Broken String

XLIII

"Eddy. Hey. Wake up."
His eyes open, Brett is there next to him, holding out his buzzing phone. Crap. He would have slept right through that. He takes it from him. It's an unknown number. Shit. Is this the hospital? He's falling fast from the gentle softness they have created in his room together, by their tears, their candour, their realness, into a much harsher reality.
"Eddy Chen?" he answers hesitantly.
"Good morning Mr. Chen, I'm calling from the Neurology polyclinic. Your GP sent us over your information and Dr. Yang felt we should try to squeeze you in. I can place you at twelve thirty if you could make it."
His shocked eyes find Brett's. He's clearly heard what the lady on the phone is saying, because his head is already bobbing up and down vehemently. 
"Y-yes, of... of course." he stammers. "I... I think I can make it."
More bobbing from Brett and Eddy knows come hell or high water, he's going to make it to that hospital.
"Good. We're in the Salmon Building in South Brisbane. I will send you an e-mail with all the information that you need. Please come in at least half an hour early so we can run some blood tests first. You can simply walk into the lab on the ground floor."
"O-okay." he stammers again. "Um. See you soon then."

Alright, so that was the least mature conversation he's had since his mum stopped making phone calls for him. And now he's left staring at his best friend with eyes he knows are wide. 
"So... the doctor's called Dr. Yang." He tries to quip. "Do you reckon this is an omen?" 
Brett grins as he pushes himself up and walks to Eddy's side of the bed. 
"Yeah, a glimpse into what I could have been if I had had the grades. You know, and not been fucking stubborn."
Eddy holds out his better hand for Brett to help him up. 
"Fucking stubborn is the way to go, in my humble opinion."
"None more so than you, my friend. Getting 97% on your med entrance exam just to show your mum you were serious about music."
Eddy smiles as Brett helps him sit down in the wretched chair and pushes him towards the bathroom. 
"We have a couple of hours to get ready and over there." Brett says. "I can skip my theory lessons, I'll just check that the car is free. Okay?"
"Okay." 
And he's about to say if you're sure, I can call a cab, or my mum. But he bites his tongue, because he remembers Brett's outburst the night before. It brings a strange, new warmth to his soul he hasn't felt before. 

The door of the bathroom closes heavy behind him. He's not been alone much, ever since the horrible episode right here in this very space, and he finds he really doesn't like it. Even now, stupidly, he wishes he wasn't alone. But what does he want then? Have Brett watch him take a shit? He shakes his head at himself and curses under his breath.
"Get a grip, you idiot." he hisses into the empty room. 
He gets himself from the chair to the toilet, then gets back in it a minute later to wash his hands and brush his teeth. He really needs a shower by now, it's been a good few days since he's had one, but he really doesn't think he can shower himself. And how the hell is he supposed to even broach that particular problem with his friends? What's he supposed to say? The mirror above the sink reflects two sombre, wide eyes back at him. Like it's taunting him. At least he can't see the chair in the reflection from this height, he can only see the top half of his face. 
He looks away from the harrowed eyes and decides to at least splash some water into said face. It'll simply have to do for now.   

It's a quiet ride to the clinic, two hours later. Brett has helped him into the car and folded the chair into the boot. Now he's driving smoothly through busy traffic and Eddy can do nothing but stare at the passing streets full of people living their normal lives. He tries to remember the last time he's been to a hospital full stop. To visit an uncle, maybe? A couple of years ago? He's never seen many doctors either in his life, apart from a couple for his acne. There's never been anything seriously wrong with him before.
Will he ever even drive again?
He swallows and looks out of the window. There's a street sign pointed them towards the hospital and Brett takes a right.
A big building with curved edges comes into view on his right side. Oh, he gets the name, now. Yeah, in a different universe that could maybe be seen as salmon. With some imagination. On a good day. In the real world it's more of a dirty yellow, but hey, who's paying attention to details like that right now?
Brett parks in a bay on the side of the road and moves around to help him out of the car.
"You ready for this?" he says quietly. 
"Not really. But I don't have much choice, hey?"
Brett's head shakes and Eddy doesn't miss the quiet sigh that escapes him. 
"No. Come on, let's go find the lab."

Before he knows it they're walking to entrance and the ugly yellow building swallows them up.