musesandlyrics | 9.7. Inception quote
9.7. “I think positive emotion trumps negative emotion every time.”
Inception
Co-written with geniuscowboy
[Follows THIS, THIS and THIS]
Dave actually paused outside of the hospital room, looking down at the floor and biting on his lip to brace himself for a few moments. It was stupid, but he couldn’t explain much of anything at the moment. Instead, he just sucked in a small breath and then took the last few steps into the room shared by Chris and Rick, knocking softly on the door. “Hey, dude,” he greeted his friend quietly, forcing a small smile with a wave at Chris, who was sitting in his bed examining the IV cannula in the back of his hand. Rick wasn’t in the second bed, but Dave could hear a shower running in the bathroom, so he managed to connect the dots. He didn’t know what it was that Bella said to convince him to drop by to see Chris on his way out, but here he was. “I finally get you awake, huh?”
Chris had stilled in surprise, blinking. He couldn’t quite believe Dave was there at first. The last time he had spoken to his friend was right before he started to bleed with the torn stitches. Ever since then, Dave’s absence had become more and more stark to Chris, to the point he was worried he had said something to upset Dave. In fact, it had been Tuck who had revealed to Chris that Dave had mentioned in passing that he didn’t feel he could talk to Chris anymore. Apparently it had been a joke, but the more Dave didn’t appear, the more Chris began to doubt it was actually a joke. He had done something to make his friend avoid him. Except, now Dave was suddenly here and talking to him, but Chris was momentarily speechless. “Hey...” he replied, watching his mate with wide eyes. “I was starting to think I’d scared you off with all the excessive bleeding I have been doing lately. Wow, man. You... look a little rough around the edges.”
Dave had to literally tell himself not to turn and leave the room. He cleared his throat. “Like you’re one to judge. They’re going to have to start charging you double rates on this room just to get you out of here,” he joked. “Long shifts... you know how it goes.” A good portion of him was actually feeling numb right now, and the parts that weren’t were just plain sore. His head felt like it had been left back in Bella’s office, and he had to literally blink slightly and give himself a small shake to keep his mind focused on talking to Chris. Bella’s physical examination had left him reeling. All felt okay until she starting pressing around his lower stomach, which was uncomfortable. It was when she got lower that he just wasn’t able to keep his cool anymore. It was tender when she felt his groin, where she admitted to feeling some swelling, and then she moved on to the testicular exam, which was almost a complete repeat of the experience with Aimee. The pain shot through him and had him crying out, soon reaching tears. Even Bella nearly jumped out of her skin when he pushed her away from touching him, apologising repeatedly to him for hurting him. He had to sit there for ages waiting for the pain to subside before he could move. She had no real chance to examine him properly there and in the end, just wrote up a request for an ultrasound to get when he went to have the CT. That was to happen the following day, when all his pathology results would return. No matter how he tried to look at it, all he was met with was a scary and unclear haze.
Bella had tried her best to placate him how she could. That the pain could be caused by an infection, which would also explain the fever and swelling in his glands. She asked him another string of embarrassing questions more isolated to his dick and balls, which seriously had him just wanting to escape all over again, even if she was his doctor. A guy could only take so much. In the end, when he was getting increasingly upset, she relented apologetically and made him an appointment time the next day after all the tests would be done, and when she would have the results. It was then that she had suggested he drop by on Chris. Not necessarily to talk, but just to touch base. That maybe it wasn’t the best idea for him to be alone while he was trying to calm down from the worry of the examination. In fact, she had even rode the elevator down with him and made sure he was still on his feet before she went to meet Lisa in Cardio about their new patient. For Dave, it felt like a miracle for him to still be on his feet, but he was functioning on auto-pilot by this point. Going through the motions. But even for a moment, he felt like he was going to pass out and he forced his feet to move so he could sit down on one of the visitors’ chairs beside Chris’ bed. “How you doing?” he asked, blinking so he could focus on Chris’ face.
Chris watched Dave closely. He seemed a little off, only Chris couldn’t put his finger on why. Probably awkwardness at them speaking for the first time in days. Now that Dave was beside him, though, Chris noted the dark circles under Dave’s eyes, and the fact he most definitely wasn’t sporting the healthy Miami tanned complexion. “Yeah, long shifts. I definitely know how that goes, dude, and I miss it. I must be mental, huh? I’m okay. Better than I have been. I’m just looking forward to getting out of this place. Rick’s getting discharged tomorrow. It’s... gonna feel weird. You’ll have to come distract me from jail-breaking,” he joked with a smirk.
