Work Text:
Date: 11/11/2015
Name: Thomas Goranski
Patient: Rich Goranski
Sign in: 8:45 AM
“Hey, little brother,” Thomas said as he sat in one of the two chairs that were near Rich’s bed. “I heard you were uh…” He hesitated. “Sleeping.”
The room was mostly silent except the noisy hospital machines.
Thomas blew out a breath. “They were able to put out the fire before the whole house burned to the ground. It’s pretty unlivable now, though. But you can stay with me. I don’t mind. I wish I had offered earlier… you know, before this whole thing happened. It would have been a lot easier, huh?”
Thomas ran a hand through his hair. “They’re saying the fire started in the living room. Which, I’m not sure would happen exactly, since it’s not like we had a fireplace, and the stove is in the kitchen… Anyway, I haven’t heard from dad yet. I’m not sure where he is if he hasn’t noticed the house has burned down yet…”
The 21-year-old grew silent. “I wish this wasn’t how we had to see each other again after a long time apart,” he finally piped up.
Sign out: 9:15 AM
Date: 11/11/2015
Name: Chloe Valentine
Patient: Richard Goranski
Sign in: 10:01 AM
Chloe walked in and sat in the nearby chair. She said nothing for several minutes, simply watching him. Compared to how immaculate she usually was, she looked a bit of a mess. She looked like she hadn’t slept, her usually styled hair was frizzy, and she didn’t have much make up on.
“You’re supposed to talk to coma patients, right?” she muttered to herself. She took a deep breath. “Right. Well. Hi.” She frowned at how awkward she sounded. She’d had conversations with him before, of course, but she’d always know that he’d respond. This time she knew he wouldn’t.
She slumped in the chair. “This is harder than I thought it’d be.”
Sign out: 10:32 AM
Date: nov. 11 2015
Name: Christine Canigula
Patient: Richard Goranski
Sign in: 2:56 PM
“Hey Rich!” Christine said, trying to keep her tone and steps light as she made her way to the side of her friend’s bed. She flashed a smile at the unconscious boy, but it wobbled, along with her voice. She quickly covered her mouth to prevent it from happening again. After a moment, she sat down, hands in her lap, and watched Rich. She sighed softly.
“So,” she said. “Um. There’s a lot of people talking. At school. About you. Jenna didn’t instigate it, though.” She shook her head. “She knows better than that, I’m sure.” She frowned slightly. “Madeline wasn’t being very nice about it in math today. I think if Chloe had been at school today they would have gotten in a fight.”
“Chloe’s pretty protective of you,” Christine noted. “It’s kind of sweet, actually. You two are like close siblings or like, best friends.” She smiled a little.
Sign out: 3:17 PM
Date: 11/12/2015
Name: Thomas Goranski
Patient: Rich Goranski
Sign in: 12:00 PM
“Hey little brother.” Thomas greeted Rich the same as he did last time, but quieter. He sat down in the chair next to Rich’s bed and was silent for a full minute before speaking again. “So we got your letters.” More silence. “I wouldn’t have minded, by the way,” he added quickly. “I’m not exactly straight myself.”
Then he tilted his head, pausing. “Granted, I’m not allo* either, so…” He waved the topic away. “Anyway. I heard from Dad yesterday and…” He frowned and looked to the side. “He’s more concerned about the house than you. On the bright side, at least, that means we probably won’t have any trouble with you moving in with me.”
Thomas looked down at his shoes. “I should have taken you with me when I moved out.”
Sign out: 12:30 PM
Date: 11/13/2015
Name: Chloe Valentine, Michael Mell
Patient: Rich Goranski
Sign in: 5:58 PM
The two teens stood next to Rich’s bed, fighting over the single chair that stood nearby. “Well, I’m the girl, so I get to sit,” Chloe argued decidedly.
“I—” Michael opened his mouth and then closed it, frowning. He couldn’t say the same. He crossed his arms. “Not fair, dude.”
Chloe smirked slightly, before sitting down in the chair and turning to look at the unconscious boy.
“Hey Rich,” Michael said. “How’s it going?” Chloe shot him a look. “What? I don’t know what else to say.”
Chloe only shook her head. “How are you?” This was directed to Michael.
“Me?”
Chloe nodded. “You know, with… Damien suddenly appearing.” She seemed uncertain if she should refer to Damien as his name.
Michael crossed his arms even more, if possible, hands gripping his biceps.
“Don’t want to talk about it?”
He shook his head. “He’s just… I hate him,” Michael mumbled.
Chloe nodded in understanding, turning back to Rich in the bed. She started talking to him. Michael stood by her and occasionally interjected his own words.
Sign out: 6:32 PM
Date: 11/14/2015
Name: Jeremy Heere
Patient: Rich Goranski
Sign in: 11:00 AM
Jeremy sat down in the chair that stood next to Rich’s bed. “Hello Rich,” they finally said after a few minutes of silence. “I uh… I wanted to say I appreciate you making more of an effort recently…” They tapped their fingers on their chin. “It’s nice.”
“I don’t really have much to say to you,” they admitted. “But I think it’d be cool if we like… hung out after you got out of the hospital.” They nodded once, more to themselves. “Maybe we could watch some movies or play video games or even like, go to the zoo.” They smiled. “I haven’t been to the zoo since my mom left…”
“But yeah,” they continued. “It’d be cool to hang out.”
Sign out: 11:20 AM
Date: 11/16/15
Name: Michael Mell
Patient: Rich Goranski
Sign in: 3:02
Michael walked into the room with a slushy in his hand. He took a seat next to Rich’s bed and watched the boy in silence for a bit as he sipped on his cherry-flavored drink.
“You know, you’re not such a bad guy,” Michael said. “I mean… after getting to know you. I kind of did hate you at first. Like you said…” His voice faltered when referring to the letter Rich wrote. He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
Michael silently took another sip of his slushy. “I never thought I’d say this to Rich Goranski, but I actually miss having you around. I think the others do too. A lot of people were upset.” He set his slushy aside.
Michael was about to speak again when Rich started coughing. Michael’s eyes widened. “Shit, Rich?” He pressed the nurse button a few times.
A nurse arrived. And then another. They ushered Michael out of the room and tended to the previously unconscious boy. Michael stood outside of the room now, unsure. “Is he going to be okay, at least?” he asked a nurse who had come out of the room to get something.
“He will be fine,” the nurse assured him.
Sign out: 3:21 PM
Date: 11/16/2015
Name: Chloe Valentine
Patient: Rich Goranski
Sign in: 8:01 PM
Chloe opened the door, and she stormed inside once she saw that Rich was awake. When she got close she lifted her hand – and Rich flinched, curling into himself. Chloe froze, hand still in the air, realizing what she’d been about to do.
Instead she reached forward and hugged him. Rich relaxed in her hold.
“You asshole,” Chloe mumbled.
Neither of them mentioned she was shaking.
Chloe finally sighed and let go, leaning back and setting herself down on the nearby chair. She studied him. He looked tired. She had a million questions running through her mind but found it hard to formulate a single one. “You’re alive,” she finally said.
Rich nodded quietly, a bunch of conflicting emotions flickering on his face. Disappointment was one of them, Chloe noticed. Rich opened his mouth to say something but then winced.
“Can’t talk, huh?” she said softly, and he shrugged. She only hummed. He tried to talk again but she shushed him and whispered, “Shut up.” So he did, and she grabbed his hand, and they sat in silence for a bit.
Sign out: 8:29 PM