Chapter Twenty-Two: The Hospital Visit

(The Flayed, Pt. 4)

***

It was nighttime when they arrived at the hospital.

All nine of them got out of the car and marched up to the hospital, Hugin remaining in the car—it was too risky otherwise. Alistair hesitated, already feeling the overwhelming aura of death radiating from the hospital, the cold, hollow eyes of the ghosts already turning to him.

Hospitals were a place Alistair hated even more than cemeteries—cemeteries were clearly places of death, where to many it made sense for death and ghosts to be. But hospitals were places were people were meant to be saved, where life should be prominent.

It wasn't.

Ghosts congregated in the hospital, so many it felt like Alistair couldn't breathe, death in the bleached walls, hanging as thickly as the sterile smell, choking him on it, crushing him under it. It was a wonder he didn't go mad the rare handful of times he had to go to the hospital from the death and staring, whispering ghosts.

It didn't help the last couple of times he'd recently been to the hospital, it had been when Will had just gotten out of the Upside Down, and when Rowan, Steve and Mike had to come to the hospital for their injuries—mostly Steve's.

Something lurched in Alistair. He couldn't go in there. It was too much—too much ghosts, too much death—and there was no one he cared about that he could push through it in there, and it was choking him, choking him like Rick did, it was crushing him, he couldn't go in there, he—

"Al?"

Alistair gasped, jerked back into himself, registering his pounding heartbeat, the vice around his chest—when did his chest feel so tight? He looked up and saw his friends staring at him in concern, Nancy and Jonathan farther ahead.

"You okay, man?" Mike asked, looking concerned.

"I... I'm fine," he said, glaring at the hospital, making himself bear it. "Let's set free a possessed old lady."

That seemed to work. Though he still felt concern, everyone was now refocused on what they were here for—letting Mrs. Driscoll go and following her to the source. As they walked up to the doors, El grabbed his hand and murmured, "It's your powers, isn't it?"

Alistair stiffened, but nodded. "Yeah. Lots of death, lots of ghosts."

El looked at him solemnly. "If it's too much, hold my hand and squeeze. Okay?"

Alistair looked at her, then nodded, squeezing her hand, his heart swelling—it was just like he told her years ago, in the auditorium.

"Okay, Jean Grey," he murmured, and together they rejoined the rest of the group, just as they opened the doors and entered the hospital.

By the service desk, a nurse was talking to someone, but Alistair honestly didn't care—not with the plan in mind—as they made a beeline straight for the elevators. However, before they could, the nurse noticed their group and exclaimed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Excuse me!"

Cursing their luck, Alistair turned with the rest of their group to the nurse, who demanded, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Oh, um... I was just going to visit my grandma again," Nancy answered, lying through her teeth as she gestured to the rest of them. "And... and this... this is my family."

Alistair's eyebrows shot up as the nurse gave a disbelieving look, mostly at Nancy and Cami and Lucas, not buying it for a second.

But Lucas and Cami gave wide grins as Lucas said, "Extended."

"Very extended," Cami concurred.

"I don't care who they are. You know the rules. Two visitors at a time," the nurse said.

Again, Alistair's eyebrows shot up—that rule hadn't existed the last two times he was here. And if it did, it was a bullshit rule.

Apparently, Nancy thought the same, as she protested, "Yeah, but—"

"Two!" the nurse interrupted sharply, holding up two fingers.

Nancy clenched her jaw, before she sighed and gestured for Jonathan to follow her while the rest of them stayed behind. As the couple walked away, the nurse said into her phone, "Girl, this child has lost her mind. She brought a whole zoo in here."

Alistair rolled his eyes as he, Will, Cami, Max, El, Lucas and Mike went to the waiting room. As they sat down to wait, Alistair hoped Nancy and Jonathan could still do the plan, and nothing would go wrong.

It made Alistair itch to use his power to shadow Nancy and Jonathan, but he knew that would look suspicious if there were two of him. Besides, with how much death he was feeling, it was all he could do to keep functioning and not collapse from the constant deaths hitting him over and over again.

They'll be okay, Alistair thought as he sat back, trying to cope.

"Hey, you okay?" Cami asked, her hand on her shoulder, concern on her features.

"I'm fine," he mumbled. "Just a lot of death here. I'll be okay."

Cami frowned, but didn't press, leaning back in her chair. Alistair looked to his other side were El was and gave her hand a squeeze. She squeezed back.

