Entry #12050104001305

Define "Normal"

Even before breaking his leg, Tim had never been the kind of person who was easily excited, happy, or open with his emotions, but after the accident, it seemed to Jay that things were getting worse for him. For nearly a week, Tim did nothing but lay around. On the one hand, Jay was grateful for it. With Tim laying down, he could get work done while knowing that Tim was slowly beginning the recovery process. On the other hand, the little spark that had once been present in his companion seemed to be burning out.

"Do you want to do something today?" Jay asked, turning from his laptop screen to Tim who was still in bed. Without glancing at him, Tim shrugged and turned to lay on his side as best he could. Truthfully, Jay didn't have enough funds to be spending on unnecessary things, and with Tim being fired from his job because of his poor attendance, neither did Tim. Nevertheless, Jay knew he had to do something to engage the other. He couldn't just let Tim lie around for months while he waited on his leg to heal.

"How about we go to the store? I've been meaning to go shopping and I know you must be tired of laying around here."

Tim gave another indifferent shrug but finally looked at Jay. Making progress, Jay thought as he shut down his computer and stood up, stretching his legs after hours of remaining stationary.

Tim wasn't exactly thrilled to be leaving the house but he didn't put up a fight either which was as close to consent as Jay was going to get. After carefully helping Tim down the porch steps and into the car, stuffing his crutches into the backseat, the two were on their way to the store.

"When do you go back to the doctor?" Jay asked as Tim fiddled with the stereo, trying to find a station that was playing music.

"I don't," Tim replied, eyes focused on the small digital display.

"What do you mean? They're going to have to check your leg. I know it was broken pretty badly."

"How would you know how badly it was broken?" Tim asked, his voice guarded as his eyes finally lifted to stare at Jay.

Jay began to internally panic. Should he come clean and tell Tim that he had another personality? Would he be angry at Jay for keeping this from him? There were too many unknowns for Jay's liking but he quickly decided that being honest would be best. He didn't want Tim to get upset and then abandon him. Besides not wanting to be alone again, he knew Tim needed him too, especially since he had been injured.

"I don't," Jay finally confessed. "You showed up at the house after you'd been missing all day, but it wasn't you. You..." Jay sighed. "You had on a mask and you wouldn't speak. It was obvious that it wasn't you. I didn't even realize it was you until you appeared on crutches and I was forced to make the connection. But I don't know what happened. I fell asleep and when I woke up, you --er, him, I suppose, he was there." Jay wasn't sure if he should refer to the masked man as Tim or not. The man technically was Tim, but he most definitely didn't act like Tim.

"Your leg had already been broken then. I bandaged it as best as I could and let him sleep it off but he disappeared the next morning. Your car went missing a few hours later and when it returned, so did you."

Partway through Jay's explanation, Tim's gaze had shifted from the man to stare out the window. Jay couldn't tell if he had been listening or not, but he sincerely hoped so. He didn't want to have to repeat himself.

"Damn it," Tim quietly mumbled toward the window. Jay waited in patient silence, eyes focused on the road as they neared their destination, until another thought occurred to him.

"You already knew? That you had another personality or something?" Jay asked. Tim gave a simple nod; unfortunately for Jay, Tim never offered anything more, so Jay decided it was time they discuss what had led them to the topic in the first place.