After Before and After

Phase 4: Chapter 121

Anyone who knew Jack Merridew well would've known that the only place to find him right now was wherever Ralph Langley was. Presently, the location in question happened to be the Langley family hotel room. On one hand, the worst of the worst of the trial was really over. Both boys had survived the long months of being judged publicly in a court of law. They both testified, twice, and both survived the wrath of Dana Barnes. But on the other hand, it got an awful lot worse before it got better.

It was well into that same Friday evening now, the weight of Jack's testimony still heavy on the minds of many. The blond boy knocked on the Langley family's hotel room door for the third time that night. The first two times, they hadn't been there. They hadn't come back to the hotel since court at all yet. But Jack kept going back to check. He had to talk to Ralph. Anyone who knew him well would've known that he had to talk to Ralph.

This time, the door of Room 513 cracked open just a tad, enough for the green eye of Laurie Langley to see through the crack. Her gaze fell on Jack and she immediately opened it up enough for her body to fit between the door and the frame, but still blocked the view of inside the room from Jack.

"Hey Jack, how you holding up, honey?" Laurie asked so gently she was practically whispering.

"Okay. Where's Ralph?" he answered vaguely and quickly, eager to fast forward through this part.

"He's not doing so well right now, maybe you should come back tomorrow" the mother suggested.

"No" Jack's voice cracked urgently. "No, I need to talk to him now. I need to see that he's alright."

"Mom, it's okay" Jack heard Ralph's voice faintly from behind Laurie. She glanced back at her son, then back to Jack, before opening the door the rest of the way to let Jack in.

On the king bed in the center of the room sat Ralph and Jeffery. Ralph's shoulders were wrapped in a blanket, and Jeffery had his arm around the youngest Langley's shoulder, stroking his arm. Ralph's eyes were puffy and red from crying, something he didn't look to be done doing. His bangs were matted with sweat to his forehead. He looked like either a just-finished marathon runner, a stage four cancer patient, or some horrible combination of the two.

"Ralph, are..." Jack began to ask, but the rest of the words got lost on their way out. Jack was silenced by the sight of Ralph so terribly unwell. It reminded him of the only time Jack had ever seen him like this; the day they got back together after the big breakup, when Ralph showed up at the Merridew mansion wearing clothes that smelled older than the French Revolution.

Before Jack could remember to finish his sentence, Ralph pealed himself out of his father's embrace and off the bed. He dragged his feet over to Jack and forcefully pushed himself into his arms. The older boy fell back a step as they collided, but he grasped Ralph tightly. He knew what this was about.

"Are you okay?" Jack whispered quietly, his voice muffled into Ralph's neck.

Ralph's only response was to squeeze Jack tighter, and the latter understood the answer. Ralph started shaking a little as he maintained his tight grip around Jack.

"It's over" Jack reminded him softly, "it's over, it's always been over. It's not real anymore, Ralph. They're gone. They don't need you anymore. Those kids are gone. They're not suffering anymore. It's over, it's okay now" Jack whispered into Ralph's ear so only he could hear it.

Ralph cried loudly enough to be heard by his parents from where they watched off to the side. The brunette boy's knees gave out from under him and he nearly brought Jack down with him. But the older boy caught them both for a moment, only until he decided to let them both fall. Jack slowly sunk down, and Ralph dropped down with him. Sitting up on his knees, Jack continued to hold and comfort Ralph, his head pressed warmly against the side of Ralph's hot and sweaty one.