Troubled Thoughts

nine

author's note: 

hi! look, I'm doing notes now! I actually thought about doing this a long time... but I never wanted to annoy you! And I never expected anybody to care anyway. But whatever! Thanks for all the reads and comments and votes! It means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry you had to wait for this for quite a while!

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Joe

Joe waited for Pete and Patrick on the sidewalk. He leaned against his car which he parked right in front of the building. It was drizzling and little raindrops got stuck in his hair. He stood alone and watched the cars pass by. The ambulance already left. They gave Joe the address off the hospital.

Joe played with the keys in the pocket of his jacket and only took his eyes off the street when he heard the door behind him open. He turned around to greet Patrick and Pete.

He looked at his neighbour first. Patrick looked like he cried again. What happened now?! What did this little fucker do to him now?! His eyes shot over to "this little fucker".

Pete's eyes were red, too, but he was smiling. What the fuck was going on?! Joe looked down a little and noticed that the two men were holding hands. He acknowledged that with a simple nod, but he decided to keep an eye on this. Patrick was a nice guy and Joe didn't want him to get hurt like that again, because in all honesty, when he found him this morning Patrick looked just miserable. And Joe definitely blamed Pete for that.

"Where are Mikey and Gerard?" Pete asked and let go of Patrick's hand as soon as he noticed Joe's intimidating look, that Joe wasn't even aware of giving him.

"The ambulance already left. Gerard rode along. They gave me the address." Joe softened his features and already surrounded the car to open the door to get into the driver's seat.

"We better get going then!" Patrick said and jumped into the car as well, followed by Pete.

Patrick rode shotgun and quickly explained Joe the way to the hospital since it was the one he worked at. Expect for the few instructions Patrick gave him nobody in the car spoke. They just drove in silence, Joe even turned off his music, because he didn't really think that his favourite Black Flag record was really appropriate for this situation.

Joe glance at the doctor a few times during their car ride. Once the excitement over whatever happened between him and Pete started to fade a worried expression returned to his face. Patrick looked out the window but didn't seem to actually look at anything. He just stared into thin air and bite his lips as his brain seemed to work on full speed.

Pete in the backseat seemed just as nervous when Joe watched him through the rearview mirror. But every now and then he would take a deep breath and a smile would hush over his face and Joe guessed that he was thinking about Patrick as well.

Once the car stopped in front of the hospital Patrick was the first to jump out of it. Pete got out as well and waited for Joe, who rolled down the window and promised to meet them as soon as he found a good place to park the car. Pete just nodded and followed Patrick who already hurried towards the main entrance.

Joe watched them until they disappeared in the building before he restarted the engine and pulled into traffic again.

Patrick

"Oh thank god, Frank! You're on shift!" Patrick exhaled in relief as he saw his friend standing in the hallway.

Frank looked up from the patient record he was reading. "Patrick! What are you doing here? I thought you had a day off?" he asked a little surprised as Patrick reached him. "Is everything alright?" he added when he saw Pete walking towards him as well.