Error 404: YouTuber Not Found | BlankGameplays Fanfic

Chapter 30 - The Flashdrive

More than anything else, Jesse felt exhausted. Her fight with Blank was little compared to the emotional trauma of getting Ethan to the hospital. She hadn't been allowed to ride in the ambulance, instead driving behind them with her hands shaking on the steering wheel. She charged into the ER just in time to see his stretcher being pushed back into a hallway out of sight. No news had emerged since. 

In the meantime, Jesse scrolled numbly through the internet, not registering anything she saw. Ethan's channel had been dead for weeks, as had his Twitter. The subscribers were starting to lose it a little. Even Teamiplier didn't know what had happened, though, strangely enough, Mark himself hadn't yet reached out to Ethan to ask. Blank had kept them at bay for as long as he could, but soon they'd all need explanations. The thought made Jesse's heart flutter awfully.

Pulling her eyes up from the phone, Jesse looked around at the ER, with its uncomfortable teal pleather chairs and plastic plants covered in dust. The florescent lights buzzed placidly, like the snore of a sedated patient. Jesse slid down in her waiting chair, closing her eyes. She sighed, wishing she could just see Ethan again.

"Excuse me?" a quiet man's voice roused Jesse suddenly, making her stomach flip. "Miss?"

"Oh- yes?" Jesse lurched up out of the seat, feeling her legs shake under her. She must've fallen asleep. The man who approached her was in a doctor's coat. He seemed mild-mannered, with a neatly trimmed head of curly hair and a peppery beard. 

"Are you here for someone?" he asked, his voice concerned. "You've been here for several hours."

"E-Ethan Nestor," Jesse blurted. "He was taken into the ER a while ago. His, uh, fem-femoral artery or something- it was p-punctured..."

The man smiled, waving his hand gently to cut Jesse off. "Ah, yes- him. I knew he wouldn't be here alone, a charming boy like that. Are you family, or...?"

"Yeah," Jesse felt her face get hot. "The second one." She froze, waiting for the doctor to continue. "B-but is he okay?"

The doctor nodded solemnly. "He is recovering." Jesse exhaled sharply, feeling her shoulders drop. The doctor continued, "You were right about the femoral artery... almost entirely cut through..." But Jesse was only half-listening. For the first time in hours, she knew she'd see Ethan again. And knowing he was alive meant... well, it meant she could dare to hope for something else, too.

"Can I see him?" Jesse asked suddenly, accidentally cutting the doctor off mid-sentence. 

The doctor raised his eyebrows. "Well, he is stable enough now to take visitors, yes. I can show you to him."

"Thank you," Jesse smiled, relieved. She checked into the ER, letting the attendant see her driver's license before following the doctor back into the winding hallways beyond. There, stretchers lined the halls and IV bags stood with wires like tentacles. There were monitors and posters with diagrams- Jesse couldn't decipher an ounce of it. Doctors strode by with long steps, calling out ahead of them or scribbling furiously on their clipboards. Some attendants ran by, pushing stretchers or carrying medical equipment. But at last Jesse and the doctor reached a quiet little room in the middle of the chaos. 

"Jesse..." Ethan breathed, eyes lighting up. "Holy hell, Jesse!"

"Please do try to keep calm, Mr. Nestor," the doctor nodded gently as Jesse lurched forward, only to freeze and look back. "We need to keep your blood pressure low..."

Ethan nodded and Jesse jumped forward once more to the bed where Ethan was sitting. He was tucked into the blankets and connected to a vitals monitor and an IV pole. He looked tired and sallow, but his hazel eyes glittered.