Powerless

31. Why him? (Roman)

The silence was deafening. The constant rhythmical beeping of the heart monitor provided the only sound. He just laid there, eyes closed, oblivious... I wasn't even able to call his mother. What was I supposed to say? Hey, Mrs. Winters, it's Roman... yeah your sons ex-best friend. Well, you see your son was kinda trying to save my life cuz I was to busy being pathetic and now he's in the hospital cuz he blew himself up. Oh yeah, and I found out he has powers.

He was never powerless.

"Cassidy..." The door opened cutting me off and I watched as these two doctors walked in. I just sat there quietly trying to melt into the background as they worked on everything.

"Welp... He's dying." The doctor with the head mirror called out with a sigh and my heart dropped.

"WHAT?!" I yelled out and the other doctor facepalmed. "He's dying?"

"No. He's not dying. Please forgive my college he's... quick with his words." I looked between the two with pure fear in my eyes and he frowned. He walked overextending his hand to shake and I frowned taking it. "I'm Dr. Henrick Von Schneeplestein. This idiot over here is Dr. Caleb Iplier."

"So... Is he dying or not?" Dr. Schneep as I'm calling him tensed up and looked down. "That... Th-That isn't an answer."

"We aren't sure." Dr. Caleb started to take his vitals and his eyes darkened. "His body, for the most part, is in perfect health. His heart's strong. His lungs are good. There isn't anything any of our tests could find that may be causing this..."

"We fear it's psychological." I narrowed my eyes as Dr. Schneep finished his sentence. He was a bit hard to understand because of his accent... german maybe? But either way, I could understand that. "His body is strong but... We aren't reading any... stable brain activity."

"That doesn't make any sense. He was fine until..." I started to shake as the memory of what happened played through my mind. The doctor's shared a knowing look before Dr. Schneep walked over and knelt down in front of me.

"Mental strain has at times been known to cause..." I shook my head cutting him off.

"No... He was fine. He's only been using his powers recently. He kept them suppressed." At least that's what Patton told me. "He couldn't possibly have developed some sort of mental strain so..." I froze seeing his eye go dark and my blood went cold.

"Suppressing your powers is never a good thing. Its a stress factor in itself." He stood up and shook his head. I could see the pain in him as the other doctor sighed. "He no doubt had been doing it for so long that... when he put that much stress on himself. He snapped."

"Like an old rubber band." The other doctor whispered and Dr. Schneep just about threw the clipboard he was holding at him. "Regardless, I'm afraid that changes nothing. Without any clear cause, we can't do anything. As of right now, it's a waiting game."

"A waiting game?" Dr. Iplier nodded as he finished writing everything down. "Waiting for what?"

"For whether he wakes up or not. Chances are high though that... That he might never wake up." The whole room plunged into freezing temperatures as I sat there lost in what he said. I watched the doctors leave and broke. Caz... he might never wake up? He has to wake up. He has to. He has to get better. He... I got up and walked over to him hesitantly took his hand in mine. He wasn't wearing his gloves or his mask so I could see the scales covering him and I frowned. 

This whole time he's had powers. He was Deceit. That's why the school summoned him there. It why it summoned all of us here. Because of or powers but... He didn't use them. He refused to take that mask off. He refused to do anything even when I... when I...

"I am so sorry." I felt the tears begin to fall. I could feel them freeze before falling like ice and melt the moment it touches his skin. "I was so horrible to you. And you were suffering..."

"Kiddo?" I turned to see Patton standing there and I broke even more. The look in his eyes... He was broken too. He came over and pulled me in as my whole body just wracked with tears.

"He... He might not come back, Pat." He tensed up and I buried myself into him. "He... He might never..."

"Don't lose hope." He started rubbing circles on my back and I shook my head.

"The doctors said it." He froze and pulled away, letting me see the tears falling from his eyes. "Th-They say said it might be Mental Strain... That he might never wake up."

"He'll wake up." I watched as he wiped his tears away and smiled brightly full of hope I just couldn't feel right now. "I know he will. He's stronger than he looks. He has to be to deal with you."

"Uh... I'm afraid visiting hours are going to be over soon." I looked over to see another new face and I frowned. Patton nodded and started for the door but I didn't move an inch. The lady just smiled sadly. "I have to ask you to..."

"I'm not leaving him." Her smile fell into a look of understanding as Patton turned back with a look of confusion.

"Kiddo it's the rules..." I shook my head and sat down on the chair.

"I'm not leaving Cassidy alone. He's always hated hospitals. I won't do it." I looked over at him to see him just sleeping there and I felt so numb. "I can't leave him."

"Sir, normally I would but it is hospital policy. I can't..." I glared at her and the room got even cold in response to my anger causing her to freeze up.

"I understand that. I respect that you're just doing his job. BUT I WON'T LEAVE HIM HERE ALONE!" The tears started to fall again and she just smiled sadly. "Please... he's practically family."

"Ok then, I'll work around it somehow. However, I must insist you not make the room so cold." My eyes went wide and I looked away as I let the heat flood back in. "Snakes are cold-blooded. It wouldn't be good for him."

"I understand. Thank you."