Product of Disasterology (Vic Fuentes) ✔️

Chapter 17

Vic didn't wake up for the rest of that day. And I didn't leave his side for the rest of that day either. I did wonder by now if anyone had noticed that he was gone. But to be really honest, I kinda expected that they didn't.

If they really cared for Vic then they would've known that everything they did to him only made his state even worse.

I still didn't understand how someone could treat his or her own child in such a way. I mean- there was nothing actually wrong with Vic. Sure he was broken, but didn't we all have problems?

Who knew that when anxiety was treated badly it could result into this... a torn, sad, depressed, suicidal, heartbroken boy.

Vic stirred a few times in his sleep while I gently dabbed the beads of sweat off of his face with a soft washcloth. He had been sweating like an insane person for hours, but nana said it was normal. He'd probably wake up completely dehydrated though, so I kept enough water around together with nana's awful hangover cure.

As night fell, Vic's temperature seemed to drop, so I took the liberty of taking off his sweat-covered shirt and covered him up with a few blankets.

"Don't keep yourself up all night, alright? Get some sleep." Nana said as she softly put a hand on my shoulder, looking down at Vic momentarily.

"Sure, nana." I told her with a yawn. But I honestly had no intention of leaving his side. "Good night."

"Good night, darling."

She went off to bed, and soon the house fell in complete silence.

I had no idea what was going to happen after this. Would Vic have to go back home? Well, probably. Would he want to go home? Most likely not. But then what other option did we really have?

I remembered Vic saying that if I left, he'd come with me. But then I was sent away without him knowing and he got stuck there. He was here now though- here with me. I just really had no idea what the future held for either of us. And that really worried me.

Just as I got back from the kitchen to quietly make myself a cup of coffee to stay awake a little longer, Vic was coming out of his deep slumber. He slowly sat up, instantly throwing his hands up to his face, letting out a strangled groan.

I put my hot cup of coffee down on the saloon table and hurried up to him. "You're awake." I quietly spoke, making sure to keep my voice down so I both didn't startle him and didn't wake nana in the process.

Vic slowly ran his fingers through his hair, not really acknowledging me yet, so I just waited. His face scrunched up into one of pain as he held on to the back of his head, and I wished that I could just take it away from him.

Then his eyes shot open wide and he flung his head in my direction, with a look on his face that held both so much confusion and shock.

"Ke-Kell?" He questioned, like he didn't even believe his own eyes. I nodded slowly and smiled a little. I was so relieved that he was finally awake. "Where am I?"

"We're at my nana's place. Don't worry, she knows." I told him calmly.

He nodded in understanding but then stayed quiet. The look in his eyes kept changing from hopeful, to guilty, to sad, then relieved, and finally- pain. "I feel sick." He then told me softly. "My head hurts so bad."

"When did you last eat?" I hated having to ask him it, but I had to. The guilty look he then shot me told me enough, though. He probably hadn't eaten in days, and he definitely looked it.

I grabbed the pitcher that was filled with nana's brew and poured it into a glass. "Drink this." I spoke softly as I handed the glass to Vic.

He slowly held the glass to his dry, chapped lips and took a bigger sip than I expected him to. Immediately his face contorted into one of disgust as he held the glass away from his face and hesitantly swallowed it. I guess I should've warned him.

"Jesus, what is this?" He exclaimed, before sticking his tongue out.

I giggled involuntarily. "I'm sorry. It's my nana's secret cure for- well, hangovers, fevers, you name it."

"It's so foul." Vic muttered, still looking at the glass like it was poison. "What's even in it?"

"Uh- let me think... Orange juice, bananas, salt, sugar, lots of ginger, and a bunch of unknown spices- which makes up for the whole 'secret' thing." After all these years, I was pretty convinced that nana just threw whatever was left in the pantry into the brew. But she assured me that it was a specific mix of old Mexican spices. Sure, nana.

"You should drink it, though. It really does help."

Vic sighed deeply and continued to drink from the glass until it was completely empty. Wow. I was impressed to say the least. No one in my family ever managed to do that. Well, except grandpa. God rest his badass soul.

He then pushed the empty glass into my hands and firmly shut his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply through his nose a few times. Again I giggled, knowing that it was because of the drink.

I sat the glass down beside me and leaned over a little, moving some of Vic's hair out of his face. He slowly opened his eyes in response and just stared at me for a moment. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked him. He just nodded. "Good... I was really worried about you."

"I'm sorry." Vic then murmured, regret evident in his voice. "I'm sorry that I'm such a mess and that you have to deal with it."

I frowned, shaking my head before I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close to me. "Don't talk like that. I worry about you because I love you. And I deal with you because I want to and because I care." I told him firmly.

He wrapped his arms back around me, hugging me tighter than ever before. "I love you too." He choked, starting to cry a little.

I pulled out of the hug and leaned down a little to look him in the eye. "And don't take this the wrong way, but you smell terrible, so go take a shower."

Luckily Vic laughed at my comment. He wiped his tears away and smiled. Finally, he smiled. That smile was the reason I did everything. Even if it meant getting in even more heaps of trouble with his family than I already had been.