A/N: Sorry about the long wait and short chapter! But it's November (National Novel Writing Month) and I was busy hammering out 50,000 words by, well, today. But the minute the last period was hammered out, I made sure to come right back to you guys and the perilous adventures of our favorite prep-school boys. Sorry about the short chapter, as well, but it'll take me a while to get back in to the swing of things as far as fanfic writing goes. But never fear! It'll all be okay!
Knox opened his eyes slowly, the bright light hurting his eyes. He glanced around, feeling confused.
This isn't the cave, he thought. Where am I?
The blinking, beeping machine worked their technological rhythm in to Knox's head, and he saw their flashing lights against his closed eyes. He tried to sit up, but his chest hurt and the pain forced him to lie back down. He glanced around the room and saw the night nurse out the window. He fought the weight on his chest and sat up, grabbing he sides of his bed for leverage. And he achieved his goal- he was able to grab the attention of the young blonde and as she came charging in to his room, chiding him for trying to get up.
"You just lay back down, young man. You've gone through too much tonight to be getting up so quickly. And don't try to argue- they put a tube in your throat anyway, so you won't be able to speak."
Knox nodded and gestured for a piece of paper and the nurse nodded, bringing him a small pad and pen. In scribbled handwriting, Knox fashioned the question he couldn't get out of his mind.
"Where…is…Charlie…?" The nurse read aloud as Knox scratched out his attempt at communication. "Charlie…hmm. Charlie…oh, I know who you're talking about! Brown hair, cute dimples, came in at about the same time you did. He's down the hall." Knox nodded and began writing again, pressing the kind blonde for more information. "Is…he…okay? Yeah. He's going to be fine. He gave us quite a scare, though. Almost lost him. In fact, you both gave us all quite a scare. What were the two of you thinking?" Knox shrugged as best he could and lay the pen to the paper again, his small reserve energy beginning to drain. "What…happened? You don't know?! Well, then, I guess someone better tell you. Your friend Charlie came charging in to your school about two hours ago, cradling you in his arms and then passed out, right there on the floor. By the time they got the two of you in here, you were both half dead. You're lungs were frozen and the frostbite was setting in. But you're here now, and your friend is fine."
Knox nodded and laid his head to the pillow, feeling all energy he had drain out of him immediately. But a slow smile crept across his face. Charlie was fine. HE was fine. Everything was going to be just fine.
Two rooms down a rather confused brunette woke up and sat up immediately, ignoring the pain shooting through the base of his spine and the pressure on his chest. He looked around him, gesturing wildly. He knew where he was, but he didn't like it. The tube placed in his throat pushed against his vocal chords and brought tears to his eyes. But he didn't care. All he wanted to do was find out what happened to Knox. While he had been lying there in a half-comatose state, all he had been on his mind were visions of the small, fragile brunette curled in a corner of the cold, damp cave, barely breathing. And it scared him.
A small blonde nurse came charging in to his room, grabbing a seringe off one on the nurse trys and plunging it in to his IV.
"There there, buddy. You must be Charlie. You know, the boy down the hall woke up a few minutes ago looking for you. I told him that you were going to be okay. And you will be. And so will he. But what we need you to do is to calm down and get some rest. You know, after almost dying of hypothermia and cold shock, it's amazing that you're still so full of energy."
After that he words became muddled. Charlie closed his eyes and lay his head back to the pillow. Knox was okay. He was going to be fine. And soon they would be back at Wellton and then, one day, who knows. Maybe married and living in a small cottage in the country. Or in a high-rise penthouse in New York. Charlie didn't know. But it lolled him back to sleep- fantasies of the life that one day he would share with Knox. Of course, a little voice in the back of his head said, no one can know about you. You or Knox.
Thirty miles away, in a small dorm room that suddenly felt emptier than ever had before, Todd sat on the edge of his bed and an things over in his head. He had almost lost another set of friends. They had almost been taken from him. And then he would have been all alone. Except, of course, for Monique. But even with Monique, Todd couldn't handle loosing another set of friends.
It was amazing how close Todd and Knox and Charlie had become after Neil's death, even though they hadn't spent all that much time together. But they were close, and Todd was glad for it. He didn't know what he would have done if he had lost both of them in the same night. Better hope that they come back okay. If not, all you have is Monique. And if she leaves you…well, you're done for, a small, nagging voice in the back of his mind contemplated.