Hybrid Theory: A [Linkin Park] Spinoff.

A Fire Needs a Space.

I fight back tears as I look at the ceiling of my bunk,"Chester. What do you mean that you were the one who killed my dad?"
Chester's voice, reluctant.
"I already told you. It was thirty-two below zero that night. I passed out, crossed the median, and slammed into him. He was dead on arrival."
My voice breaks,"There has to be more to this....there just has to be."
"I was admitted with a head injury, broken femur, and a severe laceration across my back. He was dead when they found him, yet they took him to the O.R. to run an autopsy. After I was deemed as stable, I was taken to see him. When I saw him lying on that gurney, his face void of life, I just lost it. I lost my will to live. I lost it all."
I fight back a heavy sob,"Was he ejected?"
"Yes. He flew three car lengths past where I blacked out. The impact of the two masses of steel and the impact of the hard asphalt tore him up. Bad."
I close my eyes, letting the tears silently fall.
Chester shifts, his shirt and sheets making a comforting rustling as he moves.
I open my eyes, my voice slightly stronger,"Chester. Link me into the memory. Please. This doesn't add up."
"Okay."
I close my eyes, soon falling into dead space, the gentle rocking of a vehicle running along the road quickly overtaking my senses.
A voice beside me.
"Eren. Wake up. You said you wanted to see how this played out. Here's right about when I passed out. I'm going to stay awake this time."
I gasp as I feel Chester's truck hit the black ice, the vehicle spinning violently.
Just crossed the median.
My head hits the dash as the large mass of red meets the slightly smaller mass of blue.
Chester's head hits the steering wheel. Hard.
I open the door and drop out of the truck just in time to see a body flying through the air.
Chester's truck flips, easily knocking me into the snow.
I lay there, listening to the screaming of brakes, Chester's pained breathing as he crawls over to me, and the faint screaming of sirens, Truck flipped. I'm alive. Chester has a broken leg. My dad was ejected. The ambulances are getting close. But the ice is going to slow them down. My head is spinning. I'm laying in a pool of my own blood.
Chester's voice in my ear, a violent rasp,"Roll over. I need to see how badly you hit."
I slowly force myself to my hands and knees, blood starting to fog my vision.
Chester shakes me,"Hey. Don't close your eyes. You close your eyes now and you die. On both planes."
I collapse hard into the bloodstained snow, my mind going blank.
A voice.
"She's going into shock!!!"
Lights. Searing pain. Dizzy as can be. Where's Chester?
I sit up, gasping, looking around at the faces surrounding me in the ambulance,"Chester!?"
One of the medics, a young woman with long blonde hair gently pushes me back down onto the gurney,"Hey. Your friend is safe. He's in the other ambo."
I blurt out,"He's my brother!! I have to make sure he's okay."
"He's fine. Now please. Calm down."
I look around, my heart starting to slow, an obvious indicator of a now all too familiar morphine cloud, my voice slurs,"Chester. Please be okay."
Everything goes black for what feels to be a matter of seconds, then a voice, followed by a series of lights.
"Seventeen. Female. No name as of yet. Still in shock."
I slowly open my eyes, blinded by the sharp contrast of colors and shadows.
A male voice this time.
"She's coming around."
I wince as I feel a shaking hand on my right shoulder.
The voice again.
"Eren? Can you feel my hand?"
I nod slowly, my voice a harsh rasp,"Yeah."
"Do you remember who I am?"
My mind slows to an alarming crawl,"Chester?"
He smiles slightly, his expression showing obvious pain,"Hey. They're letting us go see Mark. Think you can push yourself in a wheelchair?"
I shake my head,"Doubt it."
I feel a pair of arms lift me, then set me down in one of the chairs.
Chester starts towards the door, his crutches rattling softly.
I push the chair forward,"Wait up."
Chester coughs slightly,"Don't get mad when you wake up with a bruise and a stiff neck."
I sigh,"Chester. I'm not mad at you for crashing your truck. I'm not mad that you killed my dad. If anything, tonight has changed my view of you. For the better."
He stops and looks at me, tears in his eyes,"It's a shame that neither of us will remember this conversation after we wake up."
I smile,"Of course I'll remember. My mind is entwined with yours now."
Chester walks over to me,"So you won't be mad when I do something here in a few seconds?"
I look at him,"No. Why?"
He kisses me, his movements showing pain, yet the touch of his hands on my scalp show fear and need.
I return his embrace, my hands finding the back of his shirt, my fingers tangling within the soft fabric, Please. Don't let go.
You need to wake up now.

I slowly open my eyes, clearly disappointed that it was just a memory.
Chester groans softly from his bunk,"Hey Eren. How do you feel?"
I wince as I push myself into a sitting position,"My neck hurts."
"Do you remember the last moment in the hallway of the hospital?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I thought you would."
Phoenix's voice cuts through the dark,"Both of you. Please. Shut up."
I smile and swing my legs over the edge of my bunk before pulling on a pair of socks,"Chester. That memory cleared up a lot of confusion for me. In more ways than one."
"Good. I hoped that it would."
I drop down out of my bunk, my feet giving no sign of my landing,"May we do it again?"
Chester rolls onto his side, his eyes bright blue against the dark shadow surrounding him,"Well sure."
I kneel down, my face level with his,"I hope you can keep this a secret." I kiss him softly.
A soft noise escapes Chester's throat.
The door clicks open, followed by a pained cry,"Chester? Eren?"
I straighten up, smacking the back of my head off the ceiling of Chester's bunk,"Mike. This isn't what it looks like. I swear."
"Oh really? What is it, then?"
I stammer, my mind crawling,"Uh........"
Chester speaks up,"Mike. You won't understand."
Mike's voice becomes defensive,"Why wouldn't I understand?"
"You weren't in the memory. I started this. Not her."
"I heard you two mumbling. I was the one who made sure no one bothered you. I was the one who sat by both of your sides so I could wake you up in case something went wrong."