Dave was watching Chris, but it was like the words were on a delay before they absorbed into his mind. “Yeah, sure,” he replied before he blinked and shook his head. “Actually, no. I can’t tomorrow, dude. Sorry. Got shit on.”
“Like what?” Chris asked, trying not to be hurt by the brush off. Something was really off here. There wasn’t even any enthusiasm in Dave’s tone.
“Visiting relatives,” was falling out of Dave’s mouth before he could stop it. “It’s good to hear you’re doing better. I know it’s been hard for you, but things are looking up. You’ll get out of here soon enough. Better to stay on a bit longer than get home too soon and discover complications, right? How’s Rick doing?”
Chris scratched the side of his neck. “... yeah, I guess you have a point there, man. You really do need to stick around more and be my conscience. Serena tries, but then I just think about getting in her pants, and it kinda loses its steam.” He glanced at Rick’s empty bed and shrugged. “He’s good. Not really looking forward to the whole chemo thing again, but he’s looking forward to being a baby daddy, so I think that’s giving him something to focus on... shit. I’m sorry, dude. I know you... I’m sorry, that’s was insensitive of me.”
Dave waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve dealt with. Not gonna deny anyone else the happiness,” he said, even if the words came out more hoarse than he anticipated them. The only thing was, it wasn’t the infertility subject doing it... it was the mention of chemo. Plus, if Rick was going home tomorrow, Bella was going to want to be around for that. Dave wondered if she realised she had double-booked him simultaneous to her ‘baby daddy’ being discharged from hospital. Then he just fell quiet, at a complete loss of what more he could say to make small talk. He felt so much like he was drowning in his own fears that although he wanted to help Chris with his, he was floundering.
Chris waited, expecting Dave to continue, but he didn’t. Instead, he just sat there and looked at the edge of Chris’ bed, to the point Chris actually looked down to see if a bug was crawling across it or something. The only thing there were creases from when Serena was lying there watching a movie with him. “Dave, man... I just... I wanted to apologise for you thinking you couldn’t talk to me about stuff. Things have been crap lately, but you’re my best mate. You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right? You can. I promise I won’t bleed, or barf, or get drunk this time. Just free range. Lay it all on me,” he urged. “Just like college.”
Dave gave a forced laugh. “I would if there was anything to lay on you, dude. It’s fine, seriously. You just get better alright? We need you back at MT1. It’s okay, C. I get it. You’re right, things have sucked. Totally out of your realm of control, though, so don’t worry. Get back on your feet, and things will be like old times. You know, I really should go and pick some things up from the store. My fridge looks like I’ve been robbed by starving bears.” He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Feel better, yeah? Give me a call if you need anything.”
“But-wait. Dude, I’ve hardly seen you. Why are you rushing off?” Chris asked in a helpless bewilderment as he watched Dave move back away to the door. “Stay. We can talk, watch a footy game on TV or something. You only just got here. The store is still gonna be there in a few hours. Have you got a date with Aimee or something?”
Dave internally winced at Chris’ words, but he just couldn’t sit here anymore and pretend he was okay. He was torn up inside and he just needed to be on his own so no one could see when he broke down. “I’ll come back, yeah? Not tomorrow, I can’t tomorrow. Just, maybe the day after?” he offered, not even trying to lie this time. Evasion was a safer option, especially with Chris sounding like Dave had just planted a boot into his gut. Metaphorically, maybe he did. But it was better this way.
“Dave,” Chris tried again, catching Dave’s attention just before he got the door. He sat forward as much as he could, holding his side to stave off too much pain in his torso. “Are you okay, man? You would tell me if something was wrong, right?”
Dave threw him a another smile, the best he could manage that would indicate the world was peachy. “It’s all good, C. You take care, alright? Love you, man,” were his last words before he made a rapid escape from the room before Chris would press the issue any further. He stopped a few paces away from the door and leant against the wall when it felt too hard for his legs to hold him up. The loneliness crept over him and it took all his effort not to turn back around and run in there confessing everything to his best mate, likely in a sobbing mess. He couldn’t, though. Chris didn’t need the added emotional weight to bear and it would be plain selfish of Dave to lay it on him.
He just had to get through tomorrow and pray endlessly that the tests showed nothing but an infection. No matter how much he tried to convince himself of that, though, he could still hear a tiny little voice in the back of his head telling him that delusional was just going to make it even more painful. If only the next twenty four hours didn’t suddenly feel like a decade away.
