First I want to thank my editor Anthony for his continued hard work on making this story what it is.
Now for the not so fun stuff...if you are under the age of 18 or it is illegal for you to read such things...please leave now and I'm not to blame if you get caught reading this.
"I'll get it," said David
As I walked to the front door I got this weirdly ominous feeling. I turned the handle and opened the door. There slouching against the wall was a young boy about my age, I couldn't tell for sure because I couldn't recognize him. He was badly bruised and swollen about the face.
"Thavith." I heard the boy call out.
"What did you say?"
"Help me, plea...."
Before he could finish he collapsed onto the floor.
"Hey Alex, quick, come and help me."
"What's wrong bro?"
"Help me get this kid in, he needs some help."
"Whoa, mom, dad call for an ambulance, this kid's in real trouble," said Alex.
"Who is it David?" asked his mom.
"I don't know mom, but I think he knows me."
As Alex and David moved the boy into the living room and placed him on the sofa, everyone else stood around watching. Their father was on the phone calling for an ambulance.
As David stepped back from the kid on the sofa, a memory stirred in the back of his mind, and then it hit him.
"Oh my God, mom this is Joey. You remember, my friend who moved away just after his mother died two years ago."
"I don't know David, are you sure? I mean didn't he move out of state? What's he doing on our doorstep in that state?"
"I don't know how he's here, but it's definitely Joey."
Right then the boy came to.
"David, is that you?" he asked.
"Joey, I'm here. David said as he knelt down by Joey's side taking his hand.
"What happened to you?" I asked him.
"I ran away from home."
Joey's speech was still a little slurred when he started to talk again, so I told him to go slow. By this point my mother had left the room to go get an ice pack or something for him while we waited for the ambulance to get there. Joey started again.
"About a year after my dad and I moved away, he met and married a woman that I didn't get along with and we never saw eye to eye on anything, so I ran away from home."
"Ok." I said with a questioning look on my face. I thought it better to not pursue why he ran away from home just then and Alex patted me on the shoulder to let me know I was doing the right thing. I half smiled at my big brother.
"Joey, I have to know, why are you all beaten up and bruised and how did you end up on our doorstep?"
"I've been living on the streets or wherever I could find shelter for a while now and someone just laid in to me, and as for me ending up on your doorstep, I realized after I was dumped that I recognized this street and took a chance that you still lived here."
I was still confused and angry that someone could/would do this to my Joey. I knew he wasn't telling me everything but I decided to just let him rest. I caught the little voice in my head saying to myself that he was my Joey when I didn't even know if he was gay like me or thought of me like his David.
Just then there was a knock on our door and my dad went to answer it. It was the paramedics. They proceeded to check Joey's breathing, his blood pressure and asked him a few questions like if he knew his name, what day it was, what the date was, if he knew where he was at? He knew his name and where he was but got the day of the week wrong and date wrong. The paramedics thought it might be a concussion.
They loaded Joey on to a gurney and took him to the ambulance. I asked to go with him, but the paramedics said no because I was too young. I got an angry look on my face because I hated to be treated like a little kid. Alex sensed this and offered to drive me to the hospital. I immediately smiled and hugged him hard. We both looked at our father for his approval and he nodded in the affirmative. We both hugged our father and were out the door a minute later.
We barely caught the last thing dad said about calling Joey's uncle to let him know what was going on. We didn't have time to question it as we ran out the door and to Alex's car.
I jumped in Alex's car and as we were backing up, Michael showed up at the driver's side of the car. Alex rolled down the window.
"What happened? Michael asked, I saw the ambulance pulling out of your driveway and came running as fast I could."
We quickly explained that it was Joey and that we were on our way to the hospital so I could be with him. Michael jumped in the backseat and we were on our way.
As we were driving trying to keep up with the ambulance, I noticed more than a few times that it looked like Michael wanted to touch Alex but he seemed to stop himself because I was in the car with them. I had to put an end to this, even though I had started to cry again but mostly I was scared for Joey.
I turned to look in the back seat at Michael.
"Michael," I said and he turned his head towards me. "I know."
He looked at me with a confused face and Alex looked horrified.
"You know what David?" Michael asked me a little unsure.
"I know about you and Alex and it's ok with me."
"Alex, you told him?" Michael asked in disbelief. "I wasn't ready for anyone to know."
"Yes Michael, I did tell David but you need to understand why."
"Ok, so tell me why you told him."
I could tell that Michael was getting angry with Alex so I proceeded to tell him about our conversation earlier and then Alex said he told me to put me at ease and then I opened up to him that I was gay.
Michael sat back god smacked at the revelation that I am gay and that I know about him and Alex. Michael was only the second person I've told and I knew he'd be ok with it. At least for a few minutes it got my mind off the trouble with Joey, but that didn't last long as my mind drifted back to him. Michael rubbed Alex's shoulders while Alex rubbed my leg trying to keep me calm. I had to admit that as bad as I felt, it was helping to know my big brother loved and accepted me. That was something I was grateful for because I'd seen on the news and read that some kids didn't even have that.
