Trigger Warning! Usually I specify, but I don't want to spoil it. So, proceed with caution ⚠️.

Class time. It's college, and Alexander is sitting in Mr. Washington's class along with his boyfriend, John. But not together. They were on opposite sides of the room,  John ignoring Alex.

"Alex."

No answer.

Alex kept staring at the whiteboard blankly. His head resting on his hand, George called him again.

"Alex."

Quiet.

"Alexander."

Still no answer.

"Alexander Hamilton!"

"yeeesss-..."

His word slurred together.

"Son, are you alright?"

BAM.

Alexander falls out of his seat and onto the floor, startling everyone in the room.

His large hoodie, so large you couldn't see his shorts, engulfs his body and he swims in it on the floor. George calls,

"Alexander!"

Still no answer.

The reason he seemed uncouncious, was because he was unconscious.

John leaps up from his seat and runs over to Alexander's body, feeling for a pulse.

Bum.

Bum.

That was slow. Extremely slow.

Picking up Alexander's small fragile body, he piggy-back rode him up to his car. Putting him in and buckling him up, John comments to himself,

"You're so damn light. What magical coffee have you been drinking?"

Driving to the hospital, John sings random tunes in a worried tone. Such as,

"If you die I'm gonna kill you~"
"Please don't die on my watch~"
"You better not fuckin' die~"

And so on.

Pulling into the hospital parking lot, he picks Alex up from the passenger seat and carries him bridal style. He practices the breathing exercise Alex taught him, remembering that it will help. It's taught to soldiers for the battle field, so it must work now. Alex told him that when he first taught it to John, and he believes Alex.

He walks into the emergency room office, using his foot to push open the door. When the receptionist sees Alexander unconscious in his arms, she is immediately alarmed and rushes up to John.

"Sir, what is the problem?"

"My bo- my friend passed out in the middle of class randomly, and so I brought him here."

"Oh dear, let me get the doctors immediately."

Adjusting Alex in his arms, John noticed for the first time that Alex's body is cold. Extremely cold.

Biting and chewing his bottom lip, he follows the receptionist to a room down the hall.

It it simple, white. The left corner has a bed, a bag with tubes coming out of it go the left of the bed. On the right side, the heart monitor is blank with no sound, as it isn't inside anyone's body. The only other things in the room are to chairs on the opposite side of room in the front corner.

Setting him down gently on the bed, he is asked to leave, and he does.

The moment after something happens, you don't fully register what happened. John was stuck in the state until entering his car. He was fine while filing paper work, he was fine while crying, buy this was where he cracked.

Locking the door to the driver seat, he take a deep breath and succumbs to sadness, beginning to cry.

Nay, not crying. Bawling.

For a solid 3 minutes, John sits there crying and gasping for air desperately in an effort to calm down. The breathing exercise has no use at this point.

After finishing, he wipes his eyes and drives back to his dorm, trying his best not to tear up on the road. He doesn't need to be in the hospital as well.

Once reaching, he calmly gets out of his car. Taking a deep breathe, he tells himself to go tell his friends in a calm and proper, poised manner with rationality.

He fails.

After crying again while crouching in the parking lot, he finally manages to stand up and proceeds to run to the Schuyler sisters' dorm room, knowing everyone would be there. It is Friday after all, and they're probably wondering where he is.

He bursts the door open to the startled faces of his faces.

To be fair, let us see their perspective:

Playing UNO together and demolishing each other, their friend barges open the door, panting, eyes red and swollen, distressed.

He starts,

"Alex-"

Angelica cuts him off,

"John, you need to let go. He cheated on you, you deserve better than that. I know it's sad, but-"

"Angie, I appreciate the sentiment, but I currently don't give one single fuck about when he cheated on me. He-"

John starts hyperventilating and tears come to his eyes again. Peggy calls him over,

"John, what did he do?"

"He-he didn't do anything. It's what happened to him..."

Lafayette gets concerned by this cryptic reply.

"What-what happened to him?"

"Mr. Washington kept calling him in class, and he didn't answer. After a few times, he just passes out and ends up falling over in his chair onto the floor! What if he has head damage, what if he never wakes up, what if-"

"John calm down. He probably just didn't get enough sleep again."

