There Was No Living Creature as Foul as I

I hated hospitals, they were the worst places in the world. You only came to one when something horrible happened, and this definitely counted as something horrible. My best mate since we were little kids had attempted to take his own life.

When I walked in I saw the most disheartening thing I think I'd ever seen. Elaine and Ian curled up together on the floor of the waiting room of the hospital. Both of them crying their eyes out. I felt horrible for both of them. I walked past them not sure what to say and over to where Amanda and Nat were sitting, "They've not moved for over an hour." Nat told me.

"Matthew didn't want to watch it so he left, Bob and Snoz went to get him and go to lunch." Amanda added, and I suddenly felt terrible for Matthew. His girlfriend was on a floor with some other guy's arms wrapped around her. No matter how gay said other man was it had to have been hard for Matthew.

"I don't think Ian will make it if Sean doesn't. I don't even know if she'll make it." Nat looked down sadly on the pair of our mates, both sobbing messes, "God. Sean is such an ass for doing this to them." She added, it was odd that she could still be mad at Sean for what he did, because of how it was affecting those who loved him.

I looked over at the two of them and I wanted to cry, I wanted to go over there with them and lay with Rhys the same way that the two of them were, "Rhys?" I whispered, "I should have been with him." He took my hand into his own, much stronger, one. Nat and Amanda looked happy to see our hands in each other's. And I remembered that Sean and Ian were the only people that knew we were dating. Rhys didn't seem to care though.

He pulled me over to the chairs and sat me down placing himself comfortably in my lap. My arms found their way around his tiny waist and his head fell back onto my shoulder, this earned the pair of us awwws from both girls. His hand stayed in mine, trying to comfort me, "I love you Gavin." He muttered into my ear. I knew he was trying to take my mind off of what was happening, it just wasn't working.

"We should see if Ian, Elaine, Nat, and Amanda want to go get lunch. Ian's probably been here for hours, and it's about time to eat." I told him, not even thinking to respond and tell him that I loved him. His face dropped and he got up off my lap and shook my hand from his.

"I'll talk to Ian and Elaine then." He told me, clearly very unhappy with me.

X-X-X

Not much later the six of us were standing in front of a McDonald's trying to decide if we were going to get into get food. I couldn't help but notice that Rhys was standing on the other side of the line. Elaine was still pressed up against a broken form that slightly resembled Ian Watkins. Nat was messing with her mobile, it looked like she was rapidly texting her boyfriend. And Amanda was giving me some sort of death look like she was going to slaughter me, probably because I forgot to tell Rhys that I love him back.

"Rhys?" I muttered, afraid that I was going to get killed, "I love you." I heard him snort and then continue on with his conversation he had been having with Amanda. Like the hospital had been the place to say that! Not like I was busy worrying about three of my friends, including my best mate. I had to remind myself to not get angry at him, after all I was the one who had messed up. Whether I wanted to admit that or not, "Elaine, might I speak with you?" I asked the poor girl, I really needed to chat with her about several things.

She looked up at Ian who smiled, and she walked away from his body and over towards me. We then walked to a close table, "What's doing Gav?" She asked, her voice a little higher than usual probably trying to keep herself from breaking down.

"I need to know if you're holding up at all, and ask how I'm supposed to fix me and Rhys."

"I guess I'm okay. I mean I'm as okay as I can be, my cousin's done this for the second time. And I don't know how to help him at all. My boyfriend's angry with me because of how I was letting a gay man, who's dating my cousin, touch me. I honestly think he's going to leave me because of it. My best mate, said gay man, is completely broken because his boyfriend swallowed tonnes of pills and the doctors wont even tell us if he's going to wake up." She told me, everyone was opening up to anyone who would ask anymore, "But on you and Rhys? What even happened?"

"He told me he loved me and I didn't think to say it back because I was worrying over Ian. I've told him that I loved him and he replied with this lovely little snort."

"I'll talk with him, you stay here."

I did as she asked and when she got over there I saw her wrap herself up in Ian again and begin to yell and Rhys. He looked completely shocked that she would even do that, she was usually such a nice girl and never really stood up to anyone. In attempts to escape her wrath Rhys jogged over to sit across the table from me, "You do know I love you right?" I asked him, "I'm just really worried about Ian, and Elaine." I tried to explain myself, he wouldn't take that.

I was incredibly shocked when he moved into the chair next to mine and once again put our hands together. No words needed to be spoken after that, his head fell onto my shoulder and everything was fine again. I loved him. And he returned that love to me. We didn't need anything else at all.