Michael couldn't breathe. Oh, God, why? Why why why why? He kept thinking to himself. Why was he gasping for air? Why couldn't he open his eyes? What was going on?

He felt nothing but pain. He wanted to scream, or move, or do something at least. But it was impossible. He couldn't move his body, he had no control over it. His body felt heavy, like someone was laying on him. Was he being choked? Oh, God, he was going to die.

But then air is filling his lungs, and he's breathing again and he doesn't feel so heavy and his eyes are opening.

Michael doesn't even remember what happened. But here he was, in a hospital attached to an IV with blood in the bag. Michael wants to remember, he really does, but he can't. It was like someone was blocking his memory.

It was then the door to his room opened. Ashton walks in, and he breathes a sigh of relief at his best friend, but then his breath catches in his throat at the stranger behind him.

"Who is this?" Michael asks, trying but struggling to sit up. Ashton helps him, and then answers him.

"This is Luke. He drove us to the hospital after you fainted."

"Fainted?" He questions, and then he looks at his arm, and oh yeah. He accidentally cut his arm slicing onions.

Michael looks back to Luke, taking in his features and yeah he's an attractive lad, but something about him seems familiar. Was it his hair? Or his eyes? Or maybe his smile.

Oh, yeah, it was his smile. Because Michael has seen that same sinister smile before. This is Luke's fault, if Luke didn't mess with him he wouldn't have been so tired while cutting onions. Luke was standing behind Ashton, with that same fucking smile he wore that one night. Michael just had this feeling in his gut that Luke was the cause of everything happening to him.

"I want him out of this room." Michael says, adverting his gaze to Ashton who frowns.

"What? Why?"

Luke is now frowning, but Michael can tell it's fake.

"I want him out!" Michael raises his voice a little. Ashton turns to Luke, who raises his hands in surrender.

"Don't worry, this is a lot to take in. I understand why he wants me gone. I am just a stranger after all." He says.

Ashton is shaking his head, and maybe its Luke's voice but Michael can't hear what Ashton is saying. Maybe its the words echoing in his head.

"I am just a stranger after all." That sentence sent a chill down his spine, because there was an edge behind those words. And he didn't know why.

When Michael snaps out of it, Luke is leaving the room and he's turning around to look at Michael, and he winks. He fucking winks at Michael and he wants to cry again but he isn't even sure why.

Ashton turns back to Michael, the door closes behind him and it takes a minute before Michael looks away.

"Luke is a great guy, you should give him a chance."

"No." Michael says immediately.

"Why? If it wasn't for him you would still be at home, bleeding all over the ground."

"That's a lie. You would have called for an ambulance."

Ashton purses his lips, nodding.

"He just moved in next door. He was actually carrying boxes into his flat when I came running out."

"I don't trust him. I get this bad vibe about him." Michael says, laying back.

The door to his room opens, and a nurse is popping her head through the door, and then opens it wide as she greets Michael with a wide smile. Luke is standing behind her, his hands casually in his pockets.

"Hi, Michael. You gave your friends here a scare." She says, standing by his bed side. And Michael wants to tell her Luke wasn't a friend. He wanted to tell her that he was dangerous, and probably not even human but he doesn't. He realizes that he doesn't even have any proof that it's Luke causing everything to happen.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

Michael lifts a shoulder, "A little weak."

"Well, no surprise there. You lost a lot of blood. We had to give you stitches and even pump some blood back in you." She says, all while taking the IV out of his arm. He hisses through his teeth from the pain of the IV being taken out. "But, you'll be fine. If you're ready, and feeling okay, we'll get the discharge papers ready."

Michael nods, thanking her. She leaves with a bright smile, and then fucking Luke walks back in like he owns the place. Michael doesn't look at him, or even pay attention to the conversation he has with Ashton. He was ready to leave and just be far away from Luke.

--

Back at home, Ashton makes Michael take things easy. He won't let him cook dinner, or even turn on the damn TV because Ashton doesn't want him to split his stitches, even though Michael tells him he has another arm that is perfectly fine. But Ashton won't take it.

"I hope you don't mind," Ashton says while he makes dinner. Michael is standing next to him, telling him how, and what to use. "But I invited Luke over for dinner as a thank you for driving us to the hospital. He even carried you. He's pretty strong."

Michael tunes Ashton out, though, because all he can hear is "Luke is coming for dinner." This stranger Michael doesn't even know, is going to be sitting at his table, using his plate and fork and knife. And Michael thinks he might just faint again, but maybe this time it's because of fear.

Something about Luke scares Michael, not that he would admit it though.

"Do I have to come to dinner?" Michael whispers, holding onto the counter.

"Why? Are you okay? Are you feeling faint?" Ashton completely stops what he is doing, and starts drilling Michael with questions. "Should I take you back to the hospital?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Just tired, is all." He mumbles, turning to look back at Ashton. His bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

Ashton relaxes, but shakes his head. "No, you need to be here when Luke arrives. He carried you, and drove us to the hospital. You should be thankful, too."

"Why? Why couldn't you just call for an ambulance?"

"Because I wasn't thinking. I freaked out, okay?" Ashton's voice grows small, and Michael instantly feels bad.

"Okay, okay. I'll stay for dinner."

"Good, because Luke should be here any minute."

And Michael regrets saying yes because five minutes later Luke is knocking on the door and Michael is paling and it's too late to say no.