Hide Your Bodies

14. Lurking in the Shadows

"Here's to us...Cheers," Frankie says "Cheers," I repeat before Frank breaks down "Frankie," I call as I kneel beside him "Frank?" I call again as I prop him up against the table. "Gee, what's going on?" Mikey questions as he appears behind me with Pete on his heel "I don't know, he just passed out," I stutter, my beating really fast and I'm having trouble breathing, I think I might be even hyperventilating. "Hey Gee, you need to breathe okay...he's gonna be okay," Mikey informs trying to calm me down. "Can someone call an ambulance?" he questions because I can't get a word out of my mouth "Already on it," Pete informs as dials '911' on his phone. "Frankie," I call even though he's not hearing me, at least I think I he isn't. I'm pretty sure I'm crying now, because my sight is blurry and my brother is holding me as some sort of comfort. "He's going to be okay," he keeps whispering in my ear, repeatedly.

"Gee, he's waking up," Mikey whispers in my ear and I wipe my eyes to see that Frank is indeed waking up. "Frankie," I smile and Mikey lets me go I can caress my boyfriend's cheek "Hey...are you okay?" I ask and he nods, before wiping my cheeks "Are you okay?" he half-whispers "You scared me," I respond and I have the uncomfortable feeling that he's not entirely okay.

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look okay," Pete informs kneeling down beside me and I shoot Frank a look to see his face contort in pain "My head hurts...a lot," he answers "I'll get you some water," Mikey says before standing back on his feet and disappearing into the crowd.

"Do you hear that?" Frank questions out of the blue and we shoot him a questioning look "It's this buzzing like sound, it's very high pitched and very loud," Frank explains "You mean a tinnitus?" Pete questions and Frank nod before covering his ears with his hands, "But it's a lot worse," he adds and Pete looks down a bit to think before looking at Frank with wide eyes. "Let me see your ear," he says taking Franks hand away from his ear. "We need to get him out of here;" he says motioning for me to help him and we both pull Frank back to his feet.

I look at Frank to see why Pete is so distressed and all I can see is blood slowly dripping down his ear.

"Wait up," Mikey calls, trailing behind us with a glass of water in his hand. "There you go," he says handing Frank the cup, oblivious to the blood coming out of Frank's ear.

Just as we reach the exit door, Frank loses his balance but we manage to hold him and that's when Mikey notices the blood, "Oh shit," he exclaims before handing Frank some tissues to clean himself up. "The ambulance is here," Pete informs as we hear the sirens outside, the medics enter the building and come straight towards us.

They take Frank to the ambulance and I ask I can come with him. "I'm sorry kid...only family or legal guardians allowed, I'm really sorry," The paramedic says and before I can say anything, Mikey chimes in, "We're the only 'family' he has... his mother disowned him," he says in distress and I look at him on the words 'disowned him'. When he realizes what he just said, he looks at me with guilt in his eyes, "I shouldn't have said that," he whispers so only I could hear.

"Alright, come in," the paramedic says in defeat and Mikey tells me to get in saying that he'll meet me there and I enter the ambulance.

"Sorry that we're late...I couldn't find mum," Mikey says as he sees me sitting in the living room with Pete and mum on his heel, "Oh honey, I'm sorry about what happened," she says hugging me and caressing my cheek.

"Mikey told me everything on the way here...are you okay?" she adds and I nod my head "Stupid hunters," she exclaims before sitting on the chair across from me. Mikey sits on the one beside me while Pete sits with my mum to calm her down, because she's ranting about the hunters and it's annoying. I love my mum, I admit that, but she overreacts sometimes and it's annoying.