The Leather Jacket (Jalex)

Come Back To Me

Jack stumbled back through the hospital doors, he was bleary eyed and only just awake. He hadn’t been able to sleep, home felt too quiet and empty. He’d showered, changed and made himself feel a bit less gross but sleep had avoided him. He was just walking back toward his mum’s room with a cup of disgusting coffee in his hand when the front doors flew open and medics came rushing in. He looked up to see then pushing a trolley, he watched as they went right passed him. He caught a glimpse of the person lying unconscious on the bed, Alex.

The next moment seem to pass in slow motion. The coffee fell from Jack’s hand and splattered on the floor, he didn’t realise he’d screamed until he heard his own voice call out Alex’s name. He pushed past the people now crowding the hallway and chased after the medics. What had happened? Where were they taking him? Was he going to be okay? There were so many questions buzzing around Jack’s mind as he ran through the corridors he’d grown to know so well. 

“ALEX” He screamed his name somehow hoping for an answer but all he gained in return were dirty looks from on looking nurses.

“Alex...”

He came to hold outside a pair of double doors, he wasn’t allowed to go through. They didn’t let people into theatre. He just stood outside the great white doors shaking with fear and utterly confused.

“Jack?”

He turned around to see the nurse Lily standing behind him, looking about as confused as Jack felt himself.

“What are you doing down here?”

“Alex... Something happened... They took...” he couldn’t get his words out he was trembling so much.  

“Oh my goodness!”

Her hands covered her mouth and there was sadness in her eyes. Jack was terrified about what was going to say...

“The car accident, the boy in the car, it must have been.... Oh my goodness”

“Wh...What happened?” Jack asked.

“There was an accident on main street, a car going into another. The woman driving the first car seemed to get out okay but the boy... he was injured but they weren’t sure how much. Oh Alex...” her words trailed off as tears appeared in her eyes.

Jack didn’t know what to say, what to do. He just stood there, his body still shaking. Alex had been in a car accident, he was hurt but no one yet knew how badly. How could this have happened? Why did this have to happen? This wasn’t far. He couldn’t do this... He couldn’t do this on his own.  Tears fell from his eyes then his whole body shook with a sob. This couldn’t be happening.

“Oh Jack...”

Nurse Lily wrapped her arm around the boy’s shoulders and held him as he sobbed.

“Come on, let’s get you back up to your mum”

Jack nodded weakly and let her lead him back away from Alex.

Jack sat curled up in the chair beside his mum, she was still sleep. Unaware at all that was happening around her. Nurse Lily had gone to find out about Alex so Jack was alone. The tears had finally stopped, he was pretty sure he’d run out. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t fucking fair. Alex didn’t deserve it, to be hurt so much. He didn’t deserve that. But Jack realised, he was already hurt. He already held scars. First the ones his family had given him, the ones caused by being abandoned and then the ones Jack himself had made. He’d hurt Alex, he’d said the wrong things and tricked Alex into something that wasn’t true... Or was it?