Thomas slept soundly on the loveseat and dreamt about nonsensical things as well as snippets from his past. One moment in particular commonly frequented his dreams: the day he first arrived at the orphanage. He never dreamt about how he got there, only who he met afterwards. It was a brief, seemingly insignificant moment, one that changed Thomas's life...
A confused little boy found himself surrounded by whispering strangers. One of them finally spoke to him.
"What's your name, new kid?"
"Thomas."
"Well, Tommy," the nameless blonde boy put his arm around Thomas's shoulders, "stick with me and you'll do alright for yourself in this place..."
The young boys smiled at each other and Thomas knew everything was going to be okay.
That fleeting moment marked the beginning of an unbreakable friendship, something Thomas felt endlessly thankful for.
The rest of Thomas's dreams were hard to follow. Just blurred images and sounds. Shapeless colors. Undefinable emotions manifesting in his mind.
A bump on the knee stirred him into reality. He opened his eyes and saw Newt stretching. The blonde arched his back, slender body curved like a windblown sapling. Thomas sat up and yawned. "Morning, Newt."
Newt turned toward his friend and gave a quirky, apologetic smile. "Sorry, Tommy. My buggin' foot must've hit you when I got up."
"That's alright."
Thomas really didn't mind. He was just happy to see Newt's priceless smile.
~~~~ 4 months later ~~~~
Blood. Blood everywhere. The smell of iron and antiseptics, the sound of respirators and heart monitors. Just another day at the ER.
Thomas excelled at his job. He knew all the emergency protocol, the standard procedures, and most importantly, when and how to make split second decisions under pressure.
None of these skills could've prepared him for the horrific sight of a fallen angel being wheeled into the hospital. Newt's unconscious, broken body was silent and still, his golden hair dripping with blood.
No. This isn't happening. This can't be happening. "NEWT!"
The ambulance crew sped past Thomas and straight to the emergency operating room already prepped for the arrival of the critically injured car accident victim.
Thomas instinctively started to follow but another ER nurse snapped at him. "Get over here! There's another one!"
The second car accident patient was obviously intoxicated and hardly injured; a drunk driver did this to his best friend. Thomas felt a hatred for this human like he'd never known. He bolted down the hallway to find Newt.
"Thomas! There's nothing you can do!"
He ignored the voice and kept running. He could survive losing his job, but losing Newt... that just wasn't an option.
Thomas quickly found the room where his friend was surrounded by surgeons and nurses trying to save his life. Thomas caught a glimpse of the blonde through the small window of the operating room door and his eyes went wide with horror.
Newt's left shin was bent at an impossible angle and crushed beyond recognition, a mess of bloody muscle and fragmented bone. Thomas had to look away. That ER nurse was right; there was no way he could possibly help his friend in there, no matter how much he wanted to. It was completely out of his hands. He felt utterly helpless.
Thomas leaned back against the wall and sank down to the floor in shock. He hugged his knees to his chest, legs fidgeting with anxiety, thoughts racing with fear. Please be okay Newt please be okay please I know you can pull through this Newt don't give up you'll make it I know you will... Tears pooled in Thomas's eyes. The heavy, sorrow-laden drops fell from his lashes.
You have to...
All Thomas could do now was worry and wait...
~~~~~~~~
It took the surgeons several hours to piece together Newt's shattered tibia and fibula. They used metal screws and rods and pins to hold his reconstructed leg together, and by the time they finished, there seemed to be more metal than bone. The torn muscles were also repaired, but the road to recovery would be grueling and painful.
In regards to the rest of Newt's body, the injuries weren't nearly as bad as they appeared when he arrived at the hospital, covered in blood. After taking care of his leg, it was simple enough to patch up the blonde's cuts and gashes. The final set of stitches was tied off and snipped. It would undoubtedly leave a scar on the side of Newt's forehead, but at least he was alive.
"All wounds are closed. Vitals are normal. Patient is stabilizing."
"Excellent. Prepare a bed in the ICU."
The head nurse nodded and removed her contaminated protective garments. The moment the door of the operating room closed behind her, Thomas stood up and grabbed the nurse's sleeve to keep her from walking away. "Is he alright?"
"Yes. He'll recover. No vital organs were permanently damaged and the central nervous system is also intact, but he'll be kept in the ICU." The woman's eyes were full of sympathy for Thomas. She put a hand on the brunette's arm. "We did the best we could."
It sounded like an apology.
