The room grew quiet after John finished announcing the ambulance. Flashing lights lit the room and a knock came to the front door because he was the closest to the bedroom door John turned and jogged down stairs to let the EMTs in.
"He's upstairs," John directed the medics as they made their way to the bedroom.
The EMTs pushed Randy and Cody to the side of the room and began checking Evan. "Tell us about how he was tonight," ordered the lead EMT glancing between Cody and Randy.
"Coughing a lot, fever, throwing up we just thought it was just a heavy cold," Randy stammered.
"Thanks," The female EMT began giving instructions to her partner. The male EMT picked up Evan and carried him out of the room and down stairs. Everyone followed him down to the living room while the female EMT helped another male EMT get a stretcher out of the back of the ambulance.
"Will he be ok?" John asked frowning as they placed Evan on the stretcher.
"I think so," they placed an air mask over the young high flyers face. "Who's riding with him?"
"Randy," Cody spoke coldly. Right now he'd rather ride with his arch nemesis than be near his lover who no longer seemed to love him back.
Randy shot Cody a look, his eyes narrowing slightly but he didn't have a chance to vocalise his concerns. John simply grabbed his jacket for him, shoved it into Randy's arms and ordered, "Go on, stay with him. Tell him we're thinking of him if he wakes up on the way."
Randy nodded still stunned by the sudden collapse of the highflyer. He paused as he passed Cody, the grey eyes search the disturbingly hard face of his youngest lover. But then he was gone moving quickly with the EMTs. As they loaded Evan into the ambulance and set off for the hospital, John turned and looking at Cody he asked flatly, "You coming'?"
"Of course I'm coming!" snapped Cody glaring at John, "Do you think I'm going to walk away from Evan?"
"I don't know!" exclaimed John harshly, "But the way you've been acting tonight I wouldn't put it past you!"
Cody started at him in stunned silence. John had never raised his voice to him before. He had never even really fought back before but now, now John was staring at him with near disgust and for the first time Cody felt ashamed of the way he had been acting. He hadn't meant to be such a brat but everything was going against him and watching Randy kiss John so passionately so soon after their talk had hurt. It had really hurt. But now staring into the angry eyes of John he felt more ashamed than hurt and he wasn't use to feeling that way.
He tried to hold John's gaze but he failed and instead dropping his gaze to the floor he murmured, "Which car are we talking?"
John gave a snort of anger and huffed, "We'll take the SUV there's space in there to bring everyone back," he paused then stepping he added flatly, "That is if everyone wants to come back here after what happened tonight." He stared daggers at Cody, his face twitching with barely suppressed anger. Then just as quickly he turned and snapped, "Come on we're wasting time." And without waiting for Cody he stormed out of the house towards the over stocked garage.
They got in the SUV and John started the engine and pulled out of the garage. Neither one spoke they were both lost in their thoughts which were very similar. Thoughts of its not working, I should leave were both coursing through their heads.
Cody was feeling inside he was changing and growing and that was causing him not to fit with everyone. He was feeling if he left after tonight it would save his friendship with Evan and Randy and maybe later they could all be together again, but at the least that could be friends. Cody loved them both too much to have them out of his life completely.
John was thinking same thing, leaving going back to Tampa and keeping his friendship with Randy and Evan and giving time for the threesome to heal itself even though he really did want to stay and see if he could get along with Cody more.
They pulled into the hospital parking lot and they both jumped out of the car and almost took off running towards the doors both really worried about Evan.
It took them a while to get the information as to where Evan has been taken. It took them even longer to locate Randy. They finally found him in a bland miserable looking side waiting room. The viper was pacing and the look on his face was enough to make Cody exclaim, "What wrong? What's happened?" as he soon as he saw Randy.
Randy glared at him snarling, "They won't let me see him. They...they just took him away and told me to wait in here." He looked at the others, his concern for Evan overriding his lingering anger at Cody's treatment of John.
Cody bit the side of his lip and without thinking he just moved towards Randy murmuring, "But he'll be oaky won't he? I mean he'll pull..."
"I DON'T KNOW!" yelled Randy instantly regretting his hard tone and the way Cody flinched at the outburst. He sighed and baling his fists he added in a calmer voice, "I just don't know."
John nodded then walking past Cody he crossed to Randy. Without speaking he caressed Randy's bicep a silent but welcome touch of comfort - one that Randy desperately needed. Slowly calming down Randy smiled at John then looking past him at the shaken Cody he breathed, "I'm sorry Baby – I didn't mean to shout at you."
