Short Stories

Dead

((Small reference to self harm, just a warning))~

Joe was dead.

Scott had sang at his funeral, at least, he had tried.

It had been five weeks since then.

Scott was now in the English countryside.

Not enjoying a nice vacation to get away from it all as one would think.

No.

He was in a psychiatric ward, isolated from the world. 

Since Joe had died, Scott hadn't been able to control himself. He had gone back to his old habits. Not taking his medications. Scarring his arms. Not eating. His friends decided he needed help. It made them sad, of course, but it was needed.

Fortunately, there was room where his brother had gone. Unfortunately, this was not the greatest place for the mentally unstable. In fact, it only made them worse. This, too, was the case with Scott.

He started to claim he could see Joe. Playing his treasured guitar. Sleeping next to him. Even having conversations with him. Joe, however, was not there. He was never there.

The wardens knew this, which is why they never let him out of his room. Only once a month. And during those times of socialization, he was even worse. 

"Can't you see him?! He's right there! Tipping the cups over! Joe! Hi! Wha- No! Don't put me back in isolation! I'm not crazy! Plus its my time to be out please please no nurse please no ple-" The doors to his small room would slam.  "Please..."

About three years later, their old friend, Malo had brought Joe back from Purgatory. A miracle, really. Joe went to Scott right away and with no hesitation, he walked up to a nurse and demanded he see Scott.

The nurse insisted this wasn't a good idea. That he was dangerous to himself and others. Joe didn't care. He wanted to see his husband. So he did.

When he got to the room, he saw Scott in his usual corner, shaking and muttering to himself.

Is this what I've done to him? Joe thought to himself. Scott was a mess, but, in all reality, he had done this to himself.

When Scott looked up, he wailed. "Oh, go away! Please! They'll make me worse! Please, just go away! They'll know I saw you! I don't want to go back to the white room, please!"

Joe knew  it was a bad idea but he kneeled down and grabbed Scott's hand, placing it over his own heart. "Please....please believe me baby, I'm back, I promised I'd never leave for long, I'm back baby, Scott please I'm back, I'm not a figment of your imagination, I'm not a lie I'm breathing, my hearts beating and I'm here with you."

Scott shook and cried so much. He just wrapped his arms around him and mumbled to himself. "He's real... he's real... he's back... he left... but he's back... he wont leave again, will he? Probably. He'll get annoyed but just keep him while you can, Scott... because hes back..."

There was a lot of crying between the two, but in the end, Joe took his beloved husband home, away from the hell he had stayed in for the last few years.

They were safe.