OOC: This Thread Takes Place Sometime After the Conversation With Bobby

The hospital corridor was stuffy and the air had an undertone of bleach. The walls were magnolia and were scraped in places from the hundreds of trolleys that had bumped into them. The pictures on the walls were cheap benign prints of uplifting scenes and above the double doors were large blue plastic signs with the areas of the hospital that lie ahead.

Intensive Care Unit

That was the white on blue sign that Shawn was passing through. In his left hand, he held some flowers that Mom had bought for the occasion. It wasn't like Eddy would appreciate the flowers if he really was in a coma. But if he got out soon, maybe it would bring him comfort.

Mom squeezed Shawn's own hand his right hand.

"Go ahead." She said. "I'll be right outside. It's important to visit your friends when they are sick." She advised, getting down on one knee and nodding over in the direction of the dark room that Eddy was in.

The door was open and there was a rhythmic, electronic beeping sound coming from all the equipment that Eddy was attached to.

Shawn awkwardly walked into the room, flowers clutched tight in his hand. At first he was looking at everything but Eddy - the room, the medical equipment, out the window. But eventually he screwed up the courage to go to Eddy's bedside and actually see how he was doing.

"chrrr.....frussss....." Eddy's motionless face hissed through the tubes and plastic that was connected and taped to his face. His own eyes were shut as if in some kind of deep slumber. But it was more than just sleep. His skin was pale and clammy-looking. His hands were tucked under the white linen blankets, the shadow of curtain near him was cast over his body.

Shawn's forehead wrinkled with confusion. Eddy almost sounded like he was trying to say something. "What was that?" He leaned in close, trying to get a better listen.

"chrrr.....frussss....." The machine pushed Eddy's chest cavity out, making it expand and filling the air around him with a senseless, mechanical sound. The sound a lifeless entity would make. There was no life in Eddy's voice, if you could call it a voice. It sounded like some kind of space vacuum each time he exhaled. The machine next him was also making beeping sounds, the black pump on the respirator machine rising and falling in its cylindrical, plastic tube.

There was a small note next to Eddy. Perhaps one that the Nurses had left. Or maybe someone that had visited him. It was written in some kind of cursive chicken-scratch on a yellow post-it note. It lay on the tray next to the orange jello that wasn't opened and perhaps never would be.

Shawn,

'Tought I'd come ta' see what happened.
I 'tink ya' went far with the card trick, ya' did.
I'm not sure 'tis worth fixin.'
The price'll be high. Take time ta' 'tink about it.

Take Care,

-Griffix

Shawn felt a mixture of relief that Griffix was still watching over him, and frustration that Griffix hadn't seen fit to warn him that 'going too far' was a thing that could happen. He carefully pocketed the note and set the flowers down next to Eddy before taking a seat next to him. Though he'd rather be doing almost anything else, he'd come here to visit and couldn't just retreat after 30 seconds. Besides, he didn't want to leave Eddy alone.

Shawn sat there for a long while. The noise of the respirator became almost soothing in its predictable repetition. A white noise in the background that seemed to set the somber tone for the room in all of its stillness and a constant reminder of the frailty of Eddy's life.

Suddenly, there was a small commotion outside. The sound of another mother encouraging her child to go into one of the rooms. A visit for sure.

Just then, a figure entered the room with flowers. It was Eric. Yellow roses bunched up in his left hand. The bouquet battered and sagging like the left side of his purple-bruised face. He sported several band-aids.

He paused in the middle of the room, as if somewhat surprised to see Shawn. Then, he registered a dull note of surprise.

"Oh."

Just a single word that recognized Shawn's presence in the room. Eric's eyes were bloodshot. Deep bags of tired skin weighed heavily underneath his eyes around his cheeks. Or were they black eyes from whatever had happened at the Circus.

He tossed the flowers onto the bed near Eddy's feet and the plastic made a crinkling sound. The action appeared to be disrespectful at first, the flowers coming undone at the base and spilling out across Eddy's stomach. But looking at Eric, it appeared that he his mind was elsewhere. A face that had retreated and was withdrawn. As if he was worried and thinking about other things besides Eddy and his condition.

Shawn got the impression that Eric wanted to talk about their experience with the Circus, get an explanation as to what happened. But that wasn't really something Shawn could just bring up. So he just stayed by Eddy's side quietly, waiting for the other boy to start talking.