Assistance Required

The Call

TW cursing

Virgil stared out of the window watching the world rush by. Apparently, Logan and Patton had talked to the doctor yesterday to find out what time to pick him up. Logan remained silent as he drove leaving Virgil to stare at the world outside. He glanced at the crutches laying in his lap. These next few months were going to suck.

Logan parked the car and helped Virgil get out. It was his first time walking with crutches. He had tested them out a little in the hospital but they didn't give him much opportunity to do anything. He stumbled a little and almost fell. Logan caught him and helped him steady himself.

"Patton will kill me if you end up with a new scrape," he muttered.

Virgil laughed dryly as they continued walking. They stopped by the dorms but instead of going to Patton and Roman's room, Logan led him to his room. His duffle bag was sitting on one of the beds.

"Marcus was accepted into the fraternity and has moved out. So, we moved your stuff into my room. I know it isn't much, but at least you get a bed again."

Virgil smiled.

"Thanks, Logan."

Logan nodded and grabbed Virgil's bookbag.

"You have a class at noon, right?"

Virgil thought for a moment before nodding.

"Which class is it?"

Virgil stared at the floor. Was it calculus? It sounded right.

"I think calculus?"

"Do you want to check your schedule?"

Virgil nodded, refusing to look at Logan. Logan set the bag on one of the beds and Virgil rummaged around until he found his schedule. Oh.

"I have calculus at ten. I have Renaissance history at noon."

Logan nodded thoughtfully as he looked over Virgil's schedule.

"Hang on a moment," Logan said as he took Virgil's schedule.

He pulled out his phone and took a picture of it. He typed on his phone for a minute before putting it back in his pocket.

"I just sent your schedule to everyone else, just in case." Logan gave him a small smile before handing him back his schedule. "I know a concussion might make it difficult for you to remember where to be."

Virgil muttered a thank you as they turned to leave the room. Logan walked him to the right class and dropped off his stuff in a seat next to Patton. Logan said his goodbyes and left the room.

"Hey, Kiddo," Patton said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Like absolute shit."

"Now, I know you're hurting right now, but that's no excuse to curse!"

"Whatever you say, Dad."

Patton smiled at him.

"Aww! Thanks!" he said.

Virgil rolled his eyes but smiled anyway as class began. Virgil's head hurt. He was struggling to follow the professor. He was glad that he had taken the class before or he'd be scared for his future. He tried his best to take notes but ended up doodling again.

After class, Patton carried Virgil's bag to the student center. Walking with crutches still sucked, but he might be getting the hang of it. Patton still hovered over him the whole way there and stuck with him. They went over the history notes again. Patton seemed to be doing better with this lecture. At least better than Virgil. Roman joined them later and went over what Virgil missed. Patton worked on a paper while Roman helped Virgil with his Spanish again. He was glad Roman was helping him, though he'd never admit it.

The others joined them later. All eight of them took over two tables and helped each other with their assignments. Logan was helping Roman and Virgil with math. Joan was helping Janus plan a paper and Patton and Thomas were talking about puppies while they did their own things. No one really knew what Remus was doing. Virgil's phone rang. He looked at the ID and froze.

It was his dad.

His hands shook as he stared at the cracked screen in front of him. What could his dad want? Should he answer it? He noticed the others looking at him.

"Everything okay?"

"It's... it's my dad."

Everyone was looking at him now.

"What does he want?" Janus asked.

The call ended. He looked at the quiet phone for a minute before it started ringing again.

"Uh oh."

"Do you want me to answer it?" Patton asked.

"I-I don't know!"

"Make Logan answer it!" Thomas said.

"Why me?!"

"Because you're the best at controlling your emotions!"

"I don't want to talk to him!"

Virgil took a deep breath and answered it.

"Hello?"

Everyone went silent. He could feel them staring at him.

"What the hell happened?!" he heard his dad say.

"I-I'm sorry. I crashed-"

"Yeah, I got that! Why didn't you call me?!"

Virgil was shocked. Why did he want him to call him?

"I... I didn't think you'd want me to?"

"Why wouldn't I want you to call me? You may disappoint me sometimes, but you're still my son! Where are you now? Are you still at the hospital?"

Virgil tried to speak past the lump forming in his throat. His dad actually cared about him?

"N-no. I'm on campus. My friends-"

"I'm coming to see you."

"What? No!"

"Virgil! You were in an accident!"

"I'll be fine! I don't need you coming to find me!"

"Like hell, you don't! I'm coming whether you want me there or not! I need to see what mess you've gotten yourself into."

He opened his mouth to speak but he heard his father hang up. He stared in front of him for a minute before lowering the phone from his ear.

"What... what did he say?" Thomas asked.

"He said he wanted to see me."

"No! No way!" Janus said. "After that son of a bitch threw you out? He doesn't get to just crawl back into your life because you went to the hospital!"

"Maybe he feels bad?" Patton offered.

"You always try to see the good in people," Roman muttered.

"What if he wants you to move back in with him?" Thomas asked.

"Hell no!"

"Janus!"

"Stop it! All of you!" Logan said sternly.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"This is Virgil's family and his life. We can't control him even if it's what we think is best. His father wants to see him, fine. But that doesn't mean you have to meet him alone."

"Yeah, Kiddo! We'll go with whatever you choose. But please... I don't think I could handle you living with him again."

Virgil just nodded as he thought about what was happening. His father wanted to see him. He wanted to see him. He was worried. But how long before that worry turned to anger? How long before he went back to hurting him and hating him? He couldn't go back. These people he was with, he only knew them for a short time, but they were starting to feel like his family. They cared about him. They stuck with him. They worked to make him happy. In the end, he knew if he had to choose, he'd choose them.