On the Side of Insanity (A Sander Sides Fanfiction)

15. The Choice to Wake Up

Patton hovered above his niece. It was so good to see her. She had grown.

He had read the momentary shock on everyone's face earlier when they realized she was mentally disabled. He had wondered what they were going to do but then relaxed when Remus has started talking to her.

Now they sat on the floor of the waiting room in the hospital playing with a ball. It was strange seeing a grownup man playing with a ten year old girl on the floor but Lily Water was smiling so no one seemed to care. She still held Virgil's hand (he was still sitting in the chair behind her). Patton could hear Lily Water and Remus's conversation and wasn't entirely sure he liked everything Remus told her but Patton couldn't do anything about it.

No one knew Patton was there but he had left the surgery room the moment the nurses and doctors brought him in.

He had tried to talk to them, tried to hug Virgil, hold Logan's hand while he cried, make Roman stop pacing, ask Miss Lark how she and Lily Water were doing. But no one listened or saw. Not even Janus.

Patton looked around the room again. Bonnie Lark and Logan's heads were bowed in a quiet conversation. Patton lightly floated over.

"-want to take care of her. She's a member of my family now. I love her. But I won't be able to without income to pay for us both. I can't get another job because I can't leave her alone. Dr Lovegood has always been so good to us and I would do anything for him and Lily Water... But I can't."

Logan nodded his understanding. "Does Patton and Lily Water have any family?"

"None of them can help. They either don't have to time to help someone like her or are already dealing with one of their own."

That was true. Mental illnesses ran in Patton's family. That's why he had become a therapist, he knew how to reach out to and help the people that no one else could or bothered to help.

"I would pay for her myself," Logan wearily looked over at Remus and Lily Water. "But I'm already sending an allowance to my widowed step-mother."

Bonnie placed a hand on his knee. "He wouldn't have expected you to."

"I know. But I owe Patton in ways he doesn't realize."

Patton floated away. He got the jest of the conversation. If he died no one would take care of Lily Water. She'd have to be sent to an orphanage with the hopes some kind soul would adopt her.

Suddenly he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He looked at Janus who was staring at him, wide eyed.

"Janus?" He asked.

In response Janus rose, tucked the crutch under his arm, and limped out of the waiting area.

"Where are you going?" Logan called after him.

"Bathroom."

Patton followed Janus soundlessly until they reached the bathroom. Janus locked the door.

"Are you dead?" Janus turned to get a good look at Patton.

"I don't think so."

"How long have you been like this?"

"Several hours."

"Why aren't you waking up?"

Patton shrugged. "I just... can't. I want to."

"Why?"

Patton blinked. "Well, obviously, because Lily Water needs-"

"I'll stop your right there. If Lily Water, or anyone that you need to care about, wasn't in the picture would you still want to come back?"