Eeep, sorry for the long delay. I'll end up posting the next chapter like in an hour, because of that. Really sorry. I'm not even going to make up some excuse that I had homework, I just totally forgot about this. lmao.

Enjoy.

Chapter 19

Nick was scared. He hated waiting. He hated knowing that he was stuck in that stupid waiting room while Jeff was in there. He had no idea what had happened. Why didn't they just tell him? He could hear them talking, though. He could hear Janine calling Jeff his human and Nick put his face in his hands, groaning in frustration. This wasn't how Jeff was supposed to find out. He needed time. He needed to break it to him gently.

Nick stared at the wall, urging time to move faster so that he could see Jeff and know that he was okay.

Jeff's cast was finished, so he just lay back in his bed. He'd still probably be here for another hour and a half for discharge, and that always took forever. Luckily, they had kept the IV and put one of those finger heart monitor things on him for now. The door opened and was gladly reunited with Nick. His eyes open slowly. He probably looked completely drugged and looked like he was hit by a truck. His reactions were slow, and he just wanted to sleep. He was so glad he was in his gym shorts because it was so hot. He was sweaty, and wanted to stand in a freezer.

"Hi Nicky-poo," he whispered.

Nick quickly got to his feet when he said he was allowed to see Jeff. It felt like this was the longest time they'd spent apart in weeks, but he knew it wasn't, really. It hadn't been that long. Biting his lip as he walked into the room, taking in the sight of Jeff. He looked so fragile with all that medication pumped into him.

Running a hand through his hair, he rolled his eyes, shaking his head, "Oh god, please don't call me that." Nick chuckled nervously, "How are you feeling?"

"Why? Dr. Reynolds called you that. You think she'll tell me some embarrassing stories from when she babysat you? Or wait is that what she said? I don't really remember," Jeff said.

Nick sighed, shaking his head, "Yeah, but she knows I hate being called that. I've told her so many times." He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. He was trying to figure out how much stuff Jeff had figured out. He hoped he hadn't figured out what he was, or at least that he wasn't human. He needed to tell him that himself. He was sure Jeff would take it harder if he didn't hear it from him.

It took Jeff a minute to answer Nick's question. "I've been better, but it's not like I was in a coma or something. I only broke my wrist," he said, and tried to lift his cast. It was too heavy, and he couldn't much feel it. He wanted to point to the X-rays hanging on the wall, where it showed an obvious break, compared the second, straightened one. "Gosh, I have never been this heavily medicated. I feel like I took shrooms or something," Jeff said, and tried to rub at his eyes again.

"Yeah, but a broken wrist hurts. What happened?" He frowned, watching Jeff carefully. He was glad he didn't seem to be in any pain, but he couldn't be sure he wasn't just trying to pretend it didn't hurt as much as it did. He smiled fondly as Jeff tried to rub his eyes, "At least it doesn't hurt so much, right?"

"Oh it was just football. Someone tackled me, and I landed the wrong way," Jeff explained, and closed his eyes again. The light hurt his eyes, and it was just really hard to keep them open. "It doesn't hurt. It's a weird feeling. Like I'm floating. It's just so hot in here. It's September, it isn't supposed to be hot," he mumbled. He lifted his good arm to his head, careful not to disturb the needle, and pushed his hair back, so it wouldn't stick to his forehead.

Nick bit his lip nervously. He didn't know why he was this worried. He wasn't usually this worried about things like this. It was just a broken wrist. He was absolutely fine, but Nick couldn't stop himself worrying. Jeff had this affect on him.

Nick looked around the room, "It's not that bad. I'm sure they'll let you out of here soon, yeah?" He smiled reassuringly, hoping that would be enough to make him feel at least a little better. He didn't like seeing Jeff like this. He hoped he wouldn't have to again.

Jeff had pretty much sat in silence for the long period of time he was waiting for discharge. His parents came in the room, and Jeff insisted to go back to the dorm.

"Nicky can drive me back," Jeff said. He had help changing back into his street clothes that his parents brought, but kept his coat on his lap. It was really hot.

After much complaining Jeff got to go back to the dorm, and he was outside. Nick helped him into his car and they drove back. Jeff just rested his face on the cold class of the window.

Nick kept glancing at Jeff as he drove, making sure he was okay. He didn't like seeing Jeff like this. He suspected it was mainly the drugs working their way through his system, but he didn't like it nonetheless.

When they finally got back to Dalton, Nick parked the car, turning to Jeff and resting a hand delicately on his knee, "When we get back to the dorm, we'll open the windows, make sure it's really cool in there for you, and you can get some sleep if you want, okay?"

"Are you going to stay with me?" Jeff mumbled. He didn't know if he could really sleep without him. Nightmares.

Nick had absolutely no doubt that he'd stay with Jeff. All he really wanted was to keep Jeff safe and he felt more comforted if he knew he was there to look after him.

Nick answered and he had a minute of silence, "You know Dr. Reynolds has black eyes?" he asked. Jeff honestly didn't know why he said it. His mind was just screwed up right now.

