Red and Blue: A Crankiplier Story

Chapter 14

Ethan's POV

"The good news is that your ankle isn't broken. The bad news is that you've pulled a muscle and you won't be able to walk for two days unless you have crutches." Said the vet that Ethan got to know as Cheryl.
Katie nodded.
"What am I meant to do for the next two days?" Asked Ethan.
"Bed rest, get plenty, don't move that foot and wait for someone to bring food to you. That kitchen is used in emergencies like this." Said Cheryl.
"You've been there?"
"Yeah I was a temporary nurse."
Ethan chuckled at the thought of a vet being a camp nurse. They wouldn't be bad at all because they work on animals. They probably know a lot about humans as well, enough to work as a temporary nurse anyway.
"Just sign here and he's good to go." Said Cheryl.
The car ride there wasn't bad. It was nice seeing houses widely spread apart. It wasn't bad getting back either. Katie let him choose the music and most of the songs she knew off by heart.
"You have a good sense of the tunes." She commented.
"Thanks."
They spent the rest of the trip listening to songs and singing. It was fun, it was nice to be surrounded again by people that supported him. He enjoyed being loved as a person again.
Loved again... Mark...
The song that explained all of Ethan's thoughts played. He felt better about everything whilst listening to it. He breathed in the words and let them sink in.
Loving can hurt
Loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing I know
When it gets haaard...
You know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive
We keep this love in a photograph...
"Ethan, your voice, it's amazing." Said Katie cutting Ethan out of his trance.
Ethan realised he was in fact singing and he blushed.
"It's not that good." He mumbled.
"Yes it is!" Exclaimed Katie. "Oh we're here."
Ethan waited as she parked then hopped out. He was handed crutches and given strict instructions to only go to the cabin. He swung along happily, he'd almost never felt this way. He finally came across his cabin and went inside, there was guitar playing as he hopped upstairs. Everyone turned to him as he walked in, Tyler wasn't there yet luckily. Everyone else was though. Dan, Phil and Robert were dripping with sweat as if they'd been running.
"Ethan!" Mark yelped dropping his guitar on the bed and jumping off. He threw himself at Ethan and into his arms. Ethan dropped his crutches and hugged him back.
"Easy Mark." He said. Mark loosened his grip but stayed where he was.
"What happened?" Asked Joey.
"I was given instructions to stay here for the next two days." Ethan answered.
"Sorry mate, I wish it was different." Said Dan.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"I'm fine now though, just give me some time." Mark helped him into his bed and he stared at the bunk above him. He had opened his sheet curtain so he could see what was going on. Robert had gotten his guitar and started playing 500 Miles. He was amazing as normal.
"So the food situation?" Mark questioned.
"Yeah that kitchen is actually used in situations like this. To warm up food so hurt, injured or sick people can eat." Replied Ethan.
"Wow, they are prepared." Said Daniel.
"I know right... hey does anyone have paper?" Asked Ethan.
"Actually I do." Answered Mark.
"Can I borrow some?" He asked.
"Yeah!"
Mark passed Ethan three bits of art paper, a pencil and eraser from his bunk, Ethan started to draw. He doodled everyone in the cabin together. Ethan and Mark were in the middle the others were high fiving. He showed it to Mark who gasped.
"Ethan that's amazing!" He exclaimed.
"It's not that good." Blushed Ethan.
"Here let's see." Said Dan.
Mark jumped down from his bunk and showed it to Dan.
"That's great Ethan!" He said.
"Can I see?" Asked Phil. Mark passed it to Phil.
"Amazing." He sighed. "I can't draw for crud."
Everyone laughed. "Come on you can't be that bad."
"I am." Phil replied.
Whilst everyone got a look at Ethan's drawing he started to doodle, his imagination taking him away from life. He didn't know what he was drawing only that he was doing it. After he was done he glanced down. Mark and he were sitting by the lake in the sunset. Ethan had his head on Mark's shoulder and Mark pointed to the distance. Ethan blushed wildly and shoved the paper under his pillow.
That will never happen! He mentally shouted at himself.
He heard a song that he just heard an while ago coming from a bunk above him.
Broken Strings by James Morrison.
"Let me hold you
For the last time."
Ethan sung along with Mark, no one knew he was singing because he was singing quietly. Everyone was singing as well, everyone knew the song. Then it got to the chorus and he began to sing louder. He drowned himself in the words, singing.
The singing and guitar above him stopped and everyone stared at him with wide eyes. He stopped singing immediately.
"You are amazing Ethan." Joey said.
Ethan blushed again and hid his face. He'd done it in front of Katie but now in front of his whole cabin.
"I think we may have embarrassed him." Said Daniel.
"I'm fine guys, I'm not used to being complimented on anything..." Ethan said.
"You're so talented though." Said Mark.
"Your better at singing than me." Ethan replied
"I don't know, maybe, but I can't draw for shit, your an amazing artist."
"Happens when your lonely..." Ethan trailed. He tried to stop thinking about all the times he had been alone. Every day he would come home to his mum yelling at him. Kicking him, punching him... He drew things wishing they would come true. Sometimes he'd be fully alone in is house and he'd be sitting at his desk crying. Everything started to spin around him, his vision blurred and all of the yelling and bullying started to echo in his head. Ethan clutched his hair, he couldn't breath, everything was closing in.
"Ethan!" Mark yelled. That was the last thing Ethan heard. He couldn't hear anything after that. He felt blackness close around him...
"Ethan!"