Criticism spot! :)
Crutchie's POV
When I woke up I felt far weaker than the previous day, but the pain was just as bad as before. I didn't bother to open my eyes, feeling as though I couldn't even if I wanted to. I heard Jack shuffle around after the bell rang, kneeling down at my bedside.
"Are you awake?" He asked, and I nodded. "Are you too weak to open your eyes?" He somehow guessed, and I once again nodded. "I'm going to send the fellas out and I'll be right back, okay?" Before I could respond there was a knock on the door, catching us off guard. Jack got up and went to open it, and I waited patiently to find out who it was.
"Uh- hi," the person began, and it was clearly Race. "I came here to say sorry," he mumbled. The footsteps then grew nearer to me, indicating he was now beside me. "Crutchie, I'm really, really sorry for last night. I was just trying to help, but I went about it the totally wrong way, and I'm just so sorry." With all the strength I could gather I opened my eyes, looking at him.
"It's okay," I got out, smiling as best I could.
"Hey, how about I stay here all day so you can go and keep yourself busy, hm?" Race then offered, and Jack looked to me. I nodded to show I thought it was a good idea, and Jack understood, sighing.
"Alright, I'll be back tonight." After a moment of hesitation he left, leaving just Race and I.
"I'm gonna get you a glass of water and some new food, okay?" I nodded, settling back down. "You can go back to bed if you'd like, I'm just gonna leave it on the nightstand and then sit on the other bed to make sure you're alright. I'll be right back," he said, leaving the room.
As the day went on I could feel myself begin to lose my grip on life, finding it difficult to want to keep fighting myself. I didn't touch the water or food all day, falling asleep every now and again and only waking up from how much pain I was feeling. I felt relieved when I heard fellas start to get back, knowing I'd see Jack soon. I could tell Race got up off the bed and went to the hallway, likely wanting to talk to Jack before he went in.
"Jack, I seriously need to talk to you," I heard Race say, making my heart plummet.
"What's goin' on?" Jack asked, clearly wanting to rush into the room.
"I, uhm..." Race trailed off, his voice becoming extremely shaky as he likely began to cry. "I really don't think he has much longer." He finally got out, and the two fell silent.
"What do you mean?" Jack asked in denial, his voice becoming just as shaky as Race's.
"It's beyond clear that he's struggling to stay alive any longer," he said, his breathing heavy from crying. I then heard footsteps leaving, as Race likely walked away to cry. A few seconds passed before Jack came in, sitting down on the bed.
"Hey," he whispered, and I smiled a tiny, tiny bit to show I was awake. "I won't talk too much so you can save your energy, alright? I'm gonna stay in this very spot all night, and if you want to try eating I'll gladly help you." I nodded, showing I understood.
We spent the rest of the night in complete silence, and I was able to hear Jack sketching as he sat there. Just as I had all day I kept drifting in and out of sleep, and each time I woke up I could still hear Jack's pencil against his paper. It felt like entire days passed before the bell rang, but Jack didn't move an inch.
"I'm gonna go ask Race to check on you since he's better at this stuff, okay?" I couldn't even nod, feeling him get up seconds later. It wasn't long before the two had returned, Race kneeling down in front of me while Jack sat back on the bed.
"I'm gonna hold your hand for a minute," Race said, holding my hand tightly. "Just squeeze my hand for yes and do nothing for no, that way you won't need to move your head." I prepared myself to answer any questions he had, knowing it would take a lot of energy. "Are you feeling any better?" I stayed still, making the entire room feel heavy. "Are you feeling weaker?" I squeezed his hand as best I could, feeling him let go soon after. "Jack, let's talk." I got ready to eavesdrop as the door closed, feeling like there was a weight on my chest.
"Is he getting better?" Jack asked frantically, shattering my heart.
"I'm just going to be blunt and say... No. He's not." Race admitted, his voice becoming shaky just as it had the previous night. Jack remained quiet, likely in a lot of shock and denial. "I... I really think you should spend every minute with him, because he could go at any minute." Race backed away, and the door slowly opened moments later. Jack sat back down on my bed, holding my hand.
I began to get lost in my thoughts, coming to terms with what was about to happen. I thought about my life, how most of it was spent in fear and agony, and it wasn't too great. However, within the last year I had finally started to know what love was, and what it was like to love someone back with all of your heart. I began slipping away even more, feeling as though my entire body was shutting down. I then started to feel like everything was far away from me, and every sound was muffled. That was until I could tell Jack was sobbing, still holding my hand tight.
