Boys.

ELEVEN

NICK POV

I nearly lost my mind tonight.  I would've if he didn't keep his eyes on me and breathed through all that pain, the pain which I could've had. He could've died tonight and I might as well with him. If he was going then I was gonna have to go with him, no doubt about it. No matter how insane or harsh it is, the world would've had to take me too.

Zion took a bullet for me. If he never would've taken that hit then I definitely could've been dead. I wouldn't be able to sustain that type of injury but Zion's strong.

I sat in a small waiting room near the surgery wing as we waited for him to come out.

We meaning me, our friends, and his mom. My mom came to comfort me but I didn't even want to be touched by her. I didn't want anyone to comfort me or touch me because it wouldn't help. I need to physically see him and speak to him.

I needed to hold him if possible, touch him. If something happens to him, I swear.

I started to cry again as I thought about it. Not only did my tears drench my clothing but so did his blood all over me. I was covered in it and it did nothing to help the thought that he may be in surgery, not able to hang on. He had to hang on though, I couldn't let him go.

Everybody finally got me up and I was going to change my clothes in a bathroom and wipe myself down. I dressed quickly because I didn't want to miss any news and came out in less than a minute. I was walking back down along the halls when I was stopped. I turned around and quickly swatted their hands off me before I realized who it was.

I started crying in an instant and Ezekiel pulled me into his arms. I sobbed into his chest as he rubbed down the back of my head, patting my back.

"I drove like crazy over here when momma called―is he in a room yet? What's going on?", he pulled me back helping me wipe off my face as I shuddered before responding.

"He's still in surgery but we haven't heard any other news besides that. I'm scared Zeke."

"Fuck man―did you get a chance to see who it was?", I shook my head as he sighed before pulling me into his side. We walked back to the waiting room as everyone looked extremely tired.

Terri and Kincade were sleeping together on a chair. My mom was sleeping with her head on the arm of a chair. The boys' mom was nowhere to be seen, probably getting a drink or something to drink out of the cafeteria.

Everyone else was slumped on one big couch, huddled up together in an uncomfortable mess. I myself was getting tired but I wouldn't pass up on the chance to see Zion first if it came forward.

Zeke took my hand and led me to another small couch as we sat down and I relaxed into his side.

I'm so concerned about my feelings that I haven't really checked on anyone else. I think it goes without saying though that everyone is pretty much worried and stressed down to their heels. I looked up at Zeke slightly to see him staring straight at a wall. His face was like stone but his eyes said something different.

His voice spoke normal volumes, anxious still but normal all the same. But nothing could divert my attention off him when I looked at his eyes. They spoke something which his demeanor wouldn't allow him to show. A strong person with a grounded stance yet broken when you saw the red invading the eyes, bloodshot.

A tear barely managing to cloud in the corner of his eyelids. Yet he held a hardened facade.

I understand considering showing emotion like that isn't easy for some people. People see it as a weakness―society simply viewing it as a lack of strength, or lackluster.