I Fancy The Singer (Book 1 // Joshler)

Part Nine

When he woke up, everything was blurry. He felt dizzy and slightly nauseous, he tried to move but every millimetre pained him dearly. He heard faint noises, his eyes moving rapidly around the room to locate their origin.

"Josh, Josh please stop moving. You're in the hospital and you just came out of surgery."

Josh couldn't quite understand nor make out any of the words he was hearing, he kept trying to move, his head snapping to the side and that's when he saw it.

Tyler, lying still and machines beeping, paddles charging to a high voltage dose and there he goes, his little body arching upwards as the doctors yells "CLEAR!" loud enough for Josh to make out the words. Again. That's when they relaxed and the machine began beeping at a constant and calming rate. Josh's body desperately tried to roll over, but he was in too much pain and the anesthesia still hadn't fully worn off. He lips moved and he mumbled the name before he was pulled back into darkness, Tyler.

The doctors had no other chose then to put him back to sleep, he was squirming and blood already began leaking out his fresh stitches. It wasn't until a few hours later that he woke up once again, this time, his heart in a stable beat and his body no longer panicking.

"Hi Josh, you're in the hospital, please don't move or you might risk tearing your stitches open."

The doctor smiled reassuringly and Josh nodded, everything was calm. He couldn't feel any pain, that's what a good dose of morphine does to you. His mind was still a little confused, he didn't remember much.

"What happened?"

"You came in with both kidneys missing, we rushed you to surgery to repair the damage and your friend here, donated one of his which saved your life." The doctor pointed to Tyler who still wasn't moving, he was deep in the unconscious world.

Josh looked over at Tyler, smiling as he saw the restful look on his face. Tyler saved his life, maybe he was starting to remember him after all, maybe just maybe, he didn't hate him. Tyler's wrists were covered in bandages, and Josh ached at the sight of the few drops of blood that seeped through, the things he'd been through, the memories that were returning to haunt him.

Josh laid there and the doctor left. He looked up at the ceiling, counting the many dots then turned his head toward the window, the sky was blue and bright. The birds were flying around, he could see them through the steam coming out the large buildings which were other parts of the hospital. He just stayed there for what felt like hours, he was remembering more and more of last nights events, but what terrified him was the fresh morning memory, Tyler's arching body and the electricity that rushed through his body.

Tyler slowly began to open his brown eyes and then it was as if the silence had disappeared and a thousand words were being spoken in a thousand different languages all simultaneously. With a quick motion, Tyler turned his head meeting Josh's gaze. His hoarse voice was silent, barely a whisper as he smiled.

"Hey, how you feeling?"

Josh couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, smiling like a fat kid in a candy store. He nodded weakly and parted his lips as the words slipped out with a familiar scent.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"I'm-I'm okay...I just lost a kidney, not exactly on top of my game."

"Yeah about that...Thanks, man, thanks for saving my life."

"I just, I don't know why but to be honest, I'd do it all over again."

Tyler didn't know or remember necessarily why he had done it, but a part of him knew he had to save Josh. The pain killers he was on was blurring his memory slightly and he didn't remember much previous to the surgery, including the fact that he'd donated blood for him previously. His stomach grumbled loudly and he chuckled as he turned back to face Josh.

"I think I might be hungry.."

"Really? Geez, I wonder what could of possibly have given it away."

Josh laughed as he teased Tyler, God he'd miss this. For the first time in a long time, it felt as if they were both back in Tyler's basement after a band practice, both blabbing on about life and their futuristic goals. Or you know, the occasional teasing from Josh to Tyler. It felt all so real for a minute and it was amazing, Josh never wanted this to end.

He watched Tyler's lips with close precision as they curled into a smile and he begins to giggle, they remained like that for a moment before Josh's stomach joined their little party. Both boys were starving and it took Josh way too long before he actually called over a nurse, asking to bring them some food.

"What would you both like? The doctor wants you to remain on a liquid diet for the next few days."

"Hmm, does a strawberry milkshake count as part of a liquid diet?"

It was as if Tyler was back to his old self, Josh couldn't quite believe it. He was both happy and scared that Tyler was feeling better, I mean at least he was remembering one of his favourite treats. Strawberry milkshakes were his guilty pleasure, and all Josh wanted was for him to gulp one down; boy, did he ever deserve it?

"I'll see what I can do.."

She winked and left, going down to the kitchen and finding two strawberry milkshakes which she happily brought back to the boys. Tyler looked down at his and tilted his head, almost as if he was scared. Josh had already taken a few sips before looking over to Tyler.

"What's wrong, Ty?"

"I-I, I don't know.."

Tyler held the milkshake in his hand but he couldn't move. He tried to bring it to his lips, his brain was commanding his arm to move but it was as if the connection was broken. His hand began to shake and the milkshake fell on the floor, the loud thud worrying Josh. Tyler's right hand was contracting and spasming giving him immense pain and he screamed.

"Josh!! What the hell is happening??"

A nurse came running in and Josh just sat there, immobile and unable to move or speak. Himself terrified and in shock. Then it came back to him, that morning, the loud scream from the doctors as they zapped electricity through Tyler's body; he had been in cardiac arrest.

The doctors and came rushing in and Tyler screamed as his hand contracted, the muscles violently and aggressively butchering him. Tyler looked up, straight at him and there he was, standing there and smiling. Blurryface sent him a wink and Tyler felt electricity coursing through his body.

"CLEAR!"

The doctors preformed defibrillation once again, to get his heart beating again. Tyler laid still, unconscious as he recovered from cardiac arrest yet again. The doctor turned to Josh and sighed as he saw the boy petrified. His best friend was dying and he blamed himself, he's the one that got himself so drunk he passed out in an alley, allowing himself to be kidnapped and robbed of his organs. He brought himself into this situation and now he had to watch Tyler pay the price.

The doctor picked up the empty cup Josh held tightly and left, the nurses following after they helped clean up the mess. They were alone, both boys, in the quiet room. Tyler laid down, quietly and peacefully and Josh watched him, a tear falling from his eye as he saw what he told himself was his fault.

"It should be me, not you Ty, not you.."

He whispered under his breath before the drugs took control of him and he fell into a deep drug induced sleep. It's all he could manage.