[COMPLETED | RE-WRITE OF ORIGINAL !!!]
aka the one in which Tyler's failed suicide attempt lands him in rehab where he meets Josh; an unreadable boy who changes his hair colour everyday, and maybe, just maybe, he's exactly what Tyler needs.
cover a...
tw: description of self-harm scars, anxiety/fear of people's reactions to the scars, brief mention of nausea, self-loathing. please take care.
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"I think you're ready to take these off for good." The doctor said, smiling thinly, as though aware of the thickness of the ice he was treading.
He began cutting off the bandages, the cool air a relief to Tyler's sticky forearms. He'd longed for the bandages to be removed for so long but now that he was looking down at the thick scars that were still pink and raised and he felt sick.
The doctor went about removing the stitches next, Tyler looked away squeamishly. He felt like he could still see them even after they'd remove and it filled his throat with bile. Ugly.
He desperately reached for his hoodie but the doctor told him he needed to let them air properly for a few hours before he should cover them. Tyler considered begging for more bandages, more time, but he knew it was pointless. Dr. Kemp would only hear about it and try to make him do exercises about how to "love yourself".
He left the doctor's office with his head bowed in anxiety and shame, staring at his shaking forearms and taking in the nasty jagged lines than ran across and along his veins. On reflex, he began walking to the TV room where he knew Josh was waiting for him but he stopped himself short, turning and heading for his bedroom instead.
He couldn't let Josh see his arms he'd never look at him the same. No one ever looked at him the same once they'd seen his scars, not his mother or father or siblings, not even this doctor or Dr. Kemp could see him the same after seeing the monstrous act he'd performed on himself. He felt like he was both Frankenstein and the monster. He was petrified of who he had become.
Tyler lay on his bed with a heavy sigh, he tried desperately to think about anything other than the dull itch in his arms. He was in agony.
When Tyler didn't show up, Josh got worried. He pulled nervously on a long strand of his hair, covering his fingers in green. He bit his lip and shook his leg. He'd sat through a good portion of Ratatouille waiting for Tyler and even if he wasn't worried about Tyler he had no intention of sticking around when he saw the monitor switching the DVD for Toy Story, yet again. He got up and went in search of Tyler, figuring the doctor's office might be the first place to start.
When he reached the office, he saw another kid leaving which told him Tyler had already finished there. Immediately Josh made his way to Tyler's room.
He knocked on the door but there was no answer at first, he knocked again a bit harder, something in his gut telling him Tyler was in there.
"Tyler it's me, Josh." He said softly through the wood.
"Go away." Tyler voice was raspy and broken and Josh was startled by the response. He knew something was wrong so he ignored the command and opened the door cautiously.
