Keystone Outcasts

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe and Joshua stand too following after Lee and Melanie, both eager to see their friend. Chloe smiles weakly before bringing a hand through her hair and sighing gently.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

The receptionist leads them up into an elevator, pressing the button to send her and the group up, she studied something on her clipboard as the elevator went up. Melanie cleared her throat. "Is he okay?" She asked the receptionist, unable to hide the desperation and hope in her voice. The receptionist looks up and looks at her, "oh yes, he's quite well." She says, as the doors to the elevator open, and she steps out, leading the group through the corridors. Children were laughing in one room, a woman cried in the other. She walked them through into a large room, beds lining the room, some children laid in their own beds, others played with toys in the middle of the room. "He's by the window," she mumbles, before walking away.

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe follows Lee and Melanie as they head over to Robbie. She looks at him, "Are you okay?" She asks softly, soon after thinking it to be a stupid question for someone in a hospital. She looks over at Josh, who had stepped slightly so he was beside her. He was looking at Robbie, smiling weakly.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Robbie was laying in the bed, he was curled up in a ball and had his head in his hands, but when he heard Chloe's voice he moved them away slowly and sat up. He looked sick today. Whereas yesterday he just looked bald and sort of skinny, on this day he had bags under his eyes, and he looked so tired. Lee barged past Melanie and wrapped his arms around Robbie who sat there slightly wide eyed. "Lee. Lee get off me." He half yells, trying to push him away. Lee moves away, and wipes tears from his eyes. "Fuck man I thought that was it... I thought you were... Yknow," Lee looks away from him. Robbie shrugs his shoulders. "I'm still kicking."

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe smiles weakly and watches Lee, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was hurting, that much she could tell, it was hurting him to nearly lose a friend. She looks around slowly, glancing at Melanie and then Joshua.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Melanie couldn't hold herself anymore, and burst out into tears. She didn't care about the other children in the ward and she certainly didn't care what her friends would think of her. Robbie looked at her for a moment, before moving about on his bed and patting the side of him so that she could sit with him. Melanie sat next to him and buried her head in his shoulder, Robbie just shook his head and covered his eye with one hand. "Josh, Chloe, if you cry then that's the last straw." He says slowly. Melanie laughs a little bit, but tears keep flowing down her cheeks. She tries to wipe them away but most of them just end up on Robbies white t-shirt. His tshirt today said: 'Warning. I have received radiation therapy. If you can read this then you are too close.'

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe smiles weakly at Robbie, "I'll try my best. No promises on Josh though." She says quietly before looking at Lee. Chloe sat down in her chair opposite him and Josh looks at Robbie and bites his lip.


Josh smiles, "I'll try." He says lightly looking at Lee, it was clear that he was hurt but he didn't want to cry, not now Robbie said don't.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Good. You best try. I can only deal with one crying person at a time, Lee's stretching it by looking at me like a lost puppy." Robbie says, grinning slightly, he leans over to the side of his bed and tries to grab at his beanie, but abandons it when he gets too tired to reach. He looks at Lee.


Lee scoffed when he said about him looking like a lost puppy, and narrowed his eyes, but then shrugged his shoulders and sat on a chair next to Chloe. "How're you feeling?" He asked him, biting his lip.


"I feel grand." Robbie lies. He sounded tired, and he felt it. He felt ill, and crap, both mentally and physically. He didn't want to fight the disease anymore, he was too tired. He just wanted to die.

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe stares at Robbie, "You sound it." She says sarcastically, knowing he couldn't be well. She'd been in a situation once with her aunt who died of cancer. She didn't feel like crying, she didn't understand that. She could never cry when upset, so this wasn't even effecting her- crying wise anyway.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Robbie looks at her, narrowing his eyes slightly at her sarcasm. He then grins a little, "I'm fine, honestly." He looks away from her and at his feet, "I'd kill for something to eat though. They won't let me, they're afraid I'll start throwing it up." He moved slightly so that he was lying more comfortably.


Lee grins a little, "well if you promise not to throw it up, I got you a lil something." He pulls out that chocolate bar that he had bought earlier and chucks it to Robbie. It lands on his chest and Robbie picks it up, opening it with one hand and his teeth, his other was wrapped around Melanie's shoulder who was still sniffling.

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe smiles weakly at Robbie and nods, "Okay." She says simply watching them. She leans back in the chair, glancing at Lee and then Melanie. Joshua smiles weakly at them all and grins.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"You guys..." He says, breaking off a piece of the chocolate for himself and then offering some to Melanie. She takes a piece and puts it into her mouth, finally giving up crying. Robbie looks around, "we're still on for Saturday, right?" He asks innocently, chewing the chocolate before offering a piece of it to Joshua and Chloe.

