Still Alive🏠

15th part of Home.

“Daniel.” Catherine says. 

He looks up. He’s in the waiting room at the hospital, and Angel is laying on a couch, asleep. They’ve been waiting for a couple hours, and Daniel’s worried. TJ’s parents are there, too, and his mother has been demanding to see him for the past hour.

“Hey, are you okay?” She asks, sitting beside him. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to get here, I came as soon as Angel called.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Daniel says. 

She smiles sadly. “Of course I did.” She wraps an arm around him, and he leans against her. “How is he?”

“I don’t know.” He mumbles. “It’s all my fault.”

“Why would you think that?”

“He was trying to protect me.” He says. “And dad pushed him.”

“If he was trying to protect you, then it’s not your fault, Daniel.”

“I just feel bad. He wouldn't have gotten hurt if it wasn’t for me.”

“You know he wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.”

He sighs. “Yeah.”

“You can go see him now.” A nurse says as TJ’s parents walk back into the waiting room. 

Daniel gets up, and the nurse leads him to TJ’s room. 

TJ’s laying on the hospital bed, pale and still, bandages on his head, and machines and other things around the room, maybe the only things keeping him alive.

Don't think about that.

“You’re an idiot.” Daniel says as he walks to the bed.

TJ looks up, and smiles. “Love you, too Danny.”

Daniel frowns at him. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t want him to hurt you. What happened?”

“He just left. I think your parents called the police.”

He nods. “Good. He didn’t hurt you?”

“No. I yelled at him, and told him I never want to see him again.”

He grins. “Nice job.”

“Shut up.” Daniel grumbles. “Don’t you remember when I told you my dad is twice your size? Why-”

“Daniel. I’m fine. Calm down.”

“Don’t do that ever again, okay?”

“I won’t.” 

“Good.”

“The doctor said he’ll have to stay in the hospital for about a week, then we can take him home.” TJ’s mother, Tasha, says. TJ has her curly black hair and green eyes. 

They’re all in the waiting room. Catherine didn’t want to wake Angel, so Riley brought her back home.

Daniel nods, then looks down. “I’m sorry-”

“Daniel, TJ told us what happened. It wasn’t your fault at all. Please don’t blame yourself.”

He knows better than to argue with Tasha. “Okay.”

“Now, please. Go home and get some sleep.” She says. 

He nods, and smiles. “Okay.”

He walks outside with Catherine to her car. Instead of driving, she turns to him. 

“Okay, can you tell me what happened?” She asks, clearly worried.

He explains about the text messages, then what happened at her house. 

She looks furious, and he gets worried. 

“I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“No, no, I’m not mad at you. Blake is just a- never mind. I’m just glad you’re okay.” 

He sighs. “I feel like I ruined everything.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Daniel. If anything, you made it better.”