Fantasia

XC

Later, when someone would ask Eddy about what had happened right after Brett had woken up, he'd have a real hard time to recap the first few minutes. All was a blurr of doctors and nurses hurrying around, of Brett getting checked up for an eternity and of Brett's family crying on the floor until someone finally had mercy on them and let them see Brett. 

Funny, how the reality in these few minutes (or was it hours?) felt so much more like a dream than all this time Eddy had spent with Brett during his sleep.
What's also a bit funny was, how the content of the prep talk they had with one of the doctors just yesterday was all thrown out the window as soon as they stepped to Brett's bedside. Eddy observed from his spot, to which he seemed glued to for all millenia to come, how they all practically fell over him, held him and each other tight while laughs and sobs broke out simutaneously. There was no careful telling him where and who he was, what had happened and what was going on now. There was no talking at all at first, just them assuring themselves that Brett was really awake, that he was hugging them back weakily, that his eyes were blinking and his voice was actually talking to them, soothing them. 

It was when they let go of him and Eddy had a clear view of his best friend, when he was lifted from the rigidity. Those kind, kind eyes looking directly into his soul drew him in and before he knew it, he found himself standing next to Brett's bed, so similar like all those previous days and yet, so utterly, life-changingly different they might as well have jumped into another universe. Carefully, he put his violin on an empty stool.

"Hi", Brett breathed, so quietly Eddy wasn't sure he'd heard him right. 
"Hi", he greeted back notwithstanding. A different spell took over in his body, taking control of his emotions and catapulting him to the moon, where he felt so light he could fly wherever he wanted to. What was it that was bubbling up inside him? Burning all the anxiety and panic he'd gone through since he'd woken up alone in the blue hospital room? 
Brett cleared his throat and tried to sit up a bit more with the help of his family, which immediately knew what he intended to do. And then, those kind eyes again, glinting with a hint of mischief so characteristic for Brett it gave Eddy a sense of confirmation even beating the regular beep of the EKG for the fact that his best friend really was awake again!
"That was some violin playing, I reckon!"
Eddy grinned, not on his own accord again, but by some funny magic having say over his features. 
"You liked it?"
The glint vanished and got replaced by a warmth and gratefulness it made Eddy's heart melt. What really got him on the brink of tears however, was Brett's warm hand finding and holding his with an impressive strength. 

"Thank you, Eddy."

Eddy's sight blurred as streams of warm, salty droplets wetted his cheeks.
"Hey, no need to cry, mate. I'm back. See?", Brett chuckled, his sniffle betraying his true emotions though. 
Eddy's ability to talk was stripped from him. Sobs. Uncontrollable sobs were all he had to offer. And then, the dam broke and he leapt forward, enveloping Brett in a hug so fierce it hurt his own arms. 
"Eddy...", Brett snivelled, his set of tears starting to wet Eddy's shoulder fairly quickly. 
"Brett...", Eddy hiccupped, "Brett... Brett... Brett..."
It was all he managed. All he needed to say and like this, they held each other tight the way they had so many times in their dreams, crying together, this time not because of accumulated pain or in order to heal their wounds, but because of the immense joy of having found each other in every dimension and in every way imaginable.

They didn't know how much time passed and they didn't care, for that matter. The world could come to an end as far as Eddy was concerned and he'd still be perfectly happy in Brett's arms, crying into the other's shoulder. Eventually, the sobbing did ebb away, their arms did turn tired and they settled with looking at each other in a loose embrace with wide smiles, wet eyelashes and a chuckle here and there. 
"We made it!", Eddy stated at some point. 
Brett nodded. "We did."
He knew it was stupid, because it wasn't important in any way compared to the fact that Brett woke up, but he had to ask anyway, "So, do you..."
He didn't need to finish the sentence. Brett smiled and nodded. "Every single detail."
Eddy let out a breath he didn't knew he'd held and thanked God in Heaven for what his ears just heard his best friend say.

Alan slapped Eddy's shoulder hard, which resulted in Eddy bumping his head against Brett's. The deadly glance Brett threw his brother made Eddy snort.
"This guy was pretty worried about you."
"Hey! I remember you being all devasteted in front of that hospital room while I actually did something useful", Eddy retorted, earning a laugh from Brett and his family.
"We really thought this was it...", Brett's mum then admitted, her eyes all puffy and red, but a carrying a shine Eddy hand't seen since he'd met her here. 
"I'm sorry I made you worry", Brett said and laid back down again, "Wasn't planning on checking out so fast..."
"No, no, no, no!", Mrs. Yang exclaimed and reached out to hold her son's hand, "You are not gonna apologize for anything!"
"Do you remember everything then? Who you are and what happened?", Brett's dad asked. 
Brett took a deep breath and looked to the ceiling. On a whim, Eddy took Brett's other hand and squeezed it softly. He anticipated the answer based on the few words they'd just exchanged.
"It's like it happened yesterday. So yeah, I do remember. The concert itself is blurry. I know nothing of the movement we played, during which I passed out. But other than that, yeah. I remember."
Brett's folks relaxed visibly. The way Brett talked and the fact that he recalled what had happened where all very good signs. More than what they could have hoped for.
"And how do you feel?", Alan asked, a bit softer now. 
Brett shrugged, "Like a puppet without its strings, to be honest. But other than that..." He let his eyes wander over each one of them, displaying nothing but gratitude and awe, filling the ones present with warmth. "I'm just so freaking glad I'm back!"