Chapter 3- Stitches And Bandages
"Oh no…"
"Daddy, what's going on?"
"Get them downstairs, quick!"
"Fuck… Nick, Luke… Oh God…"
"Help them!"
These were the voices that both Luke and Nick didn't hear… The voices that spoke fear and anxiety, the bitter taste of regret lie on everybody's tongue. But most importantly, Pete's…
"What did they do?!" Rebecca shouted from the door, panicked, not catching the full view of what had taken place in Nick's bedroom.
"Bec, it's okay… calm down." Alvin reassured, frightened and stressed himself.
"Don't tell me to calm down! They're dead!" She raised her voice louder, tears starting to fall down her face.
"Who's dead!? Daddy?" Sarah asked shakily from the back of the crowd.
"They're not dead, Sarah stay away!" Carlos's voice echoed the whole room, leaving everybody speechless. He was leaning down next to Pete, looking for pulses and checking over the two men who lay motionless on the ruffled rug...
"Just help me get them downstairs!" Carlos called out, standing up and darting outside, grabbing Sarah on the way to then gather his medical supplies…
Alvin came rushing in after Carlos had left, sweeping up Luke's limp body in his muscular arms. Pete took hold of Nick's body also, struggling slightly as Nick was so tall, even taller than himself.
Rebecca followed behind the two men but first noticed on the bloody carpet, two blood coated Swiss army knives. One blue. One red… She quickly gathered up the two knives in her hands before rushing out the door and downstairs to meet the rest of the group.
"Sarah, grab me them rags…" Carlos ordered, his face serious as he studied whether or not the deeper cuts on both Luke and Nick's arms needed stitching or not…
"Daddy, are they okay?" Sarah asked worriedly, darting her eyes towards Nick, then Luke. She handed her father the wet rags and watched as he dampened Luke's arm then Nick's, practically sliding across the wooden floor to swap between the brunette and the black haired man.
Both Luke and Nick were lying on a couch, opposite each other, while Carlos rushed to work on both their arms, getting up, sitting down, turning around… it was all too hectic and Carlos was feeling dizzy himself!
Sarah helped and supported her father rather than waiting to be ushered to her room, picking up supplies that Carlos inquired and pulling the best 'brave face' as possible…
Alvin was sitting beside a very distressed Pete, who couldn't even dare to watch the two procedures take place. Alvin placed an arm around Pete's shoulder for support while Pete quietly started to sob.
Rebecca soon came into view holding both Swiss army knives in her palms, face expressionless but inside showed fear and worry.
"There… not…" Alvin sadly didn't want to say the rest as he watched Rebecca place the knives on the coffee table with ease.
"Yes… they are…" Rebecca replied sadly, taking a seat next to Alvin, already exhausted.
"What?" Pete said looking up, tears already starting to stain on his cheeks.
"They… They used their boy scout army knives to, to cut…" Rebecca shakily explained, now eyeing Carlos working on the two men, frantically.
"Oh god…oh Jesus, fuck, fuck…" Pete stammered, placing his head within his hands again.
"Ca…Carlos?"
A small broken voice finally made it's way to Carlos's ears…
"Luke, keep still… this may hurt." Carlos simply replied. He had a small bottle of clear liquid, which obviously seemed to be some sort of anesthetic to reduce pain and numb the area in Luke's arm.
"Wha- What's going… on?" Luke groggily replied, trying to force his eyes open.
"Stay still…" Carlos repeated, now opening the small bottle, turning his head to take a quick check on Nick who was still temporarily unconscious.
"Nick?" Luke said before the cold, sharp liquid poured all over his wounds.
"ARGHH! Fuck! Fuck!" Luke shrieked, his body jolting upwards, however Sarah quickly came to assist, doing her best to pin Luke's body back down to the couch.
"Luke, I'm going to have to stitch your deeper cuts… please be still, Sarah help me with that, please." Carlos explained, earning a nod from Sarah and a worried and confused expression from Luke.
"Pete, please could you pour some anesthetic on Nick's arms, I'll be there to stitch his cuts soon…" Carlos calmly explained, turning around to Pete who was now up and grabbing the small bottle of liquid without saying a word, but nodded.
"Nick?" Luke asked again, now aware that Nick was on the other couch, about to get the anesthetic poured on his wounds.
"Luke, stay still… this may feel a little uncomfortable." Carlos explained before bringing a small needle up to one of Luke's bigger and deeper cuts.
