The Best of Me (A danisnotonfire fanfic) ✅

Part 48: Brightness

"Darling," A voice called from somewhere out in the dark. "Wake up sweetheart. We have to be ready soon."

I grunted and rolled over, not even aware that I did so. My whole body ached and I winced hard as I landed on a particularly big bruise. I were covered in them, with one worse than the other.

"I wasn't aware that I had to be ready for anything," I mumbled, burying my face in the pillow as I tried to adjust myself into a comfortable position, which didn't hurt as much as others did.

"But the coach leaves in an hour, and we need to get going soon," Dan whispered, raising a hand to ruffle up my inch of hair. We could have looked the same, but of course I had to be covered in purple, too skinny to even function as a normal person and dark circles painted under my eyes.

"Where are we going?" I asked silently, knowing I couldn't handle raised voices right now. It was one of those days where everything was painful and nothing seemed to work anymore.

"Home," he said, grabbing my hand to gently pull me out of bed.

My condition had worsened after I stopped the chemotherapy, but I knew it would worsen anyway, which is why I stopped it. The doctors had told me it didn't have much effect anyway, the only thing it did seemed to burn its way through my veins, making me burn from the inside. Pain was something I knew, something familiar, but this was unbearable.

I felt horrible knowing I couldn't even get dressed on my own anymore, as my arms were too heavy to lift and my legs never cooperated, hence why I had gotten a wheelchair. It was embarrassing and awkward, but Dan didn't seem to mind, planting small kisses at every occasion he could.

Even simple food like bananas and yoghurts hardly stayed down long enough for me to extract some nutrition from them. I hardly had any energy left, so why was Dan so persistent on taking me somewhere, and on a coach?

Dan watched as I tried my best to keep the simple breakfast down, knowing it was one of those days. Still, he seemed pleased when I managed to swallow half a cup of tea and some dried fruit.

"We'll just buy some later if you get hungry," He said.

I could feel the judgemental stare of the cab driver in the rear-view mirror the whole way, us probably looking like a freakish couple, both pale and me littered with bruises. He probably thought Dan were abusing me, but I couldn't care less. It was certainly not the truth, the both of us knew that, and it was enough.

"Daniel," I whined, using his full name to get his attention. Successfully, he turned his head to face mine as we stood on the coach station, watching the busy life of the passers.

"Yes?"

"I need my oxygen," My voice barely came out as a whisper from the lack of air. It was pathetic really, that I couldn't even get my lungs to work anymore. In the blink of an eye, Dan immediately got the tubes and wires out of the backpack I was wearing and gently secured them around my ears. Finally, the oxygen flowed from the tank and into my system. I sighed, knowing the emergency had been avoided for now.

"You okay?" Dan asked, stroking a short piece of hair behind my ears. Since I stopped chemo, my hair had been growing back, and it was now barely a few inches, Dan's' identical to mine.

"I'll be fine," I wheezed, using him as support to hold my weight up. Never once did he complain.

When the coach arrived at the station, Dan were quick to tie his scarf around my eyes, making me groan aloud, passing-by's probably eyeing me.

"Why do you always have to embarrass me this way?" I hissed, punching him playfully in the side. Dan skilfully avoided my hand, giving the fact that I lacked co-ordination whatsoever.