Rescue Me

"You want tea or a coffee, Jacko?" Alex asked politely, clicking the kettle on.

"I could go a coffee, please," he answered, smiling as he sat down at the kitchen's breakfast bar.

Jack's life wasn't much unlike Alex's -- nineteen years of age, college classes, part-time job in a music store, their close-knit friend group, and of course his little 'thing' going on with his best friend. Hopefully soon-to-be boyfriend. But no big deal. He wasn't rushing it.

Tuesdays were often spent at Alex's, since neither boy had classes on that day but the elder's whole family left the house empty because they were all busy. This was no different.

"Coffee for you," Alex smiled, sipping at his own mug of tea as he slid Jack's beverage across the counter.

"Thanks," Jack smiled, having to stop himself adding babe onto the end.

Mundane conversation was made, and Alex turned up the radio when a good song came on.

"Ooh, I like this one, dance with me," he said excitedly, placing his tea down.

"You're a Katy Perry fan?"

"You're not?"

"Oh, I'm a fan, but it's not her music I like," Jack smirked, raising his eyebrows.

"You're disgusting."

"Come on! She's hot!"

"Yeah but you don't have to be so gross!"

"Oh, like you wouldn't motorboat those puppies."

"Jack, I'd play with her tits until I starved to death. Happy now? Fucking dance with me!"

"Alright," Jack rolled his eyes, laughing lightly at Alex's confession.

He hopped down off his stool and ran into his friend's arms, letting Alex swing him around the kitchen as he sang Hot And Cold at the top of his lungs. They were still doing clumsy side-to-side stepping when the news update came on. One report made Alex stop dead, shoving Jack away as he ran over to the radio, leaning down closer to hear.

"You could just turn it up, y'know," Jack sniggered.

"Shhh, shut up!" Alex hissed, waving his hand at him.

A girl. Missing from their area. Aged fifteen, dark-haired. Last seen leaving a friend's house on Friday night around eleven, three days previous. Last seen wearing a white tank-top, green jacket, black skirt. Her name was Jess Bowen.

Alex felt the blood drain from his face as the report ended. He remembered the girl's bare legs. Her jacket... was it green? He didn't know. He couldn't picture it being green. He made excuses in his head; it couldn't be her, it wasn't his problem, he didn't have to worry about it. Perhaps she was a totally different person, taking a nighttime stroll with her boyfriend. Down a dark alleyway. But she'd screamed...

"Please, please, I'm only fifteen."

Alex was shaking when he stood up straight again, breaths leaving him short and fast.

"Alex...? Are you... are you okay?" Jack blinked, taking a step towards him.

"Th-that missing girl. I-- I saw her getting taken away, I was drunk, I panicked, I-- I saw her," he choked out, tasting bile in the back of his throat.

Jack swallowed. "You saw her getting taken away? You saw her being kidnapped? Did you see who did it?" he asked, his voice coming out rushed no matter how he tried to hold it back.

"I don't know, it was dark, it was in this alleyway, I-- I-- but it was her, I saw her, and she saw me, she screamed for help and I fucking ran," Alex rasped, staggering to the sink and dry-heaving loudly, clutching the edges until his knuckles went white.

Jack followed hesitantly, placing a hand on his back to rub.

"Hey, easy, easy," he reeled out, feeling slightly breathless from taking in the information. "Why did you... why did you run away?"

"I don't know!," Alex tried to shout, throat constricting and making him gag instead, saliva spilling off his tongue and down the drain. "I was wasted, I panicked, it-- it scared me, I felt... I can't... I don't know, it was so terrifying and overwhelming and it made me feel like I was gonna fall over, I had to stop looking at it, I couldn't-- I left her!"

He was crying, choking out sobs when his body wasn't attempting to vomit. Jack stood by his side, rubbing his back until Alex's hysterics made him puke. The younger male rinsed the sink and gave Alex some mouthwash before making him lie down in bed with more tea and a Batman movie. His episode had worn him out and despite the guilt that was starting to consume him from the inside, he fell asleep. Jack kissed his forehead and promised to be back later in case he was hungry for dinner, and sat downstairs mindlessly watching TV on mute.

He didn't need the sound on.

His thoughts were screaming loud enough to drown out anything a speaker could create.