Nick froze at Jeff's words, just staring at him for a moment. Why did he have to notice that? Why did Janine have to let it slip? This wasn't supposed to happen. He'd managed to keep it hidden so far, and then this had to happen? "W-What are you talking about, Jeff?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "It was creepy. She told me her brother killed her," he said and slipped off his shoes, to curl up in the seat. All he wanted was to sleep. They'd probably be at Dalton any minute now, and he'd still have to walk all the way to his room.

Nick didn't know what he was supposed to say. He didn't want to have this conversation. He ran his fingers through his hair as he turned a corner, nearing Dalton now, "She said that?" He sighed softly. Why'd she have to say anything at all? He liked feeling normal around Jeff. This was going to screw everything up, "Are you sure that's what she said?"

"Mmmmhmmm," Jeff mumbled, "She mentioned you too, but I don't remember what she said about you. Something about Nicky-poo," he added on. It was very slow, and hard for him to really talk. "I've seen your eyes do that too. Like when I scared you," Jeff mumbled. He wanted to slap himself but it was all just coming out.

Nick was silently glad he could blame most of this on the medication. He would make up excuses. Stupid excuses, but excuses nonetheless. He hated lying to Jeff, but he knew that this was the only way he could go about this. At least until he figured out an actual way of telling him. "Maybe it was just the lighting playing tricks on you?" He shrugged.

As they got back to Dalton, Nick pulled into a park, quickly getting out and moving around to open the door for Jeff, holding out a hand to help him out.

The door opened and he was moving. It made him slightly more aware.

"I don't know. Maybe," Jeff said, knowing that wasn't the case. He'd have to bring it up sometime when wasn't high on medication. It was far too much for a broken wrist, but he felt like Janine had something to do with that. He was grateful though. At least he could sleep now.

Nick kept a careful eye on Jeff, making sure he didn't stray too far, or stumble on his feet. He couldn't help but wonder just how much medication Janine had given him. Couldn't be too much, surely. She knew Nick would've killed her if anything happened to Jeff. Shaking his head, he silently berated himself for being so stupid. He was fine. He had to stop worrying. "We'll get you back to the dorm, then you can get some sleep and clear your head, okay? I'm sure it was nothing."

Jeff had watched the ground mostly and almost walked right into the door of their dorm if Nick didn't stop him. They went inside and he pretty much crawled up the four flights of stairs. He was so close to his bed. So close…

He just plop down without even getting under the blanket. Jeff forgot his shoes in Nick's car and had walked up here barefoot. Good thing his parents brought him sweat pants. He had to elevate this arm but he didn't want to move,

Nick had to keep watching Jeff as he walked, not really paying attention to where he was going. When Jeff all but collapsed onto his bed, Nick rolled his eyes, moving to the other side of the room to open the window, hoping it might make Jeff feel a little cooler.

He walked back to Jeff's side, trying to pull him up, "Come on buddy, that's not good for your arm. We've got to get you comfortable so you can sleep."

Jeff groaned and rolled over. That probably would have hurt if he wasn't so medicated. He scooted himself up to his pillow and curled up on his good side and resting his cast on his hip. That would be good enough right? It could probably use a pillow, but it didn't hurt so he didn't care.

Jeff had woken up alone. His shoulder had hurt really bad. In fact, everything just hurt. The medication from the hospital made him sleep like a rock and he hadn't moved all night. He didn't have any classes today, and an hour after he took his pills, he was so bored. Didn't have anything to do on his computer, playing Xbox wasn't that fun by yourself, and he had absolutely nothing to so. Because of being so restricted with his fingers, he wanted to badly to do something with his hands.

After just sitting on the bed for twenty minutes, he saw his sketch book sitting by his book bag. That made him smile, and he got off the bed and took his book and a couple pencils, and lay on his stomach on the floor.

He wasn't too inspired to draw at first, but the picture Nick and himself he had on his phone, made Jeff want to draw Nick. His black hair, the long nose, his perfect face. After what seemed like no time at all, and many eraser shavings he was done. Well almost. The eyes weren't drawn yet. It was actually pretty creepy, just a face, with no eyes.

Jeff didn't know how to draw it really. The things he saw at the hospital. The black. It wasn't real. It couldn't be. Next thing he knew, he had began to fill in his eyes, and that just made his smile look menacing. Is this the real Nick? Was his medicine really just screwing with him? He'd probably have drawn Janine too, if he had a good picture of her. He barely remember what she looked like. He actually couldn't remember much of anything from yesterday. The pain. That was about it. And those damn eyes. It was what stuck out. He swore he saw Nick like that once, and the drawing almost proved it.

He wanted nothing more than to actually believe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but it wouldn't work. He had to hide that picture. Nick could never see it. Hmm, where to go, where to go?

Book bag? Maybe. In his desk was a no, and he didn't have anything that locked. He tore it from the sketch book and folded it twice. He would just have to put it in one of those pockets in his bag for now until he could bring it home. Nick would be coming back soon, so he just sort of lie on his bed with his laptop again.

Google was good for these things right? Black eyes. It was too much though. Too many different possibilities for it. He just signed and closed his eyes again. Oh well.