Straight Boys - Chapter 44: Chapter 44
You are reading Straight Boys, Chapter 44: Chapter 44. Read more chapters of Straight Boys.
Zachary's POV
It happened so fast.
He was standing and yelling and maybe killing me with the way he was looking at me, the next his lesbian friend was screaming and the air stilled, like it was suddenly done moving.
Annie clamored forward, bringing her hands up to try and catch Andy's body - she was too small, she couldn't have even if she was fast enough - and then Connors was stepping forward so fast, I barely had time to shake myself of my stupor.
It was like someone had taken everything around me and slowed it to only a few frames per second. Andrew's body was falling, Annie's red hair was whipping behind her, Corbett's hands were reaching, yet my legs were on pause.
Then, pressing fast forward, Corbett was gently - more gentle than I could have ever thought possible - holding Andrew's ashen face in his palms, and Annie was calling out his name. "Andrew! Andrew. . . buddy, wake up!"
I felt my heart drop as I looked down at Andrew. He looked dead. His face was white, the bags under his eyes darker, and his cheeks hollowed. He looked worse than he did last week! And it only took the span of a few minutes and a heated argument! Suddenly, I was remembering how fragile Andrew Parsley really was. How he pretended to be strong and how he acted like everything was alright, when it really wasn't. Nothing was fine, and he just proved that.
"H-Hey! Hey, dude! Quit standing there and call 9-1-1 right now! Andrew isn't waking up and it's been more than a minute! He-He - he really needs help! He doesn't look to good. . . oh god, oh my god!" I felt my mouth moving, but nothing would come out as Annie started to pace, her eyes full of tears yet moving a mile a minute like she was searching for the answers to her prayers in thin air. The words were stuck in my throat like a kid caught red handed!
Now is not the time to act like a child, Zachary!
Corbett glared up at me and clutched Andrew closer to his chest as he hurriedly exclaimed, "No! It'll be faster if I just drive him there! It'll take under five minutes. The hospital's literally four blocks away!"
I couldn't have disagreed if I tried.
With my body wracked with terrified tremors, I scrambled towards Andrew and helped Corbett pick him up, while Annie quickly opened the backseat door. Corbett slid through his car to lay Andrew's head on one end, while I pushed my way through to get a seat. When we had Andrew secured in the car, Corbett tripped his way to the driver's seat; all the while, Annie kept yelling at us, about how we were being children and everything is all our fault for getting Andrew into this mess.
If we hadn't been fighting. . .
If I had told him. . .
If Corbett had listened to her. . .
If Andy hadn't. . .
I ignored her as I clutched onto Andrew's shirt, crinkling it and not caring one bit. Corbett ignored her, too, but he wasn't doing too good of a job. At the back of my mind, as I kept my eyes glued to Andrew's lalling head, Annie's voice was nagging and pitchy, but Corbett's was loud and aggressive, and telling Annie to shut the hell up and that it didn't matter anymore.
It happened, and now we were going to the hospital.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was like we were all suddenly feeling like we had killed someone - a hit and run; except, we hadn't. Not really, anyway, not technically. No. We didn't murder some poor man walking down the street going eighty in a twenty. We just obliterated someone's life with our childish rivalries.
"Andrew. . ." My fingers loosened from around the hem of Andy's shirt and I trembled my hand up to grasp his slack jaw. His chin felt stumbly and his temple was slick with sweat. He felt cold. My thumb brushed against his brow, his cheek bone, and traveled to grab ahold of the nape of his neck. He didn't wake up as I pulled him to sit up, my free hand clutching his shoulder to keep him steady. As soon as he was upright, his face twisted up into a look of pain, but not in the normal way someone who is hurt would look.
This was different.
This looked intense, like he was being murdered, with his eyes squeezing shut so tight, I thought that maybe his eyes might have exploded; and with his lips pulled so far back to his ears that nothing could have stopped him from biting his own lip. My eyes widened as the rest of his body tensed up and blood started mixing with his saliva, coating his teeth and running down his chin.
"What the fuck!"
"We're here!"
Corbett's booming voice drowned out my outburst and broke me from my stare as we bumped our way into the hospital's parking lot. The blonde maniac pulled up to the emergency room entrance, barely giving his car time to fully stop before he was putting it in park. He and Annie shot out of the car, not even bothering to shut their doors before they were opening both back seat doors.
As soon as Annie and Corbett looked in and saw Andrew violently flexing and relaxing, everything just sort of kicked off from there.
