A Series of Stories

The Accident

“There was an accident.”

Shade’s voice had been echoing in Bear’s head for the past hour… those four words, over and over again. Bear stared at the male before him, their skin pale against the white blankets and pillows around him.

“Silph… it was raining and a truck--” He hadn’t heard anything past Silph and truck. He had driven straight to the hospital, rushing through the building to find the man. He stopped only once to figure out what room he was in. Doctors and nurses tried to stop him, but after a small scuffle, they left him alone. Bear had a feeling Shade had something to do with it. That man could ruin anyone at Hyrule Uni with just a single picture.

Now, he sat beside the fair haired male’s hospital bed, legs pulled up onto the chair with him, platinum blonde hair hanging down around his shoulders, baseball uniform still on and covered in mud and drenched with rain. It was late; about three in the morning. Bear had been sitting in that same chair for around eight hours, watching Silph’s heart monitor, watching as his chest rose and fell. He looked so different in the plain room, the usual brightness around him gone, skin so pale… The baseball player took in a deep, shaking breath, chastising himself not to think too much about anything.

‘Silph is just… in a medically induced coma… he’ll be fine, Bear.’ The large man wasn’t even sure why he was so worried. Why did his chest feel so tight? Why did his eyes well up with tears every time he noticed the bandages wrapped around his torso and head? And the wires connected to his arms? And… the mask that helped Silph breathe over his face. Bear sighed, running a hand over his face, the only sound in the room the oxygen tank and Silph’s breathing.

Shade had disappeared hours ago, saying something about going back to his dorm room. No one else had visited. Bear and Shade had been the only visitors so far. And… as far as Bear knew, Silph didn’t have many friends aside from Shade.

His thoughts screeched to a stop at that. ‘I’m not even Silph’s friend… we don’t talk to each other… he rarely leaves his dorm room.’ Bear groaned. ‘Maybe I should just leave.’ He moved to get up when he heard one of the monitors started to beep faster. The man froze, brows furrowing in confusion and worry. Then, a nurse rushed in and attempted to push him out of her way. He moved to the side, watching with wide eyes.

“What’s wrong with him,” he asked, voice rough from lack of use. He waited impatiently. The nurse turned with an annoyed look, bags under her dull eyes. Bear was slightly intimidated by the look she gave him.

“His heart just… his heartbeat jumped unexpectedly. Nothing is really wrong,” She then left the room, pushing past Bear. The man checked his phone after the nurse left, groaning when he saw it was now four AM.

‘I’ll stay for the night… but only tonight.’’

One week later, he was still telling himself that. Every night. He rarely ever left the hospital. Shade brought him new clothes, reminded him to shower and to eat… to relax. In that time, Silph had been moved out of the ICU and to a private room. Once he was able to actually be alone with the man, he’d started talking to Silph as he was in the coma, talking about his childhood, about when he first met the male in the bed before him. He didn’t say what he had thought when he had first seen him, fearing that Silph was still able to hear anything.

Another week later, Silph was still in a coma, many bones still healing. Bear had left the room at least seven times in the two weeks he stayed at the hospital, the hospital even less. Shade visited thrice a day, bringing the man something to eat and a change of clothes. He always tried to convince Bear to go home, but failed each time. The male only ever left if it was absolutely necessary, such as having to go to a baseball game. He was relieved that there had only been two games in the time that Silph had been in the hospital.