That’s what Pa had told me while squeezing my shoulder with a gentle hand.
Behavioral issues being the reason that I'd beat some smug faced douchebag named Malcom into a coma. The reason that I was now forced to volunteer at a hospital for two weeks. Two fucking weeks. As if I was a convict or something.
My dad had said that I'd gotten myself into this situation, that I should have controlled my temper. Not that it mattered, or that it was going to make me feel any better about staying there. I could practically feel the impending social stigma settle over me like a physical weight.
Everything was explained to me in a fairly simple manner. The Landgrabb’s, Malcom's parents, would let go of the charges if I agreed to volunteer at the local hospital. They claimed they didn't want to send a kid to juvie, but I knew the real reason. Malcom had made a snide remark about my parents being gay, and they didn't want their repetition ruined by exposing their son was homophobic. So the hammer came down and I was sentenced to two weeks of volunteer work.
Junior year was off to a rollicking great start.
I ignored the probing looks sent in my direction as I was lead through the bleak hallways of the wing. I was already introduced to the various nurses and orderlies who worked on the floor and was shown the small rec room where the committed patients idled about. I was now being lead to the room of James Schmidt the patient I was to be a “buddy” of. The nurse guiding me was a fair skinned woman wearing green scrubs and a plastic name tag that read ‘Daisy Morris’. We stopped in front of a closed door near an emergency exit. She gave a slight smile before unlocking the door with experienced finesse.
“Here’s your room. James is having some tests done at the moment, but he should be finished soon.”
I was fine with that, I didn't want to deal with other people right now.
I began to scrutinize my new surroundings as I slipped past the nurse. The room was barren, but not completely unwelcoming. It was a modest, square space with a large window and two neatly made beds. The only other furniture was an empty desk that sat under the window and a miniature dresser between the beds with an old lamp placed upon it. The walls were blank, sans a couple of tacky looking paintings.
I turned back to Nurse Morris, “Am I allowed to like, leave the floor or anything?”
“Not without supervision.” She replied.
I sat down on the edge of the closest bed and ran my fingertips over the scratchy blanket.
“You know that I’m not crazy, right? That I’m not gonna start attacking the chairs or try to eat someone’s face off?” I spoke without looking at her, only watching the lazy patterns his fingers drew on the bedspread.
The nurse sighed and leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m aware of your situation Vilkas, but that doesn't mean you’ll be treated any differently here. The fact that you’ve critically injured someone because of a simple comment they made is more than enough reason to keep an eye on you.”
I snorted and shot her a hostile look. “That bastard shouldn't have said anything to begin with.” I spat, “and stop saying that I have issues. Getting angry at some idiot for running their fucking mouth doesn’t mean I’m a monster.”
Nurse Morris arched a neatly curved eyebrow at him. “You’re not exactly helping your case, and you got a little more than just ‘angry’ at him. Regardless of whether you think he deserved it or not, attacking him was not the correct action to take.”
She pushed off from the door frame and glided out of the room, her silky hair sweeping over her shoulders like a swaying curtain. She shut the door as she left; the latch clicking loudly in the quiet of the empty room.
I sighed, flopping backwards onto the bed. The ancient springs shrieked under the pressure of my body causing me to cringe. These next two weeks were going to be utter hell.
“You must be Vilkas Danevbie.”
I sat up at the sound of the new voice to see a kid around my age wheeled into the room.
“I am.” I started to get off the bed as the nurse settled James in. As she turned to leave the room I caught a glare aimed in my direction that broke as the door clicked closed.
“Well Vilkas, I’m James. Looks like we are gonna be buddies for the next couple of weeks.” His face beamed as he spoke.
“I guess.” I mumbled, leaning against the wall beside James' bed.
He gave me a mocking look. “I take it you don’t want to be here.”
I scoffed. “Of course not! I’d rather be hanging out with my friends.”
“I know what you mean. I’ve been here on and off for a year.”
I shifted uncomfortably against the wall. Here I was complaining about being here for two weeks while this kid is battling cancer. God I'm an asshole.
After a moment of silence I finally choked something out. "Cancer, huh?"
“Yeah. We thought I’d beaten it, but I guess not.”
“I’m sorry.” It was all I could say, what do you tell to someone battling something like this?
“Thanks.” Our eyes connected for a second. “Look I know you don’t want to be here, so if you wanna just play on your phone or something I totally understand. I’ll keep my lips sealed.”
I was stuck looking at him. James kept the same smile on his face but now seemed to look sadder. Yeah, I originally didn’t want to do this whole volunteer thing, but he seemed so lonely. I could smell the fear being in this place and having this disease caused him.
“I’d rather talk to you, if that’s okay?”
“Wow, Really?” He seemed taken aback by my change of attitude. To be honest I was as well, but this kid could use a friend and damn if I wasn't going to do everything in my power to be the friend he needed.
“Yeah you seem like a good guy so I think we could be friends.”
“Awesome!” For the first time since he entered the room, James' smile felt real. “So what landed you in the buddy program?”
“How do you know anything landed me in it?”
“Well, like eighty percent of the kids in the program didn’t volunteer. They just agreed to it to keep them out of Juvie.”
I rolled my eyes at him before lowering my head and sighing. “I beat a guy up who made fun of me for having two dads.”
“That guy sounds like a jerk. There's nothing wrong with having two dads, I have a pair myself." I lifted my head, catching his eyes again. I expected him to be shocked or disgusted but I was not expecting that. I started to chuckle.
“James, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”
After that day the two of us grew closer and closer and after my two weeks were up I found myself coming back. Being around James just felt right. He didn’t judge me for being a werewolf or for my temper issues. In fact, James helped keep me calm. I started to notice I wasn’t having outbursts or anything anymore, not since I met him. I’d never had a friend before James, it was a feeling I never wanted to let go of.
In the third month of our friendship, I realized I had feelings for James.
“So, if I were to kiss you right now what would you say?”
James gave his sweet, natural smile. “I’d ask why it took you so long Vilkas.”
I was his first kiss and he was mine. After that kiss our relationship changed into something even stronger. James made me feel rare and special and whole.
I walked into the hospital like I had done every day for the past six months, only this time it was different. Everyone averted their eyes, like they couldn’t look me in the face.
I grabbed Nurse Morris’ wrist as she walked by. “Daisy, what’s going on?”
She looked at me stunned, the her face melted to sadness as she took my hand. “I’m so, so sorry Vilkas. This morning… James, passed on.”
It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. “No. No you’re lying! He’s not gone he’s not!” I fell to the floor right there, screaming.
The funeral home was packed. It was full of James friends, family, and people from the hospital.
“I’m sorry Vilkas.” James’ dad Cade said, giving me a hug.
“I’m the one who should be comforting you sir you’re the one who lost a son.”
“And you lost just as much as we have Vilkas. We know you loved him, and he loved you. You meant so much to him he was always telling us about how you made life worth fighting for.”
The two of us just stood there holding each other, being the crutch the other needed at that moment to hold them up.
“I miss you so damn much.”
The words slipped through my lips as I traced the name on the headstone with my thumb. It’s been three months since James died, three months since my heart died with him. I closed my eyes and memories of being with him passed through my mind. They settled on the memory of the day I had first met him and tears had started welling up again. I was such a selfish asshole back then, but he was so nice to me.
“Heh, you know James, I think the best thing I ever did was beat up a douchebag named Malcom Landgrabb.”
