I couldn't help but follow my mom out of the room. She didn't want my plug pulled! Why the hell didn't I leave her as my guardian? Ugh.
"You're a piece of shit," mom snapped. Dad stopped. Kaden started to cry.
"Jane, I'm being realistic. I--"
"He's not dead."
"She's right," I said. Neither one could hear me.
"I don't want to sit by and watch him deteriorate," dad said. His voice cracked.
Dad was thinking the same way Kev was. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I looked at mom. I had to prove that I wasn't just some figment of Kev's imagination. I needed him on mom and Brian's side. The more people pulling for me...
"AH! AH-AH!" I ran back into the room. Ignoring my stationary body, I ran right through Kev.
"JESUS!" he yelped.
"Sorry!" I said breathlessly. "It's just...I know how to prove to you that I'm not imaginary."
"Are you okay?" Bri asked. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"I'm--" Kev trailed off.
"Kev, go ask my mom what my imaginary friend's name used to be," I said. "I swear to God that it's Pancake."
"Pancake?"
"How can you think of eating at a time like this?" Bri said sorrowfully.
"I, uh--" Kev looked between me and Bri. "I'll be back."
He turned. I followed him gleefully out the door.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Kev muttered. He cleared his throat. "Jane? Can I have a moment."
" Mom gave Kev a dirty look. She folded her arms across her chest and reluctantly nodded.
"This is going to sound weird," Kev said awkwardly. "But um, I was wondering if Nick ever had a...a imaginary friend?"
"Pancake?" mom asked in surprise. "What about him?"
I fist pummeled the air. "Ask her what color his hair was. She's gonna say indigo."
Kevin swallowed. Hard. "What, er--what color was Pancake's hair?"
Mom's eyes filled with tears. "Indigo," she whispered.
Kev whirled around. His eyes were wide and wild. I smiled sweetly and wiggled my fingertips.
"Boo," I said.
I gasped as Kev went stiff as a board and his eyes rolled back in his head. He hit the floor with a thud as he fainted.
"Whoops," I said. Mom was already calling for help.
"HEAL HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!" Brian's voice was echoing through the halls of the hospital. "HEAL HIM! HEAL HIM! I AM NOT LOSING TWO OF 'EM AT THE SAME TIME GOD DAMN IT!"
"If he dies, does medical choices deflect to family?" I heard Jane ask.
Kaden was sobbing.
"I told you I was real."
That last one made my eyes pop open. Nick was hovering over me. I was on the floor. Chaos had erupted all around me. Brian was on his knees, clutching my hand, a doctor had my other hand, checking my pulse. Nick's mom was shaking the doctor's shoulder urgently. Kaden was flailing in Robert's arms.
I stared up at Nick.
"Now do you believe me?"
I couldn't answer him. I didn't dare to. I felt my face flush.
"Kevin, speak to me!" Brian begged.
"I - I think... I think I need to go home," I muttered. I sat up.
"Careful son," the doctor braced my back, "Not too fast."
I felt dizzy, but I had to get alone with Nick so I could talk. I stood up. I fell into the wall. No way in hell was I driving safely yet. I glanced around at the concerned faces that were studying me. "Bathroom," I muttered, looking directly at Nick.
He followed along behind me towards the rest room, glancing back over his shoulder as he went. "I really don't wanna see your ding dong man," he said, "Can't I wait back there with --"
I swiped at him but my hand passed through him. "Ugh!" I groaned, "I gotta stop doing that, you're freezing," I hissed.
"Sorry," Nick said.
"C'mon." He hovered into the bathrooms and perched on a sink basin. I paced back and forth in front of him. "I dunno what to think right now, Nick. I feel like I'm fucking insane..."
"You aren't insane," he said.
"But I feel it. You're here, you're real. I don't get it. I don't believe in ghosts."
"I'm not a ghost," he argued.
"Then what the hell are you?" I asked.
Nick shrugged, "I dunno. I'm me.. just.. lighter, I guess."
I sighed. "Why me? Why not Brian?"
Nick shrugged again. "I dunno."
I leaned against a bathroom stall and closed my eyes. "Fricking A," I mumbled, rubbing my eyelids.
"I- I know how we can fix it," Nick whispered.
I opened my eyes and looked up at him. "How?"
"Well, I think I do anyway. I'm not positive. But I have this theory..."
"Wait. Is this anything like your frozen jello theory? Cos I gotta tell you man, that didn't work out so good."
"No, it's not like that," Nick said. He laughed, "Aw man I still say that should have worked. Seriously, doesn't it seem like it should work?"
"Nick.. the point, please?" Fucking A, even as a ghost he rambled.
"Oh right - right," Nick nodded, "You gotta get me a woman."
"Nick seriously this is not the time for sex."
"NOOO, Kevin, I'm serious!" Nick wailed.
Suddenly a toilet flushed in one of the stalls and a guy came out, looking bewildered. He stared at me and went over to the sink where Nick was and plunged his hands through Nick's crotch to turn on the water.
"WOOOAH there buster," Nick cried, levitating off the sink basic, a horror struck look in his eyes, "Even if they ain't tangible I don't want no one man-handling my balls, thank you..."
"Relax," I muttered, rolling my eyes, "No one is man handling your balls."
The guy turned around slowly, eyes wide. "Ex- excuse me?"
I blinked. "Uh... I uh..."
The guy bolted out of the bathroom.
Nick looked at me, his expression serious once more. "When this happened, this accident, I was going to see this girl..."
"Nick, I'm not getting brain-dead you laid," I snapped.
"Dude hear me out," Nick cried, "It's not about the sex, man, I wanted to get to know this one, to do it right, like I should've done with Lauren." His voice cracked ever so slightly. "I wanted to - to finally -" he paused. "I wanted to finally be a man."
"So how is getting you laid gonna wake you up?"
"Kevin, I need to find my One True Love," Nick said in a low, whispery, dramatic voice. He grabbed my shirt. "If she kisses me... I... I'll know I have a reason to keep living..."
I stared at him. "You're nuts."
"You're the one seeing braindead people," he reminded me.
I stared at him. "Okay you either are real or you aren't, but either way you don't get to make fun of me, so stop it."
"Kevin," Nick returned to the original subject, "I gotta find her, Kev. I gotta."
"Okay, so what was her name?" I asked.
Nick bit her lip. "See, Kev, thats the thing..."
"You don't know who she is do you?" I asked.
Nick shook his head. "N- not exactly."
"Fuckin' perfect," I muttered.
