Kickdrum Beating in My Chest Again (Alternate Version)

Chapter 114

!!!!!!!!!!Author's Note!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Everyone! Happy Friday! I hope you all had a good week! Mine was pretty chill. My students are all on vacation right now, so I've mostly done a lot of sitting around and running errands. This weekend is Father's Day though, so I'm sure we will do something for my husband. Also, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

I tried really hard to update this before I had to leave for band practice, but I didn't quite make it! Sorry!

This week, Patrick explains everything that happened to Joe, Joe talks through everything with Patrick and convinces him that Brad was the one that was messing with him and Elisa, and Andy stops at Brendon's cafe on his way to being very late to work. He gives Brendon an update on Patrick and Brendon gives Andy a new perspective.  As always, enjoy, tell your friends and if you like it feel free to leave me kudos or a message! If you'd like to discuss the story with me directly, you can find me on tumblr @dancecoaster. Happy Reading!

Chapter 114

********Trigger Warning for Drug Use********

Joe was sitting in the chair next to Patrick's bed waiting for him to wake up. After he'd dismissed Brad, it had taken a minute or two for Brad to "read the room" and leave. It had been an awkward two minutes until he'd left to do whatever he'd planned on doing. There wasn't much else that Joe could do but wait, so he'd been reading his book since Brad left. He kept looking over at Patrick to make sure he was ok. Joe could see some bruises starting to develop on his chest, neck, and face, but he wasn't sure how he'd gotten them. It'd been another hour and Patrick still wasn't awake. Joe was starting to get worried. Maybe Brad had given him too much and put him into a very deep sleep, almost like a medically induced coma. He'd known from experience that, depending on the drug, it could take several hours before Patrick wakes up, so he tried to calm his nerves and focus on his book.

Almost two hours later, Patrick was still out cold, and they were getting close to lunch time. Joe wanted to let him sleep, but he knew Patrick would be upset, if he missed lunch time and there was some way he could've gone, even if the drugs hadn't completely worn off yet. So, Joe decides to see if he can wake Patrick up enough to go to lunch. He starts out by shaking him softly, which does nothing. Joe shakes him a little harder and that seems to rouse him a bit, but not enough to wake him up. This was going to be harder than he thought. He shakes him much harder this time, hoping he doesn't hurt him, and it's enough to get Patrick to open his eyes, but he closes them again, so Joe taps him on his cheeks, and he finally wakes up. He stares at Joe looking incredibly confused.

"Joe? What's going on? How did I get here?" Patrick asks, his voice still laden with sleep.

Joe smiles at him.

"Hey, Patrick. How are you feeling?" Joe asks.

"Not great. I'm still really tired, but I can focus on you and see you, so that's good. My head doesn't feel quite so cloudy as it did earlier, but my head is pounding, and I'm talking normally too. I'm guessing that the immediate effects of the second dose of Versed have worn off by now?" Patrick asks.

"That does appear to be the case. As far as what is going on, you've been asleep for close to three hours and it's getting close to lunch time. I know how cranky you get when you don't eat. It will probably still be difficult and painful for you given your mouth, but you need food to absorb the drugs and flush them through your system. You got here by Brad carrying you and dumping you on the floor of our cell. What's the last thing you remember?" Joe asks.