Melting His Jet Black Heart [cake au] ✔

29.

Chapter 29

Luke had followed Calum discreetly, making sure he wasn't noticed as he meandered through the thick forests and stumbled over rocks and streams to this secret place he didn't know about. He saw his dad on the way, heading towards the same place and grew worried, almost feeling sick in fear.

He reassured himself, saying that he'd only be there in case something bad was to happen. He wouldn't interfere, he'd just watch from the side and listen to what they were talking about.

He really didn't expect Calum to draw a knife and head towards his dad; and his first reaction was to jump in place of him, and have the knife cleave him instead. He had just enough time to whisper, "If anyone asks, it was my dad who did this, okay?" before he fainted due to shock and sudden blood loss.

"Luke?!" Calum gasped, quickly pulling out the knife. Luke's dad dragged him outside so he could see what was going on, and gasped too.

"Luke, can you hear me?" he yelled, slapping Luke's pale cheeks gently. The knife had luckily gone through his lower abdomen rather than his heart, but nonetheless Luke wasn't responding. "Calum, call an ambulance – and give me the knife! Don't you dare take the blame for this!"

Calum panicked but got out his phone, blood-laced fingers clumsily typing 000 into the keypad. "Uhh ambulance please," he choked, throat dry as he spoke. He was confused and shocked as to what had just happened – as if someone else had temporarily taken over his body and took his memories along with them when they left. "Y-yeah he has a knife wound."

An hour later, they were in the hospital, and Luke had been taken into surgery immediately, leaving Calum and Luke's dad outside the operating room.

"Let's get our story straight," Luke's dad said, ignoring the fact that the person opposite him had just tried to kill him. "I know you hate me for what I did, but I think I know now why you wanted to stab me," he began in a hushed tone. "You know that I didn't kill them, don't you?"

Calum shifted about in the hard plastic seat but nodded.

"I'm ready to go to jail for my crime so I'll take the blame, but I'm surprised you haven't owned up to it yet. What happened today... let's just say I dragged you boys out and threatened you with a knife, okay? Don't deviate or they'll get suspicious."

"Do you think the truth will come out?" Calum inquired tentatively.

"Not if you're good at acting."

They sat in silence for another hour, till Liz arrived having received a call from one of the nurses. "Andy? Calum? What happened?" she asked frantically, coming over and standing between them, her eyes searching theirs for answers.

Andy cleared his throat, glancing at Calum to make sure he kept to the story. "They... they tormented me. So I, uh, I lashed out."

Liz shut her eyes, praying that it wasn't true. No, her husband would never do that... he wouldn't... "Oh Andy..."

"I meant to go for Calum, but Luke dived in front of him at the last minute."

"But why...?" she replied, voice shaky from fear and shock.

"Don't question it please, honey. I'm going to prison, I'll serve my time. I did wrong."

Liz collapsed into her husband's arms, sobbing and uttering incoherent words as Calum sat and watched, his insides burning in agony. He knew he needed to come clean but there was no good way to go about doing it, at least none that he was aware of.

~

Five hours later, it was evening and Liz had offered to buy them all some food from the hospital cafeteria. During the wait, Jack had also come to the hospital to wait with them, and couldn't contain his disappointment in his own dad.

A nurse came out of the operating room, shortly followed by a surgeon. Calum stood immediately, and asked, "How is he?"

The doctor swallowed, replying, "He'll be okay. The wound was quite deep but we managed to stop the bleed and fix his internal organs – my colleague is just finishing with him now. If you'd like to come to the room we've prepared for him, I can talk to you all about what's going to happen next."

Calum's body shook in anxiety and he rubbed his bare arms. They all followed the doctor to a small room with a single white light and a bed that had been made and a bathroom too. They sat down on the chairs provided and listened.

"He will be probably need to be hospitalised for several weeks as we need to keep an eye on him, in case his situation changes for the worse, but you are all welcome to visit during the day. He may need a second surgery but for the time being he's stable. Now I warn you, he has been put under general anaesthesia so he will be a bit drugged up when he wakes. The anaesthesia will eventually wear off, so we have provided you with painkillers should he require them."

"Thank you doc, you're a life saver," Andy said with relief, pressing his lips into a tight smile. Jack sighed, burying his head in his hands.

Two nurses brought Luke in on a trolley a few minutes later, and Calum's body flooded with grief when he saw the lifeless expression on Luke's face. What usually was a happy, cheerful one was now sad and wilting, and it was all his fault.

Why had he even thought of talking to Luke's dad? What had been the point? What was he trying to achieve?

Nothing, was the short answer. His mind had simply been consumed by bloodlust and the only way to get rid of that was to take it out on someone. And, as a result, he'd stabbed his friend deep enough that he would need to stay in hospital for weeks.

"Look, boys – maybe it's best if you all go home for now. He should wake up tomorrow, okay?" the doctor said dismissively, showing them the way out.

***

Only a few chapters to go :') 

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Kimmy xx