"Let me take a shift in the ICU."
"You know I can't allow that."
"Then just let me see him."
"No."
"Please, just for a few minutes."
"No. It goes against hospital policy to allow--"
"Please! He's my best friend! Just let me be there for him!"
"I'm sorry, Thomas, but you can't see him. Don't make me declare you emotionally unfit to work your next shift in the ER."
"...I'll be fine..."
~~~~~~~~
Thomas wasn't fine. He barely slept that night. His whole body ached with a fear the likes of which he'd never known. He told himself that Newt would be alright, that they'd be eating take-out and watching movies again before he knew it, but Thomas couldn't convince himself it was true.
Thomas's cellphone rang at two in the morning, startling him into alertness. He quickly answered without checking who it was.
"Hello?"
"Thomas," it sounded like the same head nurse Thomas spoke to earlier, "I convinced your boss to let you work with me in the patient recovery wing tonight. Your friend just awoke from surgery and it went well, but he really needs you right now."
The boy's heart nearly beat out of his chest.
"Where is he?"
"East Wing, Room 103."
"I'll be right there!"
Thomas hung up before she could explain anything else.
~~~~~~~~
When Thomas arrived at the hospital, he made a beeline for Newt's room. Upon opening the door, he saw Newt sitting in bed, bandaged and bruised. Thomas rushed to his side.
"Hey, hey, don't cry, you're okay. I'm right here, Newt. You're gonna be okay." Newt just sat there, silent tears flowing down his cheeks. He looked into his friend's eyes with such a sorrowful expression it nearly broke Thomas's heart.
Thomas gently wiped the tears from the Newt's face, but Newt just shook his head and cried harder. "It's g-gone, Tommy... it's bloody gone..."
Thomas didn't understand. "What happened?"
Newt didn't answer, so Thomas looked to the nurse standing on the other side of the room. She had a solemn look on her face. "On the phone you said something about a surgery. Why did they need to operate again?"
"Necrotizing fasciitis," she began.
Thomas's heart sank.
"He developed the infection while he was still asleep in the ICU, and it spread from the inside out. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. The bacteria had caused irreparable damage. We had to perform emergency surgery to save his life before it spread any further."
When she finished speaking, the nurse pulled Newt's blanket aside. Thomas didn't want to believe what he saw. Newt's left leg was amputated below the knee.
"I can't believe it's gone, Tommy..." Newt cried. He held Thomas's hand and squeezed it tight. "I woke up... and it was just gone... I had no idea what happened... with the car crash... or the infection..." Newt's voice trailed off as his whole body trembled with sobs.
Thomas didn't even know what to say. He felt too overwhelmed to think. He just wanted his friend to stop crying.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the brunette leaned in and gently kissed Newt's forehead, then his cheek, before pulling away to look into his beautiful brown eyes. "I'm just so happy you're alive, Newt. I saw you get wheeled into the hospital and I was terrified. I thought I might lose my best friend," he held Newt's face in his hands and ran his thumb over the blonde's cheek to wipe away the tears, not noticing the wetness in his own eyes, "but you're gonna be okay. I promise."
The nurse could clearly see how much these boys cared for each other. She also knew that Thomas was more than capable of taking care of his friend on his own. She turned on Newt's bedside lamp before flicking off the fluorescent top light. "Just press that button if you need anything else. Thomas will look after you," she said, leaving the two alone in the room.
~~~~~~~~
Newt and Thomas sat in silence for a few minutes, Thomas holding Newt's hand and waiting for the older boy to say something. Newt lowered his head and spoke too softly to hear.
"What did you say, Newt? Do you need something?"
Newt looked up at Thomas and shook his head, pure fear in his eyes. "I'm just so bloody terrified..." Newt whimpered, "things will never be the same and I'm scared... I'm so scared, Tommy... I hate this place..."
The blonde's trembling lips were wet with tears and a feeling of utter helplessness crushed Thomas's heart.
