Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. To make up for it, here's a super long and nice chapter for you. I hope you enjoy.
Tw: mention of medication, mention of injury, mention of crash
It took a while to be released.
The doctor was worried about Tyler's mental state, none of his memories had come back.
Josh was long gone which left Tyler alone and more sad about how he couldn't remember who was once so important and meaningful to him.
But, today was the day he was being released from the hospital.
He didn't know how he felt, he was going to have to come back two days a week for therapy, so he didn't really see a reason to leave yet.
Tyler didn't argue though, he hated being in the same white-wall room all day.
After he was checked over one last time, he was able to leave.
The sunlight washed over him and he squinted his eyes, having been inside so long helped him realize how bright it always was outside.
His Mom lead him out to the car and made sure he was in fine before closing the door.
Tyler buckled his seat belt, looking around while his Mom was getting in to the driver's side.
He felt really uneasy, he didn't know why. His mom started the car and he shuttered, gripping his seatbelt tightly.
"Tyler?" His Mom looked at him, concern in her voice.
"I-it's nothing, Mom. Let's just go home." He knew it wasn't nothing. He may not remember most of the accident, but it still was in the back of his mind, creating most of the anxiety he felt.
It felt like it took forever to get home, and when they finally did he got out of the car as quickly as he could.
He carefully unlocked the door and walked inside. He stopped short though.
"Tyler-" His Mom said, trying to get around him and realizing why he had stopped.
He shook his head. "This isn't home. It looks like it, it doesn't feel like it. This isn't my house."
"It is. You've been in the hospital so long... It may feel different, but it's still your house." His Mom looked at him sadly.
Tyler looked around, and began to walk to familiar way to his room, everything looking foreign.
He stood in the doorway of his room, looking around at how a mess it was.
The blankets were thrown on the floor, pillows askew and untidy. Medication bottles littered the floor and his bedside table.
His mom had followed him, watching his slight confusion as to why his room seemed a mess. He was a tidy person, what was up with this?
"You were sick, remember? You couldn't exactly seem to keep it tidy, you were way too sick. Remember? Josh even tried to keep it clean too, but his priority was you."
Tyler carefully stepped in to the room. He didn't remember being sick, but he could definitely still feel that he was.
Immediately he began to clean his room, his mother finally leaving him to do so.
All the bottles that weren't empty and seemed useful, he arranged in the bathroom cabinets. He then worked on fixing his bed, and eventually all the tissues were gone and everything looked the way Tyler pleased.
Tired, he carefully crawled in his favorite side on the bed, by the wall.
He grabbed a pillow from beside him and pressed his face into it. Startled, he inhaled the scent of the pillow, familiarity washing over him. What was it that was so familiar? It made him feel safe and happy.
"That's where he laid." His Mom said softly.
Tyler moved his face from the pillow to look at her. "Josh?"
She nodded. "He was over a lot. That's where he always came and laid beside you while you were sick."
He pressed his face back in to it. Josh seemed like the most wonderful person. He wanted to remember him, he just couldn't.
Eventually, he drifted off and fell asleep, the pillow tightly clutched to his chest.
~*~
Tyler woke up later to his curtains open and sunlight streaming through the window. He looked at the clock by his bed, the face reading one in the afternoon.
He carefully sat up, remembering he was at home and in his own room.
He made his way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He smelled like the hospital, and he couldn't handle that anymore.
Carefully, Tyler peeled off his clothes and caught a glance of himself in the mirror.
He really did look like a wreck.
Most of the bruises had faded, though some were still vivid and showing. Some stitches ran along his ribs on either side, scars from already healed cuts on his shoulders and chest.
Josh may have had the most impact, but Tyler got most of the glass on him.
He looked away from the mirror, filling with sadness, anger, and disgust.
He climbed in the shower and let the warm water wash over him. Sad, he was sad because of the position he was in, and could only imagine how Josh felt. He was angry, not at Josh, but at the person who had been driving the other car that collided with them. It probably wasn't in their control, but it didn't make him any less angry about it. And he was disgusted at himself. He was a monster, and it didn't help that he looked like one too. He wished that it was him who got most of the impact, even if it had meant being killed, because Josh didn't deserve this. From the sound of it, he was an amazing person and Tyler had used him.
He shut off the water and changed into some clean clothes. Still feeling sore, he carefully pulled on his shoes and jacket. He didn't know where he wanted to go, all he knew was he needed to get out.
Tyler carefully went down the stairs and quietly opened the door. His mind took over and lead him to the wooded area behind their house.
Eventually he came across a treehouse. His head began to ache, it was all too familiar.
Slowly he climbed up the ladder, his sore muscles protesting as he pulled himself up into the treehouse.
His head spun, he knew he had been here before, he knew he spent a lot of time here.
There was a small bed pushed in the corner of the treehouse, two pillows and a large blanket laid nicely on it. A small table under one of the windows with a few small candles and some matches was beside the bed.
Tyler carefully made his way to the bed, sitting down and putting his head between his legs. His head was aching too much, the house was too familiar and he couldn't figure out why.
After relaxing for a minute and his head stopped pounding, he reached over and picked up a candle. The scent hit him and he almost threw the candle across the house.
All of this was overwhelmingly familiar.
And that's when it made sense.
He remembered finding the treehouse a long time ago. He remembered always coming up there to think and escape things he didn't want to be caught in.
The treehouse was different. He didn't remember the candles or the bed. The table and matches had been there when he got there though. He remembered thinking about who had been there before him and why they had only the matches with them.
The sound of feet clunking against the rungs of the ladder broke Tyler from his memory and sent him into panic mode.
Red, wild hair showed and eventually Josh came with it.
He smiled when he saw Tyler, causing him to be thrown back in time.
This has happened before, he couldn't make much of it but his head felt like it was splitting in two.
Tyler cried out, his vision being covered by darkness. He curled on his side and pressed his hands to his head, trying to stop the pain.
"Tyler!" Josh panicked and pulled himself the rest of the way into the house, crossing the room as quickly as he could with the brace on his leg.
Tyler slowed his breathing and eventually his vision came back, his head still slightly aching.
He looked up at Josh, seeing his face full of concern. He went to reach out and touch Tyler's shoulder, but Tyler scrambled out of reach.
Immediately his face changed to pure shock and confusion, then changed to frustration and sadness.
"This is my fault. This is mine- gosh I don't blame you, I hate myself and I'm just so sorry, Tyler. I'm sorry I shouldn't have come-"
"Josh..." Tyler said softly.
Josh looked at him, anxious.
"Listen... I don't remember much that has happened over the past few months... I don't remember you."
And in that second that everything was falling in to place, Tyler wished he had been killed because the only thing he could see was hurt and more frustration on the boy's face.