Me Plus You ♡ s.m. + m.f.

{32} Look at This Peach

"Look at my dress, mommy" Jack half grinned, running his hand across the chest of his hospital gown. He turned his gaze toward his mother who sat in a chair next to his bedside.

The cool air sent shivers down his bare arms. He'd always hated doctor's offices and hospitals.

She ran her finger's through her long, curly brown hair. "Yes, you showed it to me  five times earlier. It's very pretty." An awkward, yet sympathetic smile spreading across the perfect features on her young face.

Jack giggled, his hand running across the smooth, white sheet draped over his legs. His attention soon completely turning toward the nectarine he held in his left hand that he really wanted to eat, but still couldn't for a few more hours. He held the piece of fruit up to his face, absentmindedly rolling it up the bridge of his nose and across his forehead.

He glanced to the door, immediately forgetting about his nectarine and watching as Clifton walked through the door holding his laptop, his son following close behind. He gasped.

"Marky! Guess what; My appendix basically exploded inside my tummy last night!"

"Hi, baby boy! I know. It hurt, didn't it?" The older leaned over, kissing the soft, red curls atop his boyfriend's head that lay against the fluffy, white pillow. He looked a little different with his hair pushed back off his forehead. Mark desperately wanted to hold Jack in his arms and kiss him all over, but right now he was afraid to even hug the boy in fear that he would break him or cause him any pain.

Jack held the nectarine out in front of him, displaying it in front of Mark, "Look at this peach! It's bald."

"Yeah, that's pretty cool."

That's a nectarine.

Clifton set his laptop on the nearby counter and sat on his cool swivel stool. It was weird seeing Jack so helpless and calm. The blonde man had known the Irish boy for almost ten years now, and he'd never seen him quiet, since he'd grown to know him as a hyper, elated and loud kid.  

He paused for a moment taking it all in. "Well, Jack how do you feel? You're gonna have to get up and walk around in a few minutes if you wanna go home tomorrow."

"Am I gonna have a scar?"

"Um... yeah, but it's really small and once it heals, it wont be very noticeable at all."

Jack squeezed Mark's hand tighter, tears welding up in his eyes. He really didn't want to have a scar on his stomach, and that's probably what scared him the most out of everything he's just experienced.

Mark immediately kneeled down, gently caressing Jack's face with his free hand. "Aww, it's okay. Please don't cry, sweetheart."

"And if you really don't like it after it heals you can get a cool tattoo to cover it up, okay?" Florrie grinned.

"Hmm... Okay."

His fingers fiddled with a loose thread he'd found on his blanket. He glanced over at Mark, His fingers tapping against the arm of the plastic chair he was sitting in. The brim of his baseball hat slightly casting a shadow over his brown eyes. He could tell he'd been previously crying.

"Marky, are you okay?"

"Yeah, now I am."