29

                                    

                                          
As Josh pulls into the parking lot of Imagina, he sees Patrick outside taking a walk. Josh decides to say hi to Patrick before walking into the hospital, so he heads towards the lawn.
                          
“Hey Patrick!”
                          
“What?” Patrick says while turning around and once realization overcomes him, he jumps: “Oh my gosh! Josh!!!”
                          
“Hey Pat.” Josh breathes out, embracing Patrick into a hug. “How are ya?”
                          
“Josh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!” Patrick jumps with a smile plastered on his face.
                          
“Dude, I’ve missed you too, but it has been one day.”
                          
“Not like that. Well, yeah I miss you too, but more about Tyler.”
                          
“Wait, is he okay?”
                          
“Okay would be a way to describe him. Josh, he’s mute again and now he’s unresponsive. He just stares out the window or into space, rarely moving.”
                          
“Oh, poor Ty. Can I go up?”
                          
“For sure Josh. Even though you don’t work here anymore, I still have you for clearance everywhere because you practically work here anyways. Plus, I hope you come back soon.” Patrick states with a grin.
                          
“Aw, thanks Patrick.” Josh grins as he enters the hospital.
                          
Imagina felt like Josh’s second home. Despite working here for two years, he was also a patient for two years. Josh felt at ease at Imagina. There was a certain comfort in it. Josh took the elevator up and walked down the way too familiar hallway down to Tyler’s room, feeling a bit sad when he saw his empty office.
                          
Josh stops in front of Tyler’s door and smiles. He missed this despite only being away for a day. Josh knocks on Tyler’s door and enters into complete silence.
                          
“Ty?” Josh whispers out to the boy standing in front of the window. This catches Tyler’s attention immediately, making the boy spin around due to his curiosity. Tyler’s eyes instantly widen, being overcome with shock.
                          
“Jo-sh?” Tyler asks with disbelief, shaking his head.
                          
“Mhm, I told you that I wasn’t leaving.” Josh chuckles.
                          
Once Tyler overcomes the surprise, he runs and jumps onto Josh, clutching onto him like a koala. Josh chuckles as he brings both of them onto the bed.
                          
“How you doing Ty?”
                          
“M’kay.”
                          
“You know that’s not true.” Josh confronts Tyler as both a therapist and person that cared.
                          
“Miss-ed you.”
                          
“I know Ty. I missed you too, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop living your life and making progress.”
                          
“Don’t wan-na do any-thing with-out you here.”
                          
“Bud, c’mon. You know that’s irrational. Just because I’m not here doesn’t mean that you should stop getting better. And Ty...please don’t give up on talking.”
                          
“M’sorry.”
                          
“Don’t be sorry, but promise me to try from now on?”
                          
Tyler nods as he snuggles further into Josh’s chest and they stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s company.
                          
Because Josh wasn’t working at Imagina, he had to leave before lights out. Tyler asked Josh when he’d be coming back and all Josh said was: “I don’t know, but hopefully soon. We’ll figure it out Ty.”
                          
With that, Josh promised Tyler that he’d visit as much as possible and eventually had to pry a teary eyed and screaming Tyler off of him before leaving.