He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter Four - This Mission's Not So Hard... Right?

*Mission; Get Warren Tyler's mobile phone number.*

Aidan glanced at the message on his phone again. He didn't think to question whether this task was worthy of being called a mission, seeing as despite vowing to save and protect the boy, who had awoken a spark (a really, really tiny one) within him, he hadn't thought to ask for his number. His friends and family knew that if you didn't tell Aidan things like this, he'd never bother to ask. Warren had not told him, before leaving the infirmary that day with his parents, so he didn't attempt to obtain it.

It had been a month since Warren had attempted suicide and he had not returned to school. The rumours were not whispered as they flooded the school. They evolved in the mouths of gossips with some claiming he actually jumped and was now brain dead in some hospital ward and the school is covering it up. Others claimed he was probably fooling around up on the roof and just slipped. Girls occasionally glanced Aidan with dreamy looks in their eyes as they spoke aloud of his 'heroic exploits', how he 'sensed' Warren was in trouble and 'leapt' to grab his wrists as he fell, before pulling him to safety (then posing heroically...?). And there was the few who actually 'high-fived' the bullies for pushing Warren to the extreme of wanting to commit suicide in the first place. Aidan let all this wash over him, it had no real effect to his thoughts or actions or therefore lack of.

As for the mission, he'd actually received it on his phone almost two weeks ago, but he just assumed (wrongly) that he could complete it when Warren returned to school.   The Backup System had told him that he would receive missions via text because if it were to interfere too much in the world there would be dire consequences (it put much emphasis on the last two words). 

Eventually, Aidan heard via the rumour mill that Warren was not coming back to the school having died/been kidnapped by aliens/transferred schools.  He sighed when it occurred to him that he would have to actually expend energy on the mission, before admitting to himself that he was a tiny bit curious and a tiny bit worried on how the other boy was doing.  So he supposed he could go visit him at least.

As he didn't know anyone in Warren's year group (Aidan was actually one year below the other) and he couldn't be bothered to find out who Warren's friends were (it didn't occur to him that he might not have any). So he went and saw the Nurse in the infirmary.  Nurse Hughes was currently dispensing painkillers to a girl whose period pains frequently occurred during Physical Education.  She unsympathetically sent the girl back to the lesson as Aidan slipped through the door.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" The Nurse asked as she caught sight of him.

"Self-study," Aidan told her.

"That doesn't mean you get to hang out here," she declared. 

"Ah, I wanted to ask you something."

The Nurse paused in thought over this unusual occurrence and curiosity got the better of her.  "Go on."

"Could you tell me where Warren Tyler lives?"

"Why?"

"I want to go see him."

Did the sun rise in the west this morning?  The Nurse calmly asked him to repeat what he had just said, which he, equally as calmly, did.  Ah, apparently it did rise in the West.  The Nurse wondered if it was wise to cultivate a connection between her problem child number one and problem child number two, before relenting.  Inwardly, she shrugged, well what could it hurt?  "Alright, after school.  I've taken him home often enough to know where he lives, so I'll take you, if his parents give their consent, alright?"  He could only nod and wait.

****

Warren woke from a deep slumber feeling sleepier than before he had closed his eyes.  He sat up in the bed, rubbing his eyes, before staring drowsily out of the window.  Downstairs, he could hear his host mother clumsily drop something and curse, which brought out a slight smile upon his normally static face.  Having almost lost their son, his host parents had become overly attentive.  He couldn't even spend five minutes in the bath before his mother came knocking on the door to check on him.  He now showered quickly rather than lounged in the bathtub, it was less stressful.

He had never thought how he might have worried them with his actions.  Well, when you considered that your mission was to "Jump off of the school roof and die", the last thing you thought about was the ones left behind.  Tears began to form within his eyes, blurring his vision.  Was he really that cruel?  He, of all people, should know what it was like to be left behind.  Glancing up at the ceiling, he tried to restrain the tears from falling, but to no avail.  Just how many centuries had past since he last thought of them?  He never could have imagined that he would actually forget them, forget the accident that had claimed both his parents, his unborn sibling and his entire body from the neck down.

"You are crying," a familiar voice stated.  His hazy vision revealed that solid form, which approached him from the open bedroom doorway.  Aidan knelt beside the bed.

"I'm a bad person," Warren stated.  "How could I not think how much it hurts to be left behind when someone dies?! Me?!"  He was sobbing openly now, his shoulders heaving heavily as he began to expel the burdens of lifetimes.  He'd experienced death many, many times, both his own and that of others, but he'd become numb to it as if it didn't really matter, as if it was not real.  But how could he say that to his host parents when he looked into their eyes and saw their fear and worry?  He had almost killed their son!

"I don't think you are a bad person," Aidan said, almost unheard beneath the sound his weeping.  He sighed.  "I get told that I am cold and uncaring, because I don't really understand how people around me feel.  But, you had your reasons for doing what you did, right?"  He gingerly reached over and lightly placed his hand on the other boy's head.  His hair was soft.  Warren suddenly clutched Aidan's shirt and buried his face into his chest.  Aidan was startled, but did not push him away.

The boys remained in this awkward embrace for a time.  Warren's tears eventually dried, though his heart remained pained.  It did not sting anymore, but it wasn't something that would heal completely in a day.  Warren almost reluctantly pulled away from Aidan, a flush of embarrassment colouring his pale face.  "I'm s-sorry," he murmured.

"It's okay," Aidan replied.  The familiar silence settled between them for a moment.  It was comfortable.

"Ah, I got snot on your shirt," Warren pointed out before reaching for a box of tissues.

"Yeah, a little," Aidan took the offered tissue and attempted to wipe his shirt.  It was very damp and the tissue didn't really help that much.

A tentative knock came from the door.  Warren's mother had been waiting a while having heard her weeping child, who wouldn't have sped to his side.  But having realised that he had opened up to his friend, she had held herself back, although it hurt, although it was painful.  Neither she, his father nor the doctor they had taken him to had been able to break the shell he'd formed and yet this boy had succeeded.  Deep down, she knew it was because Warren hadn't wanted to worry them, but it still hurt.  "Um," she said, as both boys glanced at her.  "I made hot chocolate... if you want some..."

"Thanks, mum," Warren smiled at her.  He smiled!  Her baby finally smiled!  Beaming brightly, she offered some serious words of gratitude in her heart towards his friend as she hurried to get them drinks.

Aidan looked for a bin, before tossing the tissue into it.  "Oh, by the way, what is your mobile phone number?"