Stand Out

Chapter eight: Tears

By: Ambrlupin

Rating: M

Summary: It started out as a dare, then an interest formed, and then an obsession. Now Anthony Higgins will do anything he has to, just to stand apart from all the rest. After all, Mr. Sunshine, a.k.a Matt Conlon, cant ignore him forever...right? SpotRace.

A/N: ahem, yes, yet another Race and Spot fic. I swear, these things aren't planned! Hehehe, anyway, I hope you all like this, cause im having a lot of fun writing it!

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own newsies. Thank you.

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He wasn't sure what he was doing out here, especially since it couldn't be right. The G.P.S. system had to be off today, or something. Why would Ryan be in the meat-packing district at about 4 in the afternoon?

Frowning even move, hands pulled the edges of his jacket tighter around himself, collar turned up as the wind chilled him to the bone. He was going to look around a bit more before he went back to the car.

He looked down at the phone he held, sighing. Stupid Blink turning off his phone. What for? There wasn't anything going on, was there? Fear slid down his spine as he started to walk faster, getting nearly to a run as he bolted past alley and warehouse alike.

And then he heard voices.

Slowing to a stop, he forced himself to breath quietly as he slunk toward the corner of the alley. His eyebrow show up when he heard Blink's voice. He was here then. But then a voice answered him, with the single most chilling 'yes' he had ever heard, and his blood ran cold.

He knew it was going to happen before it did. Blink rushed Matt, just as he rounded the corner, voice sharp for them to stop. He reached out to grab Blink's arm, to tug him back, and a sort of numbness began to spread from his stomach.

Frowning, he looked down, rather confused to see a red stain spreading across his brand new white t-shirt. He heard Blink scream, and then his knees buckled out from under him. He hit the ground hard, conscious of the other's hands on his face.

Matt stood, shocked, his hand still holding the bloody dagger he had pulled to try and keep Blink at bay. He hadn't even seen the other until he was between them, and it was too late. His hands cleaned the blade, slid it away.

Then walked away.

Blink was on his knees, cradling the other's head. "Hey...hey..."

"Cold..." He whispered, vision darkening, before it slid to black.

Kissing his forehead, Blink was vaguely aware of tears on his face, but he kept kissing his forehead. "Baby, baby stay with me. Stay with me... Stay with me! Nick!!"

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The hospital was so silent, so silent...

Blink sat in one of the cold, hard plastic chairs, and didn't even notice it. He was shaking, tears long dried on his face, elbows braced on his knees, hands trembling, still stained red. A nurse might have offered him replacement clothes, for his own were blood stained, but he didn't remember.

Everything was a blur, just a blur of sounds, lights, feelings. Someone called the cops, must have heard him screaming. Nick was so cold in his arms, so pale. He remembered talking on the way to the hospital, frantic, panicked, going numb. He couldn't answer a question to save his life. He couldn't think.

They had taken him into the emergency room, leaving Blink standing, watching as the doors swung shut. They had never answered him, never answered his pleading question, although he had to have screamed it over and over.

Was he going to be all right?

"Ryan!"

Numbly, only on auto-pilot, the blonde raised his head, turning as Chase enveloped him in a hug, arms wrapped tightly to just the side of pain. His friend was saying something, but his eyes and concentration wouldn't waver from his shaking hands, where his boyfriend's blood still rested.

"Chase." It was said softly, so very softly, and hands pulled the now sobbing rich kid away from Blink, turning him against a taller chest. Skittery looked down at Blink, reaching out a hand to lay on his shoulder.

"Anyone been out yet?"

It was barely a move of his head, but it was a move. And it was negative. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing would come out. Letting his head drop, his hands moved to his head, running through his hair, nails running down his face.

He couldn't feel it. Any of it.

In the end, it was Skittery who pulled his hands down, held them down, and spoke to him. Didn't matter what was said, just that there was speech, drifting down to his brain. He was still numb, still detached but as he stared into his friend's eyes, he felt a single tear fall from the corner of his own, and slip down his face. It hung precariously on his chin, and fell.

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Race was searching the internet, trying to find a lead. There was no one impossible to find, and he would keep searching until he did. He was so focused on his work that he barely turned as the door opened.

If Jack thought he was going to continue the conversation the had the day before, he was dead wrong. In the little Italian's mind, he had said everything that needed to be said. End of story.

"Tony." Jack stood in the doorway, phone held in a death grip. He licked his top lip and looked away for a moment before looking back. "Tony, we have to go."

