Timekeeper

6. Does no one understand...

Roman cheered as he looked at the fixed figurine with pride. He had fixed it. He had fixed it and he was so proud of himself. I could see it in him. I smiled as I left his room, and him, before I could be dragged into another project. Not that I would have minded, but I think the best thing for Roman right now is to gain some more confidence. He deserves to have a little pride, and that the false one he puts on in front of others. 

As soon as I closed his door, I looked down the hall towards Deceit's room and I flinched, remembering the vision of the future. He had been the only one playing music. Something told me I should ignore it and him and just walk away. But something else told me I should check on him. He's a part of this family now and it would only be detrimental if something were to have happened. I mean look at what was happening with Roman, right under my nose. And worse still, because of me.

"Hello again, Scrooge." Chris popped up in front of me, making me jump in surprise. He started laughing and I calmed down. His laugh was so bubbly and happy. He reminded me of Patton a little bit with how he's always so cheery. He looked over at me and I looked away. How long had I been staring at him anyway? "Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" He looked over at me and shook his head. "Chris, what are you planning?"

"You're on the verge of a breakthrough. Your learning to see people as they are and how they feel." The way he said verge made me groan. Don't tell me... "I think its about time you saw the real Virgil." Chris snapped and once again I was standing in that dreadful darkness. Only this time he was there with me, and it didn't take that long. It was like he understood I didn't like it and adjusted it for me. Or at least tried too. 

Soon I was staring at this gray door with purple patchwork, similar to Virgil's hoodie. Chris went through the door and I followed. It was obvious he wasn't going to explain anything. Then again, he usually didn't anyway.

I walked inside and groaned. It was a mess, but what's new. Virgil never keeps his stuff clean. To the point, where I actually gave up cleaning his stuff. It only frustrated me. Actually, I think the day that the others caused that crash was the last day I cleaned Virgil's room.

I looked over to see a large mass of blankets moving on the bed and sighed. The clock next to the bed clearly said it was 1:42 in the morning. What was Virgil doing being up at this hour? Doesn't he know the mental strain stay up does to the person? Especially one with his condition. Condition... God, I just made it sound like he was some sort of illness again. I really need to learn how to word things. Lest I cause another Roman incident.

"Logan, did you know that Virgil has nightmares?" I looked over at Chris and shook my head. He just kept staring at the blankets, like Virgil would for some reason call out for him. "He has them every night. Something he has them so much... He can't sleep."

"No, I was unaware of that."

"Did you know that sometimes it makes him so sick that he can't eat at all." He pointed to the desk and I spotted a small bowl of what I assumed to be soup, untouched and collecting dust. Again I shook my head and Chris sighed. "Did you know he looks up to you?"

"What?" Chris looked over at me with a sad smile as he started to fidget with his jeans.

"He looks up to you. Even more, than he looked up to Patton. He cares a great deal." Chris snapped and time moved forward. I watched as the sun crawled it's way across the sky, as things started to happen is super speed. Virgil got up, threw the soup away, laid back in bed, got up again, grabbed a book... He never once left the room and soon it was night again. There was a knock on the door and Virgil cringed. He walked over and opened the door to reveal a sad looking Patton.

"Hey, dad... What wrong?" I watched as Patton just shook his head and handed Virgil another bowl of soup. This one looked different though. And that's when it hit me. I remember this. Patton was worried about Virgil so much it was affecting the mindspace, so I told him I would handle it. In the end, I just got so busy all I was able to do was make him some more soup. One that I had learned in a cookbook. "Patton, I..."

"Logan made it." Virgil stopped short and looked at Patton with confusion. "He was to busy to come to check on you himself, so he made you this instead." I saw Virgil's face drop and my lungs just about stopped working. "Hey, It's ok kiddo. I'm sure he meant to come to visit."

"He never does dad. I'm starting to think the Teach doesn't actually care about any of us." That hurt. Of course, I care about them. There all my family. I looked over at Chris and he looked away. Does no one understand the importance of work? I have a job to do. A very important job by the way. I'm Thomas's logic. I have paperwork, business plans, organizing, and I have to keep things running smoothly. It's like a one-man show when it comes to keeping everything tidy and afloat. I'm always buried under papers. Does no one see that?

"Now don't you start, Virgil." Patton pulled Virgil into his arms and saw the anxious trait began to cry, burying himself into Patton's shoulder. "Logan cares for all of us deeply. He just shows it in different ways."

"No, Pat. He doesn't show it at all." Virgil sighed and let go of Patton, walking over to his bed and finding solace in his blankets. "I'm not hungry, Pat. Tell Lo thanks but I can't eat it." I watched as Patton frowned and placed the bowl of soup on his desk before finally leaving. Virgil peaked out from under his blankets and sighed, getting up to take a few sips of the soup before once again crawling under the covers.

"Does he really think I don't care about him?" I asked as Chris walked over and stood beside me. He just nodded and sighed.

"He has depression, Logan." My eyes widened as the sound of someone crying began to echo through the room. "And he got it in his head. That one of the men he loves like a parent..." Chris looked over at me just as a started to tear up. "... doesn't love him back."