26 – It’s Over (3)

 

Sebastian drove back up to Redding, to Great Patriots Hospital. He had asked the paramedic about Jake during his ride in the ambulance, and said he was being transported there.

After finding a spot, Sebastian went inside. And the difference in hospitals was startling.

The waiting room at Axel’s hospital had been packed, with only one person behind the front desk. But this one? Only a boy waiting with his mother. Not only that, but the room was immaculately clean. The pristine white walls and stain-free leather chairs were a stark contrast against the dirty walls and grimy seats at the other hospital.

And there were two people behind the front desk, talking about weekend plans. Sebastian told them he was a visitor there to see Jake Williams. They told him where to go.

The hallways had a similar vibe to the waiting room. His shoes squeaked on the polished floor as he passed several rooms, and into Jake’s. It was a large room, with one bed. A single room. Jake had a single room.

Jake laid in bed. Or, sat up in bed. He had a lunch tray set up. A sandwich of some sort, with a bowl of fruit and a carton of milk. Had Axel even eaten breakfast?

Despite having a bruised face and swollen nose, Jake smiled at Sebastian. “Hey. Didn’t expect you to visit me.”

Sebastian sat in a chair, eyeing the bouquet of flowers on a small table next to him. A card next to it read “Get Well Soon.”

“My dad brought me that earlier,” Jake explained.

Nobody had brought Axel anything. Sebastian felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe he should stop and get Axel something, before picking him up. But not flowers. That seemed like a strange gift for a man. Maybe chocolates or something. Or was that just as strange?

Sebastian remembered his reason for being there. “How are you doing? Axel wants to know.”

“You’ve seen him?” Jake let out a sigh. “How is he?”

“Fine. I’m picking him up later.”

“Good. They say I can leave in an hour. My dad’s actually on his way.”

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

“Yeah. Those homophobes attacked us after they caught me kissing Axel.”

Sebastian’s breath hitched. So all of this did happen because of Jake’s stupidity. “Why would you do something so idiotic?”

“You shouldn’t use that word.”

“I’m gonna use that word!” Sebastian barely managed to keep from yelling. “Axel is seriously hurt because you couldn’t wait until you were in a private place!”

“There was no one around.”

“Obviously, you’re wrong!”

“He’s seriously hurt? Worse than me?”

Axel certainly hadn’t been as alert as Jake, though several hours had passed since Sebastian’s visit. “Maybe he’s better now, but he couldn’t remember anything that happened at first. He also sounded half-asleep.”

“Probably the drugs. I was like that too, but they stopped giving me them. The IV is only in case I need it again.”

Sebastian nodded, noting an ice pack placed aside on Jake’s bed. Did Axel ever get ice for his face? Axel did have a catheter in him though, but Jake did not. “Have you been getting out of bed?”

“Yeah. I got up to use the bathroom this morning. The nurse insisted on being in there with me though.”

Could Axel get out of bed? Or did they just hook him up to one so they wouldn’t have to worry about helping him with that? Regardless, Jake appeared in better shape than Axel. The sandwich and fruit actually looked appetizing. He had a little “get well soon” gift. Meanwhile, Axel couldn’t get out of bed, probably had terrible food (if any), and had no gifts. No other visitors.

Jake’s actions landed both of them in a hospital, but Axel had it worse.

A nurse popped his head into the room. “Do you need anything?”

“No thank you,” Jake said. The nurse left. That was all he came over here for?

Jake must of seen the question on his face. “They do that all the time. It’s kinda getting annoying.”

“Right. Well, I’m glad you’re doing okay.” Sebastian stood up to leave.

“Does Axel have his phone?” Jake asked. “He hasn’t been answering any of my texts.”

Really? Sebastian saw Axel take his phone out of that bag. His room didn’t have a TV. (Like Jake’s did, though his was turned off.) What else could Axel be doing if not responding to Jake’s texts? Was he ignoring them on purpose?

“Maybe he’s asleep,” Sebastian finally said.

“I first texted him hours ago.”

“You had your phone hours ago?”

“Yeah. My stuff was here when I woke up.”

