You're My Way Home, You're My Backbone.

It was raining outside, not heavily but a good enough drizzle that the far side of the garden was in a white mist. A small wagtail was sitting on a bench near the window, flapping its wings around and chirping loudly, enjoying the rain though shaking off the water droplets every couple of minutes. Brendon could hear more birds chirping from somewhere but couldn’t see them.

Small raindrops were getting through the flyscreen of the partly open window, hitting Brendon’s arm. It was cool on his skin, a nice difference to the ceiling heaters that made the ward muggy. The fresh air was nice too.

Leaning on the window frame, he lent closer to the window to get a better view of the bird. He wished he had a camera, or power left on his phone because right now he had the perfect shot of the bird and could finally put use of all the stuff Jon has taught him about photography.

He stood there for a while before the nurse walked in, doing the usual afternoon check. He tried to remember how many days he had been in hospital for and guessed it was around six. He had given up keeping tabs on the days the third night in when he was still throwing up everything he ate. At least now he was keeping small meals down, for the most part.

“How much of your lunch did you managed to eat today?” She asked, strolling up to the bed and picked up Brendon’s file.

He thought briefly he really should start trying to remember the nurse’s names, being here so long it felt rude that he didn’t know any of them.

“About half. I didn’t like that potato-bake-thingy much.” Brendon shrugged. “Come and look at this.”

When the nurse appeared at his side, Brendon pointed to the bird that was still sitting on the bench. It was still flapping its wings around but looked like it was cleaning itself now, pausing to chirp to the other birds every now and then. The lady grinned watching in delight.

“What’s everyone looking at?”

Glancing over his shoulder, Brendon grinned at Zach and gestured him over to the window. The nurse moved away and Zach took her place just as a gust of wind blew a spray of water through the window right into Zach’s face.

Brendon snickered and ignored the glare from Zach, pointing to the bird. With just one glace Zach pulled his phone out of his jean’s pocket.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but can I quickly do your obs? Then you can go back to bird watching.” The lady asked, pulling her trolley into the room from the hallway.

Brendon nodded and moved over to one of the chairs scattered around the room and held his arm out ready for the blood pressure strap.

There was a small click when the nurse put the thermometer to Brendon’s ear. He looked up to find Zach smiling from behind his phone. Brendon pouted and Zach snapped another shot.

It didn’t take long before the nurse put all the equipment away, including Brendon’s file she wrote things into. She didn’t say much as she left, but smile at him as she pulled the trolley out the room behind her. Brendon hope that meant his obs was looking good.

“So, how much longer are you stuck here for?” Zach asked looking back out the window.

“Dr Murray saw me this morning, he didn’t say about going home but he was pleased that I’m doing better. As long as I can keep food down I guess it can’t be too much longer.” Brendon said slowly rising from the chair and walking back over to the window. “I still feel like utter shit but I’m eating better so it something.”

“Hopefully soon then,” Zach smiled and wrapped an arm around Brendon’s shoulders. “Then you can relax in your own bed. I’m happy to be on call for pick up duty if you get to go home in the next couple of days.”

Brendon smiled and looked out into the garden to where the bird was. It was gone.

“Thanks. I’ll let you know when I find out anything.”

*

Brendon watch on amused from the bed to where Spencer and Ryan were sitting on the floor under the window, facing each other. Between them was a start of a tower of cards Spencer was creating on top of an old magazine.

It was the fifth tower Spencer had started in the last twenty minutes. Ryan was helping him which is why the first four crashed to the ground before the second level was even started, and also why Ryan watched on frowning. Spencer had banned him from touching the tower and demoted him to new card passing duty.

Brendon was trying not to laugh and failing. Ryan glared up at him then frowned at Spencer.

Spencer held a hand out.

“New card.”

Brendon pulled a card out of the pack and passed it to Ryan, who handed it to Spencer. Spencer carefully placed it on top of two stacks to begin a new level.

“This is boring.” Ryan complained. “Just as bad as watching TV.”

“Go for a walk then.” Spencer said off handed, staring at the card he put down as if daring it to fall.
When it didn’t he held his hand out again.

“This is pretty entertaining to me.” Brendon grinned passing another card.

Ryan scoffed and half flung the card at Spencer. Spencer glared but said nothing.

“For you maybe. At least you have somewhere soft to sit.” Ryan huffed.

He shuffled around causing his foot to almost hit the magazine. Spencer shot forward hands hovering around the cards ready to catch what he could. He then reached over and smacked Ryan’s foot.

“Watch it!” Spencer hissed.

Ryan shot Brendon a glare when he laughed.

“Good to know I’m not the only one that gets bored in here.” Brendon snickered. “Haven’t see you guys make towers out of cards for years.”

“Yeah, well, if the best form of entertainment we can offer with limited resources.” Spencer smiled placing another card on top.

He held his hand out for another two. Ryan sighed and passed the cards over before standing up.
“I’m going to get food, anyone want anything?”

Spencer shook his head and carefully started to place the next level, trying to align the ends of the cards perfectly as he chewed on his tongue in concentration.

“No thanks.” Brendon smiled.

Ryan walked across the room and pulled the door shut quickly behind him. The sudden draft from the door closing was enough to make the cards wobble before collapsing into a large pile.

“RYAN!”

Brendon laughed so hard he almost fell off the bed from a coughing fit.

*

“How are you feeling today, Mr Urie?” Dr Murray greeted as he approached the bed smiling.

“Better than before.”

“That’s good to hear. How have you been with eating? Keeping food down alright?” He asked taking a seat on one of the empty chairs.

Sighing, Brendon glanced over at the mostly eaten plate that was his breakfast still sitting on the table.

“I’m keeping it down alright, but I’m just not hungry anymore. Not that I can say much for the food in here. Uh, I mean-“

Dr Murray’s laugh cut him off.

