Silent Cry (BoyxBoy)

Forty-Four

Ethan rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand for the third time as he read the last chapter of Call Me By Your Name to Mitchell. It was after all, the story he had promised to read to the boy before the deal with that psycho. It had only been a day since Ethan was discharged, and four days since Mitchell's operation was done to remove the bullet from his wound, but the older boy had not woken up yet.

Ethan did not want to worry, but he couldn't help it. Although the doctor had said it wasn't a coma and that Mitchell was simply resting, Ethan found it hard to believe and stay optimistic that his boyfriend would wake up soon. That was only a dream he could wish for because Mitchell had not showed any signs of wake. Or at least, that was as far as Ethan knew.

He and his friends spent their Sunday cleaning up Mitchell's house with the help of a cleaning crew hired by McGriffith, who Ethan had come to understand was Mitchell's guardian. He hadn't wanted to go at first, for fear of being away when Mitchell woke up and it took a lot of convincing from his friends to get him to leave. Since Ethan was the only one who knew Mitchell's house from top to bottom, it was imperative that he should be there. He stood around and pointed them towards where the furniture and other items should be placed since he himself couldn't do much carrying, considering his right shoulder was still in a brace.

He managed to grab the story book he had bought for Mitchell, as well as a few books from his own home that he planned to read to him. Dave and Shane wanted to come along with him to the hospital but Ethan convinced them to go home and get some rest since they all needed it at that point, and McGriffith had offered to give him a ride back to the hospital so his friends didn't have to go with him. The two boys did not mention it to him, but Ethan felt that they were shaken from what had happened. Almost as much as he was.

After bidding farewell to his friends, he followed McGriffith to where the man's car was parked.

"I'll be heading back to New York in a couple of days after Mitchell is discharged from the hospital," the man said, making Ethan's hairs stand up immediately.

"You're leaving?" The boy exclaimed in shock. He couldn't leave! He had to stay and take care of Blue! This was what Ethan screamed in his mind. He did not understand why the man who had vowed to protect Mitchell was deciding to leave so soon after what had occurred.

McGriffith sighed as he stared at the ground. "Yes, I have to. I'll stay to make sure he's settled at home and also to take care of the hospital bills since I am his guardian."

Ethan stopped walking then and turned to face the man. "If you are his guardian, why aren't you staying here with him?"

"The boy is legally an adult and can decide whether he wants to live alone or not. If he was to live with me, he would be in New York and not here," the man explained. "But I also don't think New York is right for him, given everything that happened to him there."

Ethan scowled at the man, angry at the reminder. "So move here?" He asked, thinking it was so simple.

"I cannot. My job ties me there but I'll make sure to visit as much as I can," responded Daniel McGriffith. He would have preferred to stay for a while longer so he could assess Mitchell's mental health but given the circumstances, his return to the city was of utmost importance. There was so much paperwork to be done to give Mitchell ownership of his parent's properties in the city. He wanted to get the legal work done so that the boy could at least have some peace of mind after what he had been through.

"I will still keep an eye on him and all of you when I'm out there. What's done is done so there's no need to be worried," the man finally stated, referencing the death of Mitchell's father and Ethan nodded grimly, exasperated. McGriffith was right. This was the best he could get but he still hoped that Mitchell would at least have someone taking care of him since he didn't want him to be living in that big house all by himself.

Or he could live with him? It had only been a passing thought some time ago but now, Ethan could see it being the only way to keep Mitchell safe. Of course, there was no imminent threat from anyone since the one person who wanted to harm Mitchell was dead, but Ethan also wanted to protect Mitchell from his own habits.

He had only seen Mitchell try to harm himself once and he had been there to stop it. He couldn't be sure if Mitchell would try again but he wasn't willing to risk it. Ethan wanted to be with the boy to assure him of hope whenever he needed it. If living with him was the way to do it, then so be it.

Ethan wasn't sure yet how it would work out but they had the end of the school year and forever to figure it out.

With that in mind, he gave McGriffith a small smile and as the man drove them to the hospital, hopeful to see Mitchell again.

When he got to the hospital, he saw a nurse coming out of Mitchell's ward and immediately rushed towards her. The nurse's eyes went wide the moment she saw Ethan.

"Oh my god, you just missed him," she exclaimed.

"What?"

"He woke up an hour ago and the doctor did some tests before giving him a few painkillers. He just fell asleep," she explained and Ethan felt another damper in his spirit. He did not wait to hear more and rushed into the ward, leaving McGriffith to get the details on the tests. He hoped that by some miracle, he would see Mitchell's eyes again. But his hope dwindled when he saw that the older boy was fast asleep in the bed.

Choking on a sob, he quickly grabbed a chair and sat by the bed, taking Mitchell's hand in his. Rubbing it gently, Ethan cursed himself for not being there when Mitchell was awake. He had thought that something like that would happen and it pained him to have been right. But he couldn't fault his friends for convincing him to leave, had they not, Ethan would still be wallowing in his negative thoughts.

At least now, he knew that it wouldn't take long for Mitchell to wake up and for him to be discharged.

"What did she say?" Ethan asked softly when McGriffith entered the room.

"That he'll be discharged tomorrow evening," the man stated and Ethan nodded.

Ethan stayed with Mitchell for the rest of the day, and even throughout the night, only going home to take a quick shower when his father picked him up. Now he was sitting by Mitchell's bed yet again as he read the story out loud. The doctor had come early in the morning to check on Mitchell and as it was almost eleven, Ethan decided to get some coffee from the small cafe in the hospital. He closed the book and placed it on another chair and rubbed Mitchell's hair before getting up.

But when he got to the door, something in him made him stop. He felt that he might miss the opportunity to see Mitchell wake up if he left the room. Sighing, Ethan turned away from the door to look at Mitchell and gasped in shock when he saw blue eyes staring right back at him.