do so much. Slow down 'Trick, make sure you're taking care of yourself first." 

I nodded. "Yeah," I said halfheartedly, "yeah- I'll do that." 

"I'm serious, Patrick." Andy admonished. 

"Well, Joe get's out of the hospital later today, so I'll be around more," I informed him. "And you can make sure that I hang around, because we will be staying in our dorm room together." 

"'We?'" Andy asked. "What do you mean by 'we?'"

I shifted my weight from foot to foot. "Joe doesn't think he can stay in his dorm room since...well you know.'"

"So you invited him to stay in our room?" Andy sighed.

"It's not like he had anywhere else to go. Andy please, let him stay with us," I begged, looking at him with wide eyes. 

Andy ran a hand through his hair. "Fine- yeah, he can stay with us. But only for a week." 

"Thank you." I checked my phone. "I have to go, the bus is gonna be here in a couple minutes." 

"Take care of yourself, Patrick," Andy warned.

~~~~~~

"Knock, knock." I tapped on the door. "I come with Goldfish." 

Joe looked up at me and smiled. "Patrick."

I walked over to him tentatively and held the bag out to him.