We Can't Run From Fate

Chapter 12

Jack had no ideas how long he'd been stood in front of Alex's apartment building till someone let him in. He had up some lie about being locked out and some kind old lady and held the door open for him. Jack knew Alex wouldn't have let him in if he called, he was going to have to confront everything face to face. He didn't know whether he was asking for something that was going to rip him open, but he had to try. He'd tried carrying without Alex and he hated it. He had to try and put things right.

Jack knocked on the door, his heart pounding in his chest and his breath held. There was shuffling on the other side then the door swung open. Alex was standing there, well standing may have been a bit of an overstatement. He was leaning heavily on the wall just to keep himself up right, he looked down right awful; his face pale, dark rings under his eyes, his hair matted and sweaty. Alex turned to cough harshly into his arm before speaking.

"Jack?" he croaked.

"Shit Alex, you look like death."

"Grace was sick, think I caught it," he said before coughing again, nearly bending double as he did.

"You think? Go sit down before you pass out."

Alex didn't reply and just shuffled back into his apartment, Jack followed behind him watching as Alex stumbled back to his couch and collapsed onto it.

"How long have you been like this?" Jack asked, thinking it only been a few days since he'd been Alex in the pharmacy and yeah he looked like he was coming down with something, not dying.

"I don't know... A couple of days, started feeling really bad yesterday," Alex replied.

Jack watched as Alex shivered his body full on shaking as he tried to pull a blanket around him. Jack bit his lip as he tried desperately to remember what his mother used to do when he was ill.

"Do you have a thermometer?" he asked.

"Bathroom," Alex replied, before coughing again.

Under the sink Jack found what he supposed was a kids thermometer, all pink with Hello Kity on it. Whatever it would have to do. He returned to Alex and found him barely conscious, his laboured breathing the only sign he was still awake.

"Alex? Alex, I need you to open your mouth for me."

It took a moment but he did and Jack was able to put the thermometer under his tongue. Even before it bleeped Jack knew it would be bad, he could almost feel the heat rolling of him.

"103.7... Fucking hell Alex."

No wonder Alex seemed so out of it and hadn't even questioned Jack's presence, he was boiling his brains out!

"'m okay..." he mumbled before launching into another coughing fit.

"You are not fucking okay." Jack said, rubbing Alex's back through the long fit. He was barely able to breathe by the end of it and Jack was panicking.

Looking at Alex as he collapsed back against the couch, his chest heaving as he tried to breathe and the sweat on his skin; Alex needed a fucking hospital. Jack had never seen anyone so sick and it scared him and it was the only thing he could think to do.

"Alex, Alex, I'm going to take you to hospital."

"No, no," he shook his head.

"Alex, you're really sick and you need a Doctor," Jack tried to explain.

Alex just shook his head, he tried to push Jack away but he was too weak.

"Can't leave Grace," Alex mumbled.