Status: Unfinished - approx 1 part written and added each day.
Handcuffs and Alibis
Part 9.
After hours of sobbing into his mum’s chest, the doctors finally brought Jack back to his room. Alex’s eyes were closed; he didn’t know how to prepare himself for the worst. He didn’t want Jack to die; Jack was the centre of his universe and if Jack died, Alex would most likely turn reckless. Alex wouldn’t give two hoots about anyone else and he’d probably end up killing himself. Alex’s mind started to fill up with suicidal thoughts. He tried to shake them off but they wouldn’t go. It was the gentle shake from Alex’s mum that disturbed Alex from his thoughts.
“Do you want to see Jack?”
Alex nodded weakly. Alex didn’t have the energy to fight back at the nurses anymore. If they didn’t want him to see Jack just yet, he was going to have to deal with it. Alex slowly rose to his feet with his eyes still closed. He opened his eyes and faced his mum.
“Can you guide me in there?” Alex’s eyes were sore and his legs felt like jelly.
Alex’s mum didn’t say another word but instead helped Alex walk over to Jack’s room. The curtains were drawn and the door was shut. Alex let his hand rest on the door handle and braced himself for the worst. Alex turned the handle and took his time as he entered the dark room. Alex gestured for his mum to stay outside and she closed the door as soon as Alex had passed it. Alex turned towards Jack and observed the surroundings. The machine was beeping but not as rapid as before. As Alex edged closer, he noticed Jack’s body rising and then falling. Jack’s eyes were closed but they kept twitching every so often. Alex gradually made his way over to Jack’s bedside. Alex wrapped his hand around Jack’s and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Jack,” Alex tried his hardest not to cry, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to kick you. I don’t know what’s going on, the doctors haven’t breathed a word to me. I just hope you’re okay Jack because… I lo-” Alex was cut off by a doctor.
“Alex, is it possible if you could wait outside for a few minutes? We just need to assess Jack.”
Although very irritated at being interrupted, Alex left the room and sat down, arms folded.
“You okay Alex?” Mrs Gaskarth turned her full attention on Alex.
“No! I-I was speaking to Jack and the doctor rudely interrupted me!” Alex huffed and Mrs Gaskarth trailed her fingers up and down Alex’s back in an attempt to calm him down. It always worked when he was little.
“Sweetie, once the doctors have finished you’ll have some time with Jack I’m sure.”
Alex couldn’t stop his brain replaying the moment when he kicked Jack, when Jack fell to the floor, when Jack wasn’t moving. It was torturing his head and Alex couldn’t think straight. He needed to get some fresh air.
“Mom, I’m just gonna go outside for a few minutes.”
“Alright, I’ll come get you if Jack awakes before you’ve returned.”
“Thanks.”
Alex headed outside and sat down on a bench near to the hospital entrance. He hoped that the flashbacks wouldn’t start up again but he was wrong. It kept replaying Jack’s face over and over. The guilt was tearing Alex, by the minute, into pieces. Alex got up from the bench and stood over near the wall. He couldn’t help but keep thinking about the consequences. Without Jack, Alex was nothing. Alex felt like a waste of space. Jack filled that spot within Alex that noone else could. Alex’s anger was rising and without a second thought, Alex slammed his fist into the wall. He turned and sank down to the ground, tears starting to burst out. Alex put his head in his lap and sobbed to himself. A passer-by ran to where Alex was and tried to get his attention.
“Are you okay?” The passer-by knelt down beside Alex and he shook his head. The passer-by paused for a few seconds. “If you don’t get that hand checked out, you know it’ll get infected right?” Alex slowly lifted his head up and looked at his hand. Blood was trickling all down his knuckles; the passer-by was right, it needed to be checked over. Once Alex eventually gained enough energy to pick himself up off the floor, he looked over at the mystery person. She had dark brown hair and was fair skinned. She was average height and had pretty, blue nails. The girl linked her arm into his and helped Alex to the hospital reception. A nurse soon noticed Alex’s hand and came running over.
