Lost (a RichJake story)

1

Rich's eyes fluttered open to be greeted with the sight of a blinding white ceiling.

He let out a soft groan holding his head in pain.

He heard a familiar voice gasp "Rich?"

Rich sat up to see Jake sitting in a chair beside his hospital bed. Tears pooled in his eyes and a cast wrapped around his right leg. Crutches lay on the floor beside him. Rich now noticed Jake was gripping his hand a detail that he couldn't believe he failed to notice earlier.

He was stumped for words. He waited for the voice inside his head to tell him exactly what to do. Nothing. Odd. 

"J-Jake?" he choked out.

Damn his stutter was back. The squip fixed that for him though. Why was now any different.

In a blink of an eye Jake through his hands over Rich's neck pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Rich felt the tears on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around Jake hugging him back.

"Are you o-okay?" Rich rubbed soothing circles into Jakes back.

Jake pulled away "Yes" he smiled wiping his tears not wanting to seem pathetic in front of Rich "I'm just so happy to see you awake."

Rich tilted his head in a questioning manner "how long have I been asleep for."

Jake rubbed the back of his neck "a few weeks"

"Damn" Rich breathed out "So was I like in a coma."

"Ya I guess" Jake smiled glad to have his friends back after so long.

Rich smiled back at him then glanced at the crutches on the floor, he remembered why Jake had them and why he was in this hospital bed in the first place. Memories raced back into his mind. He remembered lighting the fire. He remembered the squip screaming at him. He remembered Jake rushing towards him and scooping him in a cradle position before Rich passed out.

"Why are you here Jake?" Rich asked demanding answers.

Jake looked confused "what do you mean Rich I came to see you."

"Why."

Jake raised an eyebrow "because we're best friends Rich I was worried about you."

"WHAT KIND OF BEST FRIEND SETS THERE FRIENDS HOUSE ON FUCKING FIRE" Rich burst out suddenly causing Jake to jump a little.

Jake bit his lip "Oh you remember that."

"How could I forget" Rich cried tears threatening to spill "you broke your legs saving me."

"Well one wasn't as badly injured as the other one so technically I only broke one leg" Jake pointed out.

Rich huffed "I don't know why you don't hate me Jake, why are you not repulsed by the sight of me."

Jake sighed "I couldn't never be."

"But I burned your house down" Rich reminded him.

Jake shrugged "water under the bridge Rich I know why you did what you did."

Rich gulped not wanting Jake to know the truth.

"You had a squip" Jake said simply.

Rich's mouth gaped. How did Jake know about this top secret not even on the internet shit.

"I know what it's like to have one" Jake related.

Rich's eyes widened "how? is it still in there?" he gripped the side of Jakes head. 

Jake laughed "no Rich I didn't have it for long and it was torture enough how did you manage?"

"First of all I set your house on fire so I clearly didn't" Rich stated removing hands from Jakes head "second of all how did you manage to get a squip."

Jake sighed "okay well you know Jeremy."

Rich nodded.

"He put squip pill things in the beaker the cast of the play were drinking from with Mountain Dew" Jake admitted.

Rich was filled with fury "that asshole!"

Jake shook his head "he was under the squips influence Rich I can't blame him for what he did just like I can't blame you."

Rich's heart melted. Jake was so kind.  He deserved to know the truth.

"Jake."

"Ya."

"The squip telling me to set a fire wasn't why I did it, though he did cause the reason why I did it" Rich admitted.

"Okay then why?"

Rich took a deep breath "it was a suicide attempt."

Jakes breath hitched as tears once agin filled his eyes "what to that vial thing do to you Rich?"

Rich sniffed "it kept shouting at me saying I was useless and an awful person so I threatened to kill myself, he told me I should that the world wouldn't miss me anyways, that You've always hated me and would be better off without me in your life, that you'd be glad I'm dead."

Both of the boys were crying now.

Jake took Rich's hand in his again "Rich I care so much for you I'm a mess without you."

Rich looked way unsure, letting the squips words haunt him. Jake placed his hand on Rich's cheek and gently moved him to be facing him.

"Rich if I want you dead why would I have jumped back into that blaring fire to save you" Jake reasoned.

That was true. Rich could still see Jake sprinting towards him. Then just before he passed out Jake scooped him up in a cradle carrying him out breaking two legs in the process.

Rich was at a lost for words so he silently asked his squip for help. Still nothing.

"Thank you for saving me" Rich smiled tears still flowing down his face.

Jake smiled back "anytime."

Just then Michael walked in "Oh Sorry" he apologised awkwardly "am I interrupting something."

"Nah your good man" Jake grinned at him "you here to see Jeremy."

Michael nodded then noticed Rich up "Oh Rich good to see you awake."

"Thanks" was all Rich said.

Michael then opened the curtain to the bed beside Rich revealing a sleeping Jeremy.

"Woah" Rich was taken back "tall ass was here the whole time."

Michael took a seat beside Jeremy's hospital bed and took his hand in his.

"Michael saved the school you know" Jake told me.

"What?" Rich was clearly surprised "how?"

"He brought Mountain Dew red to the play" Jake explained "and gave it to Jeremy, Jeremy then gave it to Christine but turns out once one squip is disabled they all are."

That explained everything.

Why rich had no voice inside his head.

He was finally free.

What now?