Along Came Ari (boyxboy; Open Novella Contest 2019)(Complete)✅

Chapter 15

"You didn't kill him," my mother assured me. "You didn't push him in front of a moving car. It's not your fault."

Across the room, I observed Mr. Collins bring an arm around his wife, attempting to console her as she sobbed quietly. John moved, allowing my mother to sit beside me. My dad sat on the other side of me.

The suspense was killing us.

Several hours later, as a doctor emerged through the double doors, we all jumped to our feet.

"Mr. and Mrs. Collins?" the doctor said.

They immediately stood up, shooing me away as I attempted to follow them through the doors to the inside of the ER.

"I'll keep you posted," John said to me, trailing behind his parents.

"Come on, let's go home," my mother said, but I shook my head. I wasn't going to leave without finding out how Danny was.

"I'm not going anywhere," I said.

We waited and waited again. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I realized it was three o'clock in the morning. No wonder I felt like I was going to pass out. I was about to pass out from pure exhaustion. A half an hour or so later, John finally returned.

"Is he alright?" were the first words out of my mouth.

"He had a bunch of tests...an MRI, CT scan...all kinds of stuff," John said. "He had some brain swelling and..."

"For fuck's sake, how is he?" I asked, interrupting him.

"He has a grade three concussion," he said. "Which is pretty bad."

Having had two concussions in my lifetime, I knew a thing or two about them, but I never had one as bad as a grade three. I never lost consciousness.

"He's awake and everything, but completely out of it," John said. "He has no idea where he is. He doesn't even know the day or month."

Within the locked doors of the ER, a loud bang shook the waiting room, the sound of something smashing against a wall or floor.

"Let me out!" a familiar voice demanded, louder than I'd ever heard him. Danny was never particularly loud-mouthed, but that was definitely his voice raised. "I'm eighteen. You can't stop me. I'm going..." There was another pause, then his voice again. "I'll sign out AMA. I don't care. I'm going."

"AMA?" I asked my mother, not sure what AMA meant.

"Against medical advice," my mother explained.

In only a hospital gown and slipper socks, Danny stormed through the double doors. His usual black and yellow wristbands were gone, replaced with a bright yellow bracelet. In big black capital letters were the words FALL RISK. I could see why he was a fall risk, the way he walked unsteadily through the doors. I thought he'd fall any second.

His parents ran after him, followed by a few a nurse and two aides.

"Get away from me!" he shouted at them.

Me and Danny's eyes instantly met.

"Ari," he said.

At least he recognized me and remembered my name. Stumbling toward me, he collapsed in my arms.

"I'm sorry," he said to me. "I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I was a coward. I'm sorry, Ari. I'm so sorry. I love you."

He sobbed uncontrollably in my arms, clutching on to me even tighter as his parents stood behind us.

"They don't want me to be gay," he whispered to me. "I'm sorry..."

He quickly glanced over his shoulder and at his parents. John was right; he was scared shitless. I noticed a thick bandage on the back of his head.