I Won't Ever Hide Alone

Ch: 25 Hospital Stay

"No fuckin way! I am so sorry! Is she alright?" Dom and Julian were on a video chat the next day before Julian had to get to work.

"Yeah. She's okay. It took some convincing, but she is going to break up with him today at some point." Julian noted with a sigh of relief.

"Thank fuck! I'm glad I'm coming back tomorrow. This is fucked up! I need to be there for you all."

"I am so glad you are going to be here too. You have no idea. Oh! And that reminds me. I have to go visit Lori in the hospital too today."

"What! What happened to her?" Dom was amazed at all the drama going on while he has been gone.

"She overdosed on sleeping pills. I haven't talked to her since, well, you know. I need to go see her. Talk to her." Julian didn't want Dom to worry, but he couldn't take the sorrow out of his tone.

"Yes! Do that, and please let me know how everything goes. With the both of them. Man, I can't imagine what you must be going through with the two people you care about being hurt like this."

"Just do everything in your power to not  be next. Please!" Julian pleaded.

Dom winked and smiled, "You know it."

-

Julian was walking down the hall of the hospital to find room 203.  That's the room Julian knew to be Lori's. He actually had to be buzzed in which slightly annoyed him, because his adrenaline was pumping through him. He understood the necessity of the precaution though. The door's opened and he strolled through them almost passing room 203. He backed up and went inside as the door was wide open.

He saw Lori sitting up and she was reading a book. He strode over to her and sat himself on the edge of her hospital bed. She was startled and looked up. She had glasses on her face, which Julian had never seen her wear before. She looked at him in a sort of daze.

"Hey, Lori." Was all Julian could think to say as he was trying to read her.

"Hey." She quietly replied, "What are you doing here?" She didn't sound angry. She just spoke lightly like she was very weak.

"I needed to come see you. To talk to you. How are you doing?"

She closed her book and set it to the side. She leaned back and said, "I'm better. Thank you. I didn't mean to do that, you know."

"Do what?" Julian moved himself a little closer.

"Overdose. I just couldn't get to sleep, and I really wanted to just sleep..." She trailed off, gazing off to the side.

He moved even closer. He figured she would tell him if it wasn't okay.

"I know... I believe you. How have you been doing before all of this?"

"Okay. Just restless I guess. Too much on my mind and I wanted to shut it off for once, but not permanently."

"I am glad you didn't want to permanently. Is it because of me?" He couldn't help it, he needed to know.

"Yes... and no." She shifted her gaze to Julian. "I think I really might have loved you and seeing you kiss someone else, it kind of put everything else that was missing in perspective for me. I needed time to think about things, but I get it now."

Julian was intrigued and relieved by her explanation. "Wow. I-I'm so sorry to have put you through all of this. You wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for me."

"Not necessarily true. I have trouble sleeping sometimes, and it did get worse after what happened between us, but I am positive I would have ended up here one way or another. My body gets used to the medications and I was waiting for my new prescription for a higher dosage, but I couldn't wait any longer so I took my mom's. She will probably never trust me again." Lori's face showed her honesty in the situation. Julian felt like he had never seen her like this before. Even though it was for a messed up situation, he quite enjoyed seeing her so honest.

"I don't think so. Just tell her what you told me. She will come around. Can I ask you something?" Julian was feeling a little nervous.

"Sure." 

"Can you forgive me? Someday?" Julian asked, not looking up from his hands fumbling with the hospital sheet.

"I already have, Julian. You don't need to worry about that."

He was surprised to hear that come from her. He looked up in awe, "But... I hurt you... in one of the worst ways a partner could."

"Yeah, but I also didn't realize you were into dudes and that was what you were talking about when you said you have things within yourself you need to figure out in time. It all makes sense now. Why when you kissed me, everything just felt a little bit off. When you always called me hun or by my actual name and never anything else. When you never really showed signs of missing me when we were apart..."

"Wow, I was such a shithead."

"Was?" Lori chuckled. Julian was happy to hear her laugh.

"Thank you for understanding that and I am so fuckin sorry I never came out with it. I was just so scared my Dad would find out and I didn't want him to know. Really only Kara knew up until then."

"Well, don't worry. Your secret it safe with me. So, who is the lucky guy?" 

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Julian took a deep breath and let it out, "Dominic Harrison."

-

Julian and Lori talked for a long while before he realized he really needed to get out of his work clothes and get himself prepared for Dom's visit tomorrow. After they said good bye, he was walking down the hall just in time to see a familiar face. 

It was Jared and he was carrying someone in his arm. Julian froze and watched as Jared went up to the receptionist and Julian heard him say, "Please someone help. She's been hurt. She was attacked, someone needs to save her."

The receptionist got on the phone and in an instant paramedics were rushing over to Jared with a gurney. Julian bolted over to the scene, his heart racing. Once he got close up to Jared, he saw what he feared and it was that the person was Kara. She looked way worse than when he spent time with her the night before. Jared was holding Kara, getting ready to place her on the gurney, but Julian started screaming at Jared and trying to pry Kara away from him and into his arms instead.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF HER! DON'T FUCKIN TOUCH HER! GET OUT OF HERE! LEAVE!" The whole time Julian was screaming at Jared, Jared was crying. It didn't phase Julian though, he just knew it was him that did this. There was blood all over Kara. Julian couldn't even really see her face. Jared had blood all over his clothes and on his hands. Julian was able to get hold of Kara and place her on the gurney.

The paramedics placed an oxygen mask over Kara's face and ran with her on the gurney. Julian was trying to follow behind them, but once they got to the emergency door, a nurse stuck their arm out and said, "You cannot go beyond this point. I am sorry." And then they rushed into the emergency room and that was that. Julian felt lost, but then he remembered Jared was still out there. He ran back to where Jared was, but he caught Jared heading to the exit to leave. He couldn't un-see Kara's blood all over Jared's clothes. With what felt like one swift movement, Julian practically flew in front of Jared, blocking him from getting out. 

He shouted, "COWARD!" and went to swing, but Jared hooked him with an uppercut. Julian went down and held himself. He couldn't breathe, but he saw Jared getting away again, and it took all his strength to get back up. He shoved Jared as hard as he could in that moment, and just before anything else could happen, Julian felt hands wrap around him and start to pull him away. He struggled against the people pulling him away and just kept shouting at Jared as he watched Jared make a run for it with hospital staff and security on his tail. 

"SHE BETTER BE ALIVE! SHE BETTER FUCKIN LIVE OR I SWEAR TO GOD-" Then Julian felt a pinch in his arm and everything went black.