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe shakes her head, "No, I'm good thanks." She murmurs. She laughs lightly, "Only if you're truly up for it. If not I'm sure it can wait." She says lightly. She looks at the others for agreement.


Joshua takes a piece and smiles at him, eating his piece and chewing on it before swallowing. He looks around, "I agree with Chloe." She comments.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"Guys," Robbie whines, "You know I'm up for it. Hell, I'd be up for it even if I was on fire. You know I love the Den." He says, grinning slightly. But then his grin fades and he looks down at his shirt.


Melanie looks at him, using a finger to tilt his chin up. "What's wrong?" She asks him, reaching for another bite of the chocolate. He gives her the bar and she bites into it, before passing it back to him and chewing.


Robbie sighs, "I've been hospitalised, for now." He says slowly, "I don't know if I'll even be allowed out by Saturday." He looks back at his shirt. "I bloody hope so though, I'm going crazy in this place."

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe nods slowly, "We can always postpone.. I mean, I don't want to go if it means you can't come." She says to Robbie, "Let's hope you get better for then. Or at least improve from you current state, you should just rest until then." She says with a smile.


Joshua nods, agreeing with Chloe looking at the others.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"I'll be coming." He says abruptly, "Even if I have to sneak out of the hospital with a wig on my head and drawn on eyebrows. I will be coming." He says. "Hey, why did you never think of that?" Lee asks, a grin forming on his face, "Y'know, wearing wigs to school and stuff?" Melanie glares at him, but Robbie laughs. "Because, how else will people know that these cancer shirts aren't just mean jokes." He grins a little, feeling a little better with his friends around him. He looks up at the clock, "You're skipping school to visit me, huh?"

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe nods, "Yes, of course. We had to run from a teacher. Have you seen me run?! I mean I was a cheerleader, I can do a backflip and the splits, but running just isn't my thing." She says with a small laugh, grinning slightly.


Joshua laughs, "Hey, I'm the slowest." He comments grinning too.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Robbie grins, "I can believe you're the slowest, Josh. I used to run with you in PE," He grins a little, then turns his head to Chloe, "You know, I'll believe it when I see it... The whole backflip and splits thing. I'm excited to see you being flexible at some point." Before someone can interrupt him, Robbie quickly says, "Not in the way that Lee would like it."


Lee pats Robbie on the shoulder. "Aw, poor little Robbie has a crush on the cheerleader, but is too much of a virgin to admit it."

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe chuckles, "Shut it Lee, your just jealous that you can't have me." She says with a smirk before turning to Robbie and smiling, "I'd show you now but there's no room in here." She says with a small laugh.


Joshua laughs, "I guess we were just slow." He comments.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

"You'll show us on Saturday though, right?" Robbie asks, grinning a little and scratching the top of his head lightly. He looks at Josh, "I was keeping myself at your pace. I'm a fast runner, y'know." He winks at Josh.


Lee glares at Chloe for a moment before raising his eyebrows and looking at Robbie. "She's willing to show you how flexible she is, Robbie! You're in, man. You shoulda kept those condoms."

 

[CrystalSmith]

Joshua laughs lightly, "ahh okay, I must just be slow." She says.


Chloe looks at Melanie, an uneasy expression before forcing a smile, "I'm not going near any of you guys in that way, I'm not like that." She says before going quiet.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Robbie's face goes serious as he watches the look shared between Chloe and Melanie. Something was obviously wrong with Chloe, something making her uncomfortable. He narrows his eyes at her slightly, though not in a mean way, more of a knowing look. He opens his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Lee.


"Man, I wish you hadn't said that, now I just want you more." Lee winks at her, and Robbie pushes up from the bed, making Melanie fall off his shoulder slightly and sit up, she was slightly wide eyed.


Robbie was a little shaky when stood up, and skinnier than Lee, yes, but he was still taller, and he looked down on him. "Shut your fucking mouth, now." He says, his voice dripping with venom. "Or get out."

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe looks at Robbie, "Robbie, leave it. Just sit back down. I'm fine honestly." She says watching him yell at Lee. She looks at the floor, "Let's change the subject, eh?" She says quietly, avoiding eye contact, "In fact, I'm going to go get a coffee." She mumbles.

 

[buildingaspaceship]

Robbie looks at her, "Can I come with you?" He asks, "You can say no, I'm just desperate to get out of this fucking room." He says, stepping away from Lee who was wide eyed. He hadn't been shouted at by his friend before.

 

[CrystalSmith]

Chloe glances at him before smiling weakly, "No, it's fine. You should rest, your tired, even a genius knows that." She mumbles before standing and leaving the room, she heads to the nearest coffee machine but takes a deep breath, her eyes watering up.


Joshua looks around at everyone, glancing at Robbie and then Lee before finally staring at Melanie, "My guess you know more than we do." He says finally to her.