We Feel Like Dead Ends

Jack nodded silently through introductions. Max had a firm hand on his shoulder as he steered him around the small hospital room.
“This ‘ere is Dan.” Max slurred, directing Jack’s attention towards another boy that had been in the garden. The thin, blond one. Dan gave the two a curt smile as he lifted his beer bottle to his lips, letting it filter into his mouth. The soccer ball that had collided with Jack’s head was being rolled between the boy’s feet. Max looked expectantly at Jack, then forged onward.
“Dan, this is Jack. He’s- wait, how old are you?”
“16.”
“-16, and he’s just a sad little guy.” Max said, already moving to the next guy in the room, a small ginger kid with burn marks up his uncovered arms. The ginger looked up at Jack, squinting through his thick rimmed glasses. Max introduced him as Matty Mullins. Jack managed to shake the kid’s hand without staring at the scars. But the glances he took didn’t go unnoticed, and Matty’s legs shook a little as he took a long drought from his beer.
“How old are you?” Jack asked, ashamed that he had put Matty on the spot.
“… 15.” The ginger said awkwardly, pausing before rushing on. “I’m not the youngest here though, there are a lot more kids around my age and it’s not like I’m different than everyone else I’m just in the younger range. Max is my age too but don’t think I’m as messed up as him because I’m not-“
The words came out in a quick jumble. Matty clamped his mouth shut in embarrassment.
“I’m s-sorry.” The younger whispered.
Jack was too emotionally exhausted to care.
“Me too.” Jack muttered, not noticing Matty’s eyes widen slightly behind his glasses. Jack turned back to Max, signalling with a nudge that he was ready to move on. Max grinned and sauntered over to the last person in the hospital room.
“And last b’not least,-“
“I’m Spencer.” A tall, disproportionate guy sat on the floor. His face was haggard and barely shaved, but he couldn’t be that old. Thin lips and wide eyes, he sure was a sight to behold. He had two bandages on his limbs, one on each arm. Jack couldn’t see any blood.
“You could let me finish.” Max said, obviously annoyed. He squinted at Spencer, eyebrows drawn together.
Spencer rolled his slightly bloodshot eyes.
“Don’t even try to mess with me, you’re just a kid.” Spencer tensed up for a second, but relaxed the next, looking up to inspect Jack.
“How old are you?” He asked, his voice controlled and even.
“16. How about you-“
“18. The younger generation just keeps getting more fucked every year, huh.” Spencer didn’t seem to be looking for an answer, which was good because Jack didn’t think he could supply one. When he went to say something to Max, he found the british boy across the room speaking to… Dan? Dan. Jack exhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves. He’d been uneasy the whole time he’d been at the institute, and it had only gotten worse when he entered the other boy’s room. Spencer unnerved him and he wanted nothing more than to leave and try to find Ryan by himself. In fact, Jack intended on doing just that when Spencer patted the floor beside him with a flat palm.
“Sit.” He said. Jack complied shakily.

If you looked very carefully at Spencer, you’d only see what Jack saw at first. Just another patient, maybe less unsettled and jumpy, mature like the old wine he liked to drink. But as Jack sat and listened to the, as it turned out, very intoxicated, man speak, he realized that there was a lot more to him and all of the other patients.
Spencer was from Las Vegas and grew up in a family of heavy gamblers. And things didn’t turn out so well for him. The effects of gambling on his parents repulsed him, so he never turned to that rush; instead he turned to drinking and drugs. Those practices had followed him like demons ever since he was 12, and he had finally been arrested for driving under the influence two years ago, resulting in being tossed in the institute.
“It’s unusual for someone to stay here for more than a year.” Spencer said. Jack was surprised.
Why is Alex still here? Is he unusual? I thought he was supposed to be getting better. He thought, anxious.
“Really?” Jack asked.
“Really.”
“…Well that’s sort of, uh, well-“ Jack closed his eyes as he struggled to find the words to say what he meant to get across. Spencer waited ever patiently.
“I mean… does it-“ Jack was finally interrupted by Matty saying something rather loudly and rather incomprehensible..
“What?” Dan yelled back at him.
“It’s almost dinner.” Matty replied, tapping his fingers on the wall. “And… that means a giver’s gonna be here to tell us to go to the dining hall, right?”
Max nodded, picking beer bottles off of the floor and hastily tucking them into a box under one of the beds.
“They can’t see the drinks.” He murmured.
“Mate, maybe it’s time we stop smuggling this shit in.” Dan said to his friend. Max whipped his head around to stare at him, eyes wild.
“We can’t stop now.” He replied breathlessly.
Turns out shaking hands make quick work of cleaning. The room looked as innocent as possible when a bright red haired girl strode in to find the 5 boys lounging around.
“What are all of you guys doing in Max’s room?” She frowned down at them, hands on her hips. “You should know by now that this is not allowed. Especially you, Spencer.” She turned to the oldest. “Aren’t you supposed to be in intensive care unit for another two weeks?”
It wasn’t a question. Spencer shrugged.
“My giver wandered away and I guess I got a little bit… lost.”
The red headed giver rolled her eyes.
“You’re way too old for this crap, Spencer.” She reached to a walkie-talkie on her belt and muttered something into it.
“Anyways, it’s dinner and you should all be in the dining all. Right now.” Dan, Max and Matty all slowly got up and left, walking down the stairs under the watchful eye of the giver. Jack remained in the room, his head spinning. He tried to focus his vision on the girl’s name-tag, but it remained blurry no matter how hard he tried.
“Hey. You too!” She said, glaring at him. When she noticed how confused he seemed to be, her gaze softened. “You’re new, then?”
Jack nodded slightly.
“Just got here today.” He replied, getting to his feet unsteadily.
“Well, I’ll give you a warning. Don’t get mixed up with those boys, okay? It sure would be a shame if you were to get in trouble so early in your stay here.” She placed her hand on his shoulder to keep him steady as they exited the room.