Mark was there to greet his son when he casually walked into the ER with a bloody bandage wrapped around his hand.
"Steve, what happened?" Despite his obvious concern, Mark was relieved that his son wasn't being wheeled in on a gurney.
"It's just a scratch, Dad, I'm fine."
"I'll be the judge of that."
Mark didn't know whether to laugh or to be worried about his son, who was falling asleep throughout the examination.
"If you can wait just another hour or so, I'll drive you home. You can sleep in the Doctor's Lounge." He felt that it would be alright to hazard a joke. "The sofa should be very comfortable, Jesse's worn it in enough."
Steve, in his near comatose state, didn't get it. "No, no, Dad. I have to be here for Jesse when he wakes up," he slurred.
Mark sighed. While still concerned for his son's health, he realized how much this meant to him. Well, he could just as easily sleep in Jesse's room as in the lounge. "Fine, you can stay with Jesse until I leave, but you're coming home with me, alright?"
"Yeah, sure Dad, fine," Steve mumbled, walking smack into the doorjamb on his way out of the room.
******************
Steve slowly, wearily, entered Jesse's room and prepared to stay until his best friend woke up. He didn't care how long it could be, he knew it was what he had to do. He had brought along a little paperwork, although with no intention of getting anything done. He was so worn out, he feared he would fall asleep as soon as he sat down. But just looking at Jesse, lying so helpless and near death, ignited the fire of anger within himself, and that was what kept him going. Steve took Jesse's hand in his and gently stroked his hair, too tired to once again pour out his emotions to his young friend.
***
Jesse could vaguely sense a presence in his room as his mind slowly wavered on the edge of consciousness. He wanted to wake up, but he knew his body wouldn't allow it. But maybe, if he tried real hard… his hand weakly began to grip the much larger one holding his. His mind returned to consciousness, and his body followed. "Steve?" he croaked, barely audibly.
The slight whisper of his name jerked Steve out of his half-sleep, and his eyes rested on the now open ones of his best friend. "Jesse?!" he exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his chair. He did, and stumbled to the door. "Dad! Jesse's awake!"
He then rushed back to his confused friend's side.
"What happened?" he whispered, rather clichely.
Steve tried to calm himself down so he could talk to Jesse. But how would he explain what had happened?
Mark burst through the door, having not heard Steve's full cry and wondering what was wrong. "Steve, what's--Jesse!" He also rushed up to his friend's bedside.
"Wow, you guys sure are happy to see me!" he tried to joke. "Wh-what the heck happened?"
Mark took over the explanation. "There was something of a shootout at BBQ Bob's, and you were shot." He glanced over at Steve for the rest of the account.
"Oh." Jesse looked around confusedly. "How long have I been out?"
It was Mark and Steve's turn to glance at each other confusedly. "Um, I'm not too sure. Haven't really been keeping track of days lately," Steve mumbled.
"It's been two or three days, maybe closer to a week. You had a lot of people worried about you, my friend." Mark patted Jesse on the shoulder and walked to the door. "I think you two fellows need to talk." With that, he left the friends alone.
"What would we need to talk about, Steve?"
Steve lowered his head into his hands and rubbed his temples while trying to get through this. "Jess, my dad didn't tell you who shot you."
Jesse looked like he was thinking hard. "Oh yeah, I remember. It was that crazy guy after his girlfriend."
This was just making it harder for Steve. "Well, there was a crazy guy, and he did start shooting, but the bullet that actually hit you, it-- Jesse, I shot you," he finally spit out. "I didn't mean too! The bullet was on the way to the guy, and you just got right there, and--I'm sorry." He hung his head in shame and embarrassment.
Jesse tried to take all this in. Steve had shot him? That couldn't be right. "Huh?"
"Jesse, I shot you. On accident. But if it wasn't for me being so stupid, you wouldn't be lying there right now. I'm so sorry."
Jesse began to understand. "Steve, it's alright! It wasn't your fault! And I'd much rather be lying here right now than in the ground!"
Steve tried to laugh. "Jess, you don't know how close we came to losing you."
"Well, sorry, you didn't," he joked again. "Looks like you're stuck with me, for the time being at least!"
"Yeah, you're a tough little guy!" Steve playfully rumpled his best friend's hair, knowing that he hated it. "So no hard feelings?"
"Aww, of course not! As long as I get to recuperate at the beach house!"
"Oh, you're full of it today, aren't you?"
"Hey, I haven't talked for three days! What did you expect?"
Steve shook his head, happy that his friend would, as far as anyone could tell, be making a full recovery. "Well, I'm sure that my dad wouldn't have it any other way. I supposed you'll have full reign of my Pay-Per-View again."
Jesse chuckled and tried to hold back a yawn. "Yeah, I guess so."
Steve, coming to the realization that he himself was also about to collapse with exhaustion, decided that he better leave. "Well, I guess I'd better let you get your rest." He tried to stifle a yawn of his own. "I'll come by to see you tomorrow."
Jesse weakly nodded and almost immediately drifted off to sleep.
"Good night, Jess."
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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Okay, so I gave you chapter five! Sorry it took so long, but I was planning on finishing it first, but my plans never work out right... Anyway, you're lucky to get this, tehe! I hop it's good! Let me know! Thanks!