"Is he seizing?!" Annie looked like she was about to have a panic attack
"Andrew?!" Corbett was trying to reach for Andrew, trying to help, but my brain suddenly hit overdrive, and I was pulling Andrew out of the car with me and setting him down on the concrete as best I could without hurting him or him hurting me.
"Help! Anybody!? Help!"
Nurses upon nurses came running out of the emergency room sliding doors - I guess Corbett's crazy driving alerted them or maybe my cry for help. Two were wheeling a stretcher, two male nurses were carrying equipment, and another two nurses were running towards Annie and Corbett. As soon as they were close enough, a nurse was pulling me away from Andrew, while some of the others were yelling out directions and other medical slang that I couldn't quite understand. Corbett and Annie were blatantly trying to fight the nurses, trying to get to Andrew, but I didn't have time to worry about them before a nurse started speaking to me.
"What happened? Sir, can you hear me? How did this happen?" She was a tall woman with straight hair and wrinkles around her mouth, and she had one of her hands clutching at my shoulder while the other waved in front of my face.
". . . What?"
"What happened to your friend, sir?"
"I- I don't. . . I -"
". . . seems to be suffering from a Grand Mal Seizure. . ."
". . . blood pressure is 142 over 90 and climbing. . . bowels emptying. . ."
". . . Andrew! Andrew, how's Andrew! What's happening to him?! Andrew?!"
". . . somebody call Parsley, I think this is his son!"
I could feel my mind racing alongside my heart, but everything was going on at once. I couldn't really keep up. I was starting to feel like a fourteen year old again, back with my mom, back when she was suffering in and out of the hospital with episodes. It was beginning to become too much.
"Uh-uh-uh I just. . . I don't know, okay?! He just passed out and started - he just - broke down! He didn't start seizing until we got here," I looked away from the nurse and stared at Corbett and Annie fighting with two female nurses, Corbett pacing in front of one, while Annie was throwing her hands around; then I glanced away to watch the two male nurses pick up Andrew's body and place him on the stretcher before pulling away. I tried going after him, but the female nurse holding my shoulder gripped it hard and placed her body in my line of sight. "Is he going to be okay? Where are they taking him?"
She looked behind her, and even at this angle I could see her face screwing up just a tiny bit. When she turned back towards me, though, she looked perfectly calm and reassuring. "We'll do everything we can. Just wait inside for now with your friends."
"They're not my frie -" then she was gone, the other two nurses trying to get Corbett and Annie to calm down following after her and towards the area Andrew went. I watched them disappear through the doors of the hospital before turning my head away to settle my eyes on the two friends. They were already looking at me.
"Do you think he'll be alright. . . ?" Annie asked out loud, her thin arm reaching out to grab at Corbett's hand. Corbett looked like he wanted to wrench himself away from her, but he didn't. Instead, he looked at me with furrowed eyebrows and a tight grip on Annie's thin fingers.
"I guess we'll just have to stick around to find out." I felt my hands start to shake with the way he was looking at me. He was about to start something, I could feel it. He was blaming me, I could see it. Everything was my fault, and I could feel the blame coming off of him like radioactive waves from where I stood.
My face throbbed from where he last hit me, and I could feel my adrenaline spiking as he pulled Annie along with him and into the hospital. My skin bristled and my fight or flight suddenly kicked in as he passed me and whispered something so softly I almost didn't hear him. I heard him, though. I definitelyheard him, and it made me want to curl up and die at the thought of his words.
My heart sank, and I looked away from them, away from the hospital and out into the dark abyss before me.
"Maybe you should call Taylor and fill her in on the situation, yeah?" Then like the nurses, Corbett and Annie were gone, leaving me alone outside next to Corbett's forgotten car, faint sirens in the distance and the low thrum of Corbett's engine filling the silence that was crushing the vacant EMS parking lot, or maybe it was my lungs?
◇
Ah yes, I love updating four months too late...
No I dont. Gah I'm so sorry! This is so late! And unedited as usual, too!
I've just been really busy helping someone else with their book. I also been suffering from the usual - Writers Block. But I'm back!
For a little while maybe.
And before you go off, this has been in the cooking for a while. Andrew's spiral downward I mean. It is not out of the blue. I mean it is but it isnt you feel me?
I will fill you guys in on his condition next chapter, which is coming sooner maybe. If I have time.
What do you think his condition is?
Did you see this coming? I did hah
How did you like this chapter?
What do you think Zachary is going to do about Taylor and what's going on?
How is Andrew going to React if he wakes up?
Lastly, what's going to happen from here?
Please dont hate me for slacking! I know I'm a little late. But she's here and I hope you like he half assed writing (the chapter I mean)
It happened so fast.
