Letters To A Stranger

Days feel like years when I'm alone

Isak's P.O.V

Almost two weeks had passed since Isak had gotten the horrible news about his boyfriend. Almost two weeks full of tears, despair and uncertainty.

Isak had visited Even almost every day after school, just sitting beside him and talking to him. The doctor had said that interacting with him would help, so Isak would talk to Even for hours, make him listen to his favorite music over headphones and sing him songs.

On the second day, the doctor had caught Isak in Even's room and almost threw him out because he wasn't part of the family, but as he saw how devastated Isak was, he made an exception.

Over the last couple of days, Isak had noticed a very strange bond building between him and Even's family. Although it made a lot of sense, seeing as they spent a lot of time together at the hospital, Isak still found it strange to talk to Even's father who had apologized for being so intolerant towards the couple over and over again.

If anyone at school or at home would ask how Isak was, he didn't know what to answer.
The good news was, that Even was still alive. The bad news, that no one knew if he was ever going to wake up and with every day, the risk of Even dying increased.
But Isak refused to give up. He refused to come to terms with the idea of losing the one human being he loved so dearly.
He refused to let death win.
So, instead of breaking out into tears, he'd always answer: 'I'm fine.' and try to put one his best fake smile.
Most people just asked because of politeness anyway, not because they were genuinely interested in his state of mind.

Today was Saturday and Isak was about to leave the flat as he heard Eskild shout something after him.
"What is it?" Isak shouted back, taking a few steps back, so that he stood in the hallway again.
Eskild's head peeked through the door frame which led to the kitchen.
"I just..." Eskild began and Isak couldn't quite read the expression on his face.

"You know you don't have to go there everyday, right? It's okay to do something other than visiting him. It's okay when you just take a day off sometimes and have some..distraction." he finished, carefully glancing at the younger boy.

Isak didn't know why, but somehow Eskild's words made him angry.
"It's not like I feel obliged to visit him, Eskild, I want to be by his side. And I want to be there when he wakes up.
You just don't get it because you have never felt real love." Isak hissed, his words coming out more harshly than he meant them to.

He saw how Eskild's face fell.
"I..I was only trying to help, Isak. I just don't want you to..drown in all of this.
Look, I get that you're hurt and in a bad place right now, but you don't need to take it out on me okay?" Eskild responded, his voice soft but serious.

Isak stayed silent for a while. Then, he nodded and said a quick goodbye, before leaving through the front door. 

As Isak got out of the bus and walked down the small sidewalk, for what it felt like the 100th time these past weeks, he came by a florist's. Not thinking long about it, Isak made his way inside the shop and picked out a beautiful, big and colorful bouquet of dahlias. He paid for them, after receiving an admirably smile from  the saleslady.

"Lucky girl." the woman said as she handed Isak his change and beamed at him. Isak was too tired to inform her that it wasn't a girl he'd gave this to, but his boyfriend, and just smiled at her politely before leaving the shop.

"Quite a romantic bouquet for your brother, don't you think?" the nurse, Julie, greeted Isak mockingly as he approached the entrance to the ICU.
Isak couldn't hold back a small smile as he passed her.
She had been a little offended as she had found out that Isak was Even's boyfriend, not his brother. "Nice to see you, Julie." he said and she nodded friendly.