Eventually, Mike and Lucas went to the vending machine to grab snacks—which was a good idea—while Max, Cami and El got up and looked at some of the magazines that were on the table, leaving Alistair and Will alone. Alistair looked at Cami—he wondered if that was deliberate on her part. Probably, if he knew his best friend.

"Hey, Al, are you okay?" Will asked as he rested a hand on his shoulder. Alistair jolted from the contact, turning as he stammered out, "Uh, not really. This is a hospital, and hospitals have a lot of death and ghosts. And it can be overwhelming. All the uh... death. Yeah, the death. Really constant. Ghosts don't help, but the death is the, uh, the big one. Yeah. But I'm fine! I'm fine! It's only a bit uncomfortable."

Alistair grinned, while inside he was screaming, feeling Hugin's annoyance. If the bird could do a face-palm, Alistair was certain he would.

"Uh, okay," Will said, looking perplexed. "You sure you're okay? Do you need to head out or—"

"Nope! I am fine! Totally, completely okay!" Alistair interrupted, finger-gunning Will.

The internal screaming intensified.

"But, uh, thanks for offering. I'll let you know if I do. But I don't right now! I'm fine," Alistair said, grinning a strained grin. This time, he didn't finger-gun. The screaming lessened, but he knew he was still being a complete fucking disaster around Will.

Oh God, why can't I be the Alistair from a couple nights ago now? Alistair begged internally—that version of him had been annoyed and pissed at Mike, but not the absolute disaster he was being right now as Will stared at him in confusion and growing concern.

Fortunately, he was spared when loud banging noises came. Will and Alistair turned to see Mike and Lucas slamming the vending machine—obviously, it kept whatever candy they wanted trapped. However, they weren't banging on it in the vain hope to dislodge the captured treat for long when the vending machine jerked and most, if not all, the snacks fell down.

Alistair turned, as did Will, Mike and Lucas, to El as she covertly wiped away the blood from her nose before turning back to the magazine she was reading.

"Thanks," Mike said, before he and Lucas grabbed whatever snacks they could and take back with them. And as they did, Alistair noticed they had begun talking.

"What do you think they're saying?" Will whispered.

"Probably about the girls and how to win them back," Alistair whispered back.

They grinned, and Alistair felt himself relax, silently thanking whatever power existed that had listened to him and he was now hopefully ceasing to be a disaster around Will. Maybe even talk about what nearly happened two nights ago and, if he didn't completely ruin things, kiss the boy before him.

Then he looked at Will, how close they were, at Will's face and the memory of the last time they'd been so close, and the disaster crept back in.

"I, uh... I need to talk to Cami!" Alistair exclaimed, getting up and rushing over to Cami, feeling Will's confusion.

When he got to her, he noticed El had left, and sat down in the chair he'd vacated, magazine in her hands as she looked at the glossy pages. Alistair turned to Cami, who noticed him.

"Oh! Hi, Al," she greeted. Her eyebrows dipped together. "Everything okay? You look tense."

"Oh, nothing too bad. Nothing except the overwhelming feeling of death and ghosts constantly watching me," Alistair deadpanned. "But, uh, could we like talk?"

"Uh, sure," she said, and they went to a corner of the hospital. When they did, Cami asked, "You sure everything's okay?"

"Yeah, totally. Just..." Alistair said, before he sighed and asked, "Do you think Nancy and Jonathan are okay?"

"I think they are—I mean, this is a hospital. Pretty public place for a monster attack!" Cami joked, and Alistair chuckled.

"Yeah. Guess I'm just paranoid," he mumbled.

Cami frowned, before she bumped his shoulder with hers. "Hey. Your plan was a good plan. We were all just worried. With all these Flayed and still no idea how they're Flayed... it kinda got us all worried."

"Yeah, and I don't blame you," Alistair muttered.

The two were in silence, before Cami said, "I need to ask you something."

"What?" Alistair inquired.

"Why didn't you use the perfect moment you had and tell Will how you felt?!" Cami hissed, looking at him sharply as she put her hands on her hips.

"I... didn't want to," Alistair confessed. "I ended up turning into a real disaster around him, and we still haven't talked about what happened two nights ago, but I know I'm gonna be a fucking mess and I want to but I can't, especially with the Mind Flayer and shit, and..."

Alistair groaned into his hands, leaning back against the wall.

Cami was quiet, before she said, "Well, I think if the moment comes, you won't be such a disaster. Or, hey, maybe you are but things won't be as ruined as you think! You never know, okay? Because it won't be a truly perfect, pre-planned moment. It will probably just... happen, okay? You won't know until the right moment comes."