"Okay… okay, I'm fine…" Luke replied to Carlos, half talking to himself. He gulped and braced himself as he could feel the slight discomfort of the sharp needle piercing through his skin.
Luke scrunched up his face and let out a pained moan as he could feel his arm tense up. The stingy sensation was still there making Luke curse a few times. He felt bad that Sarah was there to listen but she didn't seem to take any of it into mind right at this moment…
Only a few moments after, the achy pain became customary and expected, leaving Luke's arm in a pleasurable numb bliss…
While Carlos carefully stitched up some of Luke's cuts, Luke looked over to Nick's body, still lying still on the couch. He could see Pete lifting the small bottle towards Nick's arms and Luke braced himself to listen to the pained screams come from Nick's mouth.
"ARGHH, Fuck! Jesus Christ! Lu-Luke…" Nick screamed as the agonizing burning sensation made it's way through his own flesh. It was both his arms thats needed to be numbed, obviously making the pain more unbearable for Nick...
Luke was relieved to know that Nick was awake but hearing him in pain and actually saying his name was enough to send Luke into worry…
This shouldn't be happening.
None of this would of happened if he and the group weren't foolish enough to let a bite victim in the cabin…
"Alright, have to do Nick now… I'll bandage you up in a second, stay seated." Carlos explained before Luke could ask about going over to Nick.
Luke groaned before relaxing back onto the couch. He lifted his arm to see three cuts neatly stitched up, but the rest of his arm looking bloody and scarred.
If Nick would stop, then all of this pain was worth it…
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked quietly from above him, obviously still frightened.
"Yeah… yeah I'm fine Sarah… check on Nick for me will ya?" Luke replied with a small reassuring smile.
Sarah nodded and smiled.
"Sure!" she said before heading over to Carlos and Pete who were crowding around Nick's limp body.
After a few moments of preparation, Luke could hear Nick's moans of discomfort as Carlos started patching up Nick's arms. He was bound to have more to patch up as Luke remembered seeing deep incisions already there the moment he walked in on his best friend.
Luke cringed hearing Nick complain and occasionally sniffle.
It was unusual but Luke could actually make out Nick sobbing again…
Nick was actually crying.
"Lu- Luke…" a cracked and broken voice came from the doctor's direction.
"Nick wants you." Sarah turned around looking at Luke.
Luke attempted to make a move but Carlos turned his head round to Luke quickly.
"Stay seated." He said before going back to working on Nick's arms.
Luke obeyed and waited on the couch, listening to the occasional sniffles and moans come from Nick. Pete was also standing by the couch muttering the same things over and over…
"I'm sorry Nick."
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm sorry son…"
"What exactly happened back there?" Alvin asked, sitting up, making use of the sudden silence.
"Alvin…" Rebecca was quick to answer, sitting up to place a hand on her husband's arm.
"Oh… sorry." Alvin replied regretfully, slowly leaning back into his seat.
A few minutes later
"Sarah, get me those bandages, honey." Carlos finally spoke up, breaking the tension filled silence. His voice sounded a lot calmer and relaxed, glad to be done with the cringe worthy stitching job.
"Yes daddy." She replied, walking into the kitchen to then bring back a neat roll of fresh bandages.
The raven-haired girl placed the roll of bandages in Carlos's hands and took a step back to watch how her father wrapped Nick's arms up.
Once finished, Carlos moved to Luke and continued the same binding procedure on Luke's arm.
"Alright… now, do you two care to explain?" Carlos asked, securing Luke's bandage before getting up and falling into the couch beside Luke's legs, exhausted.
Luke moved his legs so that he was sitting up, giving more room for Carlos to sit comfortably. Sarah also took a seat with her father on the same couch.
Nick followed Luke and sat up, giving room for his uncle to take a seat next to him.
There were so many things Nick had to apologize to Luke for; he couldn't even look at him without feeling guilt wash over him.
"Luke? Nick?" Carlos asked, waiting for an answer out of either of the two men.
Luke coughed awkwardly not knowing whether to tell the truth, not that they knew it anyway…
"I…I can't…" Nick finally spoke up but shaking. He got out of his seat to make a move but Pete placed a hand over his chest, stopping him from going any further.
"Pete…" he muttered, slightly annoyed.