Meanwhile, Axel had to ask for it. Sebastian bid him a final goodbye and left, struggling to keep the bitterness off his face.

 

~~~~~

 

Half of a ham sandwich, and a small bag of baked potato chips. That was Axel’s lunch. Breakfast had been a couple slices of toast. Axel’s stomach growled. He wanted more food, but he hadn’t seen anyone since someone served him lunch.

His phone chimed. Another text from Jake. Axel left it unread. Now that he knew Jake was okay, his concern had been replaced with resentment.

How many times had Axel warned him about showing any display of affection in public? And now they were both in hospital beds because of it.

They were lucky those men didn’t have enough proof of what happened, or else Jake would find himself blacklisted. And Axel wouldn’t be able to appeal his case next year. His jaw tightened, and he checked his watch. 4 pm. Sebastian should be there soon. Did he have his van? He hadn’t called at all. He just sent a text saying he was on his way.

A nurse finally walked into his room, and started unhooking him from… everything. “Your ride is here. Let’s get you dressed.”

Axel sat up, a sharp pain piercing his side. (One of those assholes had apparently stabbed him there, though Axel didn’t remember it.) The nurse helped him get out of bed, and change. Afterwards, Axel felt a sudden urge in his bladder. “Can I use the bathroom first?”

 

The nurse wheeled Axel out to an outside pickup zone, where Sebastian was parked. The second he closed the door, Axel turned to Sebastian. “Did you get my van?”

Sebastian chewed his lip. “I’m sorry…”

Shit! Now what was Axel supposed to do.

“The person at the desk told me someone needs to keep an eye on you for the rest of the day," Sebastian said. "I feel weird asking this. I mean, we’ve been close friends for how long? But… well... Do you have a roommate?”

“No.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Well, I guess I can-”

“Do you know where they towed my van to?”

“Yeah. Some place in Jacksonville.”

“Jacksonville!” That was almost an hour away, and it was almost 4:30. “Do you know when they close? We need to get there now.”

“It’s okay. I can give you a ride there tomorrow-”

“I need it NOW!”

Sebastian jumped. Axel apologized. After all, how would Sebastian know his van was literally his home? He was assuming it was just a mode of transportation. “Can we just go there now? Please?”

 

The car, like all self-driving cars, strictly adhered to the speed limit. Axel wished it would go faster. He strummed his fingers on his thigh, hoping the towing company would still be open. After doing a quick search, it looked like they closed at 5. They’d never make it there before 5. But there was always a chance that information was wrong.

They arrived at 5:16. The place was closed, with no one in sight. There was a chain link fence with a heavy padlock attached to the building. Axel limped over to it, to peer through at the dozens of cars behind it. Was his van one of them? Could he potentially break in and get it back?

“I can take you home, and pick you up first thing in the morning,” Sebastian said, making a move to go to his car. “We’ll get here right when they open. First in line.”

Axel continued staring through the fence. Was that it? There in the back? He shook the fence helplessly.

“It’ll be fine,” Sebastian continued on calmly. “I’ll take you home-”

“That is my home!” Axel blurted out.

Sebastian’s eyes widened. “What?!”

“Yeah. I live in my van, okay?” Axel tightened his grip on the links in the fence. “If I don’t get it back, I’ll have to spend the night on the street!” Though he supposed he could go to Jake’s. Except he really wasn’t in the mood to see Jake. Especially now!

“You won’t spend the night on the street,” Sebastian said. “Christ. You really think I’d do that?”

“Huh?”

“Leave you to sleep on the street. You can stay over at my house.”

“What about your dad?”

“He doesn’t have to know.”

“You’re going to sneak me in?”

“Got a better idea? Or would you rather sleep in the streets than in my bed?” Slightly pink, Sebastian turned his head away.

Axel didn’t have a better idea. And he’d rather not sleep in the streets. Especially in his weakened condition. He had a hard enough time walking. He’d never be able to run if he needed to. “You could help me break in there to get it.”

“And then we’ll have to spend the night in a jail cell. Come on.” Sebastian set his hand on Axel’s arm. “Let’s go to my place.”