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The Pros and Cons of Loving
Part 46
Three Day Later…
Aiden’s POV
I sat next to Eric’s bed, tired and smelly. I couldn’t leave him though. He was so pitiful. He was dizzy, sometimes he couldn’t remember why his ribs were broken, sometimes he needed help to the bathroom… it was just too risky to leave him alone, even for a second. Though he slept, he had a concussion and I had to make sure he didn’t stay asleep.
“Aiden… Aiden….”
I looked up as Dad came into the room.
“Aiden… look, I’ll stay in here with Eric. Go take a shower, hon… you smell.”
“I wanna stay with Eric.” I groaned.
“Shower and sleep, then you can stay with him all you want… you’re going to exhaust yourself and that won’t be good.” He said, pulling me up. “He’s sleeping… he won’t even know you’re gone.”
“But, Dad…”
“Aiden, if he needs you I’ll get him… but you need sleep.”
I glanced at Eric, soundly sleeping. Some days he’d seem like he felt fine, and then the next day he’d be so miserable and in pain. Sleeping he always looked peaceful though. His scratches were going away and his bruises were lighter.
“I wanna stay—.”
“Look… you’ve been with him since he left the hospital. I don’t want you getting exhausted. Go get in the shower and take a nap. Then you can stay with him again.”
I bit my lip, kissed Eric gently, and surrendered to Dad’s orders.
…
…
Frank’s POV
“Get him water, Gee! Hurry!” I called, sitting Eric up carefully.
“It hurts.” Eric gasped through his coughs. His coughs wracked his entire body and pain was evident in his face.
“Just breathe.” I whispered as Gerard ran in with water. “Set it down until he can settle down.”
I looked down and saw Eric wincing and coughing up blood.
“Frank, is that supposed to happen?” Gerard hissed.
“Shit shit shit…I’ll go call the doctor and ask.” I said.
Eric’s POV
Frank ran from the room and I sat there, coughing blood into my hand and trying not to cry in pain. Gerard slowly sat on the bed, as if scared he would hurt me more. My eyes met his and I whimpered.
“Do you… want Aiden?”
Yes, I did… but I also knew he needed sleep. I may be having splitting headaches and coughing up my blood, but I did know that he hadn’t left my side. He needed rest and I wanted him to have it.
I began coughing again, more blood spilling out of my mouth.
I don’t know why, but it suddenly hit me.
I was coughing up blood.
What if the blood is coming from a punctured lung?
My eyes widened in horror and it was suddenly much harder to breathe.
“Eric… Eric, calm down… Frank will be right back…” Gerard said quickly, scooting closer to me. “It’s okay…”
“I can’t breathe.” I managed to gasp out.
“Shh, shh…” he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me gently and protectively to his chest.
Being in his arms… my father in law, who is the closest man I’ve ever had to a father… I felt safe. He stroked my hair and gently rocked me, as if calming a small child.
I relaxed into him and he continued patting my hair down and whispering soothing words in my ear. I continued gasping for air and coughing into his chest, getting blood all over his white shirt. I didn’t notice though, because I was too busy trying not to cough so much.
I took in shuddery breaths for several minutes, several painful minutes, until finally my breathing relaxed. I realized then that my coughing had stopped, but noticed the blood I had gotten on Gerard’s white shirt. I whimpered and tried to pull away. Instead he whispered that he didn’t care about his shirt and cuddled up to me.
I relaxed again, using his chest as a pillow. The two of us lay there silently until I eventually fell asleep.
Aiden’s POV
I sat next to Eric’s bed, tired and smelly. I couldn’t leave him though. He was so pitiful. He was dizzy, sometimes he couldn’t remember why his ribs were broken, sometimes he needed help to the bathroom… it was just too risky to leave him alone, even for a second. Though he slept, he had a concussion and I had to make sure he didn’t stay asleep.
“Aiden… Aiden….”
I looked up as Dad came into the room.
“Aiden… look, I’ll stay in here with Eric. Go take a shower, hon… you smell.”
“I wanna stay with Eric.” I groaned.
“Shower and sleep, then you can stay with him all you want… you’re going to exhaust yourself and that won’t be good.” He said, pulling me up. “He’s sleeping… he won’t even know you’re gone.”
“But, Dad…”
“Aiden, if he needs you I’ll get him… but you need sleep.”
I glanced at Eric, soundly sleeping. Some days he’d seem like he felt fine, and then the next day he’d be so miserable and in pain. Sleeping he always looked peaceful though. His scratches were going away and his bruises were lighter.
“I wanna stay—.”
“Look… you’ve been with him since he left the hospital. I don’t want you getting exhausted. Go get in the shower and take a nap. Then you can stay with him again.”
I bit my lip, kissed Eric gently, and surrendered to Dad’s orders.
…
…
Frank’s POV
“Get him water, Gee! Hurry!” I called, sitting Eric up carefully.
“It hurts.” Eric gasped through his coughs. His coughs wracked his entire body and pain was evident in his face.
“Just breathe.” I whispered as Gerard ran in with water. “Set it down until he can settle down.”
I looked down and saw Eric wincing and coughing up blood.
“Frank, is that supposed to happen?” Gerard hissed.
“Shit shit shit…I’ll go call the doctor and ask.” I said.
Eric’s POV
Frank ran from the room and I sat there, coughing blood into my hand and trying not to cry in pain. Gerard slowly sat on the bed, as if scared he would hurt me more. My eyes met his and I whimpered.
“Do you… want Aiden?”
Yes, I did… but I also knew he needed sleep. I may be having splitting headaches and coughing up my blood, but I did know that he hadn’t left my side. He needed rest and I wanted him to have it.
I began coughing again, more blood spilling out of my mouth.
I don’t know why, but it suddenly hit me.
I was coughing up blood.
What if the blood is coming from a punctured lung?
My eyes widened in horror and it was suddenly much harder to breathe.
“Eric… Eric, calm down… Frank will be right back…” Gerard said quickly, scooting closer to me. “It’s okay…”
“I can’t breathe.” I managed to gasp out.
“Shh, shh…” he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me gently and protectively to his chest.
Being in his arms… my father in law, who is the closest man I’ve ever had to a father… I felt safe. He stroked my hair and gently rocked me, as if calming a small child.
I relaxed into him and he continued patting my hair down and whispering soothing words in my ear. I continued gasping for air and coughing into his chest, getting blood all over his white shirt. I didn’t notice though, because I was too busy trying not to cough so much.
I took in shuddery breaths for several minutes, several painful minutes, until finally my breathing relaxed. I realized then that my coughing had stopped, but noticed the blood I had gotten on Gerard’s white shirt. I whimpered and tried to pull away. Instead he whispered that he didn’t care about his shirt and cuddled up to me.
I relaxed again, using his chest as a pillow. The two of us lay there silently until I eventually fell asleep.