Chasing Suicide (BXB)

Chapter Two♡

"So, how was this... Attempted?" I blinked, trying to keep my eyes open. Sleeping last night didn't work out very well. There seemed to be a party next door going on and it was insanely loud. If I had to tally up the hours that I got to sleep it would have to be around 2 hours all together. And neither of those two were peaceful.

I glanced at the doctor and nurse in front of me. We had been discussing Aster's life for about an hour. I thought they might have information about him, considering that he had been here at the same hospital now, three times.

"Well let's see." the older nurse flipped through her clipboard, "This time it was an overdose of pills a-and," her voice stuttered as if she was about to cry, "slitting his wrists."

"And the other times?" inwardly I felt like crying too, but I knew that I had to stay confident if they were going to let me take care him. Sadly suicide attempts were a common case we had but it still crushed me to hear about every time.

"The first time he jumped off of a bridge into traffic but luckily he didn't get injured too badly from that. It was a short bridge. And by too badly I mean he didn't die. His scars were pretty bad from that one." she lifted a tissue and blotted her eyes.

Dr. Cortez patted her shoulder and then she continued, "The second time it was an overdose of sleeping pills. I don't know how he could have gotten the pills though, the family we sent him to had kept all of their medicine locked up. But they found him just in time, similar to this time, someone also found him." she paused, "I don't even know what to do anymore, we've tried personally taking to him, I know some his foster parents tried to hire a therapist as well but he doesn't seem to be getting any better."

"And you said that he refuses to take medicine for his mental health?"

Dr. Cortez answered this question, "Yes, he says that he's not depressed, and we can't force it because we have no proof that he's depressed besides the fact that he keeps attempting suicide. He won't admit to it and I believe he lies on the tests we've had him take."

I looked at him, confusion clearly on my face, "Shouldn't that be enough to know that he's depressed?"

"Well no. One can attempt suicide for various reasons. And since we already asked and he denied it, the government won't allot the money or clearance for the medicine."

"I see..." I wrote all this down on my notepad as they said it. I sighed, "So, putting this issue aside, do you guys know anything that can help me, help him?" Scratching my head, I asked another question, "I mean does he have any past problems that I should know about or anything? Has anyone done research on his actually family?"

Dr. Cortez spoke up, "From what we know, he's been an orphan for most of his life and he's been in various foster homes but we have no information about his early life."

"H- he likes..."

We both turned to the nurse. "He likes what?" I asked her, determined to find one thing that could make him even slightly happy.

"Those little lollipops... I cant remember what they're called but he always ate them when I gave him some."

"Dum dums?" I raised one eyebrow, the only well known lollipop I could think of besides those tootsie roll ones and those weren't very small.

"Yeah! Those. He liked those. I usually have a bowl full for my patients and that's the only thing he accepts from me when I see him."

"He likes Dum dums?" I asked still in partial disbelief.

"Yes, I'm positive."

I blinked, surprised. "Okay thanks. I'll get him some then." I glanced down at my silver watch.

'9:02am'.

"Well, " Dr. Cortez and the nurse stood up, "let's go get him, he should be all bandaged up about now."

And bandaged up he was. We walked out of the conference looking room and waited outside of the room that he was in, he was standing there looking down as 3 nurses sealed the bandages.

He had one around his head, making his hair stick out some in various places. His hair still had a black-ish tint to it but I could see the brown coming in on the tips. He also had quite a few bandages going up his thin arms.

"Aster," Dr. Cortez walked up to him and Aster's head lifted and turned a bit towards Dr. Cortez. "This is Mr. Hayez, he'll be taking care of you for a while. I believe someone came to talk to you about it a little already, correct?"

Aster didn't respond but his eyes turned towards me and his melancholy aura was so strong that I could feel it. I smiled, trying to lighten the mood and reassure him that it was going to be okay.

"Hey." I said, but he just looked back down.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

I hated to say this but he looked almost half alive. He had no emotion whatsoever on his face, and he just stood there kind of limply and weak looking.

After about 10 minutes of grabbing his very few possessions, we were set to leave.

Dr. Cortez looked at me, "He can take over the counter pain killers but you have to supervise when he does." then he leaned to whisper in my ear, "Please watch him constantly, I hate to see him doing this to himself."

I smiled and assured him that I would do what I could. After saying goodbye to the nurses and doctors I walked outside with Aster slowly following along.

I pressed the unlock button on my key, causing my black mustang convertible's lights to blink. I glanced at Aster and noticed that he was completely uninterested. Guess he has no interest in cars. I walked over to his side and opened the door for him. He got in and sat down as I walked to my side and started the engine.

Once I was driving at a steady speed I glanced at Aster. "Sooo, you're out of school?"

He nodded his head, not turning away from the front window.

"You can call me Jude by the way. I mean Mr. Hayez is cool too, but we're only about two or three years apart so it's kind of weird." ..... I waited for a response but got nothing.. "That is if you call me at all."

He still sat there in silence as we passed cars and cars passed us. It was so quiet you could hear the engine.

We reached my apartment got out of the car. I grumbled when we reached the stairs but when he walked up, he seemed unfazed while I was once again breathing heavily. Which was weird because my body seemed much more fit than his. Well from what I could see.

No bragging intended but I go to the gym quite a lot so I don't get flabby. Which is one of my fears... That one day I'll get flabby. I shivered at the thought and opened the door, still slightly embarrassed from being out of breath.

"This is it." I waved my hand around the small apartment. "My humble..." I paused, "Well, not so humble abode."

I walked further in, "You can probably tell that I never plan on getting married." I laughed at myself then turned to Aster. He had his hands in his sweat pant's pockets and his eyes scanned the room, uninterested. At least he was looking..

I gave him a small tour and then we arrived at the bedrooms. "Oh great." I sighed. "I forgot they wanted me to watch you 24/7."

I couldn't just leave him alone in a room, that just seemed like a bad idea all in itself.

I rubbed my head, not caring about what he would say because, well he probably wouldn't say anything. "Well you can sleep here and I'll just put a couch in or something for myself. Not that I don't trust you but... Well I don't really because I don't know you."

He still didn't say anything.

His quietness was starting to get to me and I had to keep telling myself that this was what I signed up for. It was going to take a lot longer than just one day. People take time and patience, especially Aster I'm sure with the life he's had.

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