Synesthesia

Coral

    When Josh's house finally got into view, Chris stopped. Fear and shock crept into every corner of his body.

    Josh's house was on fire.

    Then he saw someone being rolled into the ambulance. But he didn't have to get closer to know who it was. Because there was only one person he knew who had raven hair and C major lips.
Chris watched helplessly as his best friend was driven to the hospital, as the firefighters attempted to put out the fire, as Josh's mom and brother cried in their yard. Then he felt his own eyes tear up, he started bawling. He fell to his knees, tears poured out of his eyes as he listened to the fading sirens. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.
    He looked up to see Cody. His eyes were bloodshot, and tears were still streaming down his face. Chris stood up and hugged Josh's brother tighter than he's ever hugged anyone before, as he sobbed uncontrollably. They both did.

    After Chris left, and Josh was taken to the hospital in critical condition, Cody and his mom stayed at a relative's until they could either find a new house, or their house was repaired.
    Chris couldn't get any sleep that night. He was too shaken. He wanted to see Josh as soon as possible.
He wanted to see those magnificent blue eyes of his. The eyes that Chris wished could replace his own. While Josh's eyes were full of passion and creativity, Chris thought his eyes were dull and colorless. Simply brown.

As soon as the sun started to rise, he went to his parents' bedroom. Luckily, his dad was at a friend's house, so it was just his mom.

"Mom," Chris whispered, shaking her gently.
"What," his mom replied sleepily.
"What are the visiting hours for the hospital down the road?"
"I think nine to five. Why?"
"No reason," Chris lied. Then crept back to his room to let his mom sleep.

    Chris impatiently waited for his clock radio to say '9:00.' He was restless. Every five minutes he would check.
    Finally, it was 9:00.

    Chris sprang up and out the door. Not even bothering telling his mom where he was going.
    He nearly sprinted to the hospital, since it was just down the road from his house.

    He almost tripped going up the stairs, he doesn't like elevators.
    Then he finally got to Josh's room. He hesitantly walked in.

    Josh was laying in bed. His eyes closed, his raven hair a slight mess, and his C major lips parted a little. Chris watched as Josh's chest slowly rose and fell, and listened to the quiet sound of the heart monitor.
    And how we wished Josh would open his eyes, we wanted more than anything to see those magnificent blue eyes of his.

    Tears formed in Chris' eyes. He started blaming himself for what had happened.

    If only I had trusted my stupid instincts!
    If only I had texted him sooner!
    If only I had been there with him!

    Then Chris started sobbing. He couldn't help it. The tears wouldn't stop, and he couldn't swallow the painful lump in his throat.
    His nose started running as he cried, he had cried a lot lately. But crying doesn't help anything. He had to stay strong for Josh.
    Chris put a shaky hand on Josh's limp hand and held it.

    Then Cody walked in.
    "Hey Chris," Cody said with a sad smile.
    "Oh, hi Cody," Chris replied, suddenly letting go of Josh's hand.
    "How are you?" Cody asked awkwardly.
    "How do I answer that question?"
    Cody chuckled nervously, "I'm not sure."

    Chris suddenly felt a violent twist in his stomach, he quickly stood up.
    "I need to go," he said, clutching his gut.
    "Alright," Cody replied, noticing how pale Chris suddenly was.

    Then Chris rushed out the door.

    He had just barely made it into a stall in the public restroom at the hospital, when he uncontrollably threw up into the toilet. The sight wasn't a pretty one. He couldn't stop himself, not even when someone else walked in.
    When it was finally over, Chris wiped his mouth, and leaned back onto the stall door, breathing heavily. The toilets were automatic, so he didn't have to worry about flushing it himself.
    He caught his breath, and went to one of the sinks to wash the taste of stomach acid out of his mouth. And it wasn't until he looked at himself in the mirror that he realized how awful he looked.

    His cheekbones were outlined, he had very dark and very visible circles under his eyes, his eyes were bloodshot, his skin was super pale, and his lips were chapped, faded, and spitting in some areas.

    He turned on the cold water and splashed some on his face, thinking that some traces of the stress would disappear. He felt dizzy though, he had lost a lot a fluid.
    Chris suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder.
    He jumped and turned around to face a tall and bulky man.
    "Are you okay?" the strange man asked, sounding concerned.
    Chris just nodded.
    "Are you sure? You don't look so good."
    "Yeah, I'm fine. Just too much stress," Chris replied, sounding very tired for some reason.
    The man didn't do anything in response. Just stood there, with a very concerned look on his face.
    "I'm glad you're concerned, but I'm fine, really," Chris said as he turned to leave, gripping the wall to keep his balance.

    But he didn't last for long. He was almost to the door when the floor suddenly rushed up to meet him.