It Just Happened

18. What the Hell Happened?

                                                                             Jaxon

He said ten minutes, but it's been fifteen and I can't find him. I go back inside, and my mom comes up to me.

"Did you find him?"

"No mom I just walked outside and to the parking lot and didn't see him."

Where the hell could he have gone? I know he would not just leave his sister's funeral like that. It would haunt him for the rest of his life. "He wouldn't go far, would he?" My dad asks as we stand at the back of the church. "Something doesn't feel right. I know as much as he hates this day, he would regret not saying his final goodbye to Kayla." I chew on my bottom lip and my stomach tightens. This shit is not good at all, I just feel it. Something is definitely wrong.  

"Let's go check around some more." My mom says as we walk out the church.

"That's strange they look like they are running if their life depended on it." I look at my dad as he says this and see what he's staring at. There are five guys running fast, like the devil himself is chasing them. I start to panic because I know something is wrong now. I start walking towards the direction they came from, and I hear him cry out. I start running and my mom yells at me. "Jaxon where are you going?"

"I heard him mom... LUCAS!" I yell out and when I round the corner, the site in front of me makes me fall to my knees. Lucas, beaten up with his pants down. "NO! NO! NO!" I crawl to him. "Call 911!" I hear my mom cry out as I bend down and see blood all over his face. "Baby please wake up!"

"Jaxon honey don't touch him."

Why wouldn't she want me to touch him? I just want to hold him in my arms and protect him, but I didn't and look at what happened.

I whirl around at my mom ready to yell as I start crying. I pull my jacket off and put it over him where he is exposed. No one needs to see him like this.

"It looks like a hate crime."

"Ambulance is on its way." My dad says. "I'll go tell his uncle and make sure no one comes here to see." He takes off back to the church. "I shh-should have gone with him." My body begins to shake as I look at my man beaten down. I cry out from the pain he just went through.

"It could have happened to both of you then." I rather it would have happened to me then Lucas. He does not deserve this at all. "He didn't have a chance MOM! You saw there were five guys running away." I turn back to Lucas wanting so desperately to touch his face to let him know I'm here, but I know my mom is right. "Lucas, b-baby pl-please wake up."

We hear the sirens and finally the ambulance and the police arrive. I see a crowd starting to come and I want to get up and tell them to get the fuck away. I just can't leave his side though. "I'll stay here with the police while you go with Lucas." My dad says as he walks back with Jack. The paramedic tells me only family can come and I'm ready to punch him the fuck out.

"I AM FAMILY! DAMN IT!"

I shove past him and get in the ambulance with my broken boy. I break down the moment I sit down. I wish it was me that went through this, not him. Hasn't Lucas been through enough already. They put an oxygen mask on him when he starts gasping for air. My heart breaks even more. We arrive at the hospital and all I can do is wait. They had to take him into surgery because of a punctured lung.  I hear people come towards me, but my eyes don't move away from the door he just went through. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I shrug it off. I don't want anyone's hands on me except for Lucas.

What if this changes everything? Would he want me to touch him? This is so fucked up. I just want to hold him and never let him go.

"If we find these fuckers." Chris says and I turn to look at him again with determination that holds a promise.

"Not if... it's when I find them, they will wish they were never born."

I look around and the whole team is here. I stand up and stretch. This waiting room is full of people here just for Lucas. Stacy runs up to me and throws her arms around me. She is the one I feel connected to the most because of Lucas. She helped us find our way back to each other.

"Why would this happen to Luke?" She wipes the tears from her face. "Because this world is filled with fucked up people. I swear I can kill the guys who did this to him." The doctor walks out and I walk up to him. "Are you family?"

"I'm his boyfriend and his family," I point to everyone here. "We are all his family here. So, tell me Doc does it matter if I'm blood related or not?"

"Sorry son it's just procedure." I puff out my chest ready to fight when Jack comes up beside me and lays a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm his uncle and this boy gets to know whatever the hell he wants to about his boyfriend from now on."

"Yes. Do you want to speak privately?"

"No, I just want to know one thing privately. Then you can address everyone here waiting to know what's going on." I grab my mom's hand because I need her more than anything. We walk off a little bit to speak. "Was Lucas ra-raped?" I barely get the words out before I cry.

"No son he wasn't. But he went through a traumatic experience so he is going to need all the support he can get. By the looks of it he has that in spades."

"Thank you."

We walk back over, and I start breathing again. Because no one should have to go through that experience. I hug my mom so tight I feel if I let go, that I'm going to fall to pieces. The doctor clears his throat then addresses to everyone waiting around for news. "Lucas had a collapsed lung with three broken ribs, a fractured collarbone and his right arm broken at the wrist. He also has a mild concussion." I put my hands to my face and cry again. My mom pulls me into her even tighter. "He's going to be alright." she whispers in my ear. Yeah, I will believe it when I see it.

"Thank you for putting that into layman's terms." Ben yells out.

"It's easier than trying to explain it twice." The doctor chuckles then turn to me. "You can go see him. I'll take you to his room." I look at Jack and he encourages me to go. I follow the doctor to his room. "He should be waking up soon. If you need anything let me know. I will be checking in on him in a little bit."

"Thanks doc."

I take a deep breath and walk in and what I see makes the tears come again. I feel the bile rise in my throat and I just want to let it all out, but I don't. His arm is in a cast, face all bruised up, I can tell his ribs are bandaged up. I go to sit by him and lay my head on his bed.

"Oh babe. I'm so sorry this happened to you Lucas."

I feel his hand on my head and I look up and I start crying all over again. I swear this is the most I have cried in my life.

"I'm okay Jaxon."

I bolt out of my chair so fast with the anger rising. "The fuck you are! The way I f-found you." I shake my head at the image that is still planted in my brain. "They could have killed you!" His lip trembles and I see it's hard for him to catch his breath. I try to calm myself down for him. "Th-those fuckers couldn't even if they tried."

I give him a small smile as I sit back down. I go to reach for his hand but pull back. "I'm not fragile Jaxon. I may look it right now, but I'm not."

"Did they try to..." I can't get the words out of my mouth as my voice cracks. "Almost they had a stick, a big one, almost the size of a broomstick."

"Fuck!" I run my hands through my hair in frustration. "I'll kill them Lucas, I swear!" He tries to reach for my hand, but his hand is shaking. "I need you here with me Jaxon."

"You're not afraid if I touch you?" He gives me a smile that warms my heart. "That could never happen. So please touch me now. I need this, I need you." There is so much vulnerability in his eyes and voice that I do not hesitate, I grab his hand and give it a kiss. "I've never been more afraid in my life. I th-thought I lost you."

"Me too, but you saved me."

How the hell did I save him? I wondered.

"What the hell happened?

Lucas tells me everything and I swear the more he tells me the angrier I get. I promise that I will find these fuckers and make them pay.