Yorktown (lams summer camp au)

Chapter 9

JEFFERSON POV

Ugh. Hamilton. I mean, yeah his face is cute and his temper is short but I still hate him.

Do I? Yeah. Yeah I hate him. Come on Thomas you know that you hate him, he is short, angry, reckless, cute, adorable, precious... okay maybe hate is a strong word.

I've seen the way that Laurens kid looks at him. He looks at him as if he's some kind of god.

I feel awful though. I've treated Alex horribly for so long, he actually thinks I hate him.

I've got horse riding today, Alex is our instructor. Considering he still attends camp it's pretty cool that he teaches too. I can't wait to see him, the way he controls the arena without shouting, people look up to him with respect- I can see why.

I head over to breakfast with my best friend, James Madison. The queue isn't too long. I see all of Hamilton's group. The Schuylers, Hercules, Lafayette, Laurens... but no Hamilton. Eh, he's probably already at the arena or at the kennels or something. Working as always.

Laurens looks... different. His eyes are duller and he has bags underneath his eyes. Probably playing camp games all night.

Before I know it I'm at the front of the queue and grabbing a plate of porridge. Yeah call me boring, but porridge and syrup is AWESOME.

All of my friends grab their food and we sit on our normal table. The conversation is pretty casual- asking about each other's activities and occasionally talking about someone we see. Soon enough we're all finished and one of the camp leaders is directing people to their activity's. We all stand up and people start to scatter off to their different locations.

We walk down to the arena and see all of the horses tacked and lined up... with Peggy stood next to them. Weird. I'm sure Alex will come soon, maybe she's just helping out. Yeah.

"Okay! Everyone to your assigned horses and we're going to pick up where we left off last time!" She directed.

As the lesson goes on I get more and more worried, Alex should be here by now. Peggy calls break and we all go to grab a drink.

Just as we all start to go back into the arena a figure runs (or more likes stumbles) into the arena. Whoever they are, they're deathly pale and look like trash.

They start stumbling to the left and go towards Alex's horse, Usnavi. Damn. He's going to kill them. No one touches Usnavi except for Alex or Peggy, and even then he didn't let her near him for a while. That horse means so much to him, whoever this is is going to regret touching him.

The figure climbs onto Usnavi and ushers him forward, almost losing their balance at times.

Everyone looks at the person with confusion painted on their faces, that is until a shocked gasp is heard from none other than Peggy Schuyler.

That's when I see him. The person.

It's Alex.
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WASHINGTONS POV (back to the morning)

Alex hasn't been getting any better, he's been throwing up so much that I'm pretty sure he has nothing left in him. It pained me to see him struggling so much.

It reminded me of when he first came into mine and Martha's care- a young, terrified boy who flinched at even the slightest of touch. He was struggling but wouldn't accept anyone's help.

We enrolled him into our camp the summer after he came to us, and to say he was terrified would be an understatement. He had been scarred from his past, and we can't erase that. All that we could do was stay with him and support him through everything.

The first year he came here we didn't know what his hobbies were except for writing, reading and listening to musicals. When he got into the arena and started moving around effortlessly we knew that he was meant to be on horseback. We later on asked him about it and he said that he used to be on multiple teams when he was back in the Caribbean.

None of his current group were in camp at that time and he became best friends with a young girl called Eponine. She was so precious, dressed simply and wasn't afraid to do things for herself. She always wore the same flat cap, it was just something that she cherished. Unfortunately she was taken from us too soon.

It broke Alex for a while. Staying in his room all day, not eating or sleeping and when he occasionally did come out of his room it was to go and see Buddy or go down to the arena when no one was there. Buddy was one of the only things that got Alex through that period of his life, and to this day I cannot thank him enough. A lot of people think that Alex just takes Bud home for a few weeks a year but he is actually with us all year round. He is like Alex's support animal, and he has saved my son so many times. He doesn't take him around with him when he's in the arena but I make sure to always have Peggy around when Buddy's not.

During the period after Eponine's death Usnavi came into the camp. He was unrideable and evidently not very confident. I managed to persuade Alex to try and work with him- give him something to focus on. And it was incredible.

Over a few weeks Usnavi began to trust Alex more and more, eventually getting to the point where he allowed him to ride him. And here we are. To the point where he is one of the best competition horses that we have, all thanks to my son.

(TiMe SkIp- LiKe An hOuR)

I had gone out to start the camp up for the day and fill Martha in on what's happening with our son. She stays in the cabin with us but is often in the kitchen preparing for breakfast by the time I wake up.

Martha looked extremely worried when I filled her in on our sons state and would've rushed to see him if I hadn't told her that he's sleeping. She is very protective of our son- I am too. He's our everything.

I walk back through camp and into the cabin to see the door open and Alex gone. Oh fuck.

I ran out back to the living room and shouted my son.

"ALEX?!"

"ALEXANDER?!"

Nothing. There was no beat. No melody.
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JEFFERSONS POV (AGAIN)

It's Alex.

He slowly approaches us and the closer he gets the more concerned I grow. It feels as though my concern for him was a spark and it's growing into a flame.

Everyone stays perfectly silent, unsure of what to do with the chaotic masterpiece in front of us. Alex comes to a stop about 3 meters away from us and I suddenly see his eyes roll back and his body go limp. He falls to the side and his limp body hits the floor with a thud.

Me and Peggy run up to him, kneeling next to him. I put my cheek above his face to listen and feel fit his breath, when he suddenly starts to shake violently. It was horrifying.

"SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE"

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?!"

"MAKE HIM STOP!"

All of the screams of people fade into one at the sight in front of me. Alexander's limp form splayed across the floor right in front of me.

Before I know it I see Buddy running into the arena and is licking Alex's cheek- looking for a response. When he doesn't get one he barks.

The longer Alex's is out the harder my emotions are to control.