"Nonono that's not it. I tried waking him up, but he didn't. His body was super cold when I picked him up, much colder than anyone should be. I took him to the hospital and they're taking care of him at the hospital right now. I don't know what's wrong with him!"

At this point, he's cuddled up in between Peggy and Lafayette and hugging his knees.

"I can't believe I'm crying over him! I've tried hating him, I really have! I just can't though...I love him too much..."

"John, mon ami, what would you like to do?"

"I don't know..."

"We could go back to the hospital and check on him?"

"It's only been about 30 minutes, I don't know if they would have any information..."

John's mumbling and low volume only concerns his friends even more. In fact, most of them are close to tears. However, they stay strong. For John.

"Johnny Boi, I think we should go anyways. It's better than staying here, ignoring what just happened, and worrying even more."

"...you're right peggy let's go..."

Everyone stands up and walks to the parking lot in silence. John is keeping his head up high, hands in fists, trying not to fall apart. What he didn't realize, or rather, chose not to acknowledge, was that he had already had fallen apart. He just had more experience at hiding it than others.

John opens the door to the Schuylers' van and climbs into the back. Angelica goes to driver seat, but Eliza grabs her hand and looks her in the eye.

"I'm driving. You sit in the very back seat."

The back window seat on the right stayed empty; it's Alex's seat.

Or rather, it was.

John pulls out his headphones as soon as the car starts, not wanting to talk with the others. He plugs his headphones into the phone jack and look out the window.

He's not slick nor subtle; it's obvious to anyone and everyone that looked at him what he was actually looking at.

The seat next to him.

Peggy speaks up with the intent to get John's mind off of Alex,

"What're you listening to John? John? John!"

John finally noticed and his head snapped towards Peggy,

"I'm...um..., music."

"John what are you listening to."

"Peggy, why are you so adamant on knowing what I'm listening to-"

"I need to know what you're listening to-"

"NOTHING, OKAY PEGGY."

The shout startled everyone in the car. John never shouted in anger.

Silent sobs are heard from the back of the car.

"P-peggy, I'm so sorry...I-I didn't mean-that's not what I meant-"

"John, wipe your tears. I know you didn't mean it. Now, can you please just tell me what you're listening to...?"

"My Chemical Romance. Why do you want to know so badly?"

"Because music taste and the timing of music says a lot about someone and what they're going through. What album?"

"...welcome to the black parade..."

"John, change it."

"Why-"

"Because that album is literally detailing a man's final moments before dying of cancer-"

"So you think Alex is going to die."

The atmosphere is tense, the only sound being a muffled guitar solo coming out of John's earbuds, as he had forgotten to pause it.

"John, no. I don't think...he...is good to die-"

"Say his name, goddammit!"

Everyone except for Eliza turned towards John's sudden outburst. He didn't yell, persay, but it was a significant increase of volume from the mumbling he was doing before.

"His name is not taboo, it's not forbbiden! It's not some sort of offensive slur! Say, his name!"

Silence. After an agonizing 30 seconds, Peggy says,

"John, I don't think...I don't think Alex is going to die. However, you obviously do. You are not emotionally stable. One thing could tip the scale. Change it."

John picks up his phone and hits the next button on shuffle.

"Okay. What are you listening to now?"

"I'm not okay, parentheses. I promise."

"John, just answer the question-"

"No Hercules. That is the song name. You can listen to that one. It helps. I would prefer you listen to Twenty-One Pilots, but that will do."

Silence again.

Nobody asks Margarita how she knows those bands. About how she knows all this stuff. About how 'it helps'. Because of course they didn't.

"We're here."

The car comes to a stop and everyone shuffles out.

Entering the hospital, John fixes his posture and slaps on a smile. Talking carefully to the receptionist, he says to her,

"Good afternoon, ma'am! We are here to see Alexander Hamilton. I filed paperwork earlier, I'm the one who brought him in."

"What is your name, sir?"

"John Laurens."

He notices that she is the same woman as before. He wonders if she remembers him. His thoughts are interrupted by her voice,

"Thank you, he's down the hall in room 1804. He's awake, but please be careful. He's not doing well."

"How is his health?"

"Oh, looking up. Emotionally though, not well. At all."

