Head on Collision

Jack’s POV

I should have stayed home today. I sneezed as I walked through the door into the already completely empty gym change room. I really should have stayed home. Better yet, I should have said I was staying home and gone to visit Alex instead. I sneezed again and groaned to myself. Sure, yesterday afternoon was cute and sweet; you know, corny, kissing in the rain sort of stuff but with an immune system as shit as Alex’s or mine, it’s not exactly the most intelligent idea. I shook my head thinking abut yesterday afternoon. About that kiss, about the kisses that followed, about running hand in hand through the rain to get home as fast as we could. I thought about the hug we shared on his door step that lasted longer than I could remember. I thought abut the text message I got home to.

A simple I love you so fucking much Jack. Xox that made me smile wider then I had in weeks.

Hearing him say that, or rather, reading that made the days prior seem worth while and to be honest it made this shitty cold I had come down with worth while too. I'm regretting taking part in gym though. I was actually surprised I had lasted the entire day. I yawned as I pulled my gym shirt over my head and threw it over to my bag that sat on the bench across from the shower cubicle I had chosen.

I turned the tap on and let the steam fill the room. I heard the squeak of a shoe on the linoleum and I peered around the corner of the shower to find who it was. There was no one there. I heard it again.

“Alex?” I asked the room; my thoughts drifting back to the events that took place the last time Alex had surprised me in the shower.

"It's not your little boyfriend Barakat,” a voice jeered and I was shoved hard against my back. The force sent me flying against the back wall of the shower.

The stream soaked my shorts. I recognised the voice. Chris. I sighed and turned around; my back against the wall, facing my bully 4 years.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“What was that?” Chris snarled and grabbed my shoulders; pulling me towards him and throwing me back against the wall. The back of my head hit it first.

I looked at Chris; his jaw was locked, his eyes filled with malice.

“Where’s your little boyfriend Barakat?” he laughed. “Get sick of you already?”

I laughed myself

“Pissed I’m getting more then you are Chris?” I smirked; using my hand to simulate him jacking off.

“What the fuck did you say?” he growled stepping into my space. Is breath reeked of god knows what.

I cleared my throat and enunciated each and every word clearly.

“pissed. I'm. getting. More. Then. You. Are. Chris.” I repeated slowly.

"I dare you to fucking say that again you fucking fag?” Chris latched his fist around my throat and held me against the wall. He held up his fist.

“What are you going to do?” I asked; my tone surprisingly strong for someone who was about to get his ass beat. I regretted being a smart ass to him. “Beat the gay out of me. You can’t fucking change me Chris Stanley. No one can.”

I swallowed just as the first sickening crack echoed off the walls.

Zack’s POV

“Jack?” I called into the change room. “Jack? Are you in here?”

I noticed the steam coming up from one of the showers towards the end. The water was still running. The change room was partly flooded on one side.

“Fuck Jack,”I half laughed. “Dude. Are you still showering?”

I stepped carefully into the water that had covered the floor of the room and covered my eyes and looked around the side of the cubicle.

“Jack, dude, are you decent?” I asked; expecting some smart ass reply about being naked. I got nothing. “Jack?”

I opened my eyes and the sight made me literally gasp. Jack sat slumped against the back of the cubicle; the water just pouring down over him. He was bleeding from the mouth and his nose. There was a lot of fucking blood. A bruise was already formed on his right cheek and there were bruises in the the shapes of hand prints on his shoulders and chest.

“Fuck! Rian! Get the coach! Get him to call an ambulance,” I yelled out to Rian who had waited outside with Kara.

I heard his shoes on the lino and splashing before I caught sight of him.

“What why?”” he asked; his face coming into view. It fell; dramatically. “Fucking hell! What the fuck happened?”

"I don’t fucking know,” I yelled. “Call a fucking ambulance would you?”

I leaned up and shut the shower off; kneeling beside Jack.

“Kara! Call an ambulance and get the coach! Fast as possible! Go!” Rian bellowed and knelt beside me.

“What do we do?” Rian asked.

I pulled my sweater off over my head and folded it to make a makeshift pillow. I moved it to my lap.

"Help me lie him down,” I said to Rian; who was practically ashen.

Rian did what I asked him; bracing his head while I moved the rest of him; trying to take the strain off his neck.

“We’re here buddy. Jack. We’re here,” I muttered to him. “We’ve got you Jack.”

I looked around; desperate for something to dry him off with.

“Towel, Rian, please,”I pointed to Jack’s gym bag. “and a hoodie or something.”

Rian moved quickly; grabbing the towel and Jack’s hoodie out of the bag before rushing back over; almost losing his footing and sliding over in the wet. Rian draped the hoodie over Jack’s thin body tucking it under his arms a little. I dabbed at his face; drying him off carefully; being careful not to hurt his nose or any of the bruises that were forming on his face. I felt the puddle seeping in through the knees of my jeans; but that was the least of my worries right now.

“Fucking hell,” I heard someone swear and turned to see the coach standing in the cubicle doorway with Kara by his side.

“The ambulance is on its way,” Kara informed us.

It was an almost isilent 10 minutes later that the coach met the paramedics outside the gym and led them into where we were. I hadn’t moved. Jack’s head still lay in my lap carefully; I wasn’t sure if he was unconscious or not but he was shivering a little. He had a pulse; of that i was sure. I felt so sorry for him. I had no idea of what to do.

“What happened?” a female paramedic made her way between Rian and Kara and knelt down beside me.

“I, I um, don’t know,’ I stuttered; my eyes staying on Jack. “I found him like this. But by the looks of it he’s been beat up.”

“Can you step clear of the patient please?” a male paramedic requested of me.

“His names Jack,” I told him bitterly; before standing once I was sure the lady paramedic had taken my place. I stood by Kara and I felt her loop her arm through mine and rub my forearm comfortingly. i kept my eyes trained on Jack; the male paramedic lying a body board down on the floor. They slowly maneuvered Jack onto it and fitted a neck brace.

“Shit,” she said suddenly. “Someone should call Alex.”

I looked at Kara suddenly. Fuck. I had forgotten all about Alex.

“is that his brother or something?” the male paramedic asked.

“No, he’s Jack’s boyfriend,” Rian responded to him rudely.

The female paramedic smiled and handed me a phone.

“Call him and tell him to meet us at the hospital,”she said; smiling again. “We need to get Jack here checked out. “

I swallowed as I looked down at the phone. I looked to Rian and then Kara and back to the phone; before slowly punching in Alex’s number and pressing call.