is there no way out of the mind?

Everett watched as Cameron climbed into bed, only wishing he could make things easier on Cameron. Everett figured he’d always been protecting Cam, doing enough to look out for him, but when Ev had pulled him out of his shell and encouraged him to be all he could be the world hit him hard and fast. So much changed so quickly for Cam once Everett introduced him to sex and what Everett considered the better side of life. Everett assumed that Cameron could take it, could make his own decisions and handle hooking—even if Everett didn’t completely approve of it—and that he would be okay so long as Everett made sure nobody beat him up and ditched him in an alley, but Ev had never taken much stock in the emotional kind of hurt. At least not until later, until he had to take notice of his own feelings, not until Cameron was tearing at the seams with emotional damage.

Cameron poked his head out from under the covers. It'd been ages since he'd been able to read a book. He missed stories terribly. They helped them get out of his own mind for a minute.

One of the many things that Everett and Cameron had in common was their love for books, the care they had for books. Everett had swatted many an Anderson for creasing covers and dog earring pages because books were valuable things to be cared for and looked after not used and abused until ratty but they just didn’t understand. Another thing they shared was their taste in literature; Everett adored books of social commentary, both fiction and non-fiction that studied people, displaying startling characters that defied the norm set up within the realms of the pages. A Clockwork Orange was one of Everett’s favourites for sure, and he knew it was the same for Cameron.

Cameron bit his lower lip; his brows furrowed. Yes. Blaine wouldn't come here, anyway. But why would Ev visit him? Why would anyone?

Grateful for not having the door slammed in his face Everett pushed himself inside the room clumsily, still not all that used to using his wheelchair and his injured hand still not able to use it’s full range of movement, and came to a stop near the foot of Cameron’s bed. The vacancy in Cam’s face didn’t go unnoticed but Everett held his tongue. God knows what medication they had Cameron under, that and Cam’s state of mind which Everett had no real measure of but at least Cameron recognised him.

Cameron nodded, not really registering Ev's words, but eyeing the book in his hand. His finger twitched; they'd taken his books away from him after he'd given himself a paper cut. He'd tried to tell the nurses that it wasn't on purpose. He'd never sully the beautiful black and white of a page with blood - the red was pretty, yes, but it dried into a hideous brown and Cam just wouldn't do that with a book. 

Everett didn’t have to imagine what it was like for Cameron, in hospital with burns, just lying there minute after hour after day until not even time seemed real anymore. He was fortunate to have been relieved from the general hospital, instead given strict schedules of activities at the respite centre which kept time fluid and moving, he’d have gone mad—madder, rather—had he not been given things to do.

Cameron blinket down at Everett, trying to remember who exactly Everett was to him. He only vaguely remembered; most of the memories were unpleasant, but Cameron didn't exactly have enough energy to care. He shrugged, letting Ev into the room.

@Cam

Cameron sighed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He'd lost track of the amount of time he'd been here; the seconds kept feeling like hours and the hours dragged on into lifetimes. He didn't really care, though. He didn't care about seeing people any more. This was kind of like his hell, his purgatory. It was almost like he was dead, and he took comfort in that.

*smiles at Kerp and looks at Cam, feeling a twisting in her gut*

*pulls back a little bit, wrapping her arms around herself defensively*

*blinks* Maybe. 

*pauses for a split second before answering Kerp’s question*

*gently presses Cam’s hand a little harder and was rewarded with a kick. unable to stop herself, she giggle delightedly*

*looks in Cam’s eyes*

*looks up, surprised at the sudden catch in Cam’s voice, she stands up and slowly walks over, sitting on the edge of the bed*