☠
michael tried to pretend he was walking, as luke pushed him through the hospital hallways. as they made it to the waiting room, michael saw his mum and felt tears sting his eyes.
“mum!” he yelled out and he reached out for his mum, as luke walked over to his family, and when michael’s mum realised she rushed over to him.
“aw michael, baby, are you alright?” she asked, kissing his forehead repeatedly.
michael let her wipe his tears away as he cried and she hugged him.
“i can’t feel my legs, mum,” he cried, “i’m sorry, i don’t want to cry, it’s stupid.”
she continued to wipe his tears away and kissed his cheek.
"it's okay, baby," she whispered, "you can cry."
so michael cried harder. he tried to stop, he bite his lip, he looked at the light but somehow everything he did reminded him of ashton.
the glowing white light, could be taking ashton right now to a better place.
ashton always bit his lip.
michael missed ashton.
his hero.
"you okay, now?" his mother asked after a while. michael stared blankly at her. "do you need anything?"
"i was wondering if i could go see ashton?" michael's voice was rough and his mother patted his shoulder.
"i think luke is asking right now," she answered and kissed michael's cheek once more, before luke returned.
"they said we could," luke told the cliffords, "ashton's mum is going to take us now."
michael's mum patted michael and then kissed luke's cheek before she went and talked to luke mother.
luke took michael's wheel chair and they follower ashton's mother out of the waiting room, all the way to the ICU.
when they arrived, a nurse spoke with ashton's mother and luke stood there awkardly moving michael forwards and backwards.
"okay you may go in," ashton's mother told the two boys, "but don't be too loud."
luke pushed michael in slowly, as they followed the nurse. she directed them to the bed in the furthest corner.
luke thanked her and pushed michael over to ashton. but when michael looked up to see luke, he was walking over to another bed, further down the line.
michael looked over and knew it was probably calum, and he rolled his wheels towards ashton's bed more.
michael watched ashton's face, it looked peaceful in his stage of unconsciousness. michael couldn't find the will to speak, it felt as if he spoke, he would ruin the state of peacefulness.
he sat there in the silence, until he felt luke's hand on his shoulder.
"i'm going to go," luke's voice was quiet, "i'm going to go get discharged, see you later."
then luke left the room, leaving michael next to ashton's bed.
he didn't know what to say, but suddenly it all came rushing out.
"ashton, i want you to stay, i know you may not want to stay, but i want you too." michael reached for ashton's hand, which was cold, "you may want to move schools because of the memories and i would follow you, unless you wouldn't want me too, then i wouldn't."
"you shouldn't have done what you did, ash," michael whispered, "you shouldn't have tried to be everyone's hero, you were already mine." michael played with his hands, "ever since you kept running, leaving me in the school building, i knew you were going to be a hero."
michael bowed his head, as tears slipped from his eyes.
"ever since luke pointed you out to me, in grade 10, i always thought you were cool-looking," michael hit his legs, absentmindedly, "i never tried to befriend you, but now i wish i did, because you would have been a great friend, and i'm sorry, but i love you."
michael choked on his words as tears prickled his eyes.
"you always made me laugh in music class, and i wanted to kill myself back in grade 10 and you said you liked how i changed the colour of my hair and you made me realise that people aren't so bad, " michael whispered, a lonesome tear trailed down his cheek, "thank you."
then another tear trailed down michael's face, before it dropped onto ashton's cheek.
"please, ashton," michael's voice was so quiet now, "please stay."
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{lowercase intended}
