Sweet Secrets

Chapter 10

Two days.
April 30th.

I was asleep in the chair, my head on Jack's mattress.
I heard him coughing and choking, still unconscious.
I hit the nurse call button about a million times.
They ran in and I once again got out of the way.
I watched as they slowly and carefully pulled the tube out of his throat and watched him as he began to breathe by himself.
"Oh Jack...Baby..." I said quietly, watching as they cleaned up and put him on a nasal cannula instead for more oxygen.
"He's going to be out of it still." Elizabeth the nurse said as she upped his sedation a tiny bit more.
"He really needs to rest." She offered me a small smile, "We'll move him down to general recovery if he keeps doing well. The neurosurgeon is going to come in soon and check on his head. If he does wake up soon, try to get him to drink some water. His throat is going to hurt pretty badly." She updated his chart and walked out.
I sat back down and looked at my broken boy.
How could someone do this to another person? Let alone their own son?
I'd never understand that. 

Jack was up within two hours, I knew because he groaned.
I looked up at him, "Hey...Baby shh...Don't try to talk...The tube is out but your throat is going to hurt. Can you drink some water for me?" I poured water into the little cup from the pitcher at his bedside and put a straw in it.
He looked at me with exhausted eyes.
I held the straw to his mouth and he took a small sip, wincing a little at the pain swallowing caused him. He took a couple more sips. The pain must be worth the water.
They'd had him on a feeding tube for the two days he'd been in and out since he wasn't able to eat on his own, but they'd taken that out this morning to change it. They probably wouldn't have to put it back in. I hoped not at least.
I put the cup down when he seemed done with it.
"I'm so sorry this happened Jack...I'm so sorry...I shouldn't have been so stupid...It's my fault you left and this wouldn't have happened if you didn't." I watched as his expression turned from completely wiped out to just sad.
"Don't." He croaked out, then winced.
"Don't what? Apologize? Jack I can't stop apologizing. He hurt you. I wasn't there, and you weren't with me. That's unforgivable...Jack I'm so sorry." I bit my lip, wondering what the hell I could do, if anything.
"It's okay." He managed to get out before giving up.
"I love you...I love you so much." I sniffled.
He gave me a tiny smile.
"What can I do? Can I help at all?" I looked around at all of the different wires connected to him and the different bags on his IVs.
He shook his head.

"Do you know what happened?"
He shook his head.
"Do you want to know right now?"
He nodded.
"Someone found you outside or something...They got you here and you had a depressed skull fracture, your brain swelled...Your arm is broken...They had to remove one of your kidneys Jack...You got stabbed and they couldn't save it...They had to do surgery to fix the fracture on your head...You're bruised and swollen all over...Baby I'm so, so sorry."
His eyes looked scared.
"He's not ever, ever going to touch you again Jack, do you understand me?" I kissed his hand gently.
He nodded.
"Do you trust that I'll take care of you before I ever let that man touch you?" I meant every word. I'd kick his ass in stilettos and full makeup.
He nodded at me again.
"Okay. Do you want me to call your brother or sister?" I showed him that I had his phone, "I already called your boss and I emailed your college professors."
He nodded.
"Okay. What are their names?"
"May...Joe." He croaked before looking at the water again.
I held the cup up and he took a few sips.
I put it back down and called Joe, since I knew he was closest.

"Hello?" Joe answered.
"Hi, this is Alex...I'm Jack's boyfriend...Uh. He came back home from my house a couple nights ago and your father was there. He came in through a window...He got into it with Jack and beat him badly...Jack's in the hospital. He's awake and able to talk to me now sort of, but your dad beating him left him with a skull fracture and brain swelling, a broken arm, both of his lungs collapsed, and he stabbed him. Jack lost his left kidney because your father stabbed him." I wasn't going to be gentle about it. No one was gentle with me when I found out.
"Why didn't they call me first?" He sounded mad.
"Jack has me as his emergency contact. So they called me." 
"I'm coming down there. What hospital is he at?" 
I looked at Jack, "He wants to come."
Jack shook his head.
"Jack said he doesn't want you to come. I don't know why because they had him intubated for two days with a feeding tube. Before that, he was pretty heavily sedated. So he can't really speak, but he shook his head when I asked if he wanted you to come." I sighed a little. Family drama. Yay.
"Why the hell doesn't he want me there? I'm his brother for christ's sake." Joe was even angrier now.
I could imagine that's why Jack didn't want him here.

"I'm sorry, I can't answer that one for you but he is an adult and he had me on there. I have to respect him when he says he doesn't want anyone here. I can keep you updated on him though if you'd like that?" I'd at least offer.
I heard Joe sigh, "Yeah...Yeah please do. Do I need to talk to anyone?" He asked, sounding drained now.
"I think the police would like a word, you can call them and let them know who you are, your relationship to Jack and your ownership of the house. I mean he got in through a window. What I know so far is that they took fingerprints and I'd assume samples of the blood left all over the place." I cringed to think about Jack's blood spilled all over the floor and the driveway that he had to drag himself across to get outside.

"Okay. Thanks Alex. I'll call you back on Jack's number if the police need anything from him. Is he doing okay though?" Joe sounded caring again. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
"He's doing alright. His throat hurts a lot, he's in a lot of pain. Joe, he doesn't look like himself honestly. He's got bandages all over him, his face is purple and swollen much like the rest of his body...I am gonna tell you that he's not going back there. If your dad hasn't been arrested yet, Jack's staying with me, and he'll continue to however long he wants or needs even if he has been arrested. So I wouldn't expect anyone there to watch over the place. Jack's told me that you're with your girlfriend the majority of the time, so I figured you should know that your house will be empty." I wasn't taking any shit on that one either.
"Okay. I can understand why. Hell. I get if he doesn't ever want to come back. Watch out for him okay? I'll tell May what's happening. I'll keep you updated, please keep me updated." He hung up.
I put Jack's phone down on the table, his eyes watching me.

"Well," I leaned down and very gently kissed Jack's cheek, he smiled a tiny bit "He was really angry at first, but he's going to talk to the police and I'm sure he'll be at the house a lot more. You are staying with me though." 
Jack nodded his head, just watching me. His expression wasn't exactly clear to me. 
"What are you thinking about?" I asked him with a small smile.
He pointed at his phone with his un-casted hand.
I handed it to him. He sat it on his lap, opened a text and messaged me.

Jack: I'm sorry I left I love you

I smiled a little, "Don't be sorry. I gave you every reason to leave. I love you too."

Jack: Don't leave me alone ok

"I won't ever leave you alone Jack, not ever." I pressed a tiny kiss to his cheek again.

Jack: I'm scared

I frowned a little, sitting down on the chair next to him again, "I know you are. You're going to be okay though. You're going to recover from all of this and you're not going to be in pain anymore, and you'll be okay. I promise you. I'm going to be here every step of the way, the whole time." 

Jack: Promise don't leave

I nodded, "I promise babe, I won't leave." 

Jack: At all

"Okay...Not at all. You mean this room?" I asked, looking at him a bit confused.

Jack nodded, then typed again

Jack: He will come hurt me