"Go? Go where?" Race flicked a glance in his direction but turned back to his work. "If it's David or something, go yourself. I don't want to be around you two." He reached for his drink, took a sip of it as he leaned back in the chair.

"It's not David. It...It's Nick. He's in the hospital...stabbed."

"Look, I don't-" Shock registered over Race's face as the words seemed to sink in, and the glass fell from his hands to shatter on the floor. "...What?"

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Pulling his mask down, Dr. Kerry came through the swinging doors, his eyes tiredly seeking out the young man who had brought in the stab victim. He wasn't hard to find, especially because he hadn't changed his bloody clothes.

Walking up to him, and two others he noted absently, he cleared his throat. The effect was instant. Blink jumped to his feet, eyes wide and fearful of what he might be told. Chase and Skittery got the their feet as well, flanking their friend on either side.

"How is he?"

The doctor nodded. "Your friend... Well, he is an amazing young man. I don't think many could tolerate the pain he went through."

"So he's okay?" Blink's voice was tinged with hope, and it broke Dr. Kerry's heart to hear it. Knowing he was going to have to dash right through it.

"...No. No, he isn't."

Emotion's fought themselves, to be the first to race across the blonde's face. Horror, shock, fear, rage, pain, sorrow, denial. But when he opened his mouth to speak, his voice was strong and clear. "What is it?"

With Blink having just won his respect, Kerry motioned for him to sit, knowing he wouldn't. When they all remained standing, he took a breath. Let it out. "Your friend-"

"Boyfriend."

Tone softening a little, he continued. "Boyfriend, is in quite a fix. The knife stabbed him in the stomach, just closer to the side then we would have liked. Stomach wounds are painful as it is, but the blade managed to cut through a small artery, and it pooled blood throughout his body. The blow jarred a lung as well, and there is a good chance it might have pierced his lung."

To his credit, Blink took it well. He just nodded, took a deep breath to stay grounded, and asked, "what do we do?"

"Surgery. Immediately."

"Do it."

The doctor hesitated, hating to bring it up. But he had to. "This isn't going to be cheap...You understand? We need to make sure it can be paid..." He hated where he worked., having to take a payment guarantee before saving a life.

Blink opened his mouth to say he'd pay for it, the moment Chase did. Looking down at the other, the blonde blinked, as did Skittery. "But...Chase..."

"I said I'll pay for it."

"And you are...?"

"Chase Donovan." He pulled some I.D. from his pocket. "Now...Doctor, please. Go save my friend."

Strong boys.

Men, the doctor corrected himself, even as he swept back to pull young Nick Meyers into surgery. They were all strong men, and as he watched them wheel Nick into the room, he had a feeling that this one was too.

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Next chapter: Rage

The moment Race ran into the hospital he knew something was wrong. Well, other than the obvious. It just felt wrong, and he knew why the moment Blink turned his cold, rage filled eyes his way.

No one had time to say or do anything before Race found himself hitting the hospital wall with enough force to knock the breath completely from his body. Wheezing, his chest rose and fell as he tried to suck in air, only to cough it back up when the blonde's fist met with his stomach.

There were voices, screams, but didn't he know best of all how terrible Blink's anger was? He tried to pull his arms up to block the blows that fell on his body, but he was slow in his shock and surprise, and each one hit their mark.

Crying out, Race's legs buckled and he saw stars as Blink's fist smashed into his face. Not letting him fall, the blonde grabbed his shirt to hold him up and kept beating into him, even as people tried to pull him off.

He didn't even realize he was crying until the first salty tear hit his tongue. Panting, he took a step back and let go. Race hit the floor, bonelessly, another soft cry torn from his throat. Staring at the blood that stained his knuckles, Blink stepped back another few steps and all was silent save for Race's labored breathing.

Clenching his fists so hard he felt his nails splitting his palms open, Blink's voice was as cold as his eyes, but as broken as Race's body. "Your fault...This is your fault."

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Beeps and alarms went off, making the doctor's eyes shoot wide. "What's going on?" He demanded, looking down at Nick's body, unresponsive on the operating table.

"We're losing him!" One of the nurses cried, grabbing for the oxygen mask, placing it over the other's nose and mouth. The other nurses and doctors began to shout out vitals over the sound of the alarms.

"Come on, kid." Kerry hissed under his breath, working on Nick. "You can't do this. Not to them...Him. Do you know he's out there waiting for you?" He blew hair from his face, still talking. "You're strong, I know you are...so don't..."

The next second, the beeps and alarms died and it was eerily silent in the operating room.

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And that's it for another chapter!

Read and review you guys? I always love to know what you like...or don't like.

Did I lose my readers? Just wondering...