Word Count | 1,983
Inception
Co-written with geniuscowboy
[Follows THIS, THIS and THIS]
Dave actually paused outside of the hospital room, looking down at the floor and biting on his lip to brace himself for a few moments. It was stupid, but he couldn’t explain much of anything at the moment. Instead, he just sucked in a small breath and then took the last few steps into the room shared by Chris and Rick, knocking softly on the door. “Hey, dude,” he greeted his friend quietly, forcing a small smile with a wave at Chris, who was sitting in his bed examining the IV cannula in the back of his hand. Rick wasn’t in the second bed, but Dave could hear a shower running in the bathroom, so he managed to connect the dots. He didn’t know what it was that Bella said to convince him to drop by to see Chris on his way out, but here he was. “I finally get you awake, huh?”
Chris had stilled in surprise, blinking. He couldn’t quite believe Dave was there at first. The last time he had spoken to his friend was right before he started to bleed with the torn stitches. Ever since then, Dave’s absence had become more and more stark to Chris, to the point he was worried he had said something to upset Dave. In fact, it had been Tuck who had revealed to Chris that Dave had mentioned in passing that he didn’t feel he could talk to Chris anymore. Apparently it had been a joke, but the more Dave didn’t appear, the more Chris began to doubt it was actually a joke. He had done something to make his friend avoid him. Except, now Dave was suddenly here and talking to him, but Chris was momentarily speechless. “Hey...” he replied, watching his mate with wide eyes. “I was starting to think I’d scared you off with all the excessive bleeding I have been doing lately. Wow, man. You... look a little rough around the edges.”
Dave had to literally tell himself not to turn and leave the room. He cleared his throat. “Like you’re one to judge. They’re going to have to start charging you double rates on this room just to get you out of here,” he joked. “Long shifts... you know how it goes.” A good portion of him was actually feeling numb right now, and the parts that weren’t were just plain sore. His head felt like it had been left back in Bella’s office, and he had to literally blink slightly and give himself a small shake to keep his mind focused on talking to Chris. Bella’s physical examination had left him reeling. All felt okay until she starting pressing around his lower stomach, which was uncomfortable. It was when she got lower that he just wasn’t able to keep his cool anymore. It was tender when she felt his groin, where she admitted to feeling some swelling, and then she moved on to the testicular exam, which was almost a complete repeat of the experience with Aimee. The pain shot through him and had him crying out, soon reaching tears. Even Bella nearly jumped out of her skin when he pushed her away from touching him, apologising repeatedly to him for hurting him. He had to sit there for ages waiting for the pain to subside before he could move. She had no real chance to examine him properly there and in the end, just wrote up a request for an ultrasound to get when he went to have the CT. That was to happen the following day, when all his pathology results would return. No matter how he tried to look at it, all he was met with was a scary and unclear haze.
Bella had tried her best to placate him how she could. That the pain could be caused by an infection, which would also explain the fever and swelling in his glands. She asked him another string of embarrassing questions more isolated to his dick and balls, which seriously had him just wanting to escape all over again, even if she was his doctor. A guy could only take so much. In the end, when he was getting increasingly upset, she relented apologetically and made him an appointment time the next day after all the tests would be done, and when she would have the results. It was then that she had suggested he drop by on Chris. Not necessarily to talk, but just to touch base. That maybe it wasn’t the best idea for him to be alone while he was trying to calm down from the worry of the examination. In fact, she had even rode the elevator down with him and made sure he was still on his feet before she went to meet Lisa in Cardio about their new patient. For Dave, it felt like a miracle for him to still be on his feet, but he was functioning on auto-pilot by this point. Going through the motions. But even for a moment, he felt like he was going to pass out and he forced his feet to move so he could sit down on one of the visitors’ chairs beside Chris’ bed. “How you doing?” he asked, blinking so he could focus on Chris’ face.
Chris watched Dave closely. He seemed a little off, only Chris couldn’t put his finger on why. Probably awkwardness at them speaking for the first time in days. Now that Dave was beside him, though, Chris noted the dark circles under Dave’s eyes, and the fact he most definitely wasn’t sporting the healthy Miami tanned complexion. “Yeah, long shifts. I definitely know how that goes, dude, and I miss it. I must be mental, huh? I’m okay. Better than I have been. I’m just looking forward to getting out of this place. Rick’s getting discharged tomorrow. It’s... gonna feel weird. You’ll have to come distract me from jail-breaking,” he joked with a smirk.