She noticed John's expression and says in an effort to help,

"I'm sure he would be happy to see you. When we asked him to talk about something that makes him happy to distract him, he went to people and started talking about a John. Ummmmmmm, Peggy, Eliza, Lefayatte? So many others. But then he started getting sad so we asked for something different, and he said he couldn't think of anything or any people that made him happier. Mostly John though. Hah, I don't think he realizes how much he talked about you, John!"

John was so conflicted. It sounded like Alex loved him, so much.

But then why did he cheat?

"I'm sure he can't wait to see you again."

"ohh...um...thank you ma'am! May I have your name?"

"Washington. Martha Washington. Now stop stalling; yes I can tell. Go!"

"Thank you so much, Ms. Washington."

John walked with his group of friends down the hallway calmly, leading the way as he knew where it was already.

As soon as he was put of distance of Mrs. Washington, he slumped his shoulders and lost all confidence hr had before. His friends noticed behind him, but didn't say anything. He started laughing.

"John,"

Eliza called,

"John, what's so funny?"

John turns around and his friends realize that he's crying, not laughing.

As his body shook, he let out a small whimper,

"He still loves me, but he cheated. How could he cheat if he loved me? And how could he love me if he cheated?"

He wipes his tears and apologizes,

"Sorry for being so emotional. You guys shouldn't have to deal with this-"

John gets cut off by Angelica,

"John, remember, we cried too. We got angry, we got sad, we felt and feel a lot of the same things as you did and do. And you helped us too. It hurt you a lot more since you are the the one he- Alex cheated on, but don't feel guilty. It's normal to be sad."

John smiled. For the first time in a smile he smiled a genuine smile.

"I love you guys. I was focusing on him so much that I forgot about you guys. I love y'all!"

"Y'all?!"

"Shut up Peggy, when I get emotional the accent drawls through sometimes."

He giggles as Peggy sticks out her tounge. He was smiling. Through a tear stained face, yes, but smiling nonetheless.

"Okay Peggy, stop acting like a 5 yea old,"

Eliza giggles.

"John, are you ready?"

"No, but if I waited until I was 100% ready, I would end up dying in this hospital."

"Okay, let's go it."

The squad walked quietly towards Alex's room. They silently agreed, against John's wants, that he should go in first. Peering inside, John sees Alex tugging at the tubes sticking out of his right arm all at once, but not to take them out. He looked happy as he subjected himself to the pain, sighing in relief and relaxing his shoulders.

John takes a deep breath in, preparing himself.

"Alexander?"

Alexander's head shot up towards John, expression full of terror.

"John, I-"

"Oh my goodness you're a live!"

John rushes up and hugs Alexander deeply, laughing out of shock and happiness.

Alexander quickly pushes John away, scared.

"What are you doing?!"

John looks hurt.

"Wha- what- whaddya mean?"

"Why were you hugging me?"

"Because I'm glad you're alive!"

"Why?!"

John stood, frozen. Alexander just asked him why he cared that he wasn't dead.

Noticing John's expression, he furiously began apologizing.

"I'm so sorry John, I didn't mean to upset you, I just though- I just thought that you hated me. That everyone hated me."

"Alex, don't be sorry! It's fine-"

John stops once he realizes Alex's breathing is hitching and are uneven and quick.

"Alex, remember what you taught me. Breath in for four seconds,"

Alex followed John, and John counted the seconds on his fingers,

"Hold for seven, good, and let out for eight. Good! Repeat. One two three four, one two three for five six seven, one two three four..."

And so on. After about 10 rounds of this breathing, Alex's breathing patterns had steadied. Not gone back to normal, but steadied.

"Okay, um...I don't even know what I wanted to get out of this trip to see you...um..."

At this point, John was sitting on the bed next to Alex still from the breathing excercises.

"I'm just-I'm just so glad you're alive!"

John leans into to kiss Alexander, bit as their lips make contact Alexander retracts his and pushes John away, crying.

"Alex-alex why did you do-do that?"

John sounded on the brink of tears as well.

"John, you don't deserve me. You deserve so much...better. You deserve someone who won't sell their body, someone who's faithful-"

"Who, wait? Se-sell there body? Alex, Alex were you-were you selling your body?"

