Friend from the wild side ( AePete AU )

Chapter 13

"Stop already, he's unconscious."

Ae wasn't sure who said those words. His ears were ringing and heart pounded as he pummelled the man on the ground with punches, his face soaked with blood so much he couldn't even tell individual facial features. "If you kill him, I can't cover for you. Pete won't be happy if you're locked up."

After Tao hit Tin, P'Chai has went to town on him with several gut aimed punches while Tin and Ae frantically run through the house in search for Pete. Tin's heart sank as he opened a bedroom door and saw Pete huddled up on a bed. His wrists were tied to the bed post and a scarf was tightly wrapped around his eyes, his body naked, beaten up, and filthy.

That sight turned Ae's stomach and he involuntarily gagged before emptying the contents of his stomach on the carpet. He looked at Tin helplessly before running out of the room with a loud yell and stomping down the stairs to finish Tao off while Tin walked over to the bed.

"Pete..." The boy flinched and weakly tried to pull away when new hands touched him. It took Tin a good minute to undo the blindfold that seemed to soak up a lot of Pete's tears. "Hey, hey it's me. It's okay, Pete, it's me. I got you." He spoke reassuringly as he untied Pete's wrists and helped him sit up.

Pete cried out quietly as pain radiated through his body. Tin took his shirt off and wrapped it around Pete's waist to give him some form of modesty as he walked him out and around the bloodbath in the living room.

"P'Chai..." Pete whispered as he saw the familiar figure, his voice strained.

"You go." Chai dragged Ae away. "Tin, take Pete to hospital. I will clean up this mess."

"Yes P'Chai." Tin nodded, briefly frowning at the bloodied man on the ground before kicking Ae in the shin to get him to move.

Too weak to put a seatbelt on himself, Pete sat in the back of his car with Ae by his side, staring at his hands. Even through blood he could see the exposed white bones peeking through the broken skin; he must have hit Tao very hard.

"Tin..." Pete sniffled as they parked by the hospital. "Please don't tell my parents."

"But-" Tin was unable to finish the sentence when Pete suddenly passed out and fell onto Ae's lap. "Whoa, shit! Ae, go grab an orderly, we'll need help."

Ae turned a lot of heads as he rushed to the hospital, as his bloodied arms were more than highly noticeable.

"You should go get treated too." Tin spoke to him once the nurses wheeled Pete away for examination and he and Ae stood in the waiting room of an emergency department.

Ae looked down on his hands. His knuckles were already swelling and he was in desperate need of stitches, but somehow he didn't feel like he deserved the care. "I'll be fine. I should I, I-"

Tin firmly grabbed his wrist. "If you walk out on him after all of this happened, I'm gonna kill you. Go and get treated, I'll cover the expenses."

"But-"

"Stop being a coward and running away. He'll want to see you when he wakes up."

///

"We've hooked him up on fluids and nutrition, he's severely dehydrated and hungry, but besides the injuries to his...lower body area, there doesn't seem to be any other damage. He will have to stay here a couple of days, to get his strength back. Are you a family member?"

Tin shook his head at the nurse. "I'm his best friend. His parents are overseas, so there isn't anyone besides me at the moment. I'll handle the payment for his treatment."

"I'll bring you the paperwork." The nurse smiled. "He's asleep now, but you can come in if you'd like."

"Thank you." Tin looked towards the emergency area. "The guy who came with us, the short one...Has he been seen yet?"

"The doctor is stitching him up now. I..." The nurse suddenly looked nervous. "Is he the one who..." She glanced towards the door of Pete's room.

Tin sighed. "No, no, they've both been hurt by the same person. The police has already arrested him. Thank you for your concern."

That lie seemed to satisfy her and Tin disappeared into Pete's room to check on him. The nurses has washed his body but the bruises on his skin were still very prominent. Didn't he always tell Pete not to fraternise with Ae? He warned him, countlessly, and now he got hurt because of that bastard.

"Mmm..." Pete groaned in his sleep.

"Pete!" Tin rushed towards the bed. He took Pete's hand to his own and softly stroke his hair, but Pete just continued mumbling, still asleep. Tin could only decipher the words Ae and help, which made his heart hurt, but he let Pete sleep and sat on the nearby chair, waiting. His phone rang and he quickly muted it before answering it.

"P'Chai...what is the situation?"

"He has been disposed off. Fully."

"Thank you. P'Chai, could this...incident... stay between us?"

"Of course. How is young master Pete?"

"He has to stay in the hospital for a few days, but he'll be alright. P'Chai, I don't really know what to do..."

"I don't want you to think I don't know my place, master Tin, but perhaps this time, this kind of responsibility doesn't fall on your shoulders."

"You mean Ae..."

"Yes. I looked into his background. He's not just a mindless thug as you might believe."

Tin sighed. "I'm just..."

"Worried for your friend, I understand. Well then, I'll send Anda to you with some things, for Pete's hospital stay."

"Thank you." Tin returned back to Pete's side and held his hand. It wasn't long before Ae barged into the room, clearly restless to see what state Pete was in.

"Oh my god Pete-!"

"Shush." Tin frowned. "He's knocked out." He then offered Ae his chair and headed towards the door. "Someone will come soon, with some things. Don't leave him, okay?"

"You don't have to tell me that." Ae said, softly stroking Pete's hair with the tips of his fingers, as much as his bandaged hand allowed him to move. He refused the painkiller injection when the doctor offered, he felt the need to punish himself with the pain, but it must have been nothing compared to what Pete felt for those five days.

When a woman, who introduced herself as Anda, brought a bag of clothing and some food, Ae was almost asleep, but perked up briefly and helped himself to an apple. When something scratched him as he rummaged through the bag, he nearly jumped out of his skin, but it was just Pete's phone, the case cracked. It had a splatter of blood on it and was out of battery, but Ae promptly located the charger and plugged it beside the bed, the device immediately buzzing with missed calls and texts notifications. When it finally calmed down, Ae opened the contact list and swiped down, searching...