how to save a life

10: out

Langa sat alone all day. Reki never showed up to school that day. Or the next. Or the day after that.

Thursday morning he was worried enough. Reki wasn't answering his messages. He wasn't answering anyone. Little did Langa know he hadn't gone to work all week either, and hadnt responded to oka either.

Langa knocked on Reki's front door. Nothing. Nothing at all. He took their extra key from out under the doormat and entered the house. No one was home.

He went to Reki's room only to find him in bed hyperventilating, upright, with tears streaming down his face.

He looked over at Langa with shock, breathing out in relief. "Reki what's wrong? Where is your wheelchair?"

Reki just let out a sob and let himself shrink back against the back of his bed while covering the lower half of his face with his palm.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. Langa sat next to him and reached out to pull him into a hug, but Reki flinched away.

"I'm sorry." His voice was shaking. He leaned back forward and let Langa hug him, "I havnt been doing very good I don't think." He said tensely.

Langa pulled away and swung his backpack over onto the bed, pulling out his water bottle and Reki's barely used pain meds. "Take these. It'll help the hurt." Reki nodded slowly and took the two pills with water, washing it down with an extra gulp afterwards.

He then pulled out the extra bandages, "can I look at your back?" Reki took a deep breath and turned his body away from Langa so he could look at his back.

Langa undid the bandages with tender and gentle fingers. Underneath the ones on top, the bandages were stained brown with dried blood. The wounds were healing well, but slowly. His back was sticky with scabbing and gummy blood.

"Do you have any washcloths?" Langa asked, "I'm gonna wash it off real quick so that it doesn't get infected."

"In the cabinet under the sink in the bathroom." He pointed to the hallway outside his room tiredly. Langa spoke up, "I'll be right back okay?" Reki nodded.

Langa was back shortly and was able to help clean off Reki's back.

"Don't you have to go to school?" Reki asked. Langa smiled and ducked over his shoulder, "we are gonna have a fun day today. Forget about school you need some cheering up."

Reki smiled and let Langa plant a kiss on his lips before he pulled himself back behind Reki and finished wrapping his back.

After he finished Langa moved to the front of Reki.

Reki smiled slightly as Langa tucked a bit of his hair back into his headband, "can I kiss you?" Langa asked. Reki smiled and nodded quietly, letting Langa kiss him.

Soon they were cought in a full make out session, kissing eachother deeply and passionately. Langas hand was wrapped around in Reki's hair and Reki's hands were snaked around Langa's waist.

Reki heard the garage door open from across the house and his eyes shot open. His immediate reaction was to go forward, straight into where his lips were still connected with Langa's.

Their teeth and foreheads bumped together, Langa pulled away laughing. Reki didn't. He stared silently at his closed bedroom door, listening closely for who's footsteps it was. It was his dad, moving with steady and even steps around the house.

He wasn't drunk.

Reki felt his throat was tight. Reki knew he wasn't breathing. He listened closely as he heard the garage door open with his mother's footsteps. There was a quiet chatter that quickly escalated into shouting.