organic. ➵ lashton

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Ashton came running out of the establishment, along with other employees, searching for the source of the noise.

The curly-haired boy saw Luke's car still parked and thought of the worst, sprinting and throwing open the front seat door, putting a quarter-sized dent in the door of the car next to Luke's.

Ashton let out a cry for help as he lifted the tiny boy off of the horn, the sound ceasing as a few other store employees came to his aid.

"Do we have a doctor?"

"Do you really think a doctor would be working at a grocery store, Ashton?" Michael asked, spreading his arms out for emphasis. "You need to get him to the emergency room."

Ashton held his boy in his arms, feeling his fluttering heartbeat. He set Luke on the ground.

"Someone spread his legs and hold him upright. Stay out of the way. I'm gonna see if I can't get him to purge anything. Somebody else call an ambulance."

Ashton pressed his long fingers past Luke's angular jaw and stuck them down the boy's throat until he felt vomit approaching.

Half-dissolved pills and stomach bile passed by Luke's lips and onto the gravel. Ashton sighed.

"Baby, c'mon..."

He tried again, and again, until Luke was crying and flailing.

"Stop! It h-hurts..."

"You should've stopped at twice, Ashton. He probably doesn't have any bile left to throw up, he's just dry-heaving," someone behind him said. Ashton turned around, ready to tell someone off, but stopped to drop his jaw.

Luke had been lifted up into Michael's consoling arms and the littler boy had curled up close to him, resting his head on Michael's chest and hiding his head.

Michael smiled smugly at Ashton, who felt a strange pang in his heart. Betrayal.

How could Luke like Michael more?

Ashton tried to reassure himself that it was just Luke looking for attention and love in his time of need. Obviously, that wasn't something Michael could do.

Or was it? Ashton didn't know. He didn't care, either.

"C'mon, Lukey. Let's get you to the ambulance."

Luke nodded weakly, his arms shaking as Michael carried him to the ambulance parked not too far off.

"They're gonna pump y'stomach and make you feel all better."

"You're not gonna let them put me in an asylum, right?" Luke asked, his big blue eyes wide at Michael.

"Never," Michael assured, laying Luke down on the gurney and touching his cheek, "I can't go with you, babe. I'll meet you there."

"Me too," Ashton mumbled dejectedly, shrugging, "might as well get going."

"Actually... Are you Ashton Irwin?"

Ashton nodded meekly, looking at the doctor.

"You're Luke's emergency contact. You're allowed to ride in the ambulance with him, if you wish."

Ashton smiled and thanked the doctor, sending Michael a well thought-out look before climbing into the ambulance and taking Luke's hand.

"It was suicide," Luke whispered hoarsely. Ashton figured it was from the throwing up.

"Why?"

"Because I'm shit," Luke mumbled hopelessly, "I'm shit and there's nothing I can do about it."