The Gloaming

Chapter 7: Drama Central

Later that day and the day after... 49 - 48 Days to the Fade

"Are you sure that amount is enough? Shouldn't he be getting stitches or something?" Jensen asked the EMT, his lips set in a grim line.

Jared had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing as he spotted the young medic slightly rolling his eyes.

Since Jared had gone down, Jensen had been frantic with worry. Jared was sure his current lightheadedness was due more to realizing how much Jensen cared about him, rather than the miniscule amount of blood he'd lost. The older man had snapped at anyone getting too close to Jared the whole time he'd sat on the lawn cradling Jared in his arms until the ambulance arrived. Even then, he'd been reluctant to give Jared up to their care.

Jared thought Jensen was going to pop a blood vessel when Jared refused to go to the hospital and then had pulled the blade out himself. It had lodged in the lower left side of his back. Puncturing what his mama called his 'love handle' even if Jared hadn't had any handles to speak of since he'd hit puberty and began shooting up in height. Maybe if the gloaming hadn't changed him from the lean and lanky build he'd had before, it could've done more damage, and though he was in no way bulky, the new muscles that went with his new height had served to stop the small blade.

The medic had then cleaned out the wound and closed the small 2-inch hole with steri-mold; the foam-like material changing it's color from its base white to a color that matched Jared's skin around it. It settled smoothly over the wound, protecting and concealing it perfectly. They advised Jared to still see a doctor even if they thought the blade wasn't long enough to have caused any real damage, nothing more than a glorified letter opener, they said.

One of the police officers that had responded to the calls by neighbors stepped up to them then and smiled grimly at Jared. "Hello, I'm Officer Chau... I'll need yours and Mr. Ackles' statements, sir. My partner is questioning your friends and your mother, then we'll both speak to the neighbors." He then turned to the medic. "All done here, Jake?"

The younger of the two medics smiled and shook his head in exasperation. "Yeah, crazy son of a bitch pulled the blade out himself and then refuses to go to the hospital." He shook his head again at Jared but also smiled at him, with a grudging respect in his expression, Jared grinned apologetically as Jensen grumbled under his breath. The medic looked back at the officer and began packing his kit. "We'll tend to the perps now."

"One of them got away, two got black eyes, one broken nose and bumps and numerous cuts and bruises between them, but the ex-con I'm pretty sure has a broken arm, crushed fingers, broken nose and collarbone, and he's still out cold. The neighbors roughed up the two when restraining them, but it looks like they really worked over the con."

"Okay, we'll start with him first then."

"You should just let the bastard suffer." Snarled Christian as he walked up to them.

Jake nodded regretfully. "Believe me, I'd love to. But if I wanna keep my job..." he finished with a shrug of his shoulders, as he grabbed up his kit and walked off.

Christian turned to Jensen and frowned worriedly. "You okay, man?"

"I'm fine. It's Jared that got hurt. Stupid lunk jumped in front of a blade meant for me."

Christian switched his gaze to Jared, surprised respect in his clear blue gaze.

Jared blushed slightly and bit back a grin, trying not to show how much he was enjoying Jensen's upset at his expense. He was also enjoying how Jensen unconsciously kept smoothing his hand over Jared's arm or tucking his hair behind his ear every time it came loose and fell in his eyes.