John knew there was a reason behind this, and that Alex obviously didn't like it, and that it was long before he even met John, but he still couldn't help but feel hurt at this. He knew he shouldn't be, but he was.

"In Nevis, I was the whore's son. Nobody ever did anything for me. Nobody wanted to hire me for the 10 jobs that were actually on the island at the time. I needed money. So, prostitution seemed like the best logical thing to turn to. I guess-I guess like mother like son. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree... John, I didn't want to! I really didn't! The people were mean and rough and didn't care about me, only my dick! I hated it! Disease ran ramped on the island, another reason why it was a bad idea..."

John was stunned.

"And-and Maria came and tried to make me cheat on you with her but I didn't so James blackmailed me with my past and so I decided to just have se- have se- have se- sex with her because between you either definitely finding out about my past or possibly finding out I cheated on you I chose the second because that would be the logical choice but I didn't know that a camera was set up in the room and now everyone hates me and I'm sorry!"

Alex begins to cry again, trying to hide in his hands and muffle the sounds of his sobs from John, though it was obviously a fultile quest as John was literally less than 10 feet from Alex.

John climbs onto the bed next to Alex, wraps his arms around him, and silently comforts him as he sobs. Alex pushes him away, panicking,

"John, John, stop! You could get infected! And even if I wasn't a monster, why would you even wanna touch me! I was a hooker John! A fucking hooker! I. Was. A. Hooker. Please re-evaluate your decision! I-i don't want you to come to your senses later and leave me. Just do it now and spare me the greater pain than I'm already in."

***

After the muffled shouting through the walls, their friends become worried at what's going on.

"Guys, we need to go check on them. Eliza, come with me-"

"No."

Peggy has stopped Angelica from talking. Everyone looked to her and she felt her anxiety rise. She manages to get out of her mouth,

"No. I should check on them."

"And why is that?"

"Because Alex and I are a lot closer than you realize. Who was the first person he came out to?"

"He came out to all of us at once-"

"Wrong. He came out to me first and took my advice of telling you all. Do you think he did it all on his own?"

The stunned silence was offensive to Peggy.

"Do you not know how close we are?! The multiple evenings we go out together and grab ice cream?! I confide in him, he confides in me, we go over to that abandoned park and hang out. That's where he fell out of the tree!"

(A/N Relax, it wasn't a suicide attempt. He just fell from like 5 feet and kinda hit his ankle, but not enough for the hospital or anything.)

"You'r- you're right Peggy. You two are very close; you should be the one to talk to him."

"Thank you."

Peggy stalks off and sneakily peeks into the room just as Alex shouts,

"-hooker John! A fucking hooker! I. Was. A. Hooker. Please re-evaluate your decision! I-i don't want you to come to your senses later and leave me. Just do it now and spare me the greater pain than I'm already in."

Peggy was able to contain her gasp as her back slid down the wall.

A hooker?! Really?! Alex, you were a hooker and didn't tell us?! You could've gotten hurt, kidnapped, raped, drugged, so many others horrible things and we wouldn't have been able to help because we didn't know where you were! If you had just told us then you could've felt so much better! Come on Alexander! You're supposed to be logical, listen to that instead of your anxiety!

Listening more, she hears the words nobody ever wants to hear as a nurse walks into the room.

"Sir, it is confirmed, and you are officially diagnosed with H.I.V..".

Word Count-3210

Part Two?

Okay guys let me clarify: AIDS and HIV are two different things. HIV is a virus, while AIDS is like a stage 3 HIV. Half of people diagnosed with HIV develop AIDS. From Headline's article entitled, 'HIV vs AIDS: What's the Difference?', written by Daniel Murrell*,

"While HIV is a virus that may cause an infection, AIDS (which is short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a condition. Contracting HIV can lead to the development of AIDS.

AIDS, or stage 3 HIV, develops when HIV has caused serious damage to the immune system. It is a complex condition with symptoms that vary from person to person. Symptoms of stage 3 HIV are related to the infections a person may develop as a result of having a damaged immune system that can't fight them as well."

It is important to know and recognize the difference between the two. Please please please do you own research; this is an important issue that more people need to know about.

That's it, and happy rest of your day (or night, lol)!