"Please, Nick… just sit." Pete explained, now rubbing his temples again like he did after him and his nephew had yet again, another argument…
Nick huffed at first but soon obliged, sitting down rather uncomfortably. Luke glanced him a sad look in which Nick looked away ashamed.
"Please son, tell us… tell me…" Pete asked, looking up at Nick who just stared back, sadness washed all over his face.
"It's… its mom…" Nick choked out, tears already starting to form in his eyes again.
"I know… I know Nick… but why? Why did you do this to yourself?" Pete almost begged for an answer, gently lifting one of Nick's arms in which the black haired man pulled away soon after.
"I… I don't know…" he replied, looking down at his bandaged arms.
Pete cast a sad look towards Luke, in which the brunette replied with silence.
"Luke… tell us… please." Rebecca now interfered, desperate for answers herself.
"Nick… I have to." Luke said over to Nick.
Nick looked up and nodded before looking away in shame.
"Nick self-harmed so I did… I wanted him to understand how I felt…" Luke explained briefly, now catching the sight of the two Swiss army knives on the coffee table.
"Please stop, it's scaring me!" Sarah now said, sitting up in her seat.
"I don't want you to hurt yourselves." She explained, sadness in her voice.
"Aw, thanks Sarah…" Luke replied in appreciation.
Nick also looked up and gave Sarah a small smile.
A smile Luke had not seen in days…
"Sarah, honey… go to your room please, it's getting late…" Carlos said after checking his watch.
It was already 7:23pm…
"But dad…" Sarah replied, almost whining.
"Sarah, the adults need to talk." Carlos said back.
"Okay…" Sarah said glumly before getting up and walking away from the group.
The sound of her door clicking closed meant the adults were now alone.
"Now, Luke, Nick… please don't ever do this again." Carlos finished, drawing the conversation to a close.
"I… I, don't think I can…" Nick muttered.
"Please Nick, don't… don't do this to me." Pete replied worriedly.
"I will stop if Nick stops…" Luke explained, now staring directly at Nick, waiting for an answer.
Nick slowly looked up at the brunette. His eyes were full of concern and pain.
Nick felt like a fool. A stupid fool who only cares about himself…
He wanted to stop but he didn't know if he could...
But he would... for Luke...
"I'll do it…" Nick quietly replied, almost in a whisper.
"You'll stop?" Alvin questioned, sitting up slightly, adjusting his glasses like he did frequently.
"Yes…" Nick replied, looking down slightly embarrassed as Luke smiled towards him.
"Good." Carlos said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I think you two ought to get some rest now…" Pete explained looking to his nephew then to Luke.
Luke and Nick both nodded in agreement.
"I'll take these by the way…" Pete says, reaching over to the coffee table to pick up the two knives.
"Yeah… you should…" Luke replies, grateful that both him and Nick will not be getting access to their knives any time soon.
It wasn't long after that Luke and Nick decided to go to their bedrooms. They said their goodbyes to the rest of the group and made their way upstairs, clutching to their bandaged arms.
"Hey Nick, we should get rid of that rug, you know…" Luke said before entering his room.
Nick turned around before opening the door to his room…
"Yeah… we should." He replied before walking in with Luke soon following behind.
Once both men were inside they silently knelt down, picking up the partly blood soaked rug and together carried it outside of Nick's room and into the storage closet.
"Here will have to do…" Luke said opening the door with his good arm.
"Yep." Nick replied, placing the rug inside the closet with Luke's help.
Once Luke closed the door, the two stood awkwardly in silence for a moment.
"Well I guess I should get going now…" Luke mentioned, already making a move for his bedroom and Nick doing the same for his.
"Yeah." Nick replied simply.
Once both men reached their doors, Nick paused causing Luke to look over at him confused.
"Hey… uh, Luke…" Nick stammered.
"Yeah?" Luke asked.
"Thanks… for everything." Nick continued, looking away awkwardly.
Luke smiled.
"Don't mention it..." he replied before stepping into his room and shutting the door. Nick did the same afterwards, letting his door close with a click.
Ever so slowly, Luke was getting the old Nick back…
The Nick he remembered.
Luke knew he was starting to fall for his friend. He cared about him more than anything. He was willing to cut himself, he was willing to sacrifice himself if he had to… Hopefully Luke could sort out his feelings when Nick became the same happy guy he once was…
Hopefully, he could talk to him just like he did before…
Hopefully, he could tell him how he is really starting to feel…