Black And White

Eighty Six

"And you're interested in him?"

"I mean... I guess."

"And you've kissed him before. That, to me, sounds like a date."

"I don't think so."

"I definitely think so."

Avi sighed loudly. "Can I go now?"

"No. Mitch wants details."

"That was literally the extent of it. Nothing else happened, you voyeurs."

Mitch leaned toward the phone a little. "So you didn't kiss him?"

"No. He wouldn't have wanted me to."

*

Hours after falling asleep with Mitch beside him, Scott tumbled into a terrible nightmare.

He'd simply been walking with Mitch, smiling down at the sunshine that was his boyfriend. And then suddenly Avi and Alex are arguing, and Mitch is trying to pull away to go help them somehow.

Scott didn't even really let go, but Mitch somehow escaped him and began running.

As soon as he heard the car horn, seeing the black and white blur of the car, Scott makes a quick grab for Mitch, but misses.

The next thing he knows he's running toward Mitch, who was completely unmoving on the ground.

For some reason he continuously shouts at Avi to call the police, as if that will make them get there any faster.

Alex is screaming at the driver of the car, as if Scott hadn't done it enough already.

But then it's all tunnel vision. Scott can't hear Avi on the phone, or Alex talking to the driver of the other car. He can't see the other car, or anyone around him.

All that's left is his boy.

Scott is afraid to touch him, but he knows to check for a pulse --Which he is luckily able to find-- And then he kisses Mitch's forehead.

Scott is in absolute silence as he does this. He might even be crying, but he's not sure.

Scott can't think of anything to do, apart from kissing Mitch's hand and forehead.

But as he stares at his future, at his everything... He realizes how important it is to keep him safe.

And how absolutely unacceptable it is for Scott to let this happen. And it won't happen again, that's for sure. To be sure of this, Scott lays down with Mitch, and cuddles him as gently as he can. "M-Mitchie? Can you hear me?"

Mitch doesn't respond at all; Completely unmoving apart from the shallow rise and fall of his chest. 

Scott feels more tears, or at least he thinks he does, but he barely registers them. "Mitchie, baby... Come on, you can't do this to me. You... You can't... You gotta wake up. Please..."

Avi walked over finally, as the sound of the ambulance got a little louder. "Scott... You have to get out of their way when they get here... Okay?"

"I'm not leaving him, Avriel. Get the fuck out of my face."

Avi set a hand on his shoulder. "That's fine. Alex and I are gonna drive down there, and you should stay in the ambulance with him. Okay? But you need to let the medics do their jobs."

Scott's anger flooded out of him all at once, and then he turned halfway to show Avi all the tears falling from his eyes. "I know."

Avi frowned, and turned to look at Alex. "Would you take my car down there? I think I'm gonna stay with Scott."

Alex nodded, taking the keys from Avi's hands. He glanced over at Mitch laying on the ground, cringed, and looked away while squeezing his eyes shut. "Oh my God."

Avi turned him by the shoulders. "Go, Alex. He's gonna be okay."

Just as Avi had suspected, when the paramedics came in to try to get Mitch into the ambulance and keep him breathing, Scott was very very upset that they were trying to take his boy away from him. 

One medic finally had to hold a hand up in his face. "Sir, I have to ask you to step back."

Scott stared down at him. "Why aren't you helping him? Why isn't he awake yet? Hurry the--"

Avi pulled him back by the arm. "Scott, shut your mouth. Let them do their jobs." When Scott turned to face him, Avi took on another tone of voice to speak to him. "He's gonna be okay, Kid. But you have to let them help."

Scott frowned at him, before reaching out to hug him. "Sorry... I'll be good."

Avi kept holding him until Mitch was put onto the gurney in the back of the ambulance. Scott glanced back, and then shoved Avi away so that he could run into the ambulance as well. 

Avi walked slowly behind him, and spoke to the paramedic waiting to close the door. "Is it alright if he and I come with you?"

"Of course. But--"

One of the two medics in the back of the ambulance suddenly shouted something about pressure dropping, and they started rushing around again. 

The medic by the door nodded and gestured for Avi to get in. "We need to hurry. Go."

Avi immediately did so, taking a seat beside Scott as the doors slammed close behind them.

Scott grabbed Mitch's hand quickly. "Pressure? What does that--?"

Avi pulled him back a little. "Scott, shh... Let them work."

The consistent beeping heard from Mitch's heart monitor seemed to speed up, beeps becoming shorter than they should've been. 

Scott ignored Avi entirely. "What--? What's that? Why is it doing that?"

Avi tried again, speaking quietly as the paramedics all spoke loudly to each other, still rushing around the ambulance. "Scott, babe, you gotta sit back. It's okay."

"What's going on? Is he hurting? What's--?"

"Shh." Avi pulled the taller boy into his side a little to keep him calm, one hand sliding around his stomach. "It's okay, just shh. Don't talk, Scott."

Scott stared at him with the bright blue eyes Avi remembers from their childhood, when he'd come over in such terror of his father, it would take Avi hours to calm him down. 

Avi was overwhelmed with that thought, and brought Scott in to a hug, pulling Scott's head onto his shoulder, as Scott squeezed Avi's shirt in his hands. "It's okay, big guy. You don't have to be strong right now... I've got you."

And just as Scott let out the first sob, Mitch was shaking him awake. 

*