"Crutchie, I dunno if you can even hear me..." He began, taking a break so he could calm his breathing. "But please, please don't give up on me. I can't do this without you." I began to listen closely, my heart pounding. "I could spend the rest of my life searching for someone like you, and I wouldn't ever find them. There is only one person on this entire planet that can make me happy, and that's you. Just seeing you makes my day amazing. When you speak, I want it to never end, because I feel like I could just listen to your voice until the end of time. Waking up next to you in the penthouse, seeing your hair all messy, and the way you look up and smile at me while the sun begins to rise from behind you... I could never find someone that I feel that way about again. You think so, so poorly of yourself, but you are by far the strongest person I have ever met. I have never met anyone who is willing to fight for themselves more than you. I absolutely adore how you smile whenever you win a game of cards, the way you watch me sketch, the way you listen..." He had to take another break, his breathing quick. "No one has ever cared about me this much. I love you so, so much, and all I want to do is go to Santa Fe, buy a house, raise kids, and grow old with you. I want to have those moments of seeing you play with our kids, helping them grow to be great people, and so much more. I want to surprise you with breakfast in bed on your birthday, and I want to wake up with you beside me in a big bed with a huge, comfy blanket, seeing the sun pour in through the curtains and slowly light up the room while you continue sleeping." As Jack spoke I started to think, realizing how badly I wanted to experience all those things with him, too. "I love you so, so, so much. I can't lose you. Please, please keep fighting. I know it'll be so hard, but please just keep going." Finally, I began to be able to ground myself again, no longer feeling as though I was slipping away. I gathered all the strength I possibly could, squeezing his hand weakly to try and let him know I would keep going. He grew quiet, surprised that I had heard him as he didn't think I was awake anymore. He then pushed my hair from my face, making me smile ever so slightly.
We stayed there the entire day, Jack sketching as he did all night. I kept making sure I'd stay awake, worried that if I fell asleep I wouldn't wake back up. I kept my eyes closed, though, finding it too difficult to keep them open. It was growing close to midnight when there was a knock at the door, catching both Jack and I off guard.
"Hey," Race said, the door creaking behind him. "We thought you'd like to play cards to relax, but knew you'd wanna stay with Crutchie, so we thought we'd come here," he offered, Romeo clearly behind him. They closed the door, and Jack stayed quiet for a moment, likely looking to me.
"I... That's real nice guys, but I dunno," he said, and despite how difficult it was, I reached out and held his hand, trying to signal that I wanted him to. He chuckled a little, sighing. "Alright, just a few rounds."
They sat on the floor and began to play, and it was relieving to hear them laughing and joking with one another. Suddenly, hunger overcame me, and I finally felt like I could eat without being sick. I opened my eyes, seeing that they were completely focused on their game, and knowing that me eating wouldn't distract them. I looked to the nightstand, slowly reaching for the bread. I was surprised by just how badly I was shaking, but I managed to grab it, and after a bit of hesitation I took a bite. It took quite a bit of energy, but I managed to finish, closing my eyes again. They played for a while longer before Race and Romeo stood up for their usual smoke break, however they seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Jack," Race whispered, their eyes likely on me. "He ate," I could hear a smile grow on Race's face, and Jack rushed to my bedside, radiating happiness.
"Are you awake?" He asked, and I took a second before opening my eyes to look at him.
"We'll be back," Race then said, wanting to leave us alone for a bit.
"You ate, you really ate," Jack continued, and I had never seen him so relieved. "Do you want to drink some water?" He offered, and I surprised him as I nodded. He helped me to sit up just a small bit, handing me the glass. I was only able to drink a small amount before I had to put it down, feeling exhausted. I laid back down, still looking at Jack. "You're probably tired," he said, reading my mind. I nodded, and he gently pushed my hair back. "Go to sleep. I'll make them move the game outside."
"Go with them," I managed to get out, my voice still unbelievably scratchy.
"Only because I know you'll fight me on it if I don't," he joked, making both of us laugh just a little. "Get some sleep. I'll be back soon." I fell asleep right after Jack left, knowing that I'd definitely wake back up.
"Just die," my Dad said, holding me by my shirt collar. We were in the lodging house, and he was towering over me. "Don't fight it, just fucking die!" He then screamed, throwing me off the bed.
