The Key Chased the Blade

I stormed into the ER with Simon trailing behind me in his stupid pajama bottoms and his bloody shirt under his T-shirt. The front desk ladies immediately stared, but got him to a doctor as soon as possible. I took care of most of the paperwork as they ushered him in the back.

"Is he related to you in some way? Brother? Cousin?" the lady asked.

I scrawled down his medical information as much as I knew. Simon would have to handle his social security number. "He's just a friend. Why, is that important?"

"No, just curious. You look like you care a lot about him."

I didn't say anything and waited in the lobby for Simon to come out.

The gravity of the situation hit me again. Simon had been attacked. He really had been attacked. This wasn't a dream, it wasn't a horror movie, this was real life. This had really happened. I was going to have to deal with things in real life that they usually skip over in horror novels and movies. I was going to have to talk to the police, or worse, Simon's mom and dad. Simon was a freaking idiot for not telling them. I had no idea how he even got past them with a wound like that.

What was I going to do?

I wanted to cry, but God, I wasn't a crier. A few tears managed to leak out, but that was it. I just grabbed one of the stupid magazines on the tables next to the chairs and began reading them. I hated the magazines they had here. The only interesting one was the National Geographic, so I read through that one.

I realized my dad had texted me. He was wondering where I was at. I was glad it was just my dad and not Rico. If Rico was wondering where I was at, he was searching the whole town, calling the police and all that crap. Dad was a little more lenient and would assume the most logical: I was only at Simon's house.

Which was what I told him. Dad only replied with a "k".

At the same time, my heart sank into my stomach. For some strange reason, I wanted my stupid dad to pry and find out exactly what was going on. Then he'd take care of this and lift all that weight off of my shoulders. I didn't even know if I wanted to tell him though. What would he do? What would he say? I was terrified of that.

I didn't even know where to start.