THE RUN AND GO : JOSHLER

BONUS : FAMILY

Josh narrowed his eyes at Tyler. "The chair?" He asked, his voice slow and uncertain.

Tyler scoffed, looking at Josh in disbelief.

"The electric chair, Josh," he replied, shaking his head. "Death sentence. After all the things I've done, they'd be doing me a favor giving me life. But letting me live, even in jail, would be too nice. I'd prolly get lethal injection."

Josh suddenly imagined Tyler laying there on some operating table, in some dark room, surrounded by police officers and guards and warrens. He also saw him struggling against his restraints as a guard took a syringe and plunged it into his arm.

Even worse, he imagined his agonized body shaking and writhing and thrashing and contorting and twitching underneath the electric shock of the electric chair.

Josh leaned his elbows on his knees and hung his head in his hands.

"Don't talk like that, Tyler," he murmured, squeezing his eyes shut. He gripped the sides of his head tightly, as if to crush the thoughts out of his mind.

Tyler sighed and leaned his head on Josh's shoulder. He traced his finger lightly along Josh's back, feeling his muscles underneath his tight shirt.

"I'm sorry, but it's true," he said with a frown. "There's no way I'm risking that to see your family. No way."

"Then I guess seeing your family too is out of the question," Josh said quietly, looking down at his lap.

Tyler looked out the window, averting his eyes from Josh. He chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at the bright sky above.

"Of course I want to see them, Josh," Tyler murmured quietly, his voice barely a whisper. He kept his eyes trained on the baby blue sky, at the clouds slowly floating past.

Josh looked over at Tyler expectantly, waiting hopefully to see his answer.

"But I can't," he said finally, shaking his head and looking over at Josh sitting on the bed next to him.

When his eyes met Josh's, his angry expression softened.

"What if I get caught, Josh?" He whispered, sadness in his soft voice and tired eyes. "What if someone sees me? I'll be taken away from you forever. I've already lost you once, Josh. I'm not losing you again."

Josh took Tyler's hand in his and sighed. Tyler was right. They both knew that.

"That's just not a risk I'm willing to take," Tyler continued, lightly squeezing Josh's hand. "You understand that, don't you?"

"I thought you liked taking risks," Josh murmured.

Tyler shook his head. "Not with you. You're the only stable thing in my life. I need something to keep me grounded. You're my stability, Josh. I can't lose you. You're the only one that keeps me..."

Tyler's voice trailed off, and he looked down at his lap. He fell sideways and leaned against Josh's shoulder.

"...alive," he finished quietly.

Josh licked his cracked lips and didn't say anything. What could he say?

"Plus," Tyler sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Even if I could, they wouldn't want to see me anyways. Can you imagine that family reunion?"