"You don't get to decide for me!" I screamed, only making him angrier.
"Nobody fucking wants you alive! Just go!" He kicked me as hard as he could, causing my body to slam against the wall.
"That's not true!" I continued fighting back, and at this point he was beyond angry.
"Every single person in your life that loved you at some point left because you're absolutely useless. You always get into some sort of trouble and need to be coddled until you're better, only to become a problem again. Just fucking die!" He screamed, repeatedly kicking me.
I quickly sat up, immediately regretting it as horrific pain shot through me. I screamed as it did, hearing heavy footsteps nearing the door. I began to panic more, as I thought my Dad was the one running toward me, causing me to try to back up, which only made the pain worse. My arms felt like they were on fire since I was using them to hold myself up, however I refused to lay back down and relax. The door flew open moments later, and to my relief Jack was the one who had been running to me, not my Dad. He sprinted to the bedside, holding me up as I kept screaming from the pain, but also from terror.
"You're okay, you're okay," he said, holding me tight against his chest. "Hey, ground yourself, look around," before I could try to do as he said, I screamed out in pain once again, sobbing.
"I can't, it hurts," I said through gritted teeth, feeling Jack back up just a little so he could see me. He gently pushed my hair back, smiling sympathetically.
"Just relax, I've got you, you won't fall." He said soothingly, and I allowed myself to do just that, feeling a small bit of relief. "You're safe."
I looked around at the room, checking to see if the usual furniture was there. Obviously it was, and I finally started to calm down. Jack kept playing with my hair, holding me against his chest tight. I continued to calm down over the next few minutes, still feeling immense pain throughout my entire body. One thing that stood out to me, however, was the pain in my left hand.
"Jack, something's wrong," I got out, lifting my left hand. Jack looked at me with concern, looking at my hand, too.
"What's wrong?" He asked, confused.
"Something's wrong with my hand," I stared at my hand as though I didn't recognize it, seeing cuts all over it. "It hurts so bad," I started to cry again, beginning to feel scared.
"Just breathe for a second, alright? I'm gonna help you lay back down, and in the morning I'll have Race take a look. You're stressing yourself out way too much right now." I nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted again. He helped me just as he said, but as he went to get up, I panicked.
"Wait," I said, and he turned to look at me. "Please stay here," I pleaded, and he sighed.
"I don't want to accidentally hurt you," he began, and I teared up right away, feeling unsafe as I thought about him not being beside me.
"Please," was all I said, and he noticed the tears in my eyes. Without further hesitation he pushed the beds together, and I quickly laid up right against him.
"I've got you," he whispered, kissing me on the top of the head. I finally managed to fully relax, falling asleep just minutes later.
When the bell rang it was apparent that the pain in my hand hadn't lessened, and I was back to being weak and barely able to move. Jack started playing with my hair, not trying to wake me up. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, but couldn't bring myself to smile.
"Hand still hurting?" He asked, and I nodded. "Okay, I'll get Race. Are you feeling any better other than that, though?" I shrugged, and could tell he was worried about the fact that I had reverted back to not talking. "I'll be right back, alright?" He got up as slowly as he could, leaving the room.
I laid on my back and stared at the ceiling, starting to feel discouraged about continuing to fight. I quickly managed to put those thoughts out of my mind, though, surprising myself as I did so. Tears slowly began to stream down my face because of the pain, and finally the door opened. I couldn't sit up to look at them, and they wasted no time heading right to my bedside.
"Hey, if we put a couple pillows behind you we could make it so you can sit up just a little but still be able to relax, how does that sound?" Race offered, and I quickly nodded. "Jack, you stay here, I'll go grab some pillows." Jack sat down next to me, noticing the tears on my face.
"Pain?" He asked, and I nodded again. "It'll get better, alright? Just keep fighting." I couldn't help but smile a little, feeling loved. Race then entered the room again, and the two of them put pillows up behind me, helping me to adjust myself so I was comfortable.
"So, what's goin' on?" Race asked, and I looked to Jack, far too weak to do anything.
"His left hand is giving him trouble," he answered for me, and Race nodded, understanding.
