Status: Slow updates
Love Struck
Waking Up
“Will he be okay, Doctor?” I heard a voice say. It was my mother. I tried to sit up, but I couldn’t move.
“He’ll be alright, Mrs. Kerr. He has a minor concussion and 4 broken ribs, though. He should wake up shortly.” A man’s voice said.
Oh god, I’m in a hospital. Did they really beat me up that bad?
“Alright, thank you, doctor.”
“I’m only doing my job, Mrs. Kerr. I’m sorry to rush out, but I must tend to other patients. I’ll come back to check on your son later.”
“Could either of you tell me who did this to him?” Another voice entered the conversation. I recognized it as Officer Dougherty, the local Sheriff. He came into the schools a couple times a year to talk about various things such as gangs, drugs, and other things he had seen during his years as an officer of the law.
They involved the police? Is Mom really that upset?
“No, Sheriff. I wasn’t there. I was texting him and he asked me if I wanted to hang out. I asked him where he was and he told me, so I went to pick him up, but by the time I got there, he was laying on the sidewalk, beaten to a pulp.” I knew that voice anywhere. I tried to say Cole’s name but I couldn’t. He stuck around? I don't know why I was surprised, but I figured he'd just go home and check on me tomorrow.
“Where did he say he was, Mr. Tate?”
“Call me Cole, please. And he was on Cherry blvd, sir.”
“Alright, Cole. Around what time were you texting him?”
“Around 5:00, sir. I found him around 5:30.”
“5:00 PM?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Alright. We’ll check the area for witnesses. When Mr. Kerr wakes up, we want to speak with him.”
“Wait.” Finally, I found the energy to speak, though my voice came out hoarse. “I’m awake.”
“Mr. Kerr, can you tell me who did this to you?”
I looked down. “I only know one of their first names. But I can give you a description.”
After describing Ned and his friend to the Sherriff, he looked up from his notepad on which he was writing and asked me, “Do these boys go to your school, Mr. Kerr?”
“Yes, Sheriff, they do.”
“Do you know why they would do something like this to you?”
I went silent. Do I tell him? I asked myself. What if he stopped the investigation when I told him that the reason they did this was because I’m gay? What if this just made things worse? I took a deep breath.
“Sheriff, I have reason to believe they attacked me because I’m openly gay.” I said, tears coming to my eyes.
“Have they attacked you for being gay before?”
“Verbally, yes. They’ve thrown rocks at me as well.” I glanced at my mom to see an expression of horror and shock on her face as I revealed this information. I never told her about the things that happened at school or on the way home, and I hated the fact that she had to find out like this.
“Is there anything else you’d like to add, Mr. Kerr?”
“No, sir. That’s all.”
“Alright. We’ll look into this immediately.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.” My mother said as he left the hospital room.
“How long have I been out for?” I asked.
“Around 3 hours.” Cole answered.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry. You guys must’ve been so worried!”
“Aiden, sweetie, it’s not your fault.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it, Shortstack. We’re just glad you’re awake.”
The doctor walked into the room. “Mr. Kerr. It seems you took quite a beating. Good to see that you’re awake. I’m Doctor Cyrus.”
“Hi.” I said with a small smile.
“Well, you have a minor concussion and 4 broken ribs. Your ribs should be healed in 3 to 6 weeks. Until then, we’re going to keep you here.”
“What about school?”
“I’ll write a Doctor’s note excusing you from classes and you’ll most likely be able to do some of your schoolwork here as long as someone brings it in for you.”
“I can do that.” Cole said.
I nodded. “Alright.”
“Alright. Now that that’s settled, you should get some rest. Do you need anything before I go?”
“Water, please.”
“Alright. I’ll be right back with your water.” Doctor Cyrus said, before leaving the room.
“He’ll be alright, Mrs. Kerr. He has a minor concussion and 4 broken ribs, though. He should wake up shortly.” A man’s voice said.
Oh god, I’m in a hospital. Did they really beat me up that bad?
“Alright, thank you, doctor.”
“I’m only doing my job, Mrs. Kerr. I’m sorry to rush out, but I must tend to other patients. I’ll come back to check on your son later.”
“Could either of you tell me who did this to him?” Another voice entered the conversation. I recognized it as Officer Dougherty, the local Sheriff. He came into the schools a couple times a year to talk about various things such as gangs, drugs, and other things he had seen during his years as an officer of the law.
They involved the police? Is Mom really that upset?
“No, Sheriff. I wasn’t there. I was texting him and he asked me if I wanted to hang out. I asked him where he was and he told me, so I went to pick him up, but by the time I got there, he was laying on the sidewalk, beaten to a pulp.” I knew that voice anywhere. I tried to say Cole’s name but I couldn’t. He stuck around? I don't know why I was surprised, but I figured he'd just go home and check on me tomorrow.
“Where did he say he was, Mr. Tate?”
“Call me Cole, please. And he was on Cherry blvd, sir.”
“Alright, Cole. Around what time were you texting him?”
“Around 5:00, sir. I found him around 5:30.”
“5:00 PM?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Alright. We’ll check the area for witnesses. When Mr. Kerr wakes up, we want to speak with him.”
“Wait.” Finally, I found the energy to speak, though my voice came out hoarse. “I’m awake.”
“Mr. Kerr, can you tell me who did this to you?”
I looked down. “I only know one of their first names. But I can give you a description.”
After describing Ned and his friend to the Sherriff, he looked up from his notepad on which he was writing and asked me, “Do these boys go to your school, Mr. Kerr?”
“Yes, Sheriff, they do.”
“Do you know why they would do something like this to you?”
I went silent. Do I tell him? I asked myself. What if he stopped the investigation when I told him that the reason they did this was because I’m gay? What if this just made things worse? I took a deep breath.
“Sheriff, I have reason to believe they attacked me because I’m openly gay.” I said, tears coming to my eyes.
“Have they attacked you for being gay before?”
“Verbally, yes. They’ve thrown rocks at me as well.” I glanced at my mom to see an expression of horror and shock on her face as I revealed this information. I never told her about the things that happened at school or on the way home, and I hated the fact that she had to find out like this.
“Is there anything else you’d like to add, Mr. Kerr?”
“No, sir. That’s all.”
“Alright. We’ll look into this immediately.”
“Thank you, Sheriff.” My mother said as he left the hospital room.
“How long have I been out for?” I asked.
“Around 3 hours.” Cole answered.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry. You guys must’ve been so worried!”
“Aiden, sweetie, it’s not your fault.”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it, Shortstack. We’re just glad you’re awake.”
The doctor walked into the room. “Mr. Kerr. It seems you took quite a beating. Good to see that you’re awake. I’m Doctor Cyrus.”
“Hi.” I said with a small smile.
“Well, you have a minor concussion and 4 broken ribs. Your ribs should be healed in 3 to 6 weeks. Until then, we’re going to keep you here.”
“What about school?”
“I’ll write a Doctor’s note excusing you from classes and you’ll most likely be able to do some of your schoolwork here as long as someone brings it in for you.”
“I can do that.” Cole said.
I nodded. “Alright.”
“Alright. Now that that’s settled, you should get some rest. Do you need anything before I go?”
“Water, please.”
“Alright. I’ll be right back with your water.” Doctor Cyrus said, before leaving the room.