Alistair looked at her. "I think that was the best pep talk you ever gave."

"Hey, just trying to be the best wingwoman possible," Cami replied with a sunny grin. Alistair returned it.

They leaned against the wall, eating candy they accepted from Lucas before he pulled Max to the vending machine, where he tossed Skittles into her mouth. The two watched it, eating candy as the bright-coloured Skittles sailed through the air and landed in Max's mouth. She'd caught every single one so far.

"Yeah!" Lucas exclaimed with a grin.

"Got it, two in a row," Max said, a smug look of triumph on her face.

"That was good, that was good," Lucas complimented as Alistair and Cami applauded the redhead, Max smirking as she bowed.

Lucas tossed another Skittle that Max caught and they all cheered and applauded for her.

"Best three in a row now," she declared to Lucas, and as Lucas got ready to catch the skittles thrown from Max now, Cami nudged Alistair and whispered, "Al."

Alistair turned, and saw it too.

Will, getting up and leaving to give Mike and El some privacy to fix their relationship.

Cami looked to Alistair, and whispered, "This is your chance. Talk to Will."

"But—" Alistair tried to protest as Cami interrupted, "It doesn't have to be the confession! Just talk to him, okay?"

"Okay," Alistair said, because no way was he going to argue with Cami Martinéz.

Cami beamed, giving him a supportive thumbs up as Alistair went after Will into the corridor he went down.

"Uh, hey Will," he greeted, making him turn and smile.

"Oh, hey," he returned.

They stood there for a moment in silence before Alistair apologised, "Sorry, for leaving earlier. I just..."

I just feel like I'm acting like an idiot around you? his brain helpfully supplied.

"... I just wanted to talk to Cami," he finished off.

Will shrugged. "It's cool."

"Cool," Alistair repeated.

They stood there before Will offered, "Want some Reese's Pieces?"

Alistair smiled. "Of course."

Will grinned, and tipped some into Alistair's hand. As they munched on the candy, Alistair thought about what to say, and how he'd say it without turning into a disaster.

However, turns out he had no reason to worry as Will said, "Hey, Al?"

"Yeah?" Alistair responded.

"Have you... have you thought about two nights ago? At Castle Byers."

Alistair tensed, swallowing his candy before saying, "Uh, yeah. I have."

"So... did you actually mean what you said?" Will asked, so quietly Alistair had to strain to hear.

"Of course I did," Alistair said without hesitation. "We're growing up, sure, and maybe some things will change, and it's weird now. But... I meant what I said. We're in this together, Will. Now and always."

Will smiled, something in his face that Alistair hoped it was what it was. "I guess we are. Zombie Boy and Ghost Boy, right?"

Alistair smiled. "Zombie Boy and Ghost Boy."

They smiled, and Alistair felt something shift. He looked at Will, thinking, Should I tell him? It felt like a perfect moment, and yet...

It didn't.

Instead, Alistair asked, "Wanna join back with the others?"

Will nodded, and they rejoined the rest of the group, seeing Lucas and Max were looking at a magazine while El and Mike were looking at another, Cami sitting in a chair and happily eating candy next to El. She gave them a nod at seeing them and a look at Alistair that he ignored as he grabbed another chair, sitting next to Cami as Will took the only free chair left. Alistair snacked on the candy, ignoring the death and ghosts, the whispers filling his ears, peering over Cami's shoulder occasionally as an excuse to look over at Will.

It was via this that Alistair was the first to notice Will look up.

"Will?" he asked, eyebrows creasing as Will now stood up, clutching the packet of Reese's Pieces tightly as he walked into the middle of the room. "Is everything okay?"

Will didn't respond. Instead, his free hand crept up to the back of his neck, and rested there. And Alistair's concern and confusion shifted into dread, as everyone else noticed Will standing there, the look on his face.

And that was when he noticed the lights were flickering.

***

Surprise! I told you it would be longer and I delivered!

Yeah, Alistair... Alistair is still not coping well with cemeteries/hospitals. Fortunately, he's got people to check if he's okay, but he's barely coping (and yes, the hand-hold thing with Alistair and El is a callback to when he asked her back in act one of Thunderstruck 🥺)

Nancy, my girl... why did you say the rest of the Party was your family? smh. But we love Lucas and Cami trying to salvage it by saying "Extended"

And yeah, most of this was Alisill and Alistair being an absolute bisexual disaster around Will, and them being adorable! It's a well-needed moment, considering what will happen now...

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!