Chapter Text
The sun shone though the curtains basically blinding Gilbert who was already in a sour mood. Why did his father's sickness HAVE to get to him just as soon as it was Christmas!? He didn't even understand all these weird terms- cistick fibroskisck or whatever? Yeah, not cool. He wasn't diagnosed as a child since his parents thought it wasn't anything bad.
The only good thing about it is that he has an excuse to skip the rest of the school this year.. even though there were only a few days left. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, no one had visited him in a few days and he felt like he was going insane already, it's only December 2, he came here on November 29. He groaned thinking about it, his friends were probably out there having fun while he's stuck in this stupid, boring hospital coughing his head off! Well the coughing isn't as bad than when he physically couldn't breathe but that's besides the point! No one except his mom came to visit him and no one came or texted to check on him
What horrible friends!
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Matthew covered his head with his pillow, why can't the day just be over already? He knows he just woke up and he's been sleeping all day and it's the afternoon and stuff but he still hoped the day would end already!
He doesn't know how long he's been here- and he's certainly not feeling any better, in fact: he feels worse!
He could hear the doctor's words echo in his ears: 'Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease' or COPD, it sucked. He didn't even smoke or anything.. he didn't understand what he had done to deserve this, though he didn't believe in god or anything at this point. No one had come to visit him and the most company he's had is with the nurses, at least they didn't forget about him.
You see, he's always been 'invisible' and not in the way he's outshined by someone else and he gets bullied but in the way he basically didn't exist, like literally. People would run into him without saying sorry, sit on him and go out without him or he would get mistaken for his brother and get beaten up for his brother's actions.. he was tired, so tired!
He sighed and got up- he hasn't gotten up unless he needed to piss. And it sucked not being to go out, not because he had friends but because he couldn't play the one thing that made him happy: hockey. It was winter, he got here maybe summer? He didn't know anymore, god knows how long he's been here, probably a year.
He slowly walked out of his room after telling a nurse he was leaving, where? He didn't even know.
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Gilbert had been doing okay lately so he was able to leave his hospital room, he didn't know where he was going he just needed to leave this stupid hospital room.
As he was walking, lost in his thoughts he bumped into a blonde guy who stumbled back and onto the floor. He looked at the guy's face, his blonde hair seemed to be messy yet it looked soft, he had this weird curl that came out of the top of his head dangling in his face, he wore glasses that framed indigo eyes behind them. Gilbert couldn't help but think this guy looked pretty.
He let out a hand to help the guy up and he seemed surprised and very hesitantly took the hand and Gilbert pulled him up quickly without warning earning a Yelp from the blonde who immediately let go of his hand and bowed a little, politely and whispered an apology and thanks.
He was about to walk away but Gilbert quickly grabbed his shoulder stopping him as the blonde turned to look at him
He didn't even know why he did that
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Matthew was startled by this white haired kid who bumped into him shattering his thoughts, even more startled when he helped Matthew up and even more when he grabbed Matthew's shoulder and even even MORE when his name was asked
"Uh.. ahh.."
He stuttered trying to say something and he ended up being able to say his name feeling self conscious
"M-Matthew.. my name is Matthew.."
He said quietly and the white haired kid nodded
"I'm Gilbert!"
The guy exclaimed, he seemed energetic for someone in the hospital. Matthew tried to walk away but Gilbert followed
"Where are you headed?"
Gilbert asked curiously
"U-uhm.."
Matthew stuttered on his words feeling uncomfortable after not having a conversation with anyone in a long while, he felt embarrassed and stupid right now.
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Gilbert felt something was off, like the blondie was uncomfortable and he felt kinda bad
"Uhh.. what are you here for?"
Gilbert asked, hoping to not be too nosy to Matthew, he didn't even know why he was talking to him. Maybe it's because no one has come to visit him and he saw someone the same age as him so he felt the need to be friends
"O-oh.. I'm sick.."
Matthew said quietly, Gilbert didn't know if he was just shy or if this was his normal volume but he concluded that he was just shy
"Well me too-"
He then remembered he couldn't get close to people with the same sickness as him right?
"Well if you don't mind me asking.. what sickness?"
He asked, he knows he probably shouldn't have gone out without permission from the doctor or nurse but he just wanted to go already!
"COPD."
Well it's not cristick blah blah blah or whatever! So he doesn't need to stay 6 feet away.
"Well, Matthew. Mind if I go with you on wherever you're going? I don't have much to do."
Matthew nodded quicker than Gilbert thought he would, maybe he also wants to be friends? He doesn't know crap about this pretty, mysterious Matthew.
He's probably over reading things
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Matthew didn't mean to agree as fast as he did, now he felt embarrassed again. What if Gilbert thinks he's weird and they end up not walking together? Matthew knows it's weird but he really does want to go for a walk with someone, anyone! He's been feeling like absolute crap and depressed lately, he just needed someone to remember him, to talk to him, even just for a day..
"Well?"
Gilbert snapped him out of his thoughts and he stuttered out a response
"Y-yeah!"
Gilbert laughed at how high pitched his voice was, Matthew blushed and wanted to dig a hole up and die. Even though he was terrified of dying, he just didn't want to die, even if no one remembered him it was scary, it didn't seem peaceful and he was scared.. really scared. He was sick now too, it didn't help anything.
They started walking in rather awkward silence, Matthew fidgeted at the hem of the shirt of his pajamas. He didn't wear a hospital gown since he's been staying here for a while, and seeing that Gilbert also wasn't wearing a hospital gown he knew the other wasn't going home for a while
they went out of the hospital building and in the surrounding area, patients going home, coming in, visitors, and just some patients with nurses roaming around for fresh air.
It was awkward until Gilbert made a joke to try and lighten the mood, it worked actually. They sat down on one of the tables both tired even though they had just walked for a little while being that they both have lung diseases. They started talking about random stuff, shallow but they were getting comfortable. Gilbert talked more as Matthew listened and gave a comment or two, the white haired boy was talking about his family right now, he seemed to be a bit of an over sharer, Matthew didn't mind.
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Gilbert complained about the fact he's been stuck in this hospital for around 4 days and realized he didn't feel as bored or angry at the world for being stuck here, it seemed so that talking to Matthew made him feel better.
He heard his name being called and knew that the nurse was looking for him since he didn't ask for permission before going out so he turned to Matthew to say his goodbye, though he felt a bit disappointed to say goodbye
"Well uh, bye now. I guess I'll see you soon?"
He said, he doesn't know how long Matthew is going to be here for or how long he's been here already, all of a sudden feeling bad for talking more
"O-oh.. bye.."
Matthew said, a hint of disappointment in his voice as Gilbert stood up to tell the nurse he didn't die or something. He took one last look at the pretty blonde as he's described Matthew as in his head multiple times before walking into the building.