Dave was watching Chris, but it was like the words were on a delay before they absorbed into his mind. “Yeah, sure,” he replied before he blinked and shook his head. “Actually, no. I can’t tomorrow, dude. Sorry. Got shit on.”
“Like what?” Chris asked, trying not to be hurt by the brush off. Something was really off here. There wasn’t even any enthusiasm in Dave’s tone.
“Visiting relatives,” was falling out of Dave’s mouth before he could stop it. “It’s good to hear you’re doing better. I know it’s been hard for you, but things are looking up. You’ll get out of here soon enough. Better to stay on a bit longer than get home too soon and discover complications, right? How’s Rick doing?”
Chris scratched the side of his neck. “... yeah, I guess you have a point there, man. You really do need to stick around more and be my conscience. Serena tries, but then I just think about getting in her pants, and it kinda loses its steam.” He glanced at Rick’s empty bed and shrugged. “He’s good. Not really looking forward to the whole chemo thing again, but he’s looking forward to being a baby daddy, so I think that’s giving him something to focus on... shit. I’m sorry, dude. I know you... I’m sorry, that’s was insensitive of me.”
Dave waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve dealt with. Not gonna deny anyone else the happiness,” he said, even if the words came out more hoarse than he anticipated them. The only thing was, it wasn’t the infertility subject doing it... it was the mention of chemo. Plus, if Rick was going home tomorrow, Bella was going to want to be around for that. Dave wondered if she realised she had double-booked him simultaneous to her ‘baby daddy’ being discharged from hospital. Then he just fell quiet, at a complete loss of what more he could say to make small talk. He felt so much like he was drowning in his own fears that although he wanted to help Chris with his, he was floundering.
Chris waited, expecting Dave to continue, but he didn’t. Instead, he just sat there and looked at the edge of Chris’ bed, to the point Chris actually looked down to see if a bug was crawling across it or something. The only thing there were creases from when Serena was lying there watching a movie with him. “Dave, man... I just... I wanted to apologise for you thinking you couldn’t talk to me about stuff. Things have been crap lately, but you’re my best mate. You can talk to me about anything. You know that, right? You can. I promise I won’t bleed, or barf, or get drunk this time. Just free range. Lay it all on me,” he urged. “Just like college.”
Dave gave a forced laugh. “I would if there was anything to lay on you, dude. It’s fine, seriously. You just get better alright? We need you back at MT1. It’s okay, C. I get it. You’re right, things have sucked. Totally out of your realm of control, though, so don’t worry. Get back on your feet, and things will be like old times. You know, I really should go and pick some things up from the store. My fridge looks like I’ve been robbed by starving bears.” He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Feel better, yeah? Give me a call if you need anything.”
“But-wait. Dude, I’ve hardly seen you. Why are you rushing off?” Chris asked in a helpless bewilderment as he watched Dave move back away to the door. “Stay. We can talk, watch a footy game on TV or something. You only just got here. The store is still gonna be there in a few hours. Have you got a date with Aimee or something?”
Dave internally winced at Chris’ words, but he just couldn’t sit here anymore and pretend he was okay. He was torn up inside and he just needed to be on his own so no one could see when he broke down. “I’ll come back, yeah? Not tomorrow, I can’t tomorrow. Just, maybe the day after?” he offered, not even trying to lie this time. Evasion was a safer option, especially with Chris sounding like Dave had just planted a boot into his gut. Metaphorically, maybe he did. But it was better this way.
“Dave,” Chris tried again, catching Dave’s attention just before he got the door. He sat forward as much as he could, holding his side to stave off too much pain in his torso. “Are you okay, man? You would tell me if something was wrong, right?”
Dave threw him a another smile, the best he could manage that would indicate the world was peachy. “It’s all good, C. You take care, alright? Love you, man,” were his last words before he made a rapid escape from the room before Chris would press the issue any further. He stopped a few paces away from the door and leant against the wall when it felt too hard for his legs to hold him up. The loneliness crept over him and it took all his effort not to turn back around and run in there confessing everything to his best mate, likely in a sobbing mess. He couldn’t, though. Chris didn’t need the added emotional weight to bear and it would be plain selfish of Dave to lay it on him.
He just had to get through tomorrow and pray endlessly that the tests showed nothing but an infection. No matter how much he tried to convince himself of that, though, he could still hear a tiny little voice in the back of his head telling him that delusional was just going to make it even more painful. If only the next twenty four hours didn’t suddenly feel like a decade away.
Word Count | 1,983