it smelled like sterilized death.
the chipped oak tables were coated in a thick layer of dust and forgotten tissues, and the vinyl chairs they were sat in oozed the scent of stale lemon cleaner. dan rested with his elbows in his lap, hands obscuring his face. every now and then a faint sniffle permeated the thick silence of the waiting room, but he never gave any other sign that the cry had come from him.
phil sat beside him, eyes drifting in his direction every once in awhile before sliding back to the tiny sketch pad he had pulled out of his pocket upon their arrival.
zoe was nursing a cup of burnt coffee, the cheap styrofoam breaking off and falling to the ground every time she lifted it to her mouth with an unsteady hand. she alternated between watching dan with soft, worried eyes and shooting harsh glares at mr. howell, who was sat in the corner of the room beneath a soundless television.
no one heard the doctor's footsteps until he was stood in front of them.
"adrian howell's family?" he confirmed with a quick glance to the clipboard in his gloved hands.
"yes! that's us! is he okay?" dan jolted to his feet and stepped forward, eyes wide and shining in the ghostly fluorescent lights that flickered menacingly above him.
the doctor ran a hand through his silver hair and slid his eyes around the room uneasily. "are your parents here?"
mr. howell stood slowly and cleared his throat. his eyes were like milky white bowling balls, weighing down their sockets and rippling the wrinkled skin below them into pale purple bags. "i'm adrian's father."
"perhaps we should talk elsewhere," the doctor suggested, glancing once more at the dysfunctional group.
mr. howell's head bobbed in a limp nod as he followed the doctor to the end of the hall and behind a set of swinging wood doors.
dan cursed and struck the nearest cinder block wall with a clenched fist.
zoe bit her lip and watched from across the room. war was being waged between her heart, which was urging her to go to dan, and her head, which was, as usual, insisting that she was better off tending solely to herself.
"it'll be okay," she mumbled hesitantly. her feet inched closer to dan, tiny steps that squeaked against the sticky tiled floor. when he didn't turn around, she laid a comforting, shaking hand on his shoulder.
he sniffled loudly and shook his head. "not this time, zoe. not this time."
a/n: yes it's been so long, i apologize. more to come. :)