Chapter 12

Trigger warnings: Hospitals, mentioning of last events

Mark's POV

The sight that I walked into was terrifying. Jack was covered in his own blood, he had all sorts of cuts and bruises on him. Then he was naked. The sight in front of me wanted to make me cry.

Who would do such a thing?

I looked around, grabbing a blanket, that hopefully wasn't covered in blood and covered Jack in it. I wrapped him in it, immediately calling 911.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"Yes yes, I just found my friend covered in blood and naked. Please send an ambulance." I choked on my words, it was just so hard to see Jack like this.

"What's the address?"

I stuttered when I gave her the address, when she said the recourses would be here any moment, I grabbed Jack. Carrying him bridal style. He felt so...Lifeless. He looked lifeless, and that freaked me out.

I brought him outside with slight difficulty but once I did I heard the sirens. It took all my might to not completely fall with Jack in my arms and cry. I held my breath, and held Jack closer to my body, possibly staining my clothes with blood, but oh well. That was the least of my worries.

My vision was blurry from the tears I was holding back, i saw the flashing lights and knew they were here. I was really relieved when they let me inside the ambulance with him. I had to sit as far as possible from him for the nurses I'm guessing had to take care of him, removing the blanket I had wrapped around him, and putting something else on him. I had closed my eyes for a second, not being able to stand seeing Jack like that. When I opened them, an oxygen mask was on his mouth. I could feel my eyes start to water again. 

How could anyone do this to him?

I will make whoever did this pay. I don't know what I'd do, but I'd do something to where they'd regret it. I vowed to myself. 

I felt the ambulance come to a stop, the doors opened and I jumped out. I watched as they took  the unconscious Jack out on the stretcher, taking him to the emergency room. I tried following them, but nurses were holding me back. If I was honest, I didn't put up as big as a fight as I wanted to. I knew it was pointless. I knew they were going to let me see what they were doing to him. I'm not sure if I'd want to see what they were doing to him. I sat in the waiting room, tapping my foot with my hands in my hair. Fuck, I was starting to freak out. Images of the bruises, the blood, they were trapped in my head. 

He's not going to make it. He's been through too much trauma.

No, Mark. Stop it. He'll make it. 

Stop lying to yourself.

I had a none stop argument with myself until I couldn't hold it in anymore, I let a few tears escape my eyes, meeting their death when they slid down my cheeks. I was so worried. I knew it wasn't my fault, but I can't help but believe that I could've done something. Anything. I don't know what, but I could've done something. 

I need him. I need to make sure he's okay. I took all my strength to force myself to stand up. My legs were wobbly, and for a second I thought I might not be able to walk. I did. I made it to the front desk where the secretary sat, "The kid with the green on top of his head... Can you tell me some updates about him?" I pleaded, my voice shaking. 

She stared at me, and at first I thought that maybe she wouldn't tell me. I felt my chest tightened, afraid of anything that would come out of her lips.

"I'm not supposed to do this, but I'll check for you," She said, typing and clicking on her keyboard, "It seems like your friend went through a lot, huh? Some head trauma, fractured rib, had to get quite a bit of stitches.. He's very lucky. From what I saw of his condition, he's lucky that that's all that's wrong with him," She looked at me, then back at her computer screen, her voice quieted down quite a bit, "Do you want to know everything?" She asked me, and I nodded quickly, in which she sighed in response. "They did a full evaluation on him, to check his body. He must've went through some sexual abuse while this was happening," My heart stopped.

That's why he was naked. 

I could feel myself getting nauseas, taking a deep breath to hopefully keep it down, "..When do you think I could see him?" I asked softly, looking down before back at her. I was trying so hard to stay calm. 

"Soon, he's stable. He's still asleep," She looked at me, "His room is right down this hall, take a right, and it's the first door on your left.Stay quiet, make sure you don't wake him up," She tells me, and my eyes were wide after she told me all of this. 

"T-Thank you so much!" I said quickly, before I begun walking towards his room. Down the hall, taking a right, and the first door on my left. I had walked as fast as I could. My hand was on the doorknob, taking a deep breath, I opened the door slowly, exhaling once I got to glance in there. I saw Jack sleeping in his bed, he still looked awful, but at least he wasn't covered in blood. He had an IV connected to his arm, and a few other machines to keep check of his pulse. I took a chair that was against the wall and brought it closer to the hospital bed. I looked at Jack's face. It was not the perfect face I saw before this mess, it was nothing but colors of red and purple. There were darkened fingerprints on his neck. I'm glad that was all I could see at the moment. I don't think I'd be able to look at anything else at the moment without crying. My eyes were already watering again, this time I wasn't going to let them out. No, not with Jack here. Knowing he could wake up any moment. That's not something I'd want to wake up too, so I'm not going to let him wake up to it. 