"Newt..."
Without thinking, he took Newt in his arms and kissed him. Thomas put all his love into that kiss, hoping it would make Newt forget about all the fear and pain, if only for a moment.
And it did. Newt forgot everything when he felt Thomas's lips press against his. He closed his eyes and kissed back, pulling Thomas closer, letting the sweet, platonic act of affection wash away the misery that now poisoned his life.
"Everything's gonna be okay, Newt. It'll all be okay, I promise you," Thomas whispered against Newt's lips, breaking the kiss.
Newt looked into Thomas's eyes and managed a sad smile. "I'm glad you're here, Tommy. I don't think I could go through this alone..."
"I won't let you go through this alone. I'm right here for you," Thomas gently pressed their foreheads together, stroking Newt's golden hair with one hand, "if there's anything you need, anything I can do for you, just tell me."
Newt gave a genuine smile at that, his tears finally subsiding. He carefully shifted forward and removed the pillows from behind his back. "I want you to sit here," the blonde patted the empty space behind him.
Thomas hesitated, not because he didn't want to hold his friend, but out of fear that he might accidentally hurt him. "Please, Tommy." Newt's voice compelled him.
"O-okay. Hold on a sec." Thomas remembered he still had a job to do. He looked at the monitor displaying Newt's vital signs and made sure his IV drip remained in place. He shifted the blanket aside and forced himself to check on Newt's leg; the bandages were still clean, which meant his wound didn't reopen. Thomas sighed with relief. "Everything looks fine. How do you feel?"
"Tired. Really buggin' tired. It doesn't hurt that bad, though, just aches." Newt glanced down at the IV needle in his hand and wished he could pull it out. "They must have drugged me up pretty good."
"Yeah, you're on some strong stuff," Thomas stood at his friend's bedside. "You still want me to sit there?" he asked, gesturing behind the older boy. Newt just nodded.
Thomas gingerly settled in behind Newt's bruised body and wrapped his arms around him. Newt relaxed almost immediately. He leaned back to fully rest against Thomas, relishing the brunette's familiar presence. Thomas smiled when a contented sigh escaped Newt's lips. He was amazed at how quickly the mood changed for the better.
"Mmm... you're so warm..."
"Are you cold?"
"Not really. I'm alright." Newt's hospital gown didn't do much in regards to staying warm, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes and thought about how nice it felt when Thomas had kissed him.
Thomas considered getting an extra blanket but didn't want to move now that Newt was finally comfortable. He thought of something that didn't involve disturbing his friend's rest.
"Tell me if this helps..."
Thomas took a deep breath, letting his lungs heat up the air. He slowly exhaled his hot breath over the blonde's skin, his open mouth only a hair's width away from Newt's neck. "Ooooh, God, that's nice..." Newt murmured, voice soft and breathy. He easily forgot about where he was and focused only on the boy behind him. Newt tilted his head to further expose his bare neck to Thomas's breath.
Thomas repeated the action and this time Newt noticed more than the heat. He felt the sultry moisture of Thomas's mouth and shivered even though a pleasant warmth drifted across his skin. His senses tingled and his whole body started to feel hot when Thomas exhaled near his ear.
"Do that again, Tommy..."
Thomas did as Newt asked, exhaling his hot breath over Newt's left ear, then the right. The brunette had no idea he sent jolts of involuntary arousal through the blonde's body. He just didn't think in those terms, especially with Newt, but when he felt the older boy's heartbeat quicken, listened as his breath hitched, Thomas realized something was off.
"You okay, Newt?"
"Yeah... I'm fine..." Newt sounded dazed, "I'm so glad you're here... I love you, Tommy... you're my best friend..."
Thomas smiled and softly kissed Newt's shoulder, lovingly stroking his blonde hair. "I love you, too."
Newt fell asleep minutes later, and Thomas stayed with him until his temporary shift ended at sunrise.