“It’s ok. I avoid eating here on my on-call days. They’re renovating the kitchens and it’s a mess in here.” Dr Murray said with an understanding smile.

Well that made more sense because surely hospital food couldn’t be allowed to be that bad.

“The lack of appetite is pretty usual in a person of your case when experiencing a lot of nausea. It will come back but it may take a while, until then you need to remember to eat at normal meal times or at least graze throughout the day. Try to have the equivalent of the three main meals a day; an eating roster may even help.” Dr Murray explained.

Brendon had already listened to one of the nurses explain the best way to go about an eating roster a couple of days ago when Spencer and Ryan were visiting. So whether or not Brendon makes one there are already two people going to make sure he’s eating right.

He nodded to show he understood anyway and spotted a small box of tables that Dr Murray was holding. It looked a lot like the box for the antibiotics the nurses have been giving him. The doctor smiled noticing Brendon’s gaze.

“I’m sure you know what these are by now,” He chuckled holding the box up. “This is a new box to start on, a little lighter than the ones you have been taking but will kill off the rest of the flu. Even if you feel better you have to finish this course. I also have a script for the anti-nausea tablets. These ones are to be taken about half an hour before you eat breakfast.”

The doctor handed the box and the piece of paper over. Brendon hoped that this meant he was going to be allowed to go home. He wasn’t one hundred percent over the worst of the flu if his continuously sore through had much to say about it, but Brendon was five thousand percent ready to go home and most importantly, back to his own bed.

Dr Murray stood and picked up the file from the holder on the end of the bed. Brendon watched as he marked down a couple of things then smiled up at Brendon.

“Well, all you’re obs look great; have for the last couple of days now. I’d say you’re good enough to go home.”

Brendon perked up at that, sitting up straighter in the bed and Dr Murray laughed.

“I’ll get the release papers ready and I’ll have the surgery contact you for a follow up appointment with me for the end of the week. You should be free to go after lunch.”

*

Brendon let Zach shove the door open and followed slowly into the house. It looked the same as before he left, except for a house that’s been empty for just over a week it was nice and warm inside. The heater was on in the lounge room and guess Zach had turned it on before going to the hospital to pick him up.

Zach dumped Brendon’s bags on the floor in the hallway and wondered off into the lounge room. Brendon grabbed the handle of the clothes bag, dragging it behind him all the way to the laundry room and flung it towards the washing machine. It skidded across the top and fell off the other side with small thump. Brendon stood there for a moment, sucking on the edge of the chocolate bar he was holding wondering if he should pink the bag up. He left it there.

When Brendon entered the lounge room he froze not seeing one but three people sitting in the room. He blinked and slowly started chewing on the chocolate again.

“Uh, hi.” He greeted surprised.

Jon grinned at him and hopped off the couch, walking over for a hug.

“I brought you another surprise.” Ryan said somewhere over Jon’s shoulder as Brendon hugged back.

“No licking allowed this time.” Jon laughed as Brendon half heartily tried to lick Jon’s cheek.

Jon pushed him away and Brendon pouted. He couldn’t be bothered with the act though and gave up quickly, choosing to eat more chocolate instead. Well, he wasn’t eating it as so much letting it melt on his tongue.

After what he had for lunch he needed something to wash the fish taste out of his mouth.

“When did you fly in?” It’s been two weeks already?”

Brendon tried to think back and realised he had no idea what the date was.

“About two hours ago.” Jon said sitting down on the couch. “Almost three weeks actually, I don’t know if anyone told you but one of the kitchen taps burst and I had to wait around for the plumber to fix it and then I had to clean up the mess.”

Brendon moved over to the only empty chair in the room and curled up as much as he could in the small space. He looked around for his little throw blanket, but it was on the couch under Ryan’s bottom.

“How are you feeling now? From what the guys told me you were pretty bad for a while.” Jon asked concerned.

Brendon swallowed down what chocolate was in his mouth and coughed. Jon lent forward on the couch, eyebrows knotting together in worry.

“Better than before, not completely over it yet.”

“I don’t think eating chocolate would help anything.” Ryan stated raising an eyebrow, more mocking then telling.

Next to Ryan in the other lounge chair Zach gave Brendon a look, much like the one when Brendon dug the sweet out of his bag and started eating it in the car.

“If you ate what I had for lunch, you’d be eating chocolate too.” Brendon shrugged and chuckled when Ryan made a face.

Brendon had made Ryan eat some of a baked potato thingy one night. Safe to say Ryan didn’t even swallow the mouthful and it was probably the funniest thing that happened while in hospital. That, and when Brendon gave Zach his new ‘fridge masterpiece’ of a badly coloured-in Lion King pictures surrounded by weird lion sex facts he got from an animal documentary that was on TV one night.
If only he had a camera.

“Speaking of food, can I raid your kitchen?” Zach asked, already out of the chair and crossing the room.

Brendon nodded and snapped a couple of pieces of chocolate that he was chewing on and tossed the rest of the pack over to Ryan and Jon.

“So, are you well enough for a movie night?” Ryan asked pulling his feet up into the couch. “’Cause Spence just got his surround sound finally fixed and we could totally raid his house.” He grinned.

“Movie afternoon after I have a nap?” Brendon asked.

Ryan nodded. Brendon popped the pieces of chocolate in his mouth.

“Sounds good, I brought some new DVDs with me.” Jon said which started a full discussion between him and Ryan what the best movie he brought were.

Brendon listened half-heartily, mostly focusing on the fact he was finally home and sitting in a really comfy chair. He sort of wanted to take that nap now but couldn’t be bothered moving. Zach walked out of the kitchen with a stack of toasted sandwiches and some toast.

A nap can wait a little longer.