Oblivion

17

Dan awoke late the next morning. When he got down the stairs, everyone had already left for work and school. In a way he was glad that there were no awkward goodbyes. He wouldn't have to assure Kyle that he would be fine on his own for a few hours. He was finally alone. And it was only slightly scary.

He made himself a breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and orange juice, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. He was relieved that he remembered how to cook. He sat at the table and read the newspaper that had been delivered through the door. All in the comfort of just his new boxer shorts. It felt so nice to just do what he wanted. Without having to worry about the nurses, Eve, the kids, Kyle. And though he would never have admitted to Kyle, he had too been a little worried about being on his own. Until now. Now he was truly enjoying the peace. He'd spent four years on the streets with very little friends and even less privacy. At least not the ones who were supplying him and always too high off their faces to hold a conversation. So the whole time he'd been in the hospital having to constantly make small talk, answering questions, talking about feelings, it had been tiring. Right then he had nothing to prove to anyone and he could do whatever the hell he wanted. For a few hours.

Daytime TV was as bad at Kyles as it was in the hospital. It was a good idea that they had given him some jobs to do. It certainly did keep him busy. When Eve had said to sort out the shed, he thought it would just be a case of moving things about. But it would seem that since they moved into their home, they'd just been storing junk in there rather than throwing it away. He would need to hire a skip for the amount of rubbish that needed to go.

He took a quick break from dodging spiders to grab a drink from inside the house, to find the phone ringing.

'Hello?' He knew who it would be before he answered.

'Everything ok? I've been ringing for twenty minutes.'

'I've been sorting out your shed mate.' He laughed. 'Thanks for the heads up on how bad it is.'

'Ha, sorry. Having fun?'

'Tonnes.' He laughed.

'How you coping being on your own?'

'Great. Yeah, it's nice. Look, can you hire a skip? We need a skip.' He could hear the relief in Kyle's laugh.

'I'll get you a skip buddy. Glad you're ok. I'll see you in a bit.'

And so his days went on that way. He stayed in line. He didn't run away as Kyle feared. He didn't crack open any cupboards to steal any paracetamol. And he was genuinely enjoying himself. At his first weekly appointment back at the hospital with Mrs Turnbull he grinned ear to ear as he told her how it was going.

'I feel brilliant. Like my old self.'

'Still taking your medication?'

'Every morning with breakfast.'

'Any side effects?'

'None.'

'You're coping amazingly well Daniel. Have you gone out anywhere yet?'

'No, and I don't really feel the need to. I like being in, pottering about, helping Kyle and Eve and the kids. I've even thought about getting my own place soon.'

'I am really surprised by this. You've gone from suicidal thoughts and end stage organ failure to this in such a short amount of time. If ever I've had a perfect patient, it's you. And I hope it continues. There are a few things I would still like to address though. I would like you to revisit the last place you lived. I think it would be a good exercise to close that chapter of your life so you can move on.'

'Ok. I can do that.'

'And, how about Sam? Have you managed to find some peace with that yet?'

'I need to find out where she's buried. I would like to say goodbye, properly.'

He came out of the hospital, Kyle sat in his car waiting for him, with a smile on his face still.

'How did it go?'

'Great.'

'Brilliant. I'm proud of you, you know?'

'I know.' He winked.

'So, Will and Woody want to see you. If thats ok?'

'Yes! I'd love to see them.' It was now time to start reintroducing himself to his old friends. He needed to make an effort to see his family too. All those people who he'd been too ashamed and too scared to talk to. It was certainly time.