call out my name [2gether]

CH 25

It seemed that Type had some serious things to think about before his made his next move.

At present, several stories up, Sarawat wiped one clammy hand against his black slacks and reached out his arm shakily, carefully propping open the door to the private intensive care unit. The blinds were closed over the tiny window inside the room, to shield the patient from the bright midday sun and to create a sense of calm. He blinked rapidly into the low light that contrasted the bright, fluorescent lights out in the hall, letting his eyes adjust for a tiny moment. Sarawat then steeled his breath, chest moving up and down precariously, and took a hesitant step forward. He was careful not to disturb the tranquility inside, as his shadow moved slowly over the white surfaces of the hospital equipment. And still, his Vans squeaked treacherously over the clean floor, making Sarawat wince with a flash of white teeth.

Venturing past the doorway, he was instantly met with the dull, beeping sound of a monitor with numbers and scribbly wave lengths jumping up and down on its black, glossy screen and the low hum of a ventilator, its tube connected to a thick, rubbery mask that was slotted in place over Tine's pallid face, undoubtedly assisting him with breathing.

Tine...

Sarawat's breath stilled, all thoughts ceasing inside his mind as time stopped, his slack hand releasing the curved door handle and falling down to hang limply at his side. The door shut close with a soft click behind the young man as he stared hypnotized ahead, his intense gaze slowly uncovering the familiar form lying motionlessly on the hospital bed.

The white, coarse bed sheets covered Tine's body from the end of the bed and up to his chest, neatly tucked around him while his noodly arms were out and limply splayed atop the covers on each side of him, fingers curled softly. An IV-catheter was stuck to the back of one pale hand while the attached bag with IV-fluid was hanging on a rolling stand next to the bed. There were other tubes and vires connected to Tine's body that Sarawat had no idea what they where there for. He swallowed dryly, his pink tongue darting out to wet his dry lips. It all looked so surreal, almost as if there was a spotlight directed at the bed, shining down on Tine, illuminating solely him in Sarawat's swirling orbs.

Sarawat moved forward, his body almost gliding over the floor as he came to stand next to the bed. It was like an out of body experience seeing the real Tine lying there so seemingly peacefully, dark hair mussed and curling around his slack face. Truthfully, Sarawat has had his doubts. Deep, deep down in the back of his complex mind he had still expected to find someone else in this room and not his Tine. This was unbelievable.

Like sea water flooding a ship, white noise started filling his ears the longer he stared at the young man that now held his heart in his fragile, wilting hands. Tine's eyes were closed, lashes dark and feathery, softly grazing his pallid skin. Sarawat wished that that those doe eyes would flutter open and look back at him with that mischievous spark gleaming within them that Sarawat had come to like. And suddenly but not unexpectedly all these repressed feelings rushed ruthlessly through his body, raw and uncensored, making him keel over with a shuddering breath. Sarawat shoot out one hand to steady himself against the hospital bed, the mattress dipping under his weight, just next to where Tine's limp hand was resting.

Sarawat had tried not to think too much about what would happen if Tine really was dead and how that would undoubtedly break him. He had repressed all of it, like a bad dream. But it was okay now. Tine was there with him and he was alive. Sarawat could let it all out now, all his restless worry and his nagging fear, everything that had wanted to swallow him whole. For now, Tine was alive.

Sarawat's hand crept over the sheets as he grasped Tine's clammy hand into his own, blanketing it with his warm palm. In the spur of the moment, not thinking clearly, he hesitantly reached out with the other hand and gently moved Tine's breathing mask away from his mouth, sliding it carefully over Tine's face and fully uncovering his features for the first time. He did not even stop to consider that maybe this was not such a good idea, but seeing as there was no alarms going off from the machines made Sarawat feel recklessly bold with his actions.