Cody nodded faintly but he didn't respond verbally. He simply glared at Randy, his face hardening as he stared at the way Randy was leaning into John's touch – yet another example in his eyes of just how much things had changed over the last few weeks. With a loud almost petulant sniff, he snapped, "I need a drink. I'm going to get a coffee." And before the others could stop him he turned and stormed out of the room.
He stormed out of the waiting room and down the corridor searching a coffee machine. "Should be me at his side, but now I don't even want to look at him," Cody huffed. Things had been perfect once but now everything was ripping apart at the seams.
Cody knew he just didn't belong anymore, that he was changing and it wasn't all John's or Randy's fault. The issue was he was getting to the point where he didn't want to be Randy's pet, or an underling. He wanted to be his own man, he wanted to be Randy.
Cody reached the coffee machine and placed his money in. His heart was cracking but he was realizing what he needed to do. He couldn't hate anyone because they didn't make him feel the way he did. He could only do what was right for him and hope it wouldn't hurt Randy or Evan too much.
He knew he needed to talk to John first. If he didn't the older man might feel he did this but in reality it was already coming and Cody knew it all John did was speed up the process and perhaps made all of it easier to do.
"You okay?"
Randy glared at John but the older man refused to succumb to the Orton glare. Instead he wandered closer offering a half smile as he stuck his hands into his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. They had been waiting over half an hour and there was still no sign of any one. Knowing how on edge Randy must be John tried, "You could go for a smoke I'm sure..."
"I'm not leaving him!" growled Randy shooting John such a look that this time it did shut the older man up.
John nodded. He knew what Randy meant. Randy still hadn't forgiven himself for breaking Evan's nose and cheekbone. He still felt guilty as hell despite Evan's assurance that it was forgiven and John knew there was no way Randy would leave the high flyers side. Sinking into the nearest chair John stretched his legs out then pounder out loud, "Where d'you think Codes has got to?"
"I don't know," huffed Randy. He ran his hands over his head then looking at John he confessed softly," I don't know anything about him anymore. He's changed and I..." his voice faded into a snarled huff. But the look he shot John, the half scared half upset look said more than word ever could. It was all going wrong and John knew deep in his heart it was all his fault.
Randy stood there in the silence and stared at John, he could tell what the older man was thinking, and he knew how untrue it was. Taking a look at the doors the nurses and EMTs had taken Evan through, he turn his attention back to John. He knew John need him right now and that there wasn't he could do for Evan but wait. With a soft sigh he turned away from the door and wandered over towards his oldest friend.
"Room for me?" asked Randy placing a hand on John's shoulder making John look him in the eye.
"Always," John leaned back and allowed Randy to crawl into his lap. "Not worried about someone seeing us?"
"After all we've been through tonight no I don't," Randy replied pressing his forehead to John's. "Stop blaming yourself for the problems with Cody."
"But it is my fault my moving in has caused this rift between you and Cody," John closed his eyes. "If I left you guys would probably be able to patch it all up."
"I really doubt that," Randy placed a soft kiss on John's cheek. "He's growing up, he was twenty four when we hooked up and he's getting a little older, more mature. Think about us when we were young and how we changed, that's what's happening with Cody."
"You think?" John looked into Randy's grey blue eyes.
"I know because he's been saying to me things I use to say to you."
John stared at Randy then shaking his head he looked away murmuring," Yah but we weren't in a relationship Ortz we... hell, we wanted each other but we weren't together." HE sighed and tilting his head back he huffed," I feel like I only ever fuck things up for you and all I want is you to be happy and I..."
"Shhh," soothed Randy stroking the side of John's face, "Johnny, you don't fuck things up for me. You make things right. You..." his voice caught in his throat and for a moment neither man could talk both of them chocked by too many years of regrets, missed opportunities and unspoken promises.
It was the soft cough that alerted them to the fact they were no longer alone. Randy glanced over his shoulder and swore. Cody was staring at them, a down right pissed off look on his face. But before the younger man could speak, Randy growled angrily, "Don't even say it Cody. I really am not in the mood for your petulant carp at the moment."
Cody glared at him, his face twitching in anger but he took a deep breath and snapped, "I actually came to tell you the doctor is on his way. He's got news on Evan."