"Steve, what happened?" Despite his obvious concern, Mark was relieved that his son wasn't being wheeled in on a gurney.
"It's just a scratch, Dad, I'm fine."
"I'll be the judge of that."
Mark didn't know whether to laugh or to be worried about his son, who was falling asleep throughout the examination.
"If you can wait just another hour or so, I'll drive you home. You can sleep in the Doctor's Lounge." He felt that it would be alright to hazard a joke. "The sofa should be very comfortable, Jesse's worn it in enough."
Steve, in his near comatose state, didn't get it. "No, no, Dad. I have to be here for Jesse when he wakes up," he slurred.
Mark sighed. While still concerned for his son's health, he realized how much this meant to him. Well, he could just as easily sleep in Jesse's room as in the lounge. "Fine, you can stay with Jesse until I leave, but you're coming home with me, alright?"
"Yeah, sure Dad, fine," Steve mumbled, walking smack into the doorjamb on his way out of the room.
******************
Steve slowly, wearily, entered Jesse's room and prepared to stay until his best friend woke up. He didn't care how long it could be, he knew it was what he had to do. He had brought along a little paperwork, although with no intention of getting anything done. He was so worn out, he feared he would fall asleep as soon as he sat down. But just looking at Jesse, lying so helpless and near death, ignited the fire of anger within himself, and that was what kept him going. Steve took Jesse's hand in his and gently stroked his hair, too tired to once again pour out his emotions to his young friend.
***
Jesse could vaguely sense a presence in his room as his mind slowly wavered on the edge of consciousness. He wanted to wake up, but he knew his body wouldn't allow it. But maybe, if he tried real hard… his hand weakly began to grip the much larger one holding his. His mind returned to consciousness, and his body followed. "Steve?" he croaked, barely audibly.
The slight whisper of his name jerked Steve out of his half-sleep, and his eyes rested on the now open ones of his best friend. "Jesse?!" he exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his chair. He did, and stumbled to the door. "Dad! Jesse's awake!"
He then rushed back to his confused friend's side.
"What happened?" he whispered, rather clichely.
Steve tried to calm himself down so he could talk to Jesse. But how would he explain what had happened?
Mark burst through the door, having not heard Steve's full cry and wondering what was wrong. "Steve, what's--Jesse!" He also rushed up to his friend's bedside.
"Wow, you guys sure are happy to see me!" he tried to joke. "Wh-what the heck happened?"
Mark took over the explanation. "There was something of a shootout at BBQ Bob's, and you were shot." He glanced over at Steve for the rest of the account.
"Oh." Jesse looked around confusedly. "How long have I been out?"
It was Mark and Steve's turn to glance at each other confusedly. "Um, I'm not too sure. Haven't really been keeping track of days lately," Steve mumbled.
"It's been two or three days, maybe closer to a week. You had a lot of people worried about you, my friend." Mark patted Jesse on the shoulder and walked to the door. "I think you two fellows need to talk." With that, he left the friends alone.
"What would we need to talk about, Steve?"
Steve lowered his head into his hands and rubbed his temples while trying to get through this. "Jess, my dad didn't tell you who shot you."
Jesse looked like he was thinking hard. "Oh yeah, I remember. It was that crazy guy after his girlfriend."
This was just making it harder for Steve. "Well, there was a crazy guy, and he did start shooting, but the bullet that actually hit you, it-- Jesse, I shot you," he finally spit out. "I didn't mean too! The bullet was on the way to the guy, and you just got right there, and--I'm sorry." He hung his head in shame and embarrassment.
Jesse tried to take all this in. Steve had shot him? That couldn't be right. "Huh?"
"Jesse, I shot you. On accident. But if it wasn't for me being so stupid, you wouldn't be lying there right now. I'm so sorry."
Jesse began to understand. "Steve, it's alright! It wasn't your fault! And I'd much rather be lying here right now than in the ground!"
Steve tried to laugh. "Jess, you don't know how close we came to losing you."
"Well, sorry, you didn't," he joked again. "Looks like you're stuck with me, for the time being at least!"
"Yeah, you're a tough little guy!" Steve playfully rumpled his best friend's hair, knowing that he hated it. "So no hard feelings?"
"Aww, of course not! As long as I get to recuperate at the beach house!"
"Oh, you're full of it today, aren't you?"
"Hey, I haven't talked for three days! What did you expect?"
Steve shook his head, happy that his friend would, as far as anyone could tell, be making a full recovery. "Well, I'm sure that my dad wouldn't have it any other way. I supposed you'll have full reign of my Pay-Per-View again."
Jesse chuckled and tried to hold back a yawn. "Yeah, I guess so."
Steve, coming to the realization that he himself was also about to collapse with exhaustion, decided that he better leave. "Well, I guess I'd better let you get your rest." He tried to stifle a yawn of his own. "I'll come by to see you tomorrow."
Jesse weakly nodded and almost immediately drifted off to sleep.
"Good night, Jess."
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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Okay, so I gave you chapter five! Sorry it took so long, but I was planning on finishing it first, but my plans never work out right... Anyway, you're lucky to get this, tehe! I hop it's good! Let me know! Thanks!
