In The Sight of These Hills (Dolan Twins)

Aftermath

Chapter 18: Aftermath

"In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost."
― from Dante's Inferno

Ethan drifted in and out of consciousness. Like the rising and falling of waves against the jagged edge of a cliff he felt himself being pulled up and over again, only to fall back under.

His head throbbed as though a small pulse had been placed at the back of his skull. The warmth there was cooling, and he knew that there was blood in his hair as well as on his scalp.

There was someone holding him, carrying him bridal style through the pitch-black woods. He tried to see who it was, but he couldn't really make the person out. He could feel the warmth from their body like a fever, hot and overwhelming, against the chill of the air. He wanted to curl closer to it. The person must've sensed his movement because they paused in their own movement, and he felt them tighten their hold on him. He could hear a thumpthumpthumpthumpthump right by his ear, and he felt himself laying his head against the hard surface.

Then it began to rain. First it was just droplets of cold on his cheeks and on his head, running down to fall onto the ground below, but then there were actual droplets that struck against him. It was cold, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Ethan?" He heard the voice ask and it stopped walking. It sounded worried and he opened his eyes, titling his head up and blinking his eyes in rapid succession. Their faces were close, and he could smell the distinct scent of blood, deathly and rich and wrong coming from its breath. His mind slowly pieced the puzzle together. He knew who was carrying him.

"G-" he started but found that he was having a difficult time forming coherent thoughts, much less words.

"Don't talk," Grayson said, and he swallowed.

"I am going to get us home," he heard him say, and then he was still talking when he felt himself falling under to the black again, going slack.

The next time he regained consciousness there was the feeling of something soft and wet being pushed against the back of his head. There was the sound of water splashing, kind of like being at the beach, and then the wet pressure again, warm.

One of his hands felt so raw and sticky. There was something being pressed firmly against it and a flair of discomfort was sent through him. He groaned lowly and the pressure stopped. He could see light behind his eye lids- rich and yellow. The warmth of the air around him felt welcoming but the pain-a dull, consistent ache-ran through his body, and he wanted to move, to get more comfortable. Someone stopped him from doing so, and he felt large hands at his aching sides, making him lie completely still. He felt so exhausted, as though he had stayed up for twenty-four hours straight. Where was he? He was lying on a hard surface like that of smooth tile floor. There was something under him, though, that felt like a blanket. He wanted it wrapped around him so that he could sleep.

He felt someone unbuttoning his shirt, their fingers giving up and then it was being torn off him, the material making a harsh ripppp as it gave in under the assault. Pain danced in his senses and he flinched, a groan escaping him.

"I'm sorry, E. It's gonna be okay. I've got you," said the voice yet it sure didn't sound sure of itself. The person was trying to sound soothing, but sounded, instead, like it was trying to hold back from having a breakdown.

He felt Grayson slip off his shoes and he was confused because why was he taking his shoes off?

"I think we need to go to the hospital," he heard the voice say, sounding the kind of strained tone that he was confused at. Why wasn't he taking him to the hospital, then? Why the hell did he need to go to the hospital in the first place? Had he hurt himself or something?