He was standing and yelling and maybe killing me with the way he was looking at me, the next his lesbian friend was screaming and the air stilled, like it was suddenly done moving.
Annie clamored forward, bringing her hands up to try and catch Andy's body - she was too small, she couldn't have even if she was fast enough - and then Connors was stepping forward so fast, I barely had time to shake myself of my stupor.
It was like someone had taken everything around me and slowed it to only a few frames per second. Andrew's body was falling, Annie's red hair was whipping behind her, Corbett's hands were reaching, yet my legs were on pause.
Then, pressing fast forward, Corbett was gently - more gentle than I could have ever thought possible - holding Andrew's ashen face in his palms, and Annie was calling out his name. "Andrew! Andrew. . . buddy, wake up!"
I felt my heart drop as I looked down at Andrew. He looked dead. His face was white, the bags under his eyes darker, and his cheeks hollowed. He looked worse than he did last week! And it only took the span of a few minutes and a heated argument! Suddenly, I was remembering how fragile Andrew Parsley really was. How he pretended to be strong and how he acted like everything was alright, when it really wasn't. Nothing was fine, and he just proved that.
"H-Hey! Hey, dude! Quit standing there and call 9-1-1 right now! Andrew isn't waking up and it's been more than a minute! He-He - he really needs help! He doesn't look to good. . . oh god, oh my god!" I felt my mouth moving, but nothing would come out as Annie started to pace, her eyes full of tears yet moving a mile a minute like she was searching for the answers to her prayers in thin air. The words were stuck in my throat like a kid caught red handed!
Now is not the time to act like a child, Zachary!
Corbett glared up at me and clutched Andrew closer to his chest as he hurriedly exclaimed, "No! It'll be faster if I just drive him there! It'll take under five minutes. The hospital's literally four blocks away!"
I couldn't have disagreed if I tried.
With my body wracked with terrified tremors, I scrambled towards Andrew and helped Corbett pick him up, while Annie quickly opened the backseat door. Corbett slid through his car to lay Andrew's head on one end, while I pushed my way through to get a seat. When we had Andrew secured in the car, Corbett tripped his way to the driver's seat; all the while, Annie kept yelling at us, about how we were being children and everything is all our fault for getting Andrew into this mess.
If we hadn't been fighting. . .
If I had told him. . .
If Corbett had listened to her. . .
If Andy hadn't. . .
I ignored her as I clutched onto Andrew's shirt, crinkling it and not caring one bit. Corbett ignored her, too, but he wasn't doing too good of a job. At the back of my mind, as I kept my eyes glued to Andrew's lalling head, Annie's voice was nagging and pitchy, but Corbett's was loud and aggressive, and telling Annie to shut the hell up and that it didn't matter anymore.
It happened, and now we were going to the hospital.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was like we were all suddenly feeling like we had killed someone - a hit and run; except, we hadn't. Not really, anyway, not technically. No. We didn't murder some poor man walking down the street going eighty in a twenty. We just obliterated someone's life with our childish rivalries.
"Andrew. . ." My fingers loosened from around the hem of Andy's shirt and I trembled my hand up to grasp his slack jaw. His chin felt stumbly and his temple was slick with sweat. He felt cold. My thumb brushed against his brow, his cheek bone, and traveled to grab ahold of the nape of his neck. He didn't wake up as I pulled him to sit up, my free hand clutching his shoulder to keep him steady. As soon as he was upright, his face twisted up into a look of pain, but not in the normal way someone who is hurt would look.
This was different.
This looked intense, like he was being murdered, with his eyes squeezing shut so tight, I thought that maybe his eyes might have exploded; and with his lips pulled so far back to his ears that nothing could have stopped him from biting his own lip. My eyes widened as the rest of his body tensed up and blood started mixing with his saliva, coating his teeth and running down his chin.
"What the fuck!"
"We're here!"
Corbett's booming voice drowned out my outburst and broke me from my stare as we bumped our way into the hospital's parking lot. The blonde maniac pulled up to the emergency room entrance, barely giving his car time to fully stop before he was putting it in park. He and Annie shot out of the car, not even bothering to shut their doors before they were opening both back seat doors.
As soon as Annie and Corbett looked in and saw Andrew violently flexing and relaxing, everything just sort of kicked off from there.
"Is he seizing?!" Annie looked like she was about to have a panic attack
"Andrew?!" Corbett was trying to reach for Andrew, trying to help, but my brain suddenly hit overdrive, and I was pulling Andrew out of the car with me and setting him down on the concrete as best I could without hurting him or him hurting me.
