Vulnerable

Nineteen- 3rd person

The hospital stood silent in the night, the only thing that gave the impression of life was the mechanical beeps that acted as it's heartbeat. The wind didn't even dare to disturb the silent building. For it knew that at night, the only guests were those that hovered over the threshold of death. The silence was one of eerie respect for those fighting silent battles as the rest of the world slept.

In one particular room, the patient's fight was becoming more and more pained as the night wore on, each time He felt himself slipping over the edge, a warm hold pulled him back to the surface.

"They tried everything they could Andy, I am so sorry. I'll always be here. I'll wait for you" A warm and mellow voice said.

The owner of the voice was a brunette, shadows cascading underneath his eyes. His lack of sleep made his face look drawn and overtired. Even his posture showed his fatigue, where normally he would have held himself high and proud; the boy was slumped in a metal chair next to the bed of the one he loved the most. Broken and in despair.

He was staring into the unmoving face of a blond boy who looked half-dead. His breathing was steady and as false as the sterile whiteness of the floors. He didn't look peaceful in his slumber, he looked as if he was fighting a battle that nobody but he was a part of. He looked like he was losing.

The brunette reached across to stroke the pale and cold cheek of the blond. His face streaked with tears as he gently caressed the soft skin of his lover. The harsh silence in the room was interrupted only by the steady beeping of life-support. The beeping was always steady. Until now. The beeping on the monitor sped up as the boys' skin made contact.

The sudden irregularity caused a stream of nurses to enter the room, confusion, terror and panic sliced through the morose atmosphere. The nurses checked all the equipment and taking his heart rate. Then the beeping became regular, as Rye removed his fingers from Andy's hand. The panic causing the brunette to shake with fear, worry streamed into his dark eyes and over his tired face.

Only one nurse noticed the pattern, as the rest of them filed out she remained. She grabbed Rye's shoulder and told him;

"It was you, he reacted to your contact."

A flicker of hope could be seen in Rye's eyes.

"Me?"

"Yes, so stay with him, let him know you're here. I don't know if he actually knows anyone is here other than you. Don't let him fight this battle alone" The nurse said, as she let Rye back into the room.

Rye went to sit again, at Andy's bedside. He clasped the frail hand in between his own and stroked his thumb over the knuckles he held. He didn't realize that one person could have such a hold over him. Rye felt the lifeline of this boy was the most precious thing on the planet. Something just as important as oxygen, he didn't think he could live without him anymore. It seemed shameful, to Rye, that it had taken the person in question to almost die for him to realize.

But now, Andy did not have to fight his battle alone, Rye would not leave his side. He would hold his hand and be the anchor in his stormy sea of trouble and pain. Just by being there Andy had comforted Rye from his state of self-loathing. He could not lose him. This boy was all he would ever need in life, they could be poor and on the streets but he would feel like he did not need anything more from the world if Andy was beside him.

This love that he felt was stronger than just teenage love, it was the sort of love that a person would write stories about, it was flawed. It was two broken boys helping each other put the pieces of their broken lives back together. A love where it was so true it could cure all ails, a true-lovers kiss as the kiss that could wake even the dead...

wait.

The nurse said they had tried everything. But they hadn't, not yet. If he responded to Rye's caress of his face, there is a possibility that he could react to...

'No, it's a stupid idea. Ridiculous' Rye thought.

But he had nothing to lose, so why not...

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sorry, again it's on the shorter side.

buuuut, nevermind.

new perspective sorta, 3rd person. If you all hate it I'll avoid using it, but I think it fits for this particular chapter.

till' next time

B x