Mitch was yanked back and fell on the cold floor. He looked up to see the man standing over him.
"Where are you going?" He spat at Mitch.
Mitch let out a sound of fear and shrunk into the floor. The man walls around Mitch and spit on him.
"Fag!" He screamed and kicked him in the stomach.
Mitch was use to getting beat, but it didn't feel good no mater how often it occurred to him.
Scott was witnessing this happening and remembered Avi saying something about a button under the counter that calls the cops silently. He quickly pushed it and tried to distract the man as he was kicking Mitch.
"Sir! Would that be all for your purchase?" Scott yelled, knowing he couldn't take the man in a fight, so took a different approach.
The man ignored him and continued shouting slurs and abusing Mitch. Scott couldn't wait for the cops to come so he ran over to them and dove to the ground.
"Get out of here boy." He said.
"I'm gonna need you to leave, as violence is not one for tolerating!" Scott shouted as he put his body over Mitch's.
Just as Scott finished, they all directed their attention to the doors which were being busted open. The man froze in fear and tried to pull Scott off of Mitch, in hopes of passing for the innocent one.
The cops didn't fall for it and jumped on the man. Scott slowly got off Mitch and and saw the damage that the man made.
Scott kneeled down to Mitch's side and pushed his bangs to the side of his face. He put a hand over his mouth and felt tears welling up in his eyes.
Mitch was closing his eyes with his mouth parted slightly to reveal his bloody mouth. Mitch's chest was rising and falling steadily, and he had a pulse. He had already formed bruises on his face and neck, with blood beginning to dry on his forehead and arms.
Scott watched paramedics running to Mitch to come to his aid. They placed him on a stretcher and wheeled him to the truck.
Just then, Kevin ran in the doors and towards Scott, "What's going on?"
Scott looked at the scene, "Sone guy came in an started beating up on Mitch, can you watch the store I'm going with him go he hospital."
Kevin nodded quickly and watched Scott run outside.
"Can I come with him?" Scott asked quickly.
"Only family and spouse can attend in the ride to the hospital." She said, getting in the back of the car.
Scott thought quickly, "I'm his b-boyfriend."
She looked at him skeptically and moved aside to let him hop in, "Close the door when you get inside."
Scott didn't hesitate to hop inside the vehicle and shut the door. He sat down on his knees beside Mitch and watched as paramedics frantically cut off his clothes.
Scott wasn't sure why he insisted on riding with Mitch to the hospital, but he wasn't sure how Mitch would hold up. Saying he was his boyfriend was the only way to overstep the policy so he did what he had to do.
Scott sent a quick text to his mother and watched Mitch. The people put a rag on his forehead and we're taking his blood pressure.
Mitch was opening up his eyes everyone in a while and squeezing them shut.
"Tell me your name." The lady demanded.
"Mitchell Coby Michael Grassi." He groaned.
Scott was biting his nails and scooted closer to Mitch. He grabbed his hand and tried to feel his pulse on his wrist, making sure it was steady.
The lady continued to ask questions and give him medication to help ease the pain.
Scott felt the car come to a stop and turned around to see people opening up the door and telling them to get out.
Mitch tried to stand up, but the lady gently pushed on his shoulder to make him stay down.
Mitch felt himself being carried and brought to the ground on a gurney. Scott hopped out next and walked with the people pushing Mitch inside.
They said it was unsure how his condition was and he might have a few broken bones.
Scott tried to go into the room where they took Mitch, but was crowded out by doctors. This made Scott even more nervous, but waited outside for results.
~
About an hour later a nurse came out to talk to Scott. She had him sign papers to accept the information and told him Mitch's condition.
She said that Mitch claimed he was fine and didn't need any help. But he had two broken ribs and major bruising all over his body. She said it was so bad because he was extremely underfed and undernourished. Scott was almost in tears for Mitch on how he had gotten beat for no reason.
"You can come and see him." She finished as she disappeared into another room.