"Crutchie, I'm gonna ask you a few questions, but I'll make sure they're all yes and no ones so you can answer easily. It's about exactly how it feels, so Jack can't answer for you. Ready?" He asked, and I nodded. "So, does it hurt as bad as your foot?" I nodded again, and Jack clearly grew upset. "Did it start just last night?" I shrugged, as the pain in my entire body had been so bad before that I wouldn't have been able to tell. "How about this, put your hands side by side, palms up." I did as he said, staring at my hands. "Okay, now close your hands into a fist." As I tried to do just that, I felt my stomach drop while I struggled to move my left hand at all. It was unbelievably shaky, and I could feel Jack change from being upset to being nervous. "I- uh, I'm gonna go get Walter, the guy who helped with your arm. I'll be right back." I kept staring at my hands after Race left, feeling Jack's eyes on me.
"Hey, just breathe," he said quietly. I looked up at him, wanting to sob. "It'll be okay, it's probably just from all the cuts. Don't worry." He tried to reassure me, smiling kindly. The door opened right after, Race and Walter smiling as they walked over to me.
"Tell me what it feels like," Walter asked, studying my hand. I looked to Jack right away, once again indicating that I'd be unable to answer.
"It's hurting him real, real bad," Jack said, and Walter quickly looked to him.
"He's gotta answer for himself," he turned back to me, and my heart began to pound.
"He's way too weak, he can't-"
"You're never too weak to talk. He'll be fine." Walter cut him off, Jack and I exchanging looks while he started studying my hand again. "Now, tell me what it feels like."
"Uhm..." I began, taking a deep breath. "It just really hurts," was all I could get out, and Walter looked me in the eyes again.
"You're gonna need to give me more than that. Describe it." I could still feel Jack's eyes on me, and it took everything in me to not look back at him. "Crutchie, c'mon. I'm not gonna sit here all day, I've gotta earn money." I immediately began to panic, starting to feel like a major burden on everyone in the room.
"I..." I got choked up, feeling overwhelmed.
"Forget it. Try closing your hands into fists," he demanded, and I did as he asked just like I did for Race. "Ah, I think I know what's goin' on." Walter said, standing. We all looked at him, and I could feel my heart pounding while I waited for him to tell us. "I dunno what it's called or whatever, but you know what's going on with your foot?" He asked, and I slowly nodded. "Pretty sure it's happening to your hand, too." He then left without another word, the room going silent. I stared down at my hands for what felt like the millionth time, feeling Jack and Race's eyes on me.
"Hey, it's okay," Jack quickly tried, but deep down he knew it wouldn't help me feel any better. I refused to look at either of them, feeling as though I couldn't breathe.
"He's definitely wrong, your foot is like that because of your Dad never lettin' it heal, right?" Race asked, but I didn't respond. "It won't happen with your hand because we're gonna make sure it heals. It'll be just fine." Tears then slowly began to roll down my cheeks, and Jack moved so he was directly beside me.
"Look at me," he asked, but I shook my head, refusing. "Crutch, please," he begged, but still, it didn't work. "It's going to be okay. We're gonna get through this. I mean, you got through that broken arm a while ago, remember?" He waited for me to say something, but yet again I remained silent. "You're going to be just fine."
"I want to be alone," I mumbled, my hand aching.
"I don't think you should be alone right now, Crutchie," Race said, and Jack nodded.
"Please, just let me be alone for a few minutes, that's all I want." I finally looked up at Jack, knowing he would cave when he saw how upset I was.
"Fine, just five minutes, alright?" They got up and left without another word, and I just waited patiently for the door to close before starting to sob.
Jack's POV
I took a deep breath and started to pace a little, my heart pounding. It felt as though I had something on my chest holding me down, and I couldn't take a full breath. Race put his hand on my shoulder, smiling kindly.
"How about we step outside," he suggested, and I nodded.
We sat down against the wall, staying silent for a short bit while staring straight ahead. Race then looked to me, sighing.
"You okay?" He asked, speaking quietly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I tried my best to convince him, but knew I didn't do a great job. He just continued to look at me for a moment as he waited for me to go on, smiling sympathetically. "I'm just worried," I had to look away from him for a moment while I made sure not to cry, my eyes burning.
"He'll be okay once it starts to heal. Just give him some time." I nodded again, looking at him. "But we should keep a real close eye on him. I don't want him to try hurtin' himself or anything."
"Not like he'd be able to do anything anyway, he can't even hold himself up." I then stood up and pushed my hair back, Race standing just a few seconds later.
"I know, but I just don't want to risk it." I went to open the door, knowing Race was right. "Hey, I'm heading out to sell, but I can keep an eye on him tonight so you can breathe," I smiled at him before heading back inside, putting my ear up against the door to see if he might be crying, but upon hearing nothing I opened the door slowly.