“What’s happened here?”
“I, uh, punched a wall…” he trailed off.
The nurse led Alex into a small room. She grabbed a few things out of the cupboard, opened a bottle and soaked a cotton pad. “This is gonna sting.” She pressed lightly on the cuts on Alex’s knuckles. It didn’t take much to clean up Alex’s hand; it looked worse than what it actually was. After the nurse had bandaged up Alex’s hand, she gave him a few papers to sign and then told him that a certain Jack had been asking for him.
Alex raced up the stairs. He didn’t care who got in his way now; he wanted to be with Jack right now. By the time Alex had reached Jack’s room, he was breathless. His mum was outside snoring lightly. Alex decided to leave her and go see Jack inside. He closed the door behind him and saw a doctor examining Jack over. Once the doctor had finished, he made his way over to Alex.
“Can I have a word outside, please?”
Alex contained himself from getting angry and nodded. He followed the doctor out of the door and was about to speak when the doctor cut him off.
“I assume you’re Alex right? Jack’s stable now so there’s no valid reason to keep him here however we’re gonna keep an eye on him for a few hours and then depending upon his condition, he’ll be discharged.”
“Thanks.”
“Also, Jack’s quite tired so don’t be in there too long.”
“Okay.”
The doctor turned round the corner and Alex cursed under his breath. There was no way that Alex was going to be kicked out Jack’s room, whether the doctors liked it or not. Alex re-entered Jack’s room, closed the door and went round to Jack’s side. He took Jack’s hand in his own. Alex saw Jack’s eyes open and his face lit up when he realized it was Alex.
“Alex-” Jack was cut off by Alex who moulded their lips together. Jack gasped for breath and smiled at Alex.
“Jack, I’ve missed you so much.”
“You too Lex.”
“I’m so sorry for all of this. It’s all my fau-” Jack pressed his finger to Alex’s lips.
“You did warn me.” Jack laughed.
“But still.”
“Don’t kick yourself over it, I’m fine now.”
There was a few minutes silence before Alex plucked up the courage to speak.
“Jack?”
“Yeah?” He replied, softly.
“I, uh, tried to tell you this earlier but…” Alex trailed off. He couldn’t think of how to say it to Jack. Jack sat up and looked over at Alex, face full of concern.
“Jack, I-I love you.”
“Do you want to see Jack?”
Alex nodded weakly. Alex didn’t have the energy to fight back at the nurses anymore. If they didn’t want him to see Jack just yet, he was going to have to deal with it. Alex slowly rose to his feet with his eyes still closed. He opened his eyes and faced his mum.
“Can you guide me in there?” Alex’s eyes were sore and his legs felt like jelly.
Alex’s mum didn’t say another word but instead helped Alex walk over to Jack’s room. The curtains were drawn and the door was shut. Alex let his hand rest on the door handle and braced himself for the worst. Alex turned the handle and took his time as he entered the dark room. Alex gestured for his mum to stay outside and she closed the door as soon as Alex had passed it. Alex turned towards Jack and observed the surroundings. The machine was beeping but not as rapid as before. As Alex edged closer, he noticed Jack’s body rising and then falling. Jack’s eyes were closed but they kept twitching every so often. Alex gradually made his way over to Jack’s bedside. Alex wrapped his hand around Jack’s and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
“Jack,” Alex tried his hardest not to cry, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to kick you. I don’t know what’s going on, the doctors haven’t breathed a word to me. I just hope you’re okay Jack because… I lo-” Alex was cut off by a doctor.
“Alex, is it possible if you could wait outside for a few minutes? We just need to assess Jack.”
Although very irritated at being interrupted, Alex left the room and sat down, arms folded.
“You okay Alex?” Mrs Gaskarth turned her full attention on Alex.
“No! I-I was speaking to Jack and the doctor rudely interrupted me!” Alex huffed and Mrs Gaskarth trailed her fingers up and down Alex’s back in an attempt to calm him down. It always worked when he was little.
