Freckled Love (a JeanMarco AU)

Chapter Nineteen

Jean pushed open the tan doors, decorated to look nicer than than they should. Hospitals shouldn't be nice. They shouldn't be decorated. They're places of sickness, and death, and only rarely of health and miracles.

He didn't wait to hear any details from Bert. He still was unaware of why Marco was in the hospital, how bad his situation was, or even where he was. Bertholdt told him he'd wait for him near the entrance of the hospital.

Jean turned quickly to the right, but then he saw Bert closer to the left.

Oh, God. Please don't let Marco be in that section. Please just be over there, close to the urgent care hallway, by simple coincidence.

"He's this way," Bertholdt said to Jean, pointing just barely towards urgent care. He looked tired. And his eyes looked red, as though he'd cried a bit.

Jean quickly followed after him, the both of them walking quickly. "So what happened? Why is he here? Is he okay?" Jean asked.

"He's alive," Bert said. "But he's in bad condition. I'm not sure of the exact details... He and Tate are both unconscious at the moment, so there's no one but bystanders to tell the story. They were stopped at a stoplight, and the car behind them lost control. The rain probably had something to do with it..."

Jean swallowed hard as he walked quickly. That explained everything. It explained why Marco was replying quickly and then, all of a sudden, stopped. But it made him feel sick to think that, at the very second Jean had his phone in his hand and was talking to Marco, a terrible crash had occurred. And he had no idea.

Jean knew they were there before Bert even stopped. He saw Reiner and Connie, sitting in the waiting room. There were a couple other people, but they sat on the far end of the room. They both looked incredibly stressed. Jean wondered how he looked.

Connie's eyes landed on Jean. "Jean... What are you wearing..?"

"I..." Jean glanced down. "We were going to get dinner..." His voice trembled on his last word, but he fought to keep his composure. "Have you guys seen him yet? Where are his parents?"

"Jean, we don't know much more than you do," Reiner said. We called you just after we got the call. Bert and I were still listed as two of his emergency contacts... Anyway, we haven't seen him yet. They're still treating him."

"Treating him?"

"Yeah... You know. Surgery. He and Tate obviously had some injuries. They have to fix him up and get his condition stabilized before anything else," Reiner explained. "Why don't you have a seat? We may be here for a while."

Reiner motioned to the seat cushion next to him on the couch he was on, and Jean reluctantly sat.

"Okay... I just... Where are his parents? Are they coming?"

"Hey, easy... He'll be okay," Bertholdt said gently as he noticed Jean's uneven breaths, probably afraid he'd start hyperventilating. "His parents should get here in about an hour. All we can do for now is wait."

Things were tense at first. They all sat stiffly, ready to abruptly stand if need be. They didn't even glance at the tv, which was showing some cooking show.

Eventually, however, they all forced themselves to relax. They leaned back in their chairs and stood up to get coffee (even though it was nearing the time of night they should've been sleeping). Jean even attempted to look more casual and get more comfortable, taking off his suit jacket.

Reiner and Bertholdt went to get coffee for the four of them, and they began to talk before getting far enough away to be out of earshot.