He was still laying on his back as we had left him, his right arm across his body and his head turned to the right. He was clearly asleep, and I couldn't help but smile as he looked peaceful for the first time in days. I sat down in bed as slowly as I could in order not to wake him, grabbing my sketchbook and a pencil. Before I started to draw, though, I turned to look at Crutchie, smiling again. I gently pushed his hair from his face, finally focusing on my sketches.
I was woken up by a bunch of fellas making noise outside, feeling a little disoriented as I hadn't meant to fall asleep. I sat up and looked back at Crutchie, seeing that he was still asleep. Assuming he'd wake up soon, I rushed out of the room to get dinner, hoping that he'd be able to eat again.
It didn't take me long to get the food, and by the time I was back he was awake, still looking to the right. I set the food down on the nightstand, sitting on the edge of the bed on the side he was on. He didn't even acknowledge that I was there, looking broken. I started to play with his hair, knowing he loved when I did that.
"Hey," I said, but he didn't respond. "Do you want to talk?" I asked, and he slowly shook his head. "That's alright. How about you sit up a little and you can eat?" He finally looked at me, sighing.
"Do you think my hand will end up like my foot?" He suddenly asked, nearly at a whisper.
"Absolutely not," I assured him, smiling some more. "We're gonna make sure it heals right and you won't have to worry about it. You're gonna be okay. I promise." He tried to smile back at me, but it was clear he still didn't quite believe me. He then looked to the food on the nightstand, indicating what he wanted. "Here, I'll help you sit up."
We ate in silence, and I felt myself calm down a little as I saw him being able to eat. After he finished he sighed again, pushing his hair back and looking at me.
"I want to shower," he said, giving me his classic puppy-eyes.
"I should help you, though," I quickly added, but he shook his head.
"I'm doing better now, I can do it myself." I hesitated for a moment, debating what I should do. Once I realized how much better it'd likely make him feel to do it by himself, I caved, standing up.
"Alright, but I'm gonna stay at the door again."
I felt relieved as he was able to shower without help or collapsing, only needing me to carry him back to the room. When I set him back in bed he smiled at me, already beginning to fall asleep again.
"Race is gonna come here and sit with you while I shower, okay?" I stood, and he nodded. "Get some sleep, I'll be right back." As if on cue Race opened the door, smiling at the two of us.
"Hey!" He walked over, sitting down on the bed where I had been.
"I won't be long." I then left the room, Crutchie already falling asleep.
Crutchie's POV
I was just about asleep when the door opened, scaring me a bit. I looked over to see Romeo in the doorway, seeming confused.
"Where's Jack?" He asked, out of breath.
"In the shower, why?" Race stood, walking over to Romeo.
"A bunch of fellas are saying Scott, Bobby, and Oscar are outside the building somewhere, and I can't take them on my own. I need either you or Jack." I immediately felt sick to my stomach, and Race looked at me.
"I'll be right back, okay? Just stay here." Race and Romeo then left, and my heart began to pound as I realized they were definitely here because I hadn't died.
I was staring at the door for a few minutes, eventually deciding that I was just being overdramatic and was going to be fine. The moment I started to calm down, though, I heard heavy footsteps that were definitely not Race, Romeo, or Jack's. I held my breath as I listened closely, starting to panic.
"He's in here somewhere, we just gotta check every room," I managed to here Scott say, and I froze with fear.
I could hear them opening each door in the hallway, knowing I didn't have long before they reached me. I then remembered that there was a lock on every bedroom door, and I only had one option. It'd be beyond difficult, but I had to get to the door and lock it before they got to me. My crutch was all the way across the room, resting against the same wall that the door was on. As they grew closer I only got more terrified, finally managing to get up and out of bed. I had to bite my tongue in order not to scream, pain rocketing through me. I was basically hopping, as there was absolutely no way I'd be able to put weight on my right foot.
When I was halfway there the pain became too much, and I crumpled to the floor, still trying not to scream. Tears were streaming down my face, and I was shaking horribly from both the pain I felt, and from trying to walk at all. It was clear they were only a few doors away from me now, and I refused to give up. I began to pull myself across the floor, using only my right arm since my left hand was so hurt. I began to shake worse and worse, desperately reaching out to the doorknob once I was close enough. Finally, I managed to flip the lock, and I collapsing against the door. I then felt them try the door, clearly frustrated when it didn't open.
