The Boy Who Just Wanted to Get it Right

In Which Samson Loses His Strength

LISTEN TO THIS WHILE YOU READ THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE IM EVIL AND IM GONNA MAKE IT MORE SAD WITH RASCAL FLATTS IN THE BACKGROUND
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Joe paced the waiting room of the hospital. Lex was in the ER. His eyes were puffy, his throat burned, his nose was runny, and his body was shaky. He gripped the arm of a chair as he stood there muttering to himself, "it's all my fault it's all my fault it's all my fault it's all my fault," over and over again. A nurse walked into the room, but to Joe's dismay, he was only there to bring some other person to a room. They were doing surgery on Lex. It was awful. He looked terrible. The car had smashed into them right where Lex was sitting. Joe was crying again. Lex was unconscious when the ambulance had got there. There was blood down the back of his head and several other injuries. Joe was practically wailing. People were staring, but he didn't care. His best friend, his boyfriend, could die and it would be all his fault. Joe didn't call any of his friends. He couldn't face them. Hell, he didn't want to even look in the mirror.
The grief became so hard to bear, he had to call at least Teresa.
"Teresa," he choked out desperately.
"Oh my god, Joe? What's wrong?"
"I-I," he began crying again, and then coughed because of how raw his throat was from crying. "I'm at the hospital, I need you," he managed. Not able to speak anymore, he hung up the phone.

A woman not over the age of twenty walked in holding a little boy with lots of blood on his forehead. He couldn't be over the age of four. She walked to the woman at the counter.
"I was taking my nephew to buy some shoes, and they were connected together," she said, sounding rather calm, "and neither of us noticed until he began running and tripped, hitting his head on the wall."
"Oh my, that looks awful deep. We'll take him right now." The woman and her nephew walked through the door. A minute or two later she returned, hanging up her phone. She took one look at Joe and immediately walked over to him and sat down next to him.
"What's the matter, young man?" Joe sniffed and attempted talking.
"Well," he said scratchy-voiced," I probably just killed my boyfriend," he coughed.
"It's okay, we all make mistakes," she started.
"No. It's not okay. He's probably dead and it's all my fucking fault." She pulled him into a side hug.
"Have you called his parents?" She asked.
"I-I don't know them." The woman walked up to the lady at the counter.
"What's your boyfriend's name?" She asked Joe.
"L-Lex Carter," he said.
"Yes, can we get contact information for the parents of Lex Carter?" The lady did her computer type-y thing and said, "I'm sorry but I can't find any parents for Lex Carter."
"That's weird. Is he adopted or in foster care?" She asked Joe. Joe had never even questioned whether or not Lex had parents. The lady came back to sit next to Joe.
"I-I never asked your name."
"It's Alyssa," she replied.
"Oh. Is your nephew going to be okay?"
"Oh, yeah, he'll be fine. Just a few stitches."
"Does he get himself into these sorts of situations often?" Alyssa laughed.
"Oh yeah, all the time. One time he fell out of his tree house. Slid right down the ladder on his back. Always getting into trouble."

Eventually, Teresa showed up and Alyssa left with her nephew. As soon as Teresa had walked in, Joe immediately started to cry again.
"Joe, what's going on?" She asked.
"I-I-I," his breathing sped up, "Lex-L-L-Lex and I... W-we we went... to-to laser tag, a-and we kissed a-and... I was d-d-d-driving," he let out a cry.
"Did you get in a wreck?" Teresa asked. Joe nodded so little she could barely see.
"It's gonna be okay," she assured.
"No, it isn't! You should have seen him!" He was almost yelling. He was wailing again. Teresa didn't try to speak. She just sat there, holding him. Hours later a man came through the door.
"Who is here for Lex Carter?"
"US!" Joe said frantically.
"I'm sorry, family only, kid. Where's his parents?"
"I'm his sister and our parents are dead, thank you very much," Teresa lied.
"Oh, I didn't-"
"It's fine, just a take us to him."
"Ma'm, he can't come."
"THIS BOY HAS BEEN SITTING IN THIS ROOM CRYING HIS EYES OUT FOR HOURS THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS LET HIM FUCKING SEE HIM!" She yelled. At that, the nurse allowed them to go and see Lex.

Lex was an unconscious mess. It didn't even look like him. They shaved his head.
"What happened to his hair?"
"We had to shave it off in order to stitch his head back together," the doctor said.
"When is he gonna wake up again?"
"He should be awake in the next twenty minutes or so. If you want you can go outside and we will call you when he wakes up."
"No I'm staying right here." Joe sat on the chair and held Lex's hand.
"Would you like us to call you in later?" The doctor asked Teresa.
"No, that's okay." Thirty minutes later, Lex had woken up.
"Lex!" Joe said, shushed. He kissed his cheek, dropping a tear there. He wiped it away.
"How do you feel?"
"Like shit," he said weakly. Neither of the boys had much energy to talk. Joe laid his head on the bed and held Lex's hand. Soon they were both asleep. Joe woke up to the loud sound of a dragged out beep and yelling doctors.
"YOU NEED TO MOVE!" one of them yelled.
Joe didn't want to, but Teresa pulled him away. The doctors tried to save Lex, but could not.
"TIME OF DEATH: 12:37 AM," filled the cold air of the room.
"NO!" Joe screamed. He fell to the ground, crying harder than he ever had before. Everyone in the surrounding rooms and waiting room could hear.

"Joe? Would you like to go to school today, honey?" Joe's mom asked patting his back.
"No, I don't." He was barely understandable because his throat was so raw from crying. She gave up and went back downstairs.