Vulnerable

Eighteen- Rye

The blur that was a person ran, with all the force the smaller body had, straight into the taller body of Harvey. Somehow he manages to successfully knock the taller boy off of Andy.

That is where the success story stops.

Harvey took a moment to react, enough time for the scrawny blond to land a few punches, but only a moment. As soon as he had registered what had happened he flipped the younger boy over and began to deliver blows to him. At this point, he was so mad that he could not contain his rage and would just take it out on any unlucky should who happened to be near to him.

I felt Sonny loosen his grip on me and run over to help the boy. Sonny charged at Harvey and began taking and delivering punches to prevent any more damage to either of the two smaller boys. I probably took the longest to react. Still on my knees in front of him, I felt a couple of strong and familiar hands on my shoulders. Mikey and Jack, of course, how else would that kid have realized where we were.

I had no idea who that kid was actually. Mikey's strong grip pulled me up and checked me over to see if I was okay. I was so far from okay, I didn't know how to even explain it to him. But as I turned my head and saw the small, curled up figure of Andy I was dragged back into reality.

I bolted over to cradle him gently in my arms, to pull him close to my chest, to tell him that everything was going to be alright. I needed to comfort him and myself at the same time. If I told him it was going to be okay enough times, maybe I could convince myself. He looked on the doorway of death.

"It'll be okay, don't worry" I repeated over and over again. cuddling him and rocking his poor, bloody head in my lap. We sat there until the sirens arrived, we sat there until the officers were asking questions. Until the Paramedics had to drag me away from his frail body. Until he wasn't breathing. Until they had to perform CPR. I stayed with him until the machines were the only thing keeping him alive.

His precious, rhythmic heartbeat replaced with sharp and false beeps. I stayed with him until the family was supposed to arrive, but nobody came for him. I stayed with him as minutes stretched into hours of numbness. As day became night, I sat beside his bed, unmoving. Even with the arrival of my family. I refused to leave his side.

My mother begged me to come home, get a shower at least, I was covered in his blood from cradling him to me. I couldn't leave his side. My mother knelt next to me.

"Rye, you love him, don't you?"

"Yeah, but Mum this is all my fault. I should have stayed with him. Held his goddam hand. But I was too afraid. Too afraid of what people would think..." I trailed off, I felt tears bead in my eyes. I felt so weak.

The nurse walked in, holding a clipboard. She had the face of bad news. False pity in her eyes as she looked at the scene before her. She was struggling to hide her contempt for the fact I was holding Andy's hand. All I could do was sigh, I just wanted to be here with him in peace. I didn't want to be judged in the hospital for God's sake, I needed to be able to hold his hand and let him know that I was here.

"Has his family arrived yet?" The nurse demanded, appearing to have very little regard to my feelings. I sighed again before replying.

"No, they are not coming." I know I was blunt, she did need to know after all. Selfishly I just wanted her to leave, despite her being here was to care for Andy.

"You do need to go home at some point sir, you have to remember to take care of your own health. His life is held in the hands of fate now" Her tone softened. I was surprised by the change in her tone.

"If you are looking at me to see if I am okay with you and your boyfriend, I am. I am just jealous you have the courage to be with him like this. I don't know if I could ever do that with my girlfriend" She responded to the questions in my head. I just grasped his hand tighter.

"I-I'm not courageous at all. It's my fault he is here dammit. It's all my fault." My resolve crumbled and the tears I had been holding in all came out. The nurse rushed to me and I allowed her to comfort her. Instead of the enemy, I had thought I had found, I had found a kindred spirit. Just as lost as I was in this prejudiced world.

"Sweetie, we tried everything to get him awake. But we only managed to stabilize him. He is in a coma. It is not your fault. Whatever you think, you are not to blame" The nurse comforted, but I just got him, I can't lose him. Not after everything.

He had been broken by everything in life, his father, my friends, Harvey and Myself. Now he lies there, unmoving and with a mechanical heartbeat, all because of me. This is what happens when I love someone. People are just better off without my love,

Selfishly I couldn't let him go, I can't just give up on him, what we could have. When he wakes up I am going to walk through the school gates and pull him towards me, kiss the beautiful face in front of me. I would be proud of him, I wouldn't be a coward.

"Please wake up Andy, I love you too much to lose you. Not when we have so many firsts to experience together" I pleaded as the nurse left. I grabbed his hand again, putting in between my own.

ANDY'S POV

I felt nothing but coldness over the surface of my skin, every now and again I would feel a slight touch of pressure on me, my forehead, stomach. Breathy voices swirled around my ears, a sharp bleeping seemed to set the tempo for the voices. I couldn't make out more than words. The words I did make out sounded... well, not that great.

'coma,' 'pretty bad,' 'fractured,' 'broken.' That last one was a pretty good description of how I was feeling. Broken.

Out of the silence and cold, a warm paw grasped my hand. Warm, soft skin. I heard every word that person said. I love him, why can't I say it back, why can't I hold his hand back? Why is he the only one I feel? Why can't I move?

What is happening to me?

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Hello dedicated readers,
I hope that this little story is providing entertainment.
Love you all
Not sure how much longer this story is going to be as it is my first, but I am so glad so many of you are enjoying it xx
As always
Till' next time,
B x