50 Shades of Drake 5 and 6

More Life: Chapter Two

    Carlos Villegas saw a bunch of commotion surrounding Aubrey's office. At first, he thought nothing of it. He figured that maybe his co-workers had finally woken the fuck up and realized that they worked for the hottest man in the country. But then he saw a pair of paramedics rushing into the office. Moments later, those paramedics were carrying Aubrey out on a stretcher and flanked by two uniformed police officers. "What the fuck?" Carlos murmured, leaving his mail cart in the middle of the hall so he could follow the ruckus. He pulled his cell phone out and tried calling Destiny. It went to voicemail. He rolled his eyes. "Damn, bitch, do you ever answer when I need you to? Call me back. Something is going on with Aubrey. Paramedics just carried him out of his office on a stretcher." He ended the call and continued following the paramedics.

    The paramedics carried him to the elevator.

    Carlos stepped onto the elevator with them. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked in a small voice.

    The paramedics were tight-lipped, not speaking until they stepped off the elevator. "He is breathing, but unresponsive."

    "I'm riding to the hospital with him," Carlos announced.

    "I'm not sure if..."

    "I don't give a damn what you're sure about," Carlos snapped. "I'm riding with him. He's my bestie's man, and she's not here to do the ride along. So I'm going to have her back and do it for her."

    One paramedic shrugged at the other. "Fine."

    While seated in the back of the ambulance, Carlos reached out and grabbed the hand Aubrey dangled over the side of the stretcher. What the hell happened to you? he wondered. Then, he glanced at his phone, checking to see if Destiny had called or texted back. Sighing in frustration, he leaned back and weathered the bumpy ride to the nearest hospital.

~~~~~~

    Aubrey groaned and turned his head. Unpleasant memories were pushing at his mind, but he resisted them. He cracked open his eyes. Bright lights, clinical smells, and a sleeping Carlos over in the corner of the room. Frowning, he struggled to sit up and instantly brought a hand up to his head. His head was pounding. Fuck, how did I...?

    Then it all came rushing back. The phone call from the love of his life, the meeting causing him to cut that call short, the policemen who crashed that meeting to tell him...what?

    "No," he muttered, collapsing back against the pillows. A shudder rolled through his body and the tears came.

    Carlos awoke with a start, jumping up and making a poor attempt at a kung fu stance. "Oh shit, it's just you. Sorry, I have to stay ready after that whole Palmer debacle. How are you feeling?"

    Fat tears rolled down Aubrey's cheeks and he turned his head, choking down sobs.

    "You're...not feeling good, then, I take it?"

    Aubrey shook his head, his body seizing.

    "Fuck," Carlos whispered, taking a step back from the hospital bed. "Nurse? Nurse! I need a fucking nurse!"

    Aubrey's body bucked on the bed. He was present enough to feel it, but didn't begin to know how to stop it.

    Carlos poked his head out of the hospital room. "Nurse!" he shouted. Then he returned to Aubrey's bedside and pressed the Call button that signaled the nursing station. "I tried calling Destiny, but she's not picking up. She'll be here soon, Aubrey. Just...hold on, man."

    "Destiny," Aubrey wailed, and more tears came.

    Carlos frowned. "Wait..." He glanced at his phone again.