Room 1013

Wearing Thin

When Keith woke up again, the sun was well over the horizon. Bright, dusty light stabbed through the still air. He quickly sat up in bed and looked over to Lance's side. That's strange. Lance was always back in the morning to sleep for a few hours then wake Keith up. This time he wasn't.

After a moment of thought, Keith launched himself out of bed and threw on whatever clothes were closest to him, not bothering with his wig and sporting his shorter natural hair. Okay, don't panic Keith. He's probably just making breakfast late. Keith escaped from the bedroom and scanned the house. He calmed his racing chest and looked in the guest bedrooms and bathroom then outside.

With a frustrated huff, Keith pulled out his phone and called Lance. After three voicemail boxes, he stopped and called Isaac instead.

Isaac answered after a few rings. "Hello?"

"Isaac, it's Keith."

"Oh, hey! What's up?"

Keith looked out the front window for Lance's car, which was nowhere to be seen. "Is Lance with you guys? I don't think he came home last night."

"What?" There was some shuffling and distant voices. "He's not here, but he was last night."

Keith sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Okay, thank you." He went to hang up before he heard Isaac's voice protest.

"Hey, Keith! Don't worry about him. I'll get Beverly, Hector, and Marci to help me look. They're all here. You just stay home."

Isaac's voice was shaky and panicked. Keith knew what that meant, even though he wished he didn't. "Isaac, I would love it if you guys helped; but I'm gonna go look for my husband."

"Keith, I don't think that's a good idea. I mean-uh-Beverly thinks she remembers where he might be."

"Isaac." Keith snatched his mask off the counter and stuffed his feet into his black rain boots. Outside had quickly become dim and rainy, so he had to be careful. "Isaac, where is it?"

"Keith I don't-"

"Isaac!" Keith shut his car door and shoved the keys in the ignition. "I know, okay! I know about Lance!"

There was silence on the other line for a few seconds. "You know? He told you?"

"No," Keith slid his hand over the steering wheel, "I found some cocaine yesterday."

"Man, Keith I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

"Isaac, I don't care right now." Keith backed up out of the driveway. "Where are you guys looking?"

Isaac handed the phone off to someone else. "Hey Keith! It's Beverly. We were downtown last night at the clubs, and I don't remember if Lance came back with us."

Keith swallowed his creeping anxiety, "You don't think he went home with someone, do you?"

"Oh no way!" Beverly said something to someone next to her. "Even when he was high, Lance was disgusted when people hit on him. Sorry, by the way."

"Yeah, whatever." Keith turned down the road to the other side of town. "Look, I'm on my way. Lance hasn't answered his phone which is really strange. I wouldn't be this concerned if I didn't know about the drugs."

"No, I completely understand. We'll find him. It's gonna be okay."

Keith sighed and honked at a car the cut him off, throwing his hand up in frustration. He rolled his eyes, "Beverly what the hell did you guys do last night?"

"Like drugs? I mean, we have a lot. I don't know what Lance did though." Her voice cut off as she pulled the phone away from her ear and shouted, "Wait, I think that's him!"

Keith's heart stopped, "Where are you guys?!" As soon as he said it, he saw Hector jump out of a car parked on the street. He immediately hung up the phone and parked behind them, launching himself out of the car and running up to him. "Hector!"

Keith shielded his eyes from the rain and looked around. They were stopped in front of two brick buildings. Between them was an alley crowded with garbage bags and rusted barrels on either side. Hector pointed between them and shouted over the rain, "There!"

Keith ran into the alley as his eyes processed what he had pointed at. Lying in front of a grimy dumpster was a very muddy Lance. He was sprawled out in the rain on his back with an arm outstretched. A crippled angel with his wings drenched in muck. An abhorrent sight of the pathetic man Keith loved so much.

Keith's knees fell into a puddle of moldy water as he dropped down to Lance's side. He ignored the disgusting feeling of it soaking into his clothes and tugged on the lifeless body of his lover. As much as he screamed his name, he didn't wake. His chest was moving and he would occasionally groan, but he wasn't present.

Marci and Hector knelt down to his side to check his pulse and breathing. The world had flattened to a ring for Keith. A sudden thought squeezed into his mind. Is this how Lance felt when I collapsed? Keith's hands were tight and his head pounded. The only thing he felt like doing was screaming.

Keith snapped out of his head and turned to Hector. "What's wrong with him?! What did he take?!"

Hector shrugged and stuttered out, "I-I mean-I don't know! We were doing the usual! Well-I guess-I mean we were shooting up ice in the car together-"

"You were shooting up meth with my husband?!" Keith glared at him, then yanked Lance's sleeve down. Way too many track marks dotted his arm. "Dammit!"

"Guys, let's get him to the car already!" Marci stood and pulled on Lance's other arm. Hector wrapped his arm around his shoulder and drug him back to the cars.

"Put him in mine!" Keith ran forward and leaned the passenger seat down.

Hector maneuvered him into the car and said something to him.

Keith noticed and shoved him out of the way, not caring where he landed. "Lance?!"

Lance's bloodshot eyes half-opened to meet his stare. He spoke in a slurred and droopy voice as a smile tugged on his cheeks. "Hey baby."

Keith patted down his jacket, "Do you have anything on you?"

"Any what?" Lance lifted his hands in a drunken state.

Keith locked eyes with him, "Drugs. Do you have any drugs on you?"

Lance giggled and patted his shoulder, "You don't wanna do drugs, baby. They're bad for you."

Keith rolled his eyes and checked all his pockets. A small bag of ecstasy was in his jeans, so Keith took it and shut the car door. He turned to Hector and slapped the bag into his hand. "I'm taking him to the hospital."

Hector put the pills in his pocket. "Keith I'm really sorry."

Keith glared at him and walked around the car to reach the driver's side. "I'll kill you later. Right now I'm gonna go save my mess of a husband."