We arrived at the hospital a few minutes later and Alex parked the car. We exited the car and entered the emergency room entrance. We walked up to the counter and wanted to know where Joey was.
"Can I help you boys?" The young blonde nurse said when she looked up at us.
"Yes." I spoke up. "We need to see Joey Walker. He was brought in here a little while ago."
"Are you related to the patient?" She asked me.
"No, I'm just his friend but he doesn't have any family in the area."
"I'm sorry but only family can see the patient, it's hospital policy."
She saw the disappointed look on my face and then she surprised me by saying, "Hey cutie, I'll see what I can find out about your friend, just has to be our little secret ok?"
I smiled and blushed at her comment. "Ok," I replied to her. No one had ever called me cutie before and I didn't feel all that cute ever, but maybe that was changing I thought to myself. Snapping me out of my thoughts, Alex suggested we go sit down and wait to hear from the nurse.
After a few moments of silence Michael was the first to get the conversation going.
"So what happened to your friend David?"
"I don't know, like I said he showed up on our doorstep about an hour ago all bruised and bloodied."
"What did he say it was?" Michael continued.
"He said that it was a random attack, but I don't believe him."
"What do you think it was then?"
He sure did ask a lot of questions for someone who didn't even know Joey, I thought to myself.
"I think someone was hurting him." I said.
Alex could sense I was feeling uncomfortable about talking like this so he politely asked if we could change the subject. I was relieved that Alex came to my rescue because I started to cry again at thinking my Joey had been hurt by someone.
Alex wrapped his muscular arms around me and held me while rubbing my back trying to get me to calm down. Michael also apologized for making me upset. I appreciated that and nodded at him that I accepted his apology. I started to calm down as the nurse from earlier came out to find us in the waiting room.
"Hey cutie, I wanted to tell you that they've stabilized your friend and he's sleeping soundly now."
I couldn't say a word but I did have a relieved look on my face.
"Thank you for coming and giving us an update on his condition." Alex said.
"You're welcome. I really think he's going to be fine after a bit of recuperation."
A relieved look came across my face as I digested what she said to me.
"He's gonna be ok Alex, Joey's gonna be ok." I said as I threw myself into Alex's arms and he held me as I wept tears again but this time they were of joy, not sadness. Just then my father came into the waiting room and saw Alex and I embracing.
"What's happened with Joey, is he ok?" My father asked me.
Alex had to answer for me. "The nurse thinks he'll pull through dad."
"I'm so glad to hear that." My dad said. He then turned and noticed Michael standing to the side of us. "Michael what are you doing here?"
"Um, um, well...I saw the ambulance in your driveway and I was concerned and I wanted to be here for Alex and David."
"Oh ok. That was nice of you." Our father said.
A few moments later, a man dressed in a suit and a woman in a maroon dress walked into the emergency room.
Alex turned to our father and said, "Dad, what's Jamie doing here?"
"Jamie is Joey's uncle, Alex."
"How come we didn't know that?" Alex asked dad.
Just as he was about to answer, the woman in the maroon dress walked over to us. Jamie was being shown through one of the doors to the back.
"Hi, I'm Mrs. Andrews with social services and I understand that you were the one who brought in the patient, a one Joey Walker?"
"Yes ma'am we did," I spoke up before my father could say anything. Since I was the one who opened the door and let him in and was really the only one who heard the little bit Joey said to me, I told the social worker what I knew, which wasn't much. She thanked me and then excused herself.
A few minutes later, Jamie came back out and dad introduced us to him. We said our hellos, he thanked us for getting Joey here so quickly and then I sheepishly asked if I could go see my best friend? After a few moments, and dad and Jamie looking at each other, it was agreed that I could go back and see him for a few minutes.
I walked through the double doors that opened automatically and then Jamie directed me down the hall and to the left to room 4. The door was wooden and heavy and so Jamie opened it for me and said he'd give me a few minutes alone with him. Plus I was feeling a little weak from crying.
I walked in and saw Joey sleeping and all the tubes and wires attached to his body. The machines were lightly making noises as I approached his bed. I was just glad he was ok. As I sat down, I really got a good look at his injuries. He still had dry blood on his face, some in his hair and on his arms. His right arm was distended and I thought it might be broken. My heart broke as I sat there and cried not sure what to say, so I just leaned down and kissed his forehead.
Lowly I spoke his name. "Joey, can you hear me, it's David."
His eyes slowly came open, he smiled at me but couldn't speak for the breathing tube down his throat. I touched his face and arm in a loving manner which caused him to wince in pain but as I was about to back away, he gestured with his left arm which told me to leave it there.
I had so much I wanted to say to him but I didn't know where to begin. As I was about to speak his name again, the machines in his room began to wildly beep which caused about five people to enter his room and then I was politely asked to leave.
I wailed then screamed, "What's wrong? What's happening to my friend?" But it was in vain as they wouldn't tell me anything. Jamie was perplexed but he did the fatherly thing and held me in his arms as we both cried openly not knowing what was going to happen to Joey.