"arin hanson, room twelve. also roomed with daniel avidan. mr. hanson has been investigated and it has been found that his blood contains the x-virus. we have since decided to extract both subjects and use experimental techniques to ascertain the reason for this while in a completely enclosed and safe environment." his finger let go of the recorder's button as he pondered how it could possibly be that the virus was in the facility.
"sir?" the nurse peeked in the room.
"what is it, holly?" holly stepped into the room and strode beside the doctor's desk. she settled her hand on his shoulder.
"what time should i extract the boys in room twelve? i haven't had to do this before, so i'm not sure how long it may take." the doctor sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"today at noon. if my calculations are correct, it should take you roughly two hours to transfer them to the underground." holly smiled and began to walk back out the door.
"understood, doctor o'donavan."
"and holly," she stopped at the door and turned to face the doctor.
"yes sir?"
"please use ross. it's less informal and well deserved for my favorite nurse." holly's smile grew as she left the room.
the doctor sat with his head in his hands. what could've possibly happened for the x-virus to infiltrate his walls? these people had no idea their lives could be in danger and he promised families safety and security and even that wasn't enough. maybe he slipped up. who knew?
"mr. avidan? mr. hanson? we're ready for you now. please step into the hallway." arin gave dan one final look of sincerity before stepping closer to him.
"i didn't mean to cost you your life, you know that, right?"
"arin, it's okay. besides, they may have made a mistake. we could be completely a-okay. just don't worry about me. i'm not worth the trouble."
"you are!" arin argued. "i've gotten you into this situation and i'm going to try to get you out of it whether it kills me or not."
"calm down buddy. just be quiet for a while. don't start anything, okay?" arin sighed and dan ruffled his hair.
"okay."
both men stepped into the hallway, not exactly sure of what would come next. the only thing that was sure was arin's complete grasp on the fact that he would die and he would be the cause of his best friend's death. nurse holly and another female doctor took hold of dan and arin by the arms. their faces were almost completely covered by masks, but even so.
as they walked down the hallway in their mandated sweatpants and loose shirts, they reached the end of the wing, where a door to the unknown met them. there could be anything on the other side of that door. needles and huge circular saws, or a bright blue room that gave off a child's doctor's office vibe. what they walked into felt like neither.
"you will reach a door at the end of this hallway. when you do, you will walk inside and sit and wait for doctor o'donavan to meet with you and help you become acquainted with your new living arrangements." both nurses let them find the door and waited until they were through before going on with the transition process.
the room smelled of bleach and ammonia, which was terrible for both their lungs. maybe they'd die in here before undergoing all of the tests. the walls were painted white and the floor was like ones you'd see in the umbrella corporation facilities. dan decided he'd take a seat on the floor and calmly tap out a tune on the wall. arin, on the other hand, was about to have a nervous breakdown.
"calm down big cat, you'll be okay." arin glared at dan.
"what if i am infected? what if you're infected? i couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. you've been... you've been my only friend since i was ten, and you were eighteen at the time. you were so much older than i was and you didn't make jokes i wouldn't get, you wouldn't curse much in front of me, you were like the big brother i never had." dan smiled.
"you actually have a brother."
"yeah, but we're closer than nate and i ever were!" silence carried on throughout the room for a couple minutes.
"do you remember elvis?" dan asked. arin scoffed.
"of course i do." he replied in a haughty tone.
"do you remember that one song of his i'd always sing? the one when i walked you home from menchie's because my car broke down?" arin's face looked pink. his voice shrunk. he sat down a couple feet away from his friend.
"of course i do."
"can you sing it?" arin exhaled in a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"dan, you always sang it. why can't you sing it now?" arin turned his head slightly to see dan. the dan he saw when he was sixteen. twenty four and the only thing he cared about was his best friend arin hanson. the dan he saw the night his girlfriend broke up with him. his smile was so genuine, but his tears were melancholy. he looked like he shouldn't've been crying at all. this dan was back again, but arin wasn't sure for how long.
"because it's different. we live in an apocalyptic future where the only thing assured is death, whether it be of age, depression, or disease."
"danny..." dan looked up and his smile grew when he looked at arin.
"i'll help you if you want. do you want me to?" arin nodded. he scooted over until he was shoulder to shoulder with dan.
"please."
"wise men say," dan stopped to let arin begin.
"only fools rush in." he finished.
"but i can't help," they harmonized. "falling in love with you."
"shall i stay," arin started on his own. "would it be a sin?" dan settled his hand in arin's and squeezed it.
"if i can't help," they harmonized once more, dan's quiet tears still making paths down his smile lines. "falling in love with you."
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dishonesty // egobang
Fanficdishonesty disˈänəstē to act without honesty. a lack of probity, cheating, lying or being deliberately deceptive or a lack in integrity, knavishness, perfidiosity, corruption or treacherousness.