hanahaki // borderlands

chapter ten

On the way to Jack's work after the field trip, Tim couldn't help but feel slightly off. There was something looming, something hanging above his head, but he couldn't tell what... Something was wrong. He knew that for a fact.

But what?

"Hey." Angel poked his leg to get his attention. "I can hear you thinking over there. You okay?"

Tim swallowed hard and let out a shaky sigh. "Y-yeah, Angel, I'm fine. Just kinda... weird."

"Well, I knew that."

"No, I- I feel weird. I can't help it. I can't shake it either. I feel like something's wrong and I'm afraid that it's something with your father."

Angel puffed out one cheek and furrowed her brow as she thought. "Um... maybe you should call him and make sure he's okay. Because now you've got me freaked."

As if on cue, Tim's phone began to ring, and he thanked whatever gods were listening as the name 'Jackie' read across the screen. He swiped his thumb across it to answer. "Jack, thank God. I was just-"

"Timothy Lawrence?"

A woman's voice caught Tim off-guard. He furrowed his brow. "Um, yes?"

"Mr. Lawrence, your number is listed as an ICE number for Jack Hyperion. He has been hospitalized. We've been asked to withhold the circumstances from all-"

Tim immediately hung up and threw his phone down into the floorboard. He swerved a hard right turn and sped in the opposite direction of Jack's office in favor of speeding to the hospital.

"Whoa!" Angel panicked, gripping Tim's arm with both hands. "What the heck, Uncle Tim?!"

"It's your father!" Tim yelled without meaning to. "I fucking knew something was wrong! I fucking knew it!"

"What happened?!"

"I don't know, they didn't fucking tell me- but I swear to God that if it's what I think it is-"

"What do you think it is?!"

Tim shook his head. "I-I can't tell you, Angel-"

"You can't do that to me," Angel yelled at him. "You can't keep me in the dark! You better tell me or I swear to God I'll never speak to you again!"

"Angel-"

"I mean it!"

Tim took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound even through his panic. "Okay. I'll tell you. But you have to promise me you won't freak out on him." Tim offered a pinkie. "Pinkie swear you won't."

Angel locked their pinkies. "I swear. Now spill."

Tim let out a big sigh. "Okay. Your dad contracted the Hanahaki Disease six, almost seven, years ago. And I think he's in the hospital because of it."

"It's been that long?!" Angel screeched.

Tim looked over at her in confusion. "Wait, what?!"

"I've known, okay? I've known for, like, two years. I knew it was bad but I didn't think it was borderline-death bad!" Angel's eyes filled with tears and her voice broke. "Why don't you people tell me anything?! Why do all of you assume that I'm a baby so I shouldn't know?!" She sobbed. "And why is he letting himself die like that?!"

"Angel," Tim said comfortingly, reaching for her hand. "Sweetheart-"

"Don't fucking touch me," Angel said angrily, smacking his hands away. "Don't try to justify this. My dad was dying right in front of me and all of you were holding the wool over my eyes and not telling me shit. What if he dies? What if he actually dies in there and I hadn't known any of it? What would you have done? How would you have told me that you all were hiding this from me?"