Let me live | Hardzello♡

Chapter 13

"So, since tomorrow you'll have surgery, we're going to put you on some different medication today, as a final prep." The doctor explains to Ben. 
Lucy, who is standing next to the doctor, immediately sees an anxious look appear on the boy's face.
Ben bites his lip. "D-does it have any side effects?" He asks nervously.
The doctor nods with an emotionless expression on his face. "It will make you feel very loopy, but unfortunately that's unavoidable." He says.
Ben just gives the man a short nod at that, to say he understands.
"So basically he's gonna act like a lunatic all day." Joe says as he has to do his best not to smirk.
Ben chuckles at that, glad Joe is there to make him smile.
Lucy smiles. "It's going to be okay Ben, I promise." She says before leaving the room.
The doctor doesn't say anything at all. He just attaches Ben's hand to the IV in silence before he leaves the room just like Lucy.
"Jeez, do you think he's ever smiled at all?" Joe grumbles as he rolls his eyes at their grouchy doctor.
Ben smiles and shakes his head. "No, I don't think so, actually." He says as he crawls out of bed. He quickly lies down under the duvet of Joe's bed, and snuggles close to the ginger's chest. "Let's watch a movie." He mumbles.
Joe smiles and nods. "Okay. What do you wanna watch?" He asks as he grabs his laptop.
"Just something. You pick." Ben mumbles.
Joe puts his arm around the blond, pulling him close to his chest. "Alright." He says with a soft giggle.

Halfway through the movie, Ben suddenly starts giggling.
Joe looks down with a raised eyebrow. "What's so funny?" He asks. It's not like the two of them are watching a comedy, so something else must be making Ben giggle like a child.
"Your hair looks funny." Ben says with a big smile.
Joe smiles as well. "Yeah well, we're in the hospital so I don't really bother to brush my hair anymore." He explains, even though he knows Ben doesn't care.
Ben starts giggling even louder, and brings his hands up to Joe's auburn hair. "It's so fluffy." He whispers with wide eyes. He starts ruffling his hand through Joe's hair, making it even more messy. Then he stops before letting out a loud gasp. "Joey!" He exclaims in horror.
Joe sits up a little, alarmed by the terrified look in Ben's eyes. "What? What is it?" He asks worried. 
Ben moves a little closer to Joe, so he can whisper something in the boy's ear. "I think... something bit my hand. I can feel the teeth in my skin." He whispers.
Joe starts laughing, now understanding what Ben is getting at. "No Benny, nothing bit your hand. It's just the IV. Look, I got one in my hand too." He lifts his hand, showing Ben the IV that was brought under his skin with a needle.
Ben cups the ginger's cheek, turning his head so their foreheads almost touch. "It's a beast!" The blond whisper-yells.
Joe chuckles softly. "It's not." He grabs Ben's hand in his own, showing Ben that there really is no beast. "See?"
A big smile appears on Ben's face. "Ohw. Sorry." He says innocently.
Joe can't help but melt at the sight of the green puppy eyes of the boy. "Don't be." He whispers as he gently runs his hand through Ben's hair.
Suddenly Ben starts poking Joe in the side, earning bunch of laughter from the latter.
"B-Ben stop that!" Joe manages to say in between his laughter. Then the tickling suddenly stops.
"Joe, Joey? Guess what?" Ben makes their noses touch, his eyes twinkling brightly.
Joe smiles. "What?" He asks curiously.
Ben's face breaks into a big grin. "You're cute." 
Joe immediately starts to blush, feeling his stomach flip at those words. But he knows very well that Ben isn't saying all those things consciously. These are just the medicines speaking. He probably doesn't even mean it.
"And I am tired." Ben adds before nuzzling his face into the crook of Joe's neck.
The latter smiles widely. "Go to sleep then." Joe gently rubs his hand over the blond's back, knowing how Ben usually relaxes when he does that.
Ben nods and closes his eyes. "Don't let the beast get me, okay?" He mumbles.
Joe giggles and pulls the boy closer to his chest. "I won't, I promise." He whispers.

###

About an hour after Ben fell asleep, the boy's phone starts ringing, ending the peaceful silence that was hanging in the room.
Joe, a bit startled by the suddennoise, quickly grabs the blond's phone before the sound can wake up Ben. He looks at the screen seeing Ben is receiving a phone call from someone named Al. After debating for a second, Joe decides to take the call for Ben.
The boy has never got a call before, so this one must be an important one.
"Hello, Ben's phone." Joe says softly.
It stays silent on the other side of the line for a few seconds. "Uhm, hi?" A boy's voice sounds through the phone, quite hesitant when it isn't Ben answering the phone. "Is- is Ben around? He wasn't at school today, and he and his parents aren't home. They were supposed to get back from their trip three weeks ago."
Joe frowns, looking at the sleeping Ben next to him. Apparently the boy didn't tell his friends about the fact that he's in the hospital. "Oh uhm, yeah he's around. But he's asleep, so...-" The ginger trails off, not sure what else to say.
For a few seconds it stays silent on the other side of the line.
"Well, can't you wake him? I just want to speak to him, just for a minute. I'm his best friend and I'm kinda worried. I haven't heard from him for way too long. And the fact that a stranger just answered his phone doesn't help either." The boy on the phone says.
Joe briefly frowns. "Well uhm, I would wake him, but it's not like anything sensible will come out of him. So that's kinda pointless." He explains. "He's on strong drugs." He adds.
"Whoa, wait a minute? Are you sure we're both talking about Ben Hardy?" The boy on the phone asks.
Joe raises his eyebrow. "Uhm, yeah I'm sure." He says.
"No no, it can't be. Ben would never do drugs." The boy says.
Joe's attention is diverted from the conversation by Ben, who lets out a loud groan.
The Brit stretches before snuggling closer to Joe's body. "Are you calling with the beast Joey? Are you working together?" He mumbles with his eyes still closed.
Joe giggles. "No Ben, I'm calling with your friend." He shows Ben the phone.
Ben opens his eyes with a gasp. "I have a friend? Will he protect me from the beast too?" He whispers in disbelieve.
Joe smiles before turning his attention back to the phone call. "See? All he talks is nonsense." He says to the boy.
"Wow, he really sounds like he's far away." It sounds from the other side of the line.
Joe nods. "He is. But he's not doing drugs, what I meant was that he's high from medications. He's in the hospital. I'm his roommate." He explains while he starts playing with Ben's hair, hoping it will put him back to sleep.
"H-hospital? Is he okay?" Ben's friend asks, immediately alarmed.
Joe thinks for a moment. "He is. Well, with all things considered. Don't worry, he isn't in danger or something. Maybe you should call back tonight? The effect of the meds will be gone by then, so you can have a proper conversation with him." He suggests, his eyes still on Ben, who has dozed off again in the meantime.
"Uhm yeah, I will. T-thank you, though. For letting me know he's still alive." The boy on the phone says, clearly relieved to hear his friend's voice again after more than three weeks.
"Of course, no problem." Joe says with a smile before ending the call. 

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Hi♡
Tomorrow I start school again, so I really wanted to upload this chapter, since I don't know when I'll have the time to proof read again

Much love from me aka queenborhap_gifs✌🏻💕