Coffee Shop [BxB] ✔

Chapter 9

It's now Tuesday. I'll get to see Harvey in only two days. I haven't seen Harvey during morning classes and he's not here in the café either. Kate's been bugging me as per usual and I found myself always checking for Harvey at the entrance.

Without him here, it's boring. I don't have anyone to kiss and hug. Nobody to even talk to - sincerely at least. It's just... It's so empty. It's cold. It's uncomfortable. I really don't like this.

Thankfully though, the day went by pretty slowly so I was able to sit back and daydream for as long as I wanted. Well, only if Kate doesn't bother for the rest of my shift.

___

Finally... The day is done.

I trudged up my wooden stairs, taking the tie out of my black hair and shoving it into my jean's pocket. I turned to my left when I reached the top of the stairs and opened my bedroom door. My phone was laying on my bed, vibrating with a bright screen that said "Harvey is calling..." at the top.

At that, I whisked over to the bed and took the device into my hands. My thumb swiped to the right, answering the incoming call from Harvey. Finally... I can hear his voice.

"Hey, Harv. I just got home from work, what's up?" I asked, bringing the phone to my ears. I sat down on my bed and leaned down to undo the laces on my shoes. I heard his shallow breathing on the other line, which was uneven and inaudible at times.

"...Shut up let me talk, damnit!"

His voice cracked at the amplitude of his outburst, making me flinch a little. His voice was heavy with tears, which made me start to worry. I didn't bother asking any questions, since I didn't know if he was talking to me or someone else.

"I don't care! Let me talk to him for a minute!"

Then, I heard someone in the background of his line. It was an older woman from the frequency of her voice. She sounded a little disturbed.

"Sir please---the phone down---ather---s on the bri--"

Then, it switched over to Harvey's angered voice.

"I know! Just-- agh, l-let me go! Ashton, please.. S-stop! I'm not leaving my dad! Ashton, I'm at the hosp--"

I stopped focusing on untying the laces to my shoes and stood back up, alert and ready to go if he needed help. The whole line seemed distressed and utterly disturbing. "I'm here, Harvey." I told him, quite tensely at that.

"Petran Hospital! Go there, I'm in room 209 -- Let me go! Nn, I'm not gonna leave!"

I exited my bedroom as fast as I could, keeping the phone held to my ear the whole way. I turned and scuttled down the stairs and headed for the front door. Before anything, I grabbed my wallet and keys on the way out of the house. I locked the door behind me and sprinted to my silver car.

"Hurry, Ashto--"

There was silence on the other line as I revved up the engine in the car. I removed the phone from my ear to see that the call was ended from his line. My heart was pounding like crazy... What if something happened to him? Why was he at the hospital? Was he injured..?

I stepped on the gas pedal and hurried myself to the hospital, which was only 10 minutes away from where I lived. In my fit of panic, I didn't realize that I'd thrown my wallet carelessly onto the passenger seat next to me. Oh well... It could stay there for now.

___

In the elevator to the second floor, I was a wreck. I was practically brooding by this point and usually nobody could make me this distraught. It was only Harvey who could make such an impact on me.

I felt the ground move below me as I was pushed upwards. Geez, being in an elevator is so weird. I hardly used one when I was little. My parents would bring me to public places and we would always use the stairs.

Once the bronze doors slid open, I stepped out and looked down the hallway to my left. There was a blue sign that had white print on it, stating "Rooms 200-230." The hallway to my right was the selfsame but that sign said "Rooms 231-257."

I turned left and sauntered down the left hallway. The floors were made of a marble white tile and had light brown diamond designs imprinted into it. The doors were a light beige with the room numbers listed beside them. I read each and every number, my eyes searching for 209 as Harvey stated ever-so-hastily.

Then, I heard a muffled scream come from on of the doors on my right. I travelled towards the awfully familiar resonance, finding myself in front of Room 209.

"Get your hands off of me! Stay away!" the voice crackled, my ears perceiving it as Harvey as soon as they caught the noise. I knocked on the door and the ruckus died down in pitch. A nurse opened the door with a forced smile on her face. She had one of those light blue outfits on as if she were about to perform surgery or something.

I pushed past her, stepping inside the room. I expected Harvey to be in a hospital bed, doctors and nurses all struggling to keep him down on the bed. I expected him to be linked up to an IV with wires running along his arms to inject medicine into him. That's what ill patients get treated to anyways.

Instead of Harvey on the bed, it was an older man with scruffy greying hair and sickly pale and wrinkled skin. His eyes were closed peacefully and his head hung forward strengthlessly. My eyes shifted to the left of the bed. On the ground, sat a harrowed Harvey with knees pulled up to his chest and head hidden by said knees.

His hand was draped across the ground, his phone sitting in his palm and fingers curled around it weakly. His other hand was grabbing his knees tightly and pulling them closer to his body.

"Harvey.." I quickly called, dashing over to where he sat. I slowly kneeled down in front of him, eyes glued to his frame and never looking away. His head raised, exposing his watery red-rimmed and strained eyes. I huffed in relief and opened my arms for him to climb into.

Luckily he accepted my offer and uncurled himself from his shell. He launched forward and hugged me tightly, sniffling and whining occasionally. I slowly swayed ourselves from side to side, shushing him and brushing his hair with on of my hands. I felt like a mother taking care of her troubled child... I liked the feeling, frankly.

"Ashton.... Dad... Dad...." he bellowed, calling for the person who currently lay motionless in the bed next to us. His breathing was extremely heavy and panicked and his grip on me was so tight he could probably leave a mark on my skin.

"Please.... Don't... go too...." Harvey pleaded desperately. He pulled back slightly and nuzzled his face into the side of my neck. His tears kept spilling and they soon dampened my clothing but I hadn't the slightest care in the world.

"No, I'm not going anywhere... It's okay.." I told him softly, making sure my voice wasn't too sharp and berated. I made sure to keep rocking him back and forth, since he probably needs the support right now.

And he'll get that support without hesitation.

End Of Chapter 9