Title: And Then There Were Two
Author: TWBasketcase
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I hope you enjoy chapter 15.

Chapter 15 – What To Do

I slumped on my bed as I walked through my bedroom door after school. I had so many thoughts going through my head right now that I couldn't even really think where to begin to sort them. I had a run in with Dez and Claire, had talked to Jackie and in the midst of it all found out that Bender was missing and possibly hurt. Of all the things that happened this day it was the fact that I didn't know where John was – or if he was okay – that was bothering me the most.

I grabbed my phone off the receiver and quickly dialed his number for the sixth time in the last two days.

"Hello?"

I smiled softly, "Hi Mrs. Bender is John home yet?"

She sighed softly, "No he isn't, and I'm starting to think maybe he ran away."

I frowned as my face drained of its color; he could be hurt and she hasn't the slightest clue, "I don't think he ran away, ma'am. He is probably just out somewhere with his friends."

"I sure do hope so, dear. I will get him to call you when he gets in."

"Okay, its Allison again…thank you." I hung up the phone and sighed. The only person who seemed to have an idea where he was I had no desire to talk to whatsoever. If he is hurt maybe the most logical place to start looking would be the hospital. If he isn't there now, he could have been earlier.

I walked the seven blocks to the hospital quickly; it wasn't too cold out today and living in the core of Shermer definitely helped when I had to be somewhere important. I think I might have made it here in record time.

I pulled open the glass doors and studied the interior; the walls were all a depressing shade of white and it smelled musty, yet clean. The Shermer Hospital was nothing too special; well they sure didn't try hard to make it feel like a comfortable place anyways.

"Can I help you?" A strong female voice asked me, shaking me from my thoughts.

I turned around slowly and walked towards the reception desk; something about it made me feel insecure and I resorted to hiding behind a curtain of hair, "I hope so."

She smiled brightly, obviously trying to comfort me, "Well what do you need?"

"I heard that a friend of mine got hurt on the weekend and now he is gone. I am just trying to find out if he is here or if he has been here." I swallowed sheepishly and stuck my hands in my pockets.

"Sure, what is his name?"

"Bender…um John Bender."

She gave me a smile and picked up a phone from her desk, "I'll find out for you right away." I gave her a brief nod and slumped down in a chair to the left of her. I could hear her voice muffled, talking away to the person on the other end. I hope that he isn't here, because obviously that wouldn't mean anything good, but I would feel much better if I knew he was safe.

"Miss?" The nurse asked standing from her desk. I shot up quickly and clutched on to my bag. "Your friend is here…he is on the second floor of the east wing. Just stop at the nurses' station and they will direct you to him from there."

I gave her a nod and quickly took the stairs to the next level up; I really had a phobia of elevators…it wasn't the enclosed space that bothered me – I like enclosed spaces – it was just the fact that a moving room was only supported by one little cable; it was freaky. So I took the stairs in twos, probably moving faster than I had in the last four years. I reached the second floor and took a moment to let my lungs relax; it may have only been one flight of stairs but I'm not really in shape. I pulled the door open and blew my bangs off of my face. I did not like the smell of this floor; it smelled like a combination of vomit and antiseptic…it was rather disturbing.

I casually walked towards the nurses' station while a few of them look at me curiously, "Hi I'm looking for John Bender…"

One of the bigger nurses rolled her eyes, "Finally someone comes to claim him…that boy's been driving me crazy." I smiled at the thought and didn't doubt her for a second, "He is three rooms down the hall on your right, Sheila here'll come with ya…he may still be in one of his moods."

I smirked slightly, "I don't think that he'll mind too much."

She gave me a hopeful look, "I hope not…someone needs to get through to that boy." I chuckled quietly; I can totally imagine him being all cranky…I just hope that he wasn't roughed up too much. We approached the door and she motioned for me to stay put momentarily. I waited patiently as I listened to the exchange from outside the door.

"John?" She asked in a hushed tone, he was probably sleeping.

"Yeah?" I heard him reply gruffly; almost as if he hasn't spoken for weeks. I felt my stomach drop and suddenly I felt very scared of seeing him.

"Do you feel like speaking with someone right now?"

He hesitated, "Who?" The confusion was clearly evident in his voice. It made me so sad that he had no one to come and see if he was okay. Then again his mom didn't even know he was here; maybe he didn't want anyone to know.

"She says she is a friend."

"Sure for a bit I guess," he replied even gruffer sounding than before. It was almost as if I could hear the pain he was feeling just by listening to his voice. My fright grew even more at the sound of his tone and suddenly I felt like I wanted to run away.

The nurse pulled her head back out of the door and turned to me, "You can see him but only for a half an hour; he is still in pretty rough shape and very cranky." I bit back a laugh as I nodded my head. He really must be driving these ladies insane.

I slowly approached the door and stepped inside. I literally felt my face fall as I seen him; he looks like shit! I don't mean to be so blunt but, oh my god! I have never seen a human being – with the exception of movies – look so hurt. His hair is matted and messy, his face is bruised just about everywhere and he has a thin bandage around his forehead. He wore a frumpy hospital gown that was much too big for him; it made him look a lot smaller than he really was…kinda like a sad little kid. I gulped and fiddled with my fingers, "Hey John…"

He raised an eyebrow and lay back down on his pillow never taking his eyes off of me, "Hey yourself."

I pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed, "What happened?"

He frowned, "That's what I would like to know…"

My heart sank; he doesn't know? Does he have brain damage or amnesia or something? "What do you mean…?" I asked him cautiously.

He looked at the ceiling before he looked back at me, "Whatever happened, I got a serious concussion. I was walking back from your place and then I don't really remember anythin'. I guess I must have passed out or somethin' but the doctor said I was awake and talkin' to her when they brought me in. Everything just seems so hazy…"

I frowned, "So you don't even remember coming in here or how you got here?"

He shook his head very slowly; wincing slightly in pain – but trying to hide it – at the action, "No but I asked them and they told me that some old people found me on the side of the road and called the medics and they brought me here. Turns out I got lots of bruises and a huge gash on the back of my head…I also have like three or four broken ribs."

I cannot believe this shit…it's whacky! John seems so confused and forgetful and it's worrying me. I widened my eyes at him and I began to feel tears pricking my eyes, "I don't know what to say to you…"

He shrugged gently as if not to hurt himself, "There isn't anything you have to say…my old man must have given it to me a little hard or something…" He rubbed his blood shot eyes and let out a yawn, "It's not like I have never been beat up before…"

I swallowed hard; should I break it to him now? Oh god, "John…I don't think it was your dad. And it is something to be worried about…when you get hurt so bad you can't even remember what happened…it isn't something that happens everyday."

He rolled his eyes, "No it isn't something that happens everyday but that's the way life works so I gotta deal…wait a second…what do you know about my dad?"

I swallowed, "I don't exactly know what happened but when I woke up after you left I found your phone number that you left and I called you," I paused when he smiled at me, "I talked to your dad…"

His eyes flashed worriedly, "He didn't say anything bad to you, did he?"

I shook my head, "No but he told me he didn't have a clue where you were…and neither does your mom. But it's when I went to school on Monday that I really got worried."

He looked at me completely oblivious to what I was saying, "What happened at school?"

I looked him straight in the eye and swallowed, "Well Dez is in my first period class."

His eyes immediately flashed with anger, "That little shit didn't try anything did he?" He tried to sit up – obviously forgetting his injuries – and doubled back in pain. I knew I shouldn't have said anything…god dammit! "Lay down John! You can't hurt yourself like this…I'll tell you later when you feel better if I have to…"

He stared at me angrily, "No you will tell me now!"

I sighed and crossed my arms, "Will you calm down?"

He grunted still holding his upper body, "Maybe…"

"You will or I won't say anything."

He grunted and laid himself back down, "Fine…"

I softened and took a deep breath, "I seen him in first period class and he sat beside me after the teacher was done roll call. At first he just tried to apologize," he tensed up, "but then I told him to save it because I wanted nothing to do with him." He relaxed and gave me a proud smile; he urged me to continue, "So he got pissy because I kept on shooting him down so he started trying to piss me off back." I didn't want to get into details with him – especially when Dez said if John's 'pecker' wasn't good enough for me then he would be waiting. I didn't want to bring any of that up for more obvious reasons than one. Dez sure did disturb the hell outta me.

He frowned, "What did he say?"

"He just said I wouldn't have to worry about you anymore…when I asked him what he was talking about he said that it was nothing important…that's when I got really worried."

He looked away for a second, "You think he did this?"

I shrugged worriedly, "It's a possibility."

He nodded and clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides, "I'm really starting to get sick of this shit you know…"

I furrowed my brow, "Huh?"

"All this bull shit…you getting hurt, me getting hurt…what the hell is up with this? And here we were worried about what kinda shit woulda happened if we were still friends with the golden couple and here we are, just the two of us fighting with everything we have. This is fucking crap…"

I swallowed again, this time biting back the oncoming tears; I really hated seeing him this way…it just made me want to die. He did nothing to deserve this and somewhere deep down inside I was wishing I never invited him over in the first place. If it was Dez that did this and Bender finds out the shit is just gonna get worse; if he got hurt again who knows what it would do to him.

"I'm sorry…"

He looked at me confused, "About what?"

A tear rolled down my cheek, "Everything…"

He let out an irritated sigh looking more tired than ever before, "You have nothing to be sorry about…actually you are the one person who really makes me…"

"Sorry, but your half an hour is up," The nurse said from the door.

I looked back at John, "What were you going to say?"

He scowled, "Nothing, forget it okay?"

I frowned and nodded, "Fine…when do you get outta here?"

He folded his arms and looked away from me stubbornly, "Tomorrow…"

"I'll meet you here tomorrow then in the morning," I offered.

He shrugged slowly once again wincing at the pain that it brought, "Don't you have school tomorrow?" He teased sarcastically. I shook my head at his antics, "Who cares about school, I'll help you home."

"Whatever, I'll see you tomorrow then…"

I gave him a bright smile and stood. He looked at me with sad and pleading eyes yet had a scowl on his face; our eyes locked and his seemed to be bearing a hole into my soul. I had never once seen him look so intense yet so helpless at the same time. He gave me a nervous smile as I prepared to leave, so doing the first thing I thought to do to comfort him I bent over slightly and kissed his forehead, "Get better John, please?"

He looked at me with soft and confused eyes; when I realized that I had kissed him…I didn't think he would care… "Sorry," I mumbled and walked outta the room. I breezed past the nurse and outta the hospital until the following morning.

TBC

TWB