Psychotic Home (Camp Camp Fanfiction)

7 // The Hospital Room

     Black curly hair was stuck to the small boy's damp forehead. Groaning, Max had begun to shift about in his hospital bed, grunting in discomfort.

"M-Max?" David brought his hands down from where they previously were on his head- clutching his thick red hair. "Max! Oh thank God you're ok!"

The lanky red head tackled Max in a bear hug, only for the small boy to cry out and jump back in surprise and pain, scrambling to the wall and raising his hands as if to block an attack.

"Max! H-hey it's ok! It's ok! It's me, David." David said, quieting his voice and kneeling down beside the bed with a heart-wrenching look on his face.

Max slowly lowered his arms, eyes narrowed as if hissing at the sunlight before blinking slowly and breathing out a strained sigh of relief.

"It's ok, Max." David echoed softly. "You don't have to go back to that house."

The black-haired boy swallowed and pulled the hospital sheets up, hugging himself beneath them.

"David-" Max croaked out, his voice rough and tired.

"...You're an idiot."

David let out a small chuckle as he eased himself back into the chair. "Well I'm glad you're feeling ok. Are you hurting? Do you need more pain medicine?"

Max shook his head side to side slightly, avoiding eye contact with his camp counselor. David narrowed his eyes as he saw Max wince a bit.

Leaning forward, David sneakily pushed the 'up' button labeled 'morphine' on the side of the hospital bed.

Hoping the pain medication would ease Max's discomfort, David leaned forward a bit more, trying to get Max to look at him. "Now, Max..listen, I know this is tough for you but I'm going to make sure you never have to go back to that house ever again, understand? I just need you to answer a few questions."

"God, don't be so formal, David. I'm fine. None of this is necessary." Max went from hugging himself to crossing his arms and his face went from terror to annoyance.

'Glad to see the pain medicine is working...' David thought meekly.

"Ok, how long has this been going on?"

"How long has what been going on?" Max said, now facing David.

"Max! This is serious! Look at yourself!" David exclaimed, and when his hands motioned to the boy's beaten face, he flinched back. David slowly brought his arms down and quieted his voice, "You know what I'm talking about."

"When do you think? Since I was born, David." Max snapped, then after a moment of silence, the boy sighed, giving in.

"My mom's sick, you know. She's sick in the head and my dad thinks it's my fault because she only became sick after I was born. It only ever gets this bad when I don't do what they say-"

"Do what they say?" David echoed. His voice was strained and he was obviously attempting to hide the anger that was boiling up inside him. "What do they ask you to do?"

"I dunno." Max shrugged, looking away and seeming to sink into himself, "Chores. I make dinner sometimes- for them at least, I sweep, vacuum, and mop the floors, I dust and do the dishes, you know, housemaid shit. I make their bed and do their laundry. It's just stupid chores but it's all I do. Dads at work all day, I clean all day, mom sleeps all day and when dad gets home if I haven't finished the chores he'll throw me down the stairs, smash a bottle over my head, or leave me outside for the night." The boy seemed to swallow dryly at this thought.

"And your mom?" David asked patiently.

"S-Sometimes when mom forgets to take her medicine she'll try to 'get rid of the poison in my blood' b-by.." Max seemed to choke over his own words and stifled back a sob that was caught in the back of his throat.

David waited patiently, resting his thin hand on Max's small shoulder and smiling softly and supportively.

"Sh-she cuts me sometimes. Both my parents are twisted assholes, ok?" Max sniffled, wiping the tears from his eyes and trying to keep his composure.

David grabbed both of Max's shoulders so the two were eye to eye.

"Max, you aren't going back to that house, ok?

You're going home with me."

Max stared at David in disbelief.

Then his shoulders began shaking as his body was slowly rocked with sobs.