Fear Will Lose // twenty one pilots // Joshler

Chapter 20

Josh had decided that he needed to go to work that Tuesday, but he could barely concentrate as he sat in the meeting room.

He listened to his colleagues talk but didn't make any contributions, and instead kept checking his phone every few minutes. He was completely aware that he would be better off with Tyler because he wouldn't be able to get any work done when he was this distracted, but still he stayed sat in his seat twirling his pen.

"Josh, did you make any progress with regards to the potential corporal lobbying claims?" A lawyer asked, not looking up from the notes he was rapidly scrawling.

"Uh, I read the initial accusation and all the statements, but I didn't get round to chasing it any further."
"Oh, right, so what did the court's investigation conclude?" He asked.
"I didn't read that, no wait I did, um, one second," Josh stumbled, flicking through his papers.
"No sorry, I don't have it."
"I read it," another lawyer chimed in.

"Mr Dun-Joseph, word outside now." Mr Parker said, standing and walking to the door as the other lawyer explained Josh's research for him.

"Mr Parker I'm so sorry," Josh said as soon as the door shut.
"Go home Josh."
"Sir, I can do better."
"I know you can, far better. But right now you're dead weight on this case, and I don't see the point in you even being here. Blame your partner's ill health if you wish, but in reality it comes down to you. You have a responsibility to make sure you're performing at your best every time you enter this office."
"I know sir, and I'll try harder."
"Well you'll have to start trying tomorrow, because I don't want you back in my meeting today."
"Yes sir,"
"You're lucky I'm not kicking you off the Harper case entirely. There's a lot of people who would work a lot harder to be in your position."
"And I'm very grateful, thank you."
"8am tomorrow I want you back on top of your game."
"Yes sir, and I really do apologise."

As Josh walked from the train station to Campbell, he noticed Kelly's car parked in their parking lot.

The night before he had called her but had struggled to explain what exactly was wrong with Ty because he didn't understand it himself. He just hoped that he'd done the right thing by inviting them, and that Ty would be more awake after a night's sleep.

Josh quickly opened the door, the metal handle cold against his skin, and let himself into the reception.

It only took a minute to sign in and walk down the familiar corridor, but it took him a bit longer to pluck up the courage to open Tyler's door once he arrived at it.

He swallowed down the anxiety that began to rise, and pulled it open.
"Hi," he said to the room of people, although he hadn't expected quite so many.

Josh saw a nurse he recognised from Tyler's last admission called Harriet sat in the corner, and immediately knew that she must have been assigned to be Tyler's 1-to-1 supervising nurse again. Ryan was stood next to her with his back leant against the wall and his arms crossed.

Josh looked over to Tyler's bed and saw his dad, Chris, sat in an arm chair he had pulled up from the other side of the room.

Kelly was sat on Tyler's bed next to her son, and Josh felt both relief and concern as he looked at his husband.

It was clear that he had come out of the previous day's stupor, but he still looked unwell. His eyes were watery and a little swollen, and a red mark on his forehead suggested that he'd hit it recently.
Josh noticed that rather than wearing his own T-shirt, he was wearing dark blue hospital scrubs that were too big for him and hung off his anxiously hunched shoulders. A thin hospital blanket covered his crossed legs.