LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 24

"Just a little" Jack shrugged. Ralph was pretty sure he was trying to be tougher than he felt.

"Alright well it's about to hurt a lot more" Ralph prepared him as he grasped the back to Jack's wrist and held it firmly as he pressed the makeshift gauze tightly to Jack's wrist, atop the blood-soaked paper towel. He felt Jack shudder as he pressed down hard, but the blond's face suggested he was trying not to show it.

"I think this is beyond first aid, Jack" Ralph considered worriedly as the hefty makeshift gauze quickly soaked through with more blood.

"What do you mean by that?" Jack questioned defensively.

"I mean a hospital" Ralph clarified. "You probably need stitches."

"Nuh-uh, no way" Jack pulled back a little but Ralph tightened his grip around the boy's bleeding wrist.

"Don't be stupid, you know we have to go" Ralph remarked as he maintained his grip.

"I'm not going" Jack fought, making another failed attempt to put space between him and Ralph. Pulling his throbbing wrist beneath Ralph's tight grip made the pain worse, but he didn't care.

"Yes you are" a third voice came from the bathroom doorway. Both boys turned to see Paige standing there, her arms folded over her chest.

"No chance" Jack spat back at them both.

"Go get in the fucking car, Jack" Paige demanded forcefully.

"No! What the hell do you expect me to tell them? They won't treat me without a guardian anyway, remember that whole medical examination shit in Virginia? There's no point!" Jack's panicked voice became more resistant with each word.

"In an emergency, they'll treat anyone regardless of consent or ability to pay" Paige corrected him. "I'm in nursing school, I know what I'm talking about."

"This isn't an emergency" Jack scoffed.

"I beg to differ, Jack, there's blood all over the fucking floor! All over your clothes, all over Ralph, all over the goddamn toilet seat, in the hallway! Jesus, how fucking stubborn are you? Get in the damn car before you bleed out" Paige's voice became harsher and more insistent.

"She's right" Ralph chimed in much gentler.

Jack found Ralph's eyes and felt some of the tension and fear leave his body as he settled into Ralph's gaze. He realized how fast his heart was beating, and how he was becoming a little lightheaded.

"Please" Ralph whispered desperately. "I won't leave your side, I promise."

"He's gonna be mad if we go" Jack's formerly angred voice settled into the worry he was really feeling.

"He's gonna have a much bigger problem if you bleed the fuck out on the bathroom floor. And I'll make sure he knows it, okay? Can we just go while you're still conscious?" Paige's voice also softened as she decreased her volume.

Ralph held the toilet paper gauze tightly to Jack's wrist still, placing his other hand comfortingly on Jack's back. Jack finally nodded in agreement. Ralph grabbed the little hand towel hanging on the rack and wrapped it on top of the toilet paper gauze.

"Paige, do you have any duct tape or anything I can use to tighten this and keep it tight?" Ralph asked in a hurry.

Paige nodded, and told the boys to go get in her lamborghini as she rushed to grab the tape out of the toolbox.