Boat boys fic

Chapter 3

(Ok, here we go)

*brain instantly cues third life evil anvil song*

AHHHHHHHHHHH 

Third Person POV - Etho

Etho struggled to sit up, realizing he was in the nurse's office. Or was he? He looked around. The room was big and white, and there were machines beeping everywhere. A place to familiar to him: a hospital.

"Why am I here?" Etho struggled to say. Before his mouth closed on those words he felt something land on him heavily and saw a mound of red take up his vision. 

"Etho you're awake! Your awake! He's awake!" A shrill voice was right in Etho's ear, but he smiled. 

"Get off him Gem! You're gonna hurt him!" Another familiar voice. 

"No- no it's ok," Etho managed to gasp. He looked down at his little sister lovingly as she buried her face into his chest. When she looked up at him, tears were running down her cheeks. "Gem? What wrong? Im OK!"

"I know but...." Gem sniffed as she hugged her brother tighter. "I thought you were gonna DIE!" Etho smiled up at Beef, his older brother, who grinned back. They both knew how dramatic Gem could be. She was only eleven, and had just started middle school earlier that day. Etho remembered how nervous she had been this morning, so this must have really shaken her up. 

"Im gonna kill whoever did this to you," the red haired youth stated grimly. Beef looked on worriedly. 

"Gem... Im sure the boy got punished. You don't have to-"

"Oh yes I do," She said, her scowl set. Etho pet her hair gently and smiled at her, and she attempted a small smile in return. That's when Etho realized his mask was off. 

"Where is it? Where'd my mask go!" He panicked.

"Relax, Ladders! (I had to 🤷‍♂️) Do you really think you're gonna catch a disease in a HOSPITAL?" Etho shrugged, subconsciously brushing his fingers against his exposed face. 

He took the mask off at home, sure, but ever since he was three he had worn it. When he was little he developed an autoimmune disease common to toddlers. As he grew up, he had many treatments, practically living in a hospital. But by the time he was 9 or 10, he was much better. Still, Etho felt much more comfortable with a mask on, at first out of concern for his health. Years of being worried about getting sick had programmed that into him. But eventually, he became self-conscious if he didn't wear the black cloth, as he was so used to himself with it on. He snapped back to attention as Gem said his name for what seemed to be not the first time.

"Etho? Are you ok?" 

"Yeah, I- I think I am."

"Well good... mom's here. Dad couldn't..." Etho frowned slightly but said, "I understand." 

And he did- kind of. Why should he expect his mostly absent father to care about his kid getting hospitalized? For the hundredth, no- thousandth time he promised himself never to care about anyone again, especially his father. He practically felt his heart harden over, but he knew it would only be temporary. Gem frowned back at her older brother, but brightened upon remembering something.  

"There's also a boy outside? He has these gooorgeous wings, ugh I wish I had wings." She fingered little nubs on her head, premature antlers. Etho gave Gem a look and brushed his hand over hers. Etho was curious what the bird boy was doing at the hospital, before remembering the green haired boy with a start.

"Gem... Beef... there was another kid I came in with? He lost much more blood than me, and I think he might have broken a rib. Do you know where he is?" The siblings shook their heads. Etho tried not to feel disappointed. You're a loner, he told himself. Who needs humans? They only let you down.