"We know you're in there, fag! Either you let us in or we'll break down this door!" Scott screamed, and I began to cry harder as I sat there, in unimaginable pain and terrified. They started to kick the door, now beyond angry. I pushed myself slightly to the right so I was off the door, unable to take the feeling of the door being hit against me. Suddenly, I heard them all being tackled to the ground, the kicking stopping.
"Bring them to the fucking police station," I heard Jack say, and I still couldn't stop crying. "Crutch, it's me, can you get to the door and unlock it?" He asked, extremely worried.
"I can't," I sobbed, clutching at my stomach.
"That's okay, just hold on for a second. Anyone have a pocket knife?" Jack asked desperately, and moments later I could hear him unlocking the door with something. Finally, the door flew open, and Jack rushed to my side in a panic. "It's okay, don't worry," he then pulled me against him, calming down. "Just relax, you've pushed yourself enough. I've got you, don't worry." He then lifted me, setting me back in bed gently. "Did you put any weight on your foot or hand?"
"No, I pulled myself with my right hand," I said, taking deep breaths.
"That's good. Just relax," he repeated, laying down next to me. "C'mere," he shifted over so I was against his chest, allowing me to cry into his shirt.
"I didn't know what else to do," I mumbled.
"You did the right thing, don't worry." He reassured me, kissing me on the top of the head. Before I could say anything else there was a knock at the door, grabbing our attention.
"Hey, it's Race," Jack looked to me, backing away a little.
"I'll be right back." He got out of bed and stepped into the hallway, and I tried to listen closely.
"Is he okay?" Race asked immediately, trying to speak quietly.
"He's hurtin' from having to hold himself up, but other than that he's only shaken up. He's calming down, though." I heard one of them sigh, and they paused for a moment.
"I'm so sorry, I left him because Romeo said they were outside so we went to track them down," Race began speaking quickly, clearly upset.
"Race, calm down, it's fine. You were trying to protect him, and you did your best. Stop bein' so hard on yourself." I couldn't help but smile as Jack spoke, since I was worried he'd be upset with Race instead.
"I... I thought you might be mad." He mumbled.
"I could never be mad over you trying to protect him." It went silent once again, and I took a moment to continue calming down a bit more.
"Oh, I brought this to wrap his left hand so he can't move it in his sleep or anything," Race then said, my heart beginning to pound as I grew nervous about the pain I'd feel. I sat up right before the door opened slowly and the two came back in, Jack sitting on his side of the bed while Race sat next to me.
"Are you doing okay?" Jack asked, pushing my hair back for the hundredth time.
"I'm still shaking," I said, and he gently wiped my face dry from tears, smiling.
"Race is gonna wrap that left hand real, real tight, alright?" I nodded, looking down. "I know you can do this. It'll be over before you know it, and if you need to take a break while he wraps it we can, okay?" I looked back up to him now, trying my best to smile. "C'mere," he moved closer to me so I could rest my head against his chest, preparing for what pain I might feel.
"Just nod whenever you're ready," Race said, and I took a deep, shaky breath.
"You can do this," Jack added, and I nodded. Race began to wrap my hand, and due to it being wrapped tighter than he ever wrapped my foot, it hurt far, far worse. I immediately tensed up and had to bite my lip to not scream, and Jack could tell just how badly it was hurting me, looking at Race. "Hold on," he said, and Race stopped. "Hey, breathe," Jack looked at me, waiting patiently.
"Sorry, I wasn't expecting it to hurt like that," I said, doing my best to take deep, even breaths.
"It's okay, just let us know when you're ready. Take your time." Race said kindly, and only seconds later I nodded again. Race continued, and I had to bite my lip just as I had before.
It felt like hours had gone by before Race finally finished, and he walked out of the room right after. I wasn't sure if he had said anything to me, as I had completely focused on suppressing the pain in both my hand and throughout my body from earlier. Jack helped me to lay down, playing with my hair as I continued to rest.
"I know you might not feel like it right now, but you're so beautiful," Jack whispered, causing me to smile. I turned my head to look at him, unable to respond from how tired I was. "I love you so much. I know you love me back, so you don't need to force yourself to talk," he said, making me laugh a little bit, but also smile more. "Get some sleep, wake me up if you need to." I finally closed my eyes and fully relaxed, falling asleep minutes later.
(word count - 5791)