My Knight in Dragon Scales

23. Final Goodbyes

"LOGAN!" I burst through the doors out of breath and frazzled beyond repair. I nearly fell face first but felt someone grab me, holding me up. "Lo...gan..."

"Jesus, Roman. What happened?" I looked up to see Logan a total mess, but I couldn't help but smile. My knees went weak and Logan sat me down by the wall. 

"Ceit... Dra...gons... A FUCKING PLANE. LOGAN I TOOK A DAMN PLANE..." My eyes went wide and shuttered. "And a horse."

"Roman, I don't..."

"I took a plane from Ceit to the city of Windhelm... then I took a horse home. I took a fucking horse home, Logan. I never want to fucking do that again... too fucking high. Too high." I looked up at Logan who looked like I just slapped him with his own book.

"You were in Ceit?!" He stood up and started pacing. I could see the stress on his face already. 

"LOGAN!" We both went wide-eyed as Logan ran towards fathers room. I stood in the doorway frozen Logan walked over to see Virgil checking his pulse. Virgil looked up at Logan with a tear-stained face and I broke. Everything hurt... Virgil's face scrunched up and he glanced over at me. His eyes went wide and I just shook my head. 

"I-Is he..."

"Not yet." Virgil whispered as he moved out of the way. Logan had knelt down beside Father but I couldn't move. My heart was racing and I felt like I was going to throw up. "R-Roman."

I looked over at Virgil and my face paled. He looked completely sick. He pushed past me and I watched as he disappeared down the hall. I looked over at Logan and I sighed. I walked over, taking his hand as I knelt down beside him. He looked over at me and wiped the tears from his face.

"H-Hey... d-don't... c-cry..." I felt someone squeeze our hands and I looked up to see Dad smiling. His eyes closed and his breathing practically nonexistent. "I... l-lasted... l-longer... than h-he thought... I-I would."

"Dad, please." Logan groaned slightly and I just laughed through the tears.

"Ro...man?" I watched as he tried to open his eyes but they didn't want to listen. I took a deep breath and held his hand tightly.

"I'm here Father. I took a horse to get here... but I'm here." He laughed hoarsely and I smiled sadly.

"You've been on w-worse... and h-higher." 

"Yeah, I guess I have." I laughed and tensed up as he coughed.

"Have y-you d-decided?" Logan looked over at me and I started to shake. 

"My trip was... enlightening to say the least, father. I honestly don't know." I watched as he frowned and looked over at the door.

"D-Don't h-hide y-yourself, Virgil." I turned to see Virgil coming out from behind the door absentmindedly rubbing his shoulder. "I t-told you he would come h-home s-safe and s-sound."

"You never said you knew where he had went." Virgil said smiling very sadly. 

"Come here." Virgil shook his head and Father just smiled at him.

"It's not my place, Sir." 

"You're a part of this f-family too, son." Virgil's eyes went wide and I couldn't hold back my smile. I watched as Virgil walked over and sat down in the chair beside the bed fidgeting with his hoodie strings. "Logan..."

"Yes, Father?" Logan pushed his glasses up, completely ignoring the fact that it was fogged up from the tears he shed.

"Stop beating yourself up." I watched as Logan's eyes went wide. "Y-You both l-love each other. G-Get o-off your ass-s and t-tell him."

"Father!" Logan crossed his arms and Father just laughed at him. He turned his attention to me and I tensed up.

"Roman..."

"I know make a choice, right." He shook his head and I frowned. 

"F-Follow your h-heart." He glanced over at Virgil and I smiled. "It might lead you to the right choice." Logan slowly got up and walked out. There was this loud sound and we jumped. "Roman..." I looked back at him and he smiled. "I think your b-brother needs you." I looked between him and Virgil and felt my chest seize. This is it... isn't it?

"I love you, Father." No goodbyes, only see you later. Right grandfather? I watched Father smile brightly before I slowly turned to leave the room.

"I love you too, Son." I closed the door and let the tears fall. Goodbye, dad... I'll see you again.

"Logan?" I looked around and sighed. Logan was sitting there in a fetal position, gripping his hair and crying silently into his knees. I looked up above him to see a hole in the wall. He must have punched it. "Logan?"

"Roman? W-Why are y-you out h-here?" He didn't even look up at me. I sat down next to him and pulled him in. He latched on to my hoodie and I just held him tight. I didn't say anything. I just let him cry it out. We sat there for god knows how long until I finally heard the door close again. I looked up to see Virgil just standing there, emotionless and broken. 

"Virgil?" He shook his head and just walked away.

"He's gone."