THE THING IN THE WOODS

KILLER

Matt was outside waiting, his head down, Simon glance up, her hand gripping his so thigh, she was cutting his blood flow, people ran, doctors, nurses, he almost could hear Matt in the waiting room, but he was brave, he crumbled in silence to not make her feel worse, but it was too much to handle, the wires, the smell in the air, he wanted to stay with her, he was a doctor after all.

“Simon” She moaned muffling her voice as hard as the pain let her, she didn’t want to scare their boy.

His head spun all over, her grasp went loose and then the bed began stirring, that was all, he had to keep his head high but he couldn’t, near him someone cried, a man, a doctor, he was a doctor he cured people, he saved lives, then why he couldn’t? Why he didn’t? How could life be so cruel with his son? With him? He had to save her life, it was his job, he had to do it, if he would have saved her Matt wouldn’t be suffering so much, he should had been her hero, his son’s hero, but he wasn’t…Matt was everything he had now, everything.

…….

It is disturbing to hear Matt father cry in the other room, as fast as they said that he was fine and brought him to his room, his father locket in the empty one next to Matt’ , he has been mourning since them, a parent shouldn’t cry, they are supposed be strong, and know the answers for this kind of situations, but he won’t even let Seth’s mother come in, he’s so broken right now, Nichole can swear she actually heard his heart breaking just seconds ago, it was the saddest sound in the world, a lump climbed to her throat,  Ash’s arms are still around her, her head leaning on Nichole’s shoulder, in the other side of the room Luke look at them with concern, next to him is Seth’s mom, furious shouting at her phone, no one knows where Seth is, Nichole herself is a little concerned but angry with him, his best friend tried to commit suicide and he vanishes, no one has actually seen him since the party. Nichole looks at her left her dad is looking straight at her from the other side of the hallway; he looks hurt and sad, somewhat disappointed as if he knew what she was doing before, but that is impossible.

In other hand, Matt, its true she has been thinking about everyone’s reaction since… it happened, but she hadn’t been strong enough to let herself think about it because it is so hard and painful and alarmingly real, Matt is… is not like most of the guys, he’s like her brother, her best friend, of course all her feelings for him have something to do with the alien connection between them and the spark that prickles her palm’s skin every time they touch each other, maybe that’s the reason she feels so guilty right now though it is stupid, there wasn’t any way she would know Matt would try to do something as senseless as kill himself but she felt it in the game, he was so hurt, so sad… She feels suffocated, somehow trapped in the waiting room between Ash’s shaking arms, she hasn’t even cried since Ash called her, she is just stunned, she can’t actually believe it, and this guilt feeling in her chest just makes everything worse, she just want to go home, but she needs to see Matt wake up, she needs to know her friend will be fine and his dad too, specially his dad. 

A couple of hours later they let Matt’ dad come in Matt’ room, he was followed by the dark skinned man, Dr. L, or something like it, the familiar guy from the game and the party and from some another place Nichole can’t place in her mind, he was who found Matt, and called emergency, if it wasn’t for him Matt would have drowned in the lake. By three in the morning everyone is calm enough to go back home, except Seth’s mom of course who keeps looking for him, Nichole is pretty preoccupied by now, she starting to freak out, he doesn’t pick up his phone but there is nothing she can do, her dad wants to go home and Ash finally fell asleep on her shoulder, maybe is better to get back home.