I'll Catch You, When You Fall

Fourteen

*Ashley's POV*

While I was on my to the dorm from work, I got a phone call. I opened my phone and looked at the caller ID. Cody.  I honestly didn't believe it at first, he hadn't talk to me in what seemed like forever.

"Hello?" I say questionably as I answer the phone.

"Hey, Ash. It's me." He sounded so weak from the tone of his voice.

"Dy? What's  wrong, you sound hurt?" I say quickly.

"No, I just wanted to say. I'm sorry for everything. I hope I can make it up to you by doing this." Then the call ended. 

That's when I started running. To his house, I called Dylan.

"Dylan Ashwold Hendricks, whatever in the hell you are doing stop and go to Cody's dorm room. Right now. Open the door. If it's locked break it. Don't end the call."

"Okay, okay. I'm going." I hear him tell someone what he is doing. Des must still be at the room because I hear a faint, don't worry, I'll watch Audroy. Go. Then i hear running after he had slammed his door.

After a few slammed doors and calling Cody he replies,"He's not here, Ash what's happening?" 

"I have to go!" I yell.

"Wait tell me what the hell is going on. Right now!" He forces.

I hesitate, but continue running down the road towards his house,"I think Cody—I think he is trying to kill himself." I blurt out before I stop again.

He mutters a profane word, before I end the call. When I reach the house I look around. Two lights are on, and no cars are there. Which means no Dad or Mom.

I go up to the door and turn the knob, it's locked. Checking under the pot holding the dead plant for the key, it's not there. 

My only hope before I do something illegal, I go around to the left corner of the house. There are two loose bricks, where I hid a third cut of the key. I reach in there.

"Yes." I mutter, as I grab the key. I run back to the front and unlock the door. 

I rush in, and look around. Azna, his sister, has headphones in watching a kids show on Cody's tablet. I grab a shoe from the shelf and drop it hoping she would hear. Nothing. Instead of worrying, I run upstairs. I know every inch of the house. At the top of the stairs, if I take a right I go into the master bedroom. But instead I take a left to go into Cody's room. I check the knob.

It's locked. Now I have no choice, I kick at it really hard. It takes maybe three before I cracked a hole big enough to unlock the door from the inside. Once it's open I check his room.

He's not here, but the bathroom light is on. The door to it is locked though. This one I know has a spare key. Sometimes his father would lock the door at night and forget to unlock it, so Cody had to unlock it without going through his fathers room.

Once I unlock it, I hear people running around downstairs. Then I hear Dylan,"CODY!!" 

Along with another voice. 

But I look on the floor and see Cody passed out. Beside him is a bunch of tools. Exactly Fourteen. And both of his arms has fourteen thin ,but deep, lines going from both elbows to the wrist. 

Fourteen, the amount of years him and I have been friends. Since four years old.

"Shit." I turn around as  see Dex standing there. "I'm sorry, excuse my French." Was all he said as he grabbed a towel from the rack in the bathroom closet. He wraps it tightly around both of his arms. I'm completely in shock. I don't know what to do. The last times Cody has attempted  suicide all I had to was jab my finger down his throat to get pills out. He had never cut himself. I always checked his wrist and ankles. 

I shake my head to get the visual pictures out, I look at Dex, who is on the phone with the hospital, while applying medical wipes to the cuts. I inspect the tools from a distance. Each tool had been smothered in something, which could cause him to have an infection. He really did plan to cause a great bit of harm.

When Dyaln comes running up the stairs, he sees the completely soaked towel. Which use to be white but now rich red. Dylan slides done the wall and covers his face. Then he breathes heavily. In about five minutes the paramedics arrive and take Cody to the hospital. We all sit in silence.

"Should we go to the hospital?" Is all Dex says. His hands are caked in blood.

"Well, if we did right now, they'd think you caused the cutting." I snap pointing at his hands. He looks hurt, but then nods and starts washing his hands.

I walk downstairs and go to Azna.

"Hey, sweet girl." Is all I say, she jumps into my arms. I know she knows nothing of what just happened. But the moment she walks into the white painted rooms of pain, she'll know. I hug her back tightly and cry. She calmly strokes my back with her hand.

*At th hospital*

The moment we arrive, I know I can't do it. I sit down on the chair closest to the door. Azna asked a lot of questions on the walk here. It ended out that I found out a lot more then she did.

Apperantly, that morning Cody's dad came by. He had stated he wanted Azna and him ready and packed to leave this state. Azna knows nothing else about why. But the whole day Cody stayed in his room. She said he locked the door, but the moment she came up to check on him she heard yelling and screaming. Azna was to scared to knock so she went downstairs and tried to calm her own emotions.

I walk back outside after sitting in the waiting room for fourty-five minutes. The air feels cool and refreshing. Even though it's about -2 degrees out here. I hadn't grabbed a jacket, but from the recent events I'm burning up.

Dylan comes outside,"Ashley.."

I turn around and see him struggling to find the words. I wait for him to collect his words and thoughts.

"....he won't—wo— ma-" I already know the end of the sentence.

Cody isn't coming back this time.