A Darker Shade of Blue (Dance Academy Fanfic)

Tara

Tara sits on the green plastic chair in the waiting room of the therapist’s office, stretching her back and fidgeting. Christian sits beside her, staring at his hands clasped in his lap. Tara could feel his anxiety, the tension in the air stifling. 
‘Hey’ she whispers, sliding her hand into Christian’s. ‘It’s okay. It’s going to be okay’
Christian exhales, releasing a long slow breath.

‘I’m scared’ he says, his eyes showing fleeting glimpses of fear. ‘It’s okay, I promise. You’ll be fine once you get in there’ Tara said, trying to comfort him.

Christian opened his mouth to object but was interrupted by the door opening and a friendly doctor emerging with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. 
‘Christian Reed?’ He asked. Tara and Christian both stood up, only to be stopped by the doctor. 
‘Just Mr. Reed for the moment’ he said. 
Christian shot a look at Tara and she saw the panic in his eyes reflecting what she felt. 
‘But-but he needs me’ she protested. 
‘He’ll be fine. Follow me, Christian’ he said, and Christian shot Tara one last glance before he reluctantly followed the doctor into the room. 
All Tara could do was slump back in the chair. Tara didn’t like hospitals, didn’t like the waiting rooms or the receptionist who seemed oblivious to her surroundings. Across the room, a woman sat alone staring into space. She seemed unaware of anything except herself, and Tara understood what Christian meant when he said he fell into himself. Is this what he will become? Tara felt the unbearable sense of dread. All she wanted is for Christian to be okay. He never really laughed, never really expressed his joy anyway but all those moments they shared when they were dating, when she would look at him and feel his warmth and look at the light in his eyes, he knew he was happy. Now his eyes show nothing but sadness, his shoulders are hunched and heavy. A wave of nostalgia hit her, as she remembered the things he would say when they were dating. The way he would look at her, the way he would smile when she walked in the room. She missed that and it made her heart ache. The door opened besides her, causing her to snap out of her thoughts and when she looked up she was surprised to see Christian. He stormed past her, and as she leapt up in surprise she turned to the doctor. 
‘What happened?’ She asked.
‘Mr. Reed, the only person you’re hurting is yourself if you storm out of here’ the doctor called to Christian, before shaking his head as Christian disappeared behind the door. He turned to Tara, obviously direction his irritation at her.

‘Christian is very emotional right now.  Would you mind calming down, and tell him to watch is language in my office’

Tara looked back at the woman from across the room, but she didn’t appear to have noticed anything. She still sat, quietly staring. She raced after Christian, feeling the familiarity of the situation. Christian ran, she chased after him. She stopped as she turned a corridor and saw him slumped against the wall, breathing heavily as though he was struggling for breath. He turned to look at her, his black hair contrasting against the calm blue of the walls. 
‘Christian’ Tara said, her voice sounding flat and deflated in the empty hallway. She could smell the scent of bleach in the air, mixed with hospital smell they all seem to carry. She walked slowly to him, sat next him and took his arm.
‘Tell me’ she said.
Christian just shook his head, his hair falling over his eyes. 
‘Please’ she begged, searching his face for any sign of emotion. 
‘He just kept on asking questions. On and on’ Christian said. 
‘But, that’s his job Christian. He was trying to help-‘
‘I don’t care. I couldn’t…there was too much’ 
Tara’s heart ached for him. 
‘I’m sorry Christian’ she said, her words being lost in the empty hallways. They both listened to the rhythm of their heartbeats, the soft whirring of machinery and the footsteps of nurses and doctors in distant corridors. 
‘I hate hospitals’ Tara said, her voice filling the empty void between them.
‘Me too’ Christian said. 
They both turned to look at each other, and Tara was taken aback at how her reflection was visible in his eyes. They didn’t have any sign of life in them, any sense of hope or love. Tara vowed to herself, there and then, that she would fight to put back the life in them. 
‘We’ll go back to the Academy’ she said to Christian. ‘But we’ll try again. Later. When you’re ready’ She insisted. 
Christian nodded, and with that they both simultaneously got up off the floor. 
‘Come on, you’ Tara said, making her voice light and easy. 
Christian smiled, punching Tara softly in the arm as they walked out of the hospital doors, hand in hand.