“Sweetie, once the doctors have finished you’ll have some time with Jack I’m sure.”
Alex couldn’t stop his brain replaying the moment when he kicked Jack, when Jack fell to the floor, when Jack wasn’t moving. It was torturing his head and Alex couldn’t think straight. He needed to get some fresh air.
“Mom, I’m just gonna go outside for a few minutes.”
“Alright, I’ll come get you if Jack awakes before you’ve returned.”
“Thanks.”
Alex headed outside and sat down on a bench near to the hospital entrance. He hoped that the flashbacks wouldn’t start up again but he was wrong. It kept replaying Jack’s face over and over. The guilt was tearing Alex, by the minute, into pieces. Alex got up from the bench and stood over near the wall. He couldn’t help but keep thinking about the consequences. Without Jack, Alex was nothing. Alex felt like a waste of space. Jack filled that spot within Alex that noone else could. Alex’s anger was rising and without a second thought, Alex slammed his fist into the wall. He turned and sank down to the ground, tears starting to burst out. Alex put his head in his lap and sobbed to himself. A passer-by ran to where Alex was and tried to get his attention.
“Are you okay?” The passer-by knelt down beside Alex and he shook his head. The passer-by paused for a few seconds. “If you don’t get that hand checked out, you know it’ll get infected right?” Alex slowly lifted his head up and looked at his hand. Blood was trickling all down his knuckles; the passer-by was right, it needed to be checked over. Once Alex eventually gained enough energy to pick himself up off the floor, he looked over at the mystery person. She had dark brown hair and was fair skinned. She was average height and had pretty, blue nails. The girl linked her arm into his and helped Alex to the hospital reception. A nurse soon noticed Alex’s hand and came running over.
“What’s happened here?”
“I, uh, punched a wall…” he trailed off.
The nurse led Alex into a small room. She grabbed a few things out of the cupboard, opened a bottle and soaked a cotton pad. “This is gonna sting.” She pressed lightly on the cuts on Alex’s knuckles. It didn’t take much to clean up Alex’s hand; it looked worse than what it actually was. After the nurse had bandaged up Alex’s hand, she gave him a few papers to sign and then told him that a certain Jack had been asking for him.
Alex raced up the stairs. He didn’t care who got in his way now; he wanted to be with Jack right now. By the time Alex had reached Jack’s room, he was breathless. His mum was outside snoring lightly. Alex decided to leave her and go see Jack inside. He closed the door behind him and saw a doctor examining Jack over. Once the doctor had finished, he made his way over to Alex.
“Can I have a word outside, please?”
Alex contained himself from getting angry and nodded. He followed the doctor out of the door and was about to speak when the doctor cut him off.
“I assume you’re Alex right? Jack’s stable now so there’s no valid reason to keep him here however we’re gonna keep an eye on him for a few hours and then depending upon his condition, he’ll be discharged.”
“Thanks.”
“Also, Jack’s quite tired so don’t be in there too long.”
“Okay.”
The doctor turned round the corner and Alex cursed under his breath. There was no way that Alex was going to be kicked out Jack’s room, whether the doctors liked it or not. Alex re-entered Jack’s room, closed the door and went round to Jack’s side. He took Jack’s hand in his own. Alex saw Jack’s eyes open and his face lit up when he realized it was Alex.
“Alex-” Jack was cut off by Alex who moulded their lips together. Jack gasped for breath and smiled at Alex.
“Jack, I’ve missed you so much.”
“You too Lex.”
“I’m so sorry for all of this. It’s all my fau-” Jack pressed his finger to Alex’s lips.
“You did warn me.” Jack laughed.
“But still.”
“Don’t kick yourself over it, I’m fine now.”
There was a few minutes silence before Alex plucked up the courage to speak.
“Jack?”
“Yeah?” He replied, softly.
“I, uh, tried to tell you this earlier but…” Alex trailed off. He couldn’t think of how to say it to Jack. Jack sat up and looked over at Alex, face full of concern.
“Jack, I-I love you.”