The Midnight Crisis

Matthew

It had been two weeks since the incident with Asher. Two weeks of sleepless nights, restless days, and endless worry. For the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to do with myself. I couldn't concentrate at school, and even when I tried, everything just felt off. But today... today things were different.

I had been sitting in the hospital waiting room for what felt like hours when I got the call. Asher was awake. I dropped everything and rushed to his room.

The door creaked open, and I practically burst inside, relieved but also overwhelmed with emotions I couldn't contain. Asher was lying in bed, his eyes open, blinking as if adjusting to the light. My heart skipped a beat.

"Oh my god, oh my god!" Ethan was already beside him, practically jumping out of his skin with excitement. "Asher, hey, can you hear me?"
Asher turned his head and nodded slowly, his expression soft, but I could see the weariness in his eyes. And just like that, all the fear I'd been holding in for the past two weeks seemed to dissipate. He was alive. He was awake.

I rushed to the bed, pushing Ethan aside in my eagerness to reach him. "Asher," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I didn't know if I was crying or if my eyes were just watering from the relief, but I didn't care. He was awake. "You're really awake."

His lips curled into a weak smile, and he nodded again. His eyes, though filled with exhaustion, had this glimmer of life in them again. The Asher I knew was back.

Ethan stepped back, watching us, and then suddenly blurted, "Matthew! Matthew! He's awake!"

I jumped, startled by Ethan's voice. I hadn't even realized how tightly I had been holding on until I let go of that breath. I stood up and wiped my eyes. I wasn't about to let myself break down in front of him now.

As I took a moment to steady myself, I walked over to Asher's side, sitting down carefully on the edge of the bed. I didn't know what to say, didn't know how to explain what I'd been feeling. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?" I said, my voice rough with emotion. "Why couldn't you just wake up sooner?"

I tried to hide it, but I knew my frustration was showing. I was angry, angry at the situation, angry at myself for not being there when he needed me most. I should have done something, anything, to protect him.

But Asher just looked at me quietly. And then he said the one thing I wasn't expecting.

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault."

I blinked at him, trying to process what he was saying. But before I could say anything more, Asher shifted slightly and winced, clearly in pain.
"By the way, how long have I been out?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Two weeks," Ethan answered, standing nearby, his arms crossed.

"Two weeks?" Asher repeated in disbelief, as if he couldn't fathom the time that had passed. He glanced around the room like he was trying to piece everything together. "What happened?"
I hesitated, looking at Ethan before speaking. I didn't want to remind Asher of the pain he'd been through, but he deserved to know. "You were shot," I said, my voice quiet.

Asher stared at me in stunned silence for a moment, like he couldn't quite comprehend it. And I couldn't blame him. If I had been in his place, I don't know how I would've reacted either. "And I'm sorry," I continued, my voice cracking. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I should've gone first, then you wouldn't have ended up like this."
Asher shook his head weakly, looking pained as he struggled to find the right words. "It wasn't your fault," he repeated. "I tried to get out, but... I felt trapped."

I wanted to push for more, but the way he said it made me stop. I knew he was talking about something deeper, something I wasn't sure he was ready to share.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. "You need pain meds," I said, shifting to stand up. "Let me get that for you."

But before I left the room, Asher spoke again. "When's the project due?"

The question caught me off guard. I'd almost forgotten about the senior-sophomore project that  he was supposed to be working on. "It was two days ago." Ethan answered.

Asher's face fell slightly, and I saw a flicker of worry in his eyes. "Shoot. Jacob probably thinks I ditched him for two weeks."

I felt my chest tighten at the thought. Jacob had been left in the dark all this time, unaware of what had happened to Asher. "He doesn't know anything," Ethan said, trying to ease Asher's mind. "I'll explain everything to him."

Asher closed his eyes and let out a long, tired sigh. "I don't want him to hate me," he murmured.

"He won't," I reassured him. "He'll understand. Just get some rest, alright? You need to heal."
He chuckled softly, though there was no humor in it. "I feel like I've had enough rest. I just want to get out of here."

I shook my head, smiling a little despite myself. "You're not going anywhere for a while. Take it easy, Asher."

I could see the frustration on his face, but he finally gave in. "Fine," he grumbled. "But when Jacob gets here, I'm apologizing. I can't just leave him hanging like that."

I nodded, agreeing with him. But before I could leave to grab the meds, Asher gave me a detailed description of Jacob. It was strange, hearing him talk about the guy who had been his partner for the project. I'd heard bits and pieces from Ethan, but hearing Asher describe him made me realize how little I really knew.

There was something about Jacob—something that felt... familiar. Asher mentioned he had red hair, ginger freckles, and a killer bass-playing skill. I was curious to meet him, but more than that, I was curious about the bond they shared.

I left the room and headed out to find the pain meds. As I walked through the sterile, quiet halls, I couldn't help but wonder just how much had changed in the last two weeks. When I returned with the meds and a note for Asher, I set them beside his bed and made sure he was comfortable before I finally left for the station.

I wasn't sure what the day would bring, but one thing was certain—I couldn't let Asher down again. Not when he needed me the most.