Splattered Paint - Dan Howell

Safe and Welcome

Darcy’s P.O.V

Each day, my attempts at talking became less painful and more successful. I could create noises in my throat if I strained hard enough, and Phil was always sat right beside me, encouraging me further.
“Now Darcy, I want you to give it another go, try not to strain so much this time” I took deep breath and looked over at Phil. He gave me the thumbs up and I looked back at the doctor. Both pairs of eyes were wide with anticipation as I separated my lips.

“Phil Lester”

There was a short silence of disbelief until Phil cheered loudly with a huge grin planted on his face and the doctor chuckled.
“You did it Darcy!” Phil congratulated me, and I only realised now that I had actually spoken. So I opened my mouth again and let the words pour from my lips.
“I can talk… I can speak Phil! Hello ,hello, hello!” Phil laughed and I giggled. The doctor couldn’t resist laughing too.
“Oh my… Well Darcy, we will give you a few hours of peace with Phil then the police will be here to interview you ,by which time you should be used to speaking once again” I nodded and the doctor left the room with positive results for once,
“Darcy… you can talk again” I watched as Phil got closer and waited for me to say something again with anticipation. .
“I can! I can talk to you now!” Phil chuckled and held my hand as we both celebrated with joy.
“You know Darcy, you’re like my sister now…” I felt my heart explode with happiness. I had a friend, a brother, and o was so glad he had stayed with me this whole time.
“And you’re my big brother” I admitted and Phil kissed me on the forehead, the familiar smell of men’s deodorant and coffee making my grin only grow wider. 
“Phil?” I asked after he had sat back down.
“Yes?” He responded.
“What will I do once I’m out of here? Where will I live? How will I get a job?” Phil have me another one of his adorable smiles, the one that made me feel safe.
“You will live with me and Dan” I nodded, he mentioned Dan during of the first days I was awake in the hospital, but never spoke of him much since then.
“We will buy you the necessities and help you get a job, maybe you could help me and Dan at our radio show!” I shook my head with disbelief, Phil was surely the kindest human to walk the earth.
“Oh um, yesterday I went back to your orphanage and they gave me a box of your things. I thought you may have wanted them sooner rather than later” I watched as Phil picked up a box beside his backpack in the corner of the room and sat back down in his chair, the box on his lap.
“What’s inside?” I asked curiously, impatient to see what things of mine the orphanage had keeped. “Well…” Phil opened the box and showed me the first items which were handfuls of my paintings and sketches.
 “You are or… were… a good painter Darcy!” he exclaimed, and I examined the paintings with interest.
“Thanks, it was my only hobby at the time” Phil nodded and pulled out a picture frame of me with my parents, he didn’t say anything about this one, left me to think for myself. The painting was already etched into my mind, but seeing it once again brought a smile to my face. I wish my parents were here. Phil then pulled out a large photo album, I was glad they had kept it as it held many of my early childhood memories with my parents. I didn’t open the book, I would instantly start crying, I’d save it for another day.
“I cannot believe your father made this... the woman at the orphanage told me he made many things and was quite creative, did you get your creativity from him?” Phil asked as he pulled out my doll and placed it on my lap.
“I think so, although, my mother wrote in her spare time, she dreamed of having her books published one day. But she worked as an accountant for the main bank, fairly boring and non-creative, but served us a fairly decent income. My father was a builder, didn’t get paid nearly as much as my mother but he enjoyed what he did a lot and made so many friends from his work, constantly bringing them over for tea” I rambled a bit, but Phil was extremely interested and kept nodding his head for me to continue, although I was far too distracted by what the last item was.
Phil pulled out my mother’s necklace and we both stayed silent. I watched as Phil reached his arm across to place it with my other things beside me but I stopped him.
“I want it on...” I admitted. Phil nodded and stood up, his body creating a shadow over me as his hands carefully moved to behind my neck and within seconds, I felt the cold chain against my skin. Although it was just an object, it was incredibly special to me.
“So when I get out of here, I will stay with you?” It wasn’t asking for the sake of having somewhere to live though, I was asking because I wanted to be safe and I felt safe with Phil. He just had this calming nature that reminded me of my parents. He was like a parent, the type you could tell your deepest most darkest secrets to, and trust with your life.
“Yes Darcy, and you can stay for as long as you like” I felt a huge weight off my shoulders.
“I owe you my life right now Phil” he shrugged, and placed his hand on mine.
“No, I owe you mine”