Affliction | cashton |

Chapter Two: Inhalers

Calum's breathing was rugged, he felt as thought his lungs could collapse at any moment as his white converse stomped against the concrete, being basically dragged by Ashton. Once the younger boys apartment came into view he took control, tugging on Ashton's hand so he would follow him.

Ashton looked back, the man no longer running after them. Ashton let Calum lead them into the lobby of the apartment. A small desk in the right corner, two elevators standing side by side with metal doors. The carpeted floor was a deep shade of red, a zig-zag pattern covering it.

Calum tried steadying his breathing as he pushed the button for the elevator, hanging his head low as he desperately waited for the metal box to get to him. He released his hand from Ashton's hold, using it to clutch the material of his shirt where his heart should be. Heavy gasps escaped his mouth, minimal oxygen going into his lungs.

"Are you ok?"
Ashton asked. The elevator opened and Calum walked in without answering Ashton's question. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Ashton step into the elevator beside him, but he ignored the other boy and tried his best to breathe. Calum's shaky hands clicked the button for the highest floor.

"Calum can you breathe?"
Ashton asked, genuinely concerned. The hazel eyed man placed a hand on Calum's arm but the younger harshly shrugged it off. As the doors opened, Calum stepped out, stumbling into the hallway and almost losing his balance. Only two doors were on the tenth floor and no one lived in the other apartment so Calum basically had the entire top floor to himself.

Calum fumbled with his keys, almost dropping them more than once with her shaky hands. Ashton grabbed the keys from him and unlocked the door for him. Calum walked inside, quickly going into the kitchen. He yanked one of the drawers open, fishing around occasionally making things fall to the floor. Calum grabbed what he needed and held it to his lips with his shaking hand, instantly pressing the grey button and holding his breath for as long as he could. Ashton sighed in realization once Calum put the inhaler back in the drawer, gripping the sides of the drawer as he started calming down.

"You have asthma?"
Ashton stupidly asked. Calum glared at him, now that his breathing was going back to normal his level of anger was booming.

"No I have an inhaler
cause I think it's cool"
he sarcastically replied.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know"
Ashton apologized. Calum rolled his eyes, muttering a few curse words under her breath.

"You can explain now"
Calum said, placing his hands on his slim hips. Ashton closed his eyes for a brief second, wondering if he could like to the boy whom he had just given an asthma attack.

"It's nothing"
Ashton shrugged it off. Calum's eyes practically popped out of his head as Ashton turned to leave. Once Calum began to go after him he was already halfway to the elevator.

"Ashton what the hell?"
Calum yelled.

"It's none of your business, princess"
Ashton yelled over his shoulder, a smirk evident in his voice as the name rolled off of his tongue. A puff of exhaustion was released from the small boys mouth as he stomped back inside of his apartment. He was beating himself up over not even having an inhaler with him in the first place, but it had been months since his last asthma attack so he wasn't exactly sure he needed it. That is until the large hazel eyed man practically had him run a marathon.

As his mind raced on with thought after thought he started making himself dinner. He opened a box of frozen supreme pizza and set it on the tray in the over, setting the timer on the microwave as he turned the oven on.

As he poured himself a glass of wine his phone started ringing, the contact name Gordon came onto the screen, a smile appearing on his face as the embarrassing contact picture of his best friend flashed on the screen. A tan finger slid over the green button as he held his phone to his ear.

"What do you want Clifford?"
Calum answered, a smile never fading from his lips. On the other end he could hear Michael scoff, Calum could picture him rolling his ghostly green eyes.

"Come out tonight"
he begged, girls screaming and giggling was all that filled the background with the occasional wolf whistle.

"Can't, my monthly check up
is tomorrow. Gotta get up at 6"
Calum spoke into the phone with a sad tone. The microwave went off, an annoying beeping filling the kitchen soon after. Calum jumped in his place, walking over to the oven, through the grimy surface of the glass he could see the cheese on the pizza bubbling.

"Do you want some company? I know how much you hate going to that place alone"
Michael offered, sympathetically.

"I'll be fine. Dr. Wren is like sixty
and she's the sweetest women ever"
Calum explained as he dropped the pizza on the stove, waiting for it to cool so he could cut it.

"Alright. Call me if you need
anything. Anything at all Calum"
Michael said sincerely.

"Thanks Mikey, but I promise I'll be fine"
Amelia assured, trying to convince his best friend and himself. They talked for another hour, just catching up even thought he had seen each other only days prior. Calum at his dinner, storing the left overs in the fridge, his wine glass being filled and emptied into his mouth three times.

Once he hung up he plugged his phone into his charger and placed it on the bedside table. Calum walked into the bathroom and stripped himself from his clothes, slipping on an over sized tee shirt to sleep in.

Thoughts of his check up ran through his head, his nerves building with each thought. He tried to shake the thoughts from his mind but this happens every time she had to go back to the hospital. It was a small hospital in downtown Chicago, it was never very busy but he's been there more times than he like's to admit. His mother set up the monthly check ups, they used to be weekly, but they've been reduced in the last few months.

Calum tried to shake off the thoughts as he climbed into bed, trying to let sleep consume him. He tossed and turned but each time he would think of something new, some new theory of what could go wrong. Some way he could slip and go back there, to that place. That horrible desolate place.