Faulty---> mgc

quatorze

I shuffle around in the hard plastic seat and fiddle with my fingers in my lap. There are only a couple other people in the uncomfortable seats around me, one of them crying in the corner while trying to read a newspaper held in their hands. I guess their trying to find something to distract them.

I really hope I won't need a distraction.

I decide to go comfort the red-faced boy, just maybe I could calm him down.

I stand up slowly, subtly cracking my back before walking over as softly as I could. I sit down in the cold seat and lay my hands in my lap, my head turned towards his. He just looks at me with a questionable face when I start to speak.

"You look like you need a shoulder to cry on."

"No...it's fine. I'm okay," the blond says, using the sleeves of his big sweater to wipe the dripping liquid from his face.

I frown a little bit, and rest my arm on the chair before asking, "Are you sure?"

"Not really, but it's helping me to talk to someone."

"Good," I smile, happy that I could calm the boy so quickly.

"So, what's your name?"

"Luke," he states, looking over to me and smiling.

"I'm Michael," I firmly say, jutting my hand out for a handshake.

Luke just chuckles and slots his hand into mine, shaking it and teasingly saying, "Well, you're formal."

I shrug and slump back into the seat. I readjust my sitting position a few times before grumbling out, "Can't they have better seats? It's a hospital for fucks sake."

Luke snorts with laughter and kicks his feet up on the table with the magazines resting on top of them. His blue eyes dart to the people around them, soaking in the gloomy atmosphere.

"So," he starts off, glancing over at me, "if you don't mind me asking: why are you here?"

"Want to get rid of me so easily?"

"No, I mean why are you at the hospital?"

My sly smile drops a bit as I purse my lips and contemplate on whether or not I should tell him.

"My-," I then cough, feeling my throat close up, "my best friend kind of fainted, like, out of the blue. For no reason at all. She just kind of fell."

"Oh," he mumbled. He seemed a little saddened.

"Why are you here?" I questioned Luke. I regret the question when I see his face drop to stare at his lap.

"My, um, my dad is dying, and he's the only family I have left," he whispers, shrugging his shoulders before rubbing his face. "Well, I mean, immediate family. My uncles, aunts and cousins don't really like me," he adds, raising his eyebrows to stop from letting the tears welled up in his eyes fall.

"My brothers are away in two different countries," he continues, wiping his inner tear-duct before saying, "and they don't really want to associate with me anymore."

"That's kind of stupid," I blurted, pointing to him, "why would they do that?"

Luke sighs loudly, trying to compose himself, "Ever since I revealed I was gay to my family, everyone stopped talking to me except my dad. He actually was proud of me for stepping up and saying something." He smiles a bit and wipes his eyes.

"Is anyone here for Jade Ladetto?" I hear someone call from the front desk, and I raise my hand while getting up.

I turn back to Luke, asking him, "Will you be here when I come back?"

"Probably, they haven't called my name yet so, yeah," he says, looking back up at me.

I nod before making my way to the short woman standing by the front desk.

"You are here for Jade?" she queried, and I nodded in response, not trusting my own voice.

The brunette woman lets out a breath before reading off of her paper, "Jade is not in critical condition, but she is weak right now. She woke up an hour ago, and we've been trying to figure out what is the problem. We might have an idea, but we don't know for sure yet. We still have to run some tests," she finishes, looking up from her stack of forms and flashing me a friendly smile.

"When do I get to see her?" I inquire, and then add, "I need to know if she is okay."

"I don't know if you'll get to see her today," she replied, tilting her head to the side, "but you most likely will tomorrow. Ever since she woke up, she's been asking about you. The doctors have told me."

"Why? I'm not the one in the hospital."

"Technically you are," she points out jokingly, before answering, "Jade wants to know if you haven't had a heartattack. She thinks she gave you quite the scare."

I laugh silently, shaking my head, "Well, I'm fine, and she hasn't given me a heartattack," I assure.

"Come back tomorrow and you'll probably get to see her."

I nod once again before making my way towards Luke still sitting in the corner, only not crying this time.

"Hey."

"You didn't get to see her?"

"Nope. They say she's too weak to take any visitors right now."

Luke rubs his nose and asked, "So, what's her name?"

I smile and look at the floor, mumbling, "Jade."