"Your friend is out in the hall. I have something to inform you of, Rowan." Rowan looked up at the doctor, confused. "We're looking to admit you into a sort of mental hospital. Not like an asylum or anything, just a place where you can be monitored and safe." Tears stung Rowan's eyes as he listened. "But-But I don't want to! That would be worse, wouldn't it? I'd be stuck alone in a room all the time!"
Damien flinched the moment he heard Rowan’s response. It hurt to hear. He couldn’t respond the way he wanted to, and that killed him, but he needed to keep at least a semi-clear head, didn’t he? Damien leaned his shoulder on the wall, arms crossed high on his chest.
"Well, no. You'd have a roommate, most likely." "Can't I just stay with Damien or something? I'd be with him all the time, so he could watch me." "Well, we'd have to talk to Damien's parents, but for now, we'll have to-" "Why do you have to? I don't want to be stuck in a place like that!" "Because you're damaging yourself without even knowing until you've done it. It's not safe for you to be left alone in that condition. You're endangering yourself."
Damien squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t watch Rowan, not if he also wanted to take care of his own health and have a life outside of home. He fished a pair of neon orange and green earplugs out of his pocket, sticking them in his ears to block out most everything. There were too many complex noises in the hospital- low chatter, machine beeping, hell, the traffic outside, even the high-pitched whine of electricity.
"But my parents are still home!" Rowan insisted. "We can't get a hold of them though, Rowan." "But food keeps showing up in the fridge, so that means they're still there!" "That may be, but we are still unable to contact them."
Damien sunk down against the wall, crouching against that sterile wall with his head tilted back and eyes shut. He probably looked more than a little strange to passerby. There was nothing he could do, and it just ate away at his gut and his conscience.
After a few more minutes, the doctor came out to talk to Damien again. "We are going to at least temporarily admit Rowan. He wants us to talk to your parents to see if he can stay with you, but until then, he will be at <name of mental hospital>."
Damien nearly jumped out of his skin, quickly getting to his feet. He pulled out his earplugs, sticking them back in his pocket. “Fuck. He- uh- fuck.. okay. I’m gonna- I’m gonna go sit with him. Thanks.”
The doctor nodded and walked off. Rowan was curled up on the cot, crying softly by the time Damien came in. He looked incredibly upset about the whole situation.
Damien shut the door behind him. “Hey, Ro..” He came back up to his chair, scooting it a little closer to the hospital bed. “I’m sorry, man.”
Rowan reached out one trembling hand to Damien, hiccuping quietly. "I d… I d-don't want to go…" He whispered weakly.
“I know.” He sighed, leaning forward slightly and resting his chin on the cot. “I know you don’t, but- it’s not- uh- it’s not forever, though. And I can still visit, and it’ll be- um- it’ll be okay.”
Rowan nodded a bit. "Why can't I just stay with you? I… I-I'd be with you all the time, so you could watch me…"
“Ro, that wouldn’t work.” He fished for the gentlest way possible he could say this. He was walking on eggshells here. “I have a job, man, I have school, I have so much shit in the way.”
"But… b-but we… we go to the same school, I could… I could go with you… I could go with you to work, right…?"
“Ro.” Damien repeated, still gentle. “No, it won’t. I’m sorry, but I can’t take care of you. I can’t.” He shook his head as if to drive in the point. “I just can’t do it.”
Rowan drew in a wavering breath, fresh tears pooling in his eyes. "I… I c-can't… p… p-please… don't let them take me, Damien…"
“Ro. I can’t take care of you, and my house is a fucking cesspool. And you can’t take care of yourself. I’m sorry, but it’s true.” Damien rubbed his eyes. “This is for your own benefit. You need the help, and it’s not forever.”
Rowan sobbed quietly, rubbing at his teary eyes. "I d-don't wanna go, Damien… I c… c-can't… I didn't m-mean to…"
Damien held onto one of Rowan’s hands. “I know, buddy. I get that you didn’t mean to, but that makes it worse. You’re endangering yourself.”
"Can you… c-can you come back up…?" Rowan asked weakly. "I-I wanna s… spend time with you before they l-lock me away…"
“Onto the bed? Yeah, I guess I can.” Damien blinked. “Is that what you’re asking?”
Rowan nodded, tugging lightly on Damien's hand to encourage him to come up.
Damien got back onto the cot, shifting around a little to get more comfortable. “I’m sorry if I sounded harsh. I just- I’m worried for you.”
Rowan huddled close to Damien and hiccuped. "I just don't wanna go… I… I-I'm scared, Damien… I don't want them to take me…"