A/N: I know it's been awhile since I updated. I had hell week for my school show, and then spring break. I will update quicker from now on.

Reviews would be greatly appreciated :)

Chapter Four

*** Brian POV

The exhaustion I've been holding back for the past few hours hits me full force. My eyes start to close, but I quickly jerk awake. I can't go to sleep; not until I know for sure that he's okay.

"We've done all that we can do for him, Mr. Kinney. We don't know the extent of the internal damage yet. All we can do now is wait for him to wake up," the doctor had said. So that's what I've been doing. Waiting. Endless fucking waiting. And the little shit won't wake up. I've been sitting in his room staring at his unconscious face for three hours, willing him to open his eyes.

Jennifer sits on the other side of Justin, across from me. For the first hour she couldn't stop crying. I tried to comfort her, but I've always been awkward at that sort of thing. But mainly all I've been doing is sitting in this goddamn chair, silent. I haven't spoken in over two hours.

Mikey, Debbie, and the others are all sitting in the waiting room. The doctor said only one person could wait in the room with Justin, but Jennifer and I tag-teamed him until he finally gave in. He looks so pale, so lifeless. Like a sun that's been drained of all its rays; it's sunshine gone.

I want to reach out, to touch him, to hold his hand. But I can't; it's so lesbionic, so… caring. So not me. But I literally have to fight to keep my hands at my sides. The monitor he's hooked to beeps loudly and I nearly jump out of my chair. I glance at it, then at Justin, then at the doorway to see if any doctors or nurses are coming. Nothing. I guess it was meaningless. I try to settle back down, but I'm rattled. Everything seems to set me on edge.

Around fifteen minutes later I begin to drift off into sleep again. I try to resist, but it overpowers me. Just before I succumb I hear a slight moaning, and I jolt up like I've been burned. Justin shifts a little, his eyes still closed. Jennifer and I both lean closer to him with nervous anticipation. "Come on, Justin," I whisper. "Wake up. Open your damn eyes." And he does.

They are filled with confusion, and with pain. For a second I am filled with the insane urge to kiss him until the pain goes away. But I squash that crazy impulse down, and instead just breathe a sigh of relief. Jennifer bursts into tears again and wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. I sit back in my chair, feeling all the tension I've been holding release. He's awake. He's awake.

*** Justin POV

I open my eyes and immediately I am blinded by bright white light. I try to look around but I don't really have the energy to turn my throbbing head. I hear somebody burst into tears and then grab me tightly. When she pulls away I can see that it's my mother, her eyes red-rimmed from her tears and exhaustion.

"You scared me, you twat," I hear Brian say from right, his voice strangely constricted, as if it hurts him to talk.

"Sorry." I rasp out. I get up the strength and move my head, glancing about the room. I can immediately tell it's a hospital room. Shit; why am I in the hospital? My thoughts move slowly as if they are weighted down. But suddenly, as if a wall breaks, it all comes flooding back. The hits, the jeers. Lying cold in the alley, alone. I flinch, struck again by an imaginary hand.

"Justin?" Brian question, confusion seeping through his tone. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, m'fine. Been better though." I try to attempt a fake laugh, but it comes out a wince of pain.

My mom leans over me, worried. She grabs my hand and says, "I'm going to go get the doctor, okay honey? I'm gonna tell him you're awake."

"Okay, Mom," I reply, and she rushes out of the room. Brian and I sit in slightly uncomfortable silence for awhile, until he clears his throat and speaks.

"What the fuck happened, Sunshine?" Crap. I really don't want to talk about it. I don't even want to think about it. So I give him the simplest answer I can think of.

"I was jumped by a bunch of homophobes." I can tell from his face that he wants more, wants details. But I can't give him any. Not yet. I'm going to have to talk to the police anyways, so he can listen then. Not like they'll do anything anyways. Oh, sure, they'll write down what I say, claim to investigate it. But as soon as I'm gone, they'll shove all the paperwork into the back of a file cabinet and forget all about me. In fact, I don't even really want to talk to them at all. But I know Brian will make me.

"You didn't see them coming?"

"No, they came out of nowhere."

"Christ." All I want is for him to hold me and tell me everything's gonna be okay. Which he would never do. Come on- he's Brian. He doesn't do caring. But after a few minutes of quiet he completely surprises me and grabs my hand. I try to meet his eyes but he avoids my gaze, instead focusing on the floor. I hold onto him with everything I've got. Right now, he feels like the only thing tying me down to reality.