Absent Link

Part 2 - Chapter 7: Recover

Makalyn was quiet for a while. She knew there was more to this story, but what was the point of asking? Dylan was just experiencing all of this for essentially the first time, he really didn't know anything.

"Either way, you need to go to the hospital," she pulled out her phone, "Your parents will probably be angry, but you'll figure something out."

Dylan sighed, but she was right. He had gotten himself into this situation and was going to have to face the consequences.

"Hey, Dylan. I might be able to help." Emon said as Dylan followed Makalyn into the living room.

"Hmh?" Dylan murmured.

"Just let her call them. I'll have something ready until then."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked.

Makalyn looked back in curiosity, but quickly noticed what was happening. She held out her phone, and Dylan entered his dad's number. It was a short conversation, with Dylan explaining exactly what had happened, as Emon instructed.

By now, several of Makalyn's friends had come downstairs to see what the commotion was about. They were all in pajamas, having a sleepover. Their faces expressed a mixture of fear and curiosity.

Dylan glanced at them and back to Makalyn. "I guess you kind of need to get back to... that." He stared at them for a second and gave a short wave.

No one stirred for a moment, so Makalyn began introducing them to break the silence. "Amber, Maddie, Christine, and Grace." she said, pointing to each one sequentially.

Dylan smiled politely and nodded. There was more silence. He sighed and glimpsed behind him at the window. "This is going to take a while."

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"You're not going out anymore!" Dylan's dad decreed as he rushed to the hospital, forcing down the acceleration pedal, "It's too dangerous, and you don't know what you're doing!"

Dylan was silent in the passenger seat, looking ahead on the road. Emon had told him that he had a plan, but his last one ended in Dylan being beat up, how was he supposed to trust him now?

"I haven't told your mom yet, but she's worried and what's she going to think when I get back with you in this state? Did you go insane again?"

"I don't know." Dylan muttered.

"Why were you out— out there?? Doing that? What the heck?"

"I guess... I really don't know what made me do it dad. It wasn't me. Either that or... I'm crazy." Dylan looked up to his dad's sweating face. "But I'm not crazy! When I went insane, I was completely out of control, but this time it was all me."

Charles seethed, his jaw clenched tightly as his gaze remained fixed on the windshield, his mind consumed by a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. He silently pondered his son's recent actions, wrestling with a multitude of conflicting concerns and questions. Dylan, sensing the tension, eventually turned away from his father, his eyes seeking solace in the ever-changing scenery passing by outside the car window. The world outside seemed to move at its own pace, unaffected by the internal turmoil that gripped them.

Minutes stretched into an eternity, marked only by the muffled sounds of the bustling city and the rhythmic hum of the engine. Finally, Charles broke the silence, his voice carrying a newfound tenderness that resonated through the confined space of the car. It was as if a weight had been lifted, allowing him to connect on a deeper level with his son.