The Demon Inside (Discontinued)

Sick

New POV

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy new year!", we both yelled out but he started to cough again which immediately killed my mood for a second but he just ignored it with a smile as if it was nothing.

"Can you believe it's already January? Last year was such a blur. All I really remember is all the time we spent together. The rest is uh, full of alcohol.", he said as I laughed.

"Me too. I can't believe school's gonna be over for me this March and then.... college. I'm not sure if I'm ready..."

He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You'll be ready soon enough. Trust me. College isn't that bad. In fact, they were one of the best years of my life. Once you're out of college, you'll have stories to tell. And knowing you, they'll be good. I hope I'm around to hear those stories."

"Hey, don't say that. You're not leaving me that soon, old man.", I said sternly as he chuckled.

"It isn't like I want to!", he said as he rubbed the top of my head with his hand, messing up my hair. "The hell? How much oil do you use?!", he gave me a strange look.

"Well, enough to make you say that."

He used my plaid shirt to clean his hand that gotten oil on it.

"Hey, come on! This is a new shirt!", I said as I got up from the floor I was sitting on with my back against the couch on which he was sitting.

"Calm down, kid. Just a t-shirt", he readjusted his posture.

"Who you calling a 'kid'? I'm 18 now, fat man."

He gave me such a traumatized look as if I had said the most offensive thing I possibly could. "Hey, come on now. I didn't mean it. You're not that fat.", he continued to stare at me with that look. "Stop that... You're... Alright, I'm sorry!"

He began to laugh, "It's so fun seeing all scared and shit!"

"Come on, man."

After he was done laughing, I took a seat next to him on the couch. "Tell me.", he told me.

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you at your own house right now? It's new year's."

"I don't wanna be."

"Because dad's home?"

"Yeah."

"Why spend time with an old man like me instead of your own father?"

"You know exactly why."

"Because he doesn't even love you. Yeah, I know."

"Exactly."

"It isn't true, though. He loves you to death."

"You're just saying that."

"He pretends like he doesn't care because he has absolutely no idea how to be a good father."

"If he cared, he would actually talk to me."

"Have you ever thought that he might be thinking the exact same thing?"

"Oh, no, no. There's no way. He doesn't even look at me."

"I never really understood your cold relationship with your father. Just go talk to him for once. Talk about anything! His work life, his life with his friends and all that shit! He must have stories to tell. Maybe he's just waiting for you to ask."

"No, I don't want to talk to him."

"Why not?"

"Because you've been more of a father to me than he ever will be."

"Roger... I don't deserve that title. He does. He's your father and I'm just your neighb-", he began to cough again but violently this time as I ran to the kitchen to get some water. I came back and he snatched the glass of water from my hand as if he hadn't had anything to drink in days and gulped it down immediately. He let out a long exhale as soon he was done drinking it and told me, "Hey, um, Roger.... I'm not really feeling myself... I don't really feel that great...." I put my hand on his forehead and found out it was burning up.

"Woah, that is a fever again! Let me help you get to bed.", I said as I helped him get up.

"Eh, you're good support.", he wrapped his arm  around me to use me as support while walking. "You know, being shorter than me and all.", he chuckled.

"I'm not short. You're just tall."

"I said 'shorter', you little shit."

"You just called me little!", he began to laugh which made me smile as I got him to his room.

"This is exactly why I bought a house with just one floor. No need for stairs and all. Pretty neat, eh?"

"Indeed."

"You lie down here, I'll go get the pills.", I told him and he smiled at me while sitting on the edge of the bed as I rushed to the medicine cabinet.

I looked around everywhere in the medicine cabinet of his kitchen but couldn't find the pills he usually took for fevers and headaches. After a minute, I heard something heavy fall to the floor as soon as I finally found the pills.

I rushed to his room while asking him in a loud tone, "What'd you drop?"

Once I got to his room, I saw that he had fallen to the floor and was unconscious.

"Walter!", I yelled out but he gave no response as I rushed to him and crouched down. I patted on his face a couple times to try and wake him up. "Walter! Walter, wake up! Walter!", I yelled at the top of my lungs.

He gave no response.