"Help! Anybody!? Help!"
Nurses upon nurses came running out of the emergency room sliding doors - I guess Corbett's crazy driving alerted them or maybe my cry for help. Two were wheeling a stretcher, two male nurses were carrying equipment, and another two nurses were running towards Annie and Corbett. As soon as they were close enough, a nurse was pulling me away from Andrew, while some of the others were yelling out directions and other medical slang that I couldn't quite understand. Corbett and Annie were blatantly trying to fight the nurses, trying to get to Andrew, but I didn't have time to worry about them before a nurse started speaking to me.
"What happened? Sir, can you hear me? How did this happen?" She was a tall woman with straight hair and wrinkles around her mouth, and she had one of her hands clutching at my shoulder while the other waved in front of my face.
". . . What?"
"What happened to your friend, sir?"
"I- I don't. . . I -"
". . . seems to be suffering from a Grand Mal Seizure. . ."
". . . blood pressure is 142 over 90 and climbing. . . bowels emptying. . ."
". . . Andrew! Andrew, how's Andrew! What's happening to him?! Andrew?!"
". . . somebody call Parsley, I think this is his son!"
I could feel my mind racing alongside my heart, but everything was going on at once. I couldn't really keep up. I was starting to feel like a fourteen year old again, back with my mom, back when she was suffering in and out of the hospital with episodes. It was beginning to become too much.
"Uh-uh-uh I just. . . I don't know, okay?! He just passed out and started - he just - broke down! He didn't start seizing until we got here," I looked away from the nurse and stared at Corbett and Annie fighting with two female nurses, Corbett pacing in front of one, while Annie was throwing her hands around; then I glanced away to watch the two male nurses pick up Andrew's body and place him on the stretcher before pulling away. I tried going after him, but the female nurse holding my shoulder gripped it hard and placed her body in my line of sight. "Is he going to be okay? Where are they taking him?"
She looked behind her, and even at this angle I could see her face screwing up just a tiny bit. When she turned back towards me, though, she looked perfectly calm and reassuring. "We'll do everything we can. Just wait inside for now with your friends."
"They're not my frie -" then she was gone, the other two nurses trying to get Corbett and Annie to calm down following after her and towards the area Andrew went. I watched them disappear through the doors of the hospital before turning my head away to settle my eyes on the two friends. They were already looking at me.
"Do you think he'll be alright. . . ?" Annie asked out loud, her thin arm reaching out to grab at Corbett's hand. Corbett looked like he wanted to wrench himself away from her, but he didn't. Instead, he looked at me with furrowed eyebrows and a tight grip on Annie's thin fingers.
"I guess we'll just have to stick around to find out." I felt my hands start to shake with the way he was looking at me. He was about to start something, I could feel it. He was blaming me, I could see it. Everything was my fault, and I could feel the blame coming off of him like radioactive waves from where I stood.
My face throbbed from where he last hit me, and I could feel my adrenaline spiking as he pulled Annie along with him and into the hospital. My skin bristled and my fight or flight suddenly kicked in as he passed me and whispered something so softly I almost didn't hear him. I heard him, though. I definitelyheard him, and it made me want to curl up and die at the thought of his words.
My heart sank, and I looked away from them, away from the hospital and out into the dark abyss before me.
"Maybe you should call Taylor and fill her in on the situation, yeah?" Then like the nurses, Corbett and Annie were gone, leaving me alone outside next to Corbett's forgotten car, faint sirens in the distance and the low thrum of Corbett's engine filling the silence that was crushing the vacant EMS parking lot, or maybe it was my lungs?
◇
Ah yes, I love updating four months too late...
No I dont. Gah I'm so sorry! This is so late! And unedited as usual, too!
I've just been really busy helping someone else with their book. I also been suffering from the usual - Writers Block. But I'm back!
For a little while maybe.
And before you go off, this has been in the cooking for a while. Andrew's spiral downward I mean. It is not out of the blue. I mean it is but it isnt you feel me?
I will fill you guys in on his condition next chapter, which is coming sooner maybe. If I have time.
What do you think his condition is?
Did you see this coming? I did hah
How did you like this chapter?
What do you think Zachary is going to do about Taylor and what's going on?
How is Andrew going to React if he wakes up?
Lastly, what's going to happen from here?
Please dont hate me for slacking! I know I'm a little late. But she's here and I hope you like he half assed writing (the chapter I mean)
End of Straight Boys Chapter 44. Continue reading Chapter 45 or return to Straight Boys book page.