Forget What We Saw

I told you time and time again

Phil's P.O.V

Dan's first surgery went well. I visited him after it and brought him chocolate. He was very grateful. Today was his second surgery and I have to admit, I was a tad bit nervous. The doctors found something else was broken and they needed to fix it right away. 

"Go ahead, Phil," says the nurse as I wait at Dan's door. 

I walk in. I see Dan sitting up looking at his Dino and the box of chocolate was empty, on the floor. 

"Hey!" I say happily. 

I always try to act cheerful around Dan, so maybe he'll be cheerful too. 

"Oh...uh, hi," he says nervously, putting down his Dino.
"Sorry to intrude," I say as I walk up to him.
"Oh, it's fine..." he says. 

I can tell something's wrong. Did the second surgery go wrong? 

"How was the surgery?" I ask.
"Oh, it went great. So great, in fact, I can leave tomorrow," he says. 

Great! Wait, a second...no. Dan clearly isn't happy. Oh right... first, there's the legal stuff, and then...the adoption center. 

"Dan...it'll be okay," I say.
"How, Phil, how?" he asks. 

I can tell and see that he's scared. Really scared. 

"Well, you can come to my house every day if you want. My dad has been waiting to meet you! And I'll come to the center anytime I can. And I'll see you too at school, too," I say, trying my hardest to comfort him.
"Thanks, Phil...but... that's not really what I'm worried about. I know you will help me get through these two years," he says, and tears well up in his eyes. "But, what about after when I'm kicked out? Will I have to get a job and find a house...and not go to college?" he asks "What am I going to do Phil?" he asks me, looking me in the eyes.
"I...I don't know. Please, just don't give up fighting" I say. "can you promise me that?" I ask.
Dan looks at me. "...yes," He says. 

I sigh and rub his back as he sobs. Today was Monday. Tomorrow Dan could leave, but he wasn't happy to like most people. Then I look at his wrists and notice something I hadn't noticed before. Scars and lots of scars in lines, all over his arms. Not only was this boy abused by his family, but himself too. I tear up. Who goes through all of this and thinks it's their fault? I turn Dan around. His slowly healing face is red. I pull him into a hug. "Why did you do that to yourself, Dan?" I quietly ask as I hug him.

At first, he's confused. He pulls himself out of my arms. "Wha...what?" he stutters. "Your arms, Dan," I say softly. "Please...please don't tell anyone, Phil!" he says and starts sobbing again. I pull him back into my arms. "Shhh..." I say as I pat his back. "I'm your friend, Dan. You can tell me anything," I say to the broken boy. He just whimpers. I sigh.

The next day comes. My dad and I were going to pick up Dan to take him to his...new...home. "I'll go in and get him," I say to my father. "Alright, be quick!" he says staring at his phone. I walk inside. "I assume you're to see Dan again, huh?" Says the desk lady. "I'm here to pick him up," I say. "Good," she says. "What?" I say. "We don't want any of your...kind here," she says, looking me dead in the eye. "What? No, we're just friends..." I say sheepishly. The lady smirks. "Right," she says. I go red. "I'll be going now," I say. I go to Dan's room to see him standing up getting his things. "Hey," I say, less cheerfully than normal. I know he's not really doing so good today, so I won't try to get on his nerves. "Hi..." he mutters as he grabs the rest of his things. "We need to stop at my house I can get my stuff," he says "Alright," I say "But Phil...I don't wanna go there. My parents will be there," he says. "Don't worry Dan, I'll go with you," I say "Thanks, Philly," he says. We wave goodbye to the nurse who had been helping Dan these past few weeks. She seems sad that he has to go. We check Dan out at the counter. "See you someday," says the mean counter lady. I wince. She laughs. "What is it?" Dan asks. "Oh, nothing. I think the counter lady is sick of me," I say with a chuckle. We walk to my dad's car. I get shot-gun and Dan hops in the back. "Hello, Dan, how are you?" asks my dad. I told my dad already that he doesn't like to be called Daniel. "Boy, they beat him bad..." my dad mutters to me. I nod slowly. "Oh...I'm okay," Dan says, lying of course. I know he isn't okay. "Hey dad, can we stop by Dan's house? He needs to get his things," I say. "Alright, then," he says. I show him the directions. "How does one phone thingy know this?" asks my dad. Dan and I laugh. "Oh, dad..." I sigh. "Right," says my dad, understanding. "I'll go in with him," I say. Dan and I get out of the car.

"I really don't wanna go in there," says Dan. "We have to," I say softly. "I'm right here," I say. We walk to the front door and open it. There we see Dan's parents standing there. His mum is crying, his dad staring. "Daniel, please don't go!" cries his mum. It feels fake. "Don't call me that," says Dan as he winces. We go upstairs. It seemed like ages since I had come here to save Dan, but it had only been a couple of weeks. I look around his room. Black and Gray. Then I notice a small keyboard. "My aunt got it for me before she died," says Dan "She was my only family left..." he mutters. I pat his back, "Do you know how to play anything?" I ask. "Oh, I know a thing or two," he says with a slight smirk. He hoes up to the keyboard. He plays an exciting yet relaxing song. "Wow!" I exclaim. Dan was really good. He went red. "Thanks..." he mutters, looking at his shoes. "That really was great!" I say. "Oh, it's nothing, really," he says. He begins to pack things into two black suitcases. I look around at his room as he packs. "Hey, I think I'm done," he says "I've basically got my closet in one, and my laptop and a bunch of chargers in the other," he says with a laugh. I laugh too. Then Dan suddenly pulls me into a hug.

"I don't think I've thanked you enough. You've done so much for me. Hell, you saved my life," says Dan. "You've done so much to thank me, Dan. It's okay, really. I'm your friend. That's what friends are for," I say. We stay there hugging for a while until the door is slammed open. Dan quickly lets go of me and whimpers. It's his dad. "Saved me, blah blah blah. I don't care. If you don't leave here in five seconds I'll kill both of you. Really this time," says his dad madly. Dan was in shock. I grab his wrist and shot his name "Dan! Come on!" I say. We run down the stairs, his dad following "You're going to hell. Both of you!" screams Dan's dad "Meet you there," mutters Dan. This causes his dad to get very mad. "You worthless piece of shit" he screams. "He is not worthless and he is not trash! He is Dan Howell, my friend, and not your son anymore," I say as I slam the door. His dad punches a hole straight through it. We run to the car, Dan looking at me in shock. I could tell he was thankful.