dishonesty // egobang

8. dishonesty

arin winced as they stuck the needle in his neck, injecting some sort of numbing serum into his system. it took him a minute before he realized his legs were limply hanging from the cold metal table he was sitting on. it was only a matter of seconds before he was laid down by a masked woman in a suit with only her eyes showing. arin couldn't find it within himself to raise his arms.

"what are you gonna do to me?" she shook her head.

"you don't ask about tests and procedures." she responded shortly. arin was about to lose consciousness. the last thing he saw before closing his eyes was a sterilizing wipe being swept across his numb upper arm and scalpel cutting into it.

arin woke up and could feel his body, but as soon as he started to push himself up, a sharp pain shot through his right arm. he screamed and wrapped his hand around the edge of his bed. how he got there, he had no idea. dan threw open the door to their room with suzy right behind.

"arin?!" he sounded panicked. of course he would be, his friend had just screamed bloody murder out of nowhere. arin sighed heavily.

"dan?"

"yeah bud, what's wrong?"

"my arm hurts, man. like, 'chop it off or i'll start screaming again' hurting." dan snorted.

"they sent some painkillers back with you if you want those."

"gimme 'em."

dan rushed into the bathroom and plucked the bottle of pills off the counter and filled a cup with water before returning to arin. suzy had helped him sit up and was rubbing his back. pools of jealousy bubbled in dan's stomach. he mentally cursed himself.

"here. take a couple of these when the pain comes back." arin looked up at him.

"when?" dan chuckled.

"sadly." arin smiled like he had something to be sorry about. he threw the pills into the back of his throat and swallowed, chasing it down with water. he laid back down.

"can i talk to you for a second, dan?" dan furrowed his brows.

"yeah dude." suzy smiled awkwardly and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind.

"are you scared?" dan sat on the edge of the bed near arin's chest.

"why would i be scared?"

"just a thought. nevermind."

"you can't just disregard this, arin. what's up?" arin looked up at dan's bunk.

"i'm so terrified. i'm so terrified you'll die and i'll end up living and i'll have that on my conscious for the rest of my life. my best friend will be dead and it'll be my fault. i'd go crazy without you, dan. i have before." dan sighed. he didn't know how to console arin.

"arin,-"

"please promise me you won't leave me. please do that for me dan, please."

"i promise you." there was a thin silence.

"i would hug you but my arm, you know." dan chuckled.

"yeah, it's fine."

this is mega short, i'm sorry, but things have timing, and waiting is key.