I softly took his hand in mine. Holding it lightly, rubbing my thumb just barely touching him. I couldn't help but feel like he was a little fragile child. One wrong move could hurt him. 

I was in there for a half hour, he didn't wake up. It was about 10 at night, and I knew I would have to head home soon. I didn't want to. I wanted to stay with Jack to make sure he'd wake up to someone on his side. As I was contemplating on whether or not I should go, a miracle happened. Actually, cross that off. Jack moved a little bit. I looked up at him, smiling. Only to frown. His eyebrows were furrowed, seconds after that he begun mumbling something. Moving a bit more harshly. He was having a nightmare. I put a bit more pressure to his hand to give a bit more comfort. It didn't work to well.

"Jack," I said softly, "It's me, Mark. You're alright, "I repeated that a few times, talking softer. It seemed to help a bit. 

To my surprise, I saw his eyes open slowly. His beautiful blue eyes. I couldn't keep myself from grinning. Him waking up just made me feel so happy inside. Knowing for sure that he was alive, and it wasn't some machine telling me. His eyes told me. His chest going up and down when he breathed. That told me he was alive, and I was so happy, "Jack, you're alive. You're okay. You're awake," My voice cracked a little. I scooted my chair towards him better. He smiled very lightly at me, his eyes just barely opened. 

"Mark.." His voice was hoarse, but it was still that Irish accent. His voice. Another thing to prove to me that he was alive. 

His eyes widened all of a sudden and he shot upwards, letting out a small cry of pain, "Where am I?!" He looked around, then back at me, his eyes showing fear, "How did I get here? Why am I here?" 

"Hey, lie back down. You're safe okay," I stood up, Jack's eyes still meeting mine, he listened. Thankfully. "You don't want to hurt yourself more then you already are," I sat on his bed, careful to not hurt him at all, "Do you remember anything?"

"Yeah... I remember everything up to the point where I called you-" He froze and stared at me, "You called the ambulance? Why would you do that, Mark?"

I stared at him in disbelief, did he really ask me that? 

"Jack, you were unconscious , I found you covered in blood and bruises... And naked," I murmured the last part quietly, hopefully enough to where he wouldn't say anything, "I thought you were going to die, Jack. I was so scared," I heard my voice come out shaky, and I bit my lip, "I'm sorry I thought that was the right thing to do."

Jack sighed softly, lying back on his pillow, squeezing my hand lightly, "It's just.." I could just hear the hesitation in his voice, "I a bit scared, Mark. My dad is going to be so pissed at me for calling you, then what if he hurts you for calling the ambulance- you haven't told them anything have you?" 

"No, of course not. I wouldn't be surprised if a police officer came in sometime to talk to you though," I said truthfully, "I promise you, Jack. I will keep you safe. Your dad is never going to hurt you again. I won't let him hurt me either," I hoped to whatever was out there that this wasn't an empty promise. 

He took his hand away from mind and held his arm out for me. I moved back a bit avoiding Jack's arm. Instead I wrapped my arm around him and carefully got closer to him. He moved a tad closer to me as well, "I'm sorry to bring you in this mess, I'm sorry you have to see me like this. I'm sorry I'm being so.. weak right now," I felt his body start to shake. 

No.

His body was shaking, and he didn't say anything else. I knew he was crying. I knew he was like me and hated to cry in front of anybody. His face was burried in my chest, and my face was in tilted into him. I let out a few tears slip from my eyes. 

"Don't you fucking apologize," I choked slightly, this just hurt so much to see. I didn't know Jack for , very long, but seeing him in so much pain, emotionally and physically, just hit me hard in the heart, "You mean so much to me, I'll do anything for you, okay?" I said, not pulling away. Neither of us wanted to be seen like this. 

"Thank you," Jack whispered, "The same goes for you though, okay?" his voice was muffled by my shirt, but I could hear him well enough, "Can you stay here with me?" He said, still keeping his head in my shirt, "I don't want to be alone." 

"Of course, I'll stay here all I can," I said. Jack readjusted, my guessing because the position was uncomfortable for his current state. Once he adjusted, I did as well. We both had stopped crying, I think it was one of those things that we both just needed to let out. We had both been holding it in for too long, and I realized something: 

It felt so nice to let it out. Especially with someone.