Free & Flightless (Trench)

Chapter 25- Josh

Josh

Josh stared off into space, the fire in front of him flaming before him in ruthless shades of orange and red. Josh had always hated waiting. It made him sick to his stomach, twisting and grabbing and churning uncontrollably. Like dark and stained hands coming to take his life again before dragging him into the depths of hell that was his very own mind. He shuddered at the mere thought of it, closing his eyes.
"Josh?" Jenna called lightly. Josh opened his eyes and looked up, before standing up, ducking so the tent flap wouldn't hit him as he entered the tent. He stared at the still and pale as a sheet Tyler. The sight made him even sicker than before, and he sat down beside him quietly. He held onto Tyler's hands, which were still messily bandaged by Josh himself. He shuddered. It was like a spider was dancing along his spine, whispering horrific things to him. Ugh. Jenna silently left the room, leaving Josh staring regretfully at Tyler. His eyelids were the shades of a new bruise, a slightly unnatural mix of lilac and baby blue. Tyler would suit having a nickname like baby blue, Josh thought to himself. He studied Tyler's features, his eyes flickering across the frail body of the one person he actually trusted. The bandages on his hands were loosened, showing a bit of the charred skin underneath. Josh delicately turned Tyler's hand in his own, studying the bits of earth in his fingernails and the small scars scattered across. The yellow tape Josh had applied to Tyler's jumpsuit was peeling away, like Josh's hope was. He didn't want to give up on Tyler—after all, he was all he really had. They had each other, even though they didn't know each other too well. Josh yearned to know everything about Tyler, to spend lovely evenings in the forest together shouting lyrics at the top of their lungs. He wanted to discuss everything and nothing with him, and doodle little patterns across Tyler's arms alongside hopeful words to remind Tyler that he would always have Josh. Always.
"Tyler, I'm sorry," Josh choked out. He put his head in his hands. It'd been quite a while since Tyler had woken up, and each day was getting harder to bare. At one point in the last week and a half, the Banditos had to move locations. Josh carried Tyler the whole time.
Jenna had managed to pull off an emergency and makeshift "surgery" on Tyler, since he was in such dire need of assistance. Josh couldn't even remember how he found the Banditos once again. But he had. And he was so glad he had. But guilt riddled his every movement.
"Josh Dun?" A voice croaked behind him. Josh turned, since the voice wasn't familiar. Two Bishops stood behind him, and he gasped, throwing a dagger at the one on the left with perfect precision. Somehow the Bishop dodged.
"How'd you get in here?!" Josh yelled. Anger burned in his veins, as he clenched his fists, using all in his power to not hurt the two.
"We did not come here to harm you. I am Keons, and this is Listo. If you believe us, we are actually here to check on your friend, Tyler is his name? We do not exactly agree on Nico's...standpoint of the Banditos." The one on the left said, wistfully with no hiccups. Josh furrowed his eyebrows. Kind Bishops?
"I remember y-you...Keons..you were my Bishop." Josh whispered. He remembered those horrible days in Dema, and how the Banditos saved him from the constant abuse.
"Yes; and I remember you. You were a good one." Keons said. A shadow of a smile played across his scary face, and Josh shuddered. Having a civil conversation with Bishops? No.
"We actually came to see if we could heal your friend." Listo added quietly. Josh whipped his head up, prod and dons playing through his head in shaky and uncertainly impulsive patterns he didn't like at all.
"P-please." Josh whispered hoarsely. Keons approached Tyler, drawing his tar hand out of his cloak. Josh watched painfully as he placed his hand on Tyler's forehead. Josh watched as the Bishop concentrated, but nothing happened. He slowly drew his hand away. No Tyler.
No..
Tyler..
Josh plopped onto the ground, letting out a strangled scream/cry that rattled his bones and made Keons and Listo look at him with looks of solemn sorrow. Listo quietly approached the limp Tyler, placing his hand on Tyler's forehead. Josh watched numbly from the ground. He was still shaking and sobbing, which was more of strangled hiccups now then anything. He was holding in his pain, too much, for too long of an amount of time.
He watched Listo cough lightly, and Tyler shifted underneath his touch. Josh bolted upwards. He...moved. Tyler hadn't moved at all for those practically two weeks.
"Thank you, thank you." Josh cried, tears falling in earnest and dribbling down his chin. Although Tyler didn't speak or open his eyes, it was comforting seeing him move. It made him less of a corpse and more of a...Tyler.
Oh how I've missed you. I've missed your warm laugh, shaky handholding, your kind eyes..I've. Missed. You. Josh thought to himself. Josh looked at the Bishops. Listo suddenly disappeared, and now only Keons looked at Josh expectantly.
"The presence of the Bishops in your mind will be strong in the next few weeks. You must stay strong. Perhaps you should actually take the herbs the nurse girl speaks of. They would help you immensely. I know you've never been one for listening Joshua, but the least you could do was listen just this once. Your friend will be fine. Just eat and sleep, please." Keons' voice was gentle and warm and every single way. It made him feel a lot..better?
"And Josh?" Keons called quietly. Josh looked up.
"Yes?" Josh asked quietly, not quite numbly.
"Know the Banditos end is near. But yours and Tyler's doesn't have to be." Keons said quietly.
Then he was gone.
Josh stared off into space, eyebrows furrowed, before he slowly sank to the ground and thought about what the two Bishops said.
He had more questions now, then he ever had.

A/n: im a mess but hi
550 reads what the frick this is trash I love you all I'm babbling.
Two updates in one day what strange realm is this.