Scott slowly got up from the ground and entered Mitch's room. Scott looked at Mitch and hesitantly sat down in a chair.
"How are you feeling?" Scott asked.
Mitch sat up from the covers he was tucked into, "I need to go, I'm fine."
Scott gave a confused looked, "Mitch, you broke two ribs and have major bruising all over. Just sit down and rest."
Mitch shook his head furiously, "I can't I don't have insurance, and my dad won't pay for this!"
Mitch was tearing up at how scared he was that his father would be mad at him for costing him money. He stepped out of the bed and looked it his IV in his arm.
Before Mitch could rip it out, Scott picked him up and set him back in his bed. It surprised Scott how light and bony Mitch was.
"Hey, don't worry about it." Scott said as he set Mitch down.
Mitch grabbed his side and squeezed his eyes shut in pain. He had dried blood smeared all over, and sweat rolling down his face.
"What do you mean?" Mitch asked as he squeezed his side.
"If you don't have insurance I'll take care of it, it shouldn't be too much." Scott whispered.
Mitch shook his head and shuffled up, "Absolutely not, why did you ride in the ambulance anyway?"
"I wanted to see how you would do, you couldn't be here alone." Scott shrugged, "Should I call your parents?"
Mitch shook his head slowly and stared into space. Scott looked at Mitch's bruised face and reached over to get a paper towel and wet it. He walked over to Mitch and started to slowly dab Mitch's cuts.
Mitch looked at Scott and widened his eyes. Scott continued to wipe off the blood and push his bangs to the side.
"Thank you." Mitch whispered.
"For what?"
"Everything." Mitch smiled weakly.
Scott threw away the paper towel and sat down in his chair, "Do you know when your getting out of here?"
Mitch was about to answer when the nurse walked in, "Tomorrow because he's so persistent, but since he is showing high signs of recovering quickly he can leave tonight if a parent signs him out."
Scott nodded and turned to Mitch who was chewing on his lower lip.
"Are you going to call your parents and get you out of here?" Scott asked.
Mitch gulped and met Scotts eyes, "W-well I don't think my dad will want me to be here. And he'll be mad at me so I don't know."
Scott nodded, "Well just have him sign you out and you can come spend the night at my house?"
Mitch smiled widely, "Serious?"
Scott chuckled a little, "Well yeah."
Mitch giggled and reached for his phone, but flinched when he felt his side burn.
Scotts smile dropped and handed Mitch his phone for him.
Mitch dialed his fathers number with shaky hands and held his phone up to his ear.
When his father picked up Mitch could practically smell the alcohol through the phone, "What the fuck do you want."
"Can you maybe sign me out of the h-hospital? It won't take long I promise, I'm s-sorry." Mitch stammered.
Scott looked at Mitch, wondering why Mitch was talking to his dad like that. He took out his phone and contacted his mom about Mitch spending the night. She obviously said it was fine and Scott smiled at how worried she sounded over the phone.
Mitch slowly put his phone down with tears in his eyes.
Scott didn't seem to notice, "Is he coming?"
Mitch slowly nodded and looked at Scott, "He will be here any minute now."
Mitch got up slowly and tried to pick up his items. Scott walked over quickly and made him stop, in fear of him hurting himself.
"How are you not screaming in pain right now?" Scott asked while making Mitch lay back down, "I'll get your stuff."
Scott looked at Mitch, expecting an answer and Mitch just shrugged, "Just doesn't hurt."
Mitch didn't want to tell Scott that he was used to getting beat and breaking his bones, so he just left it at that.
"Considering how skinny yo-" Mitch cut Scott off.
"I'm not that skinny." Mitch snapped.
"You're basically emaciated." Scott stated, placing Mitch's belongings in a bag.
Mitch crossed his arms over his body, "Was that supposed to be a complement?"
Scott shrugged, "You don't look bad, I'm just not sure it's entirely healthy."
Mitch didn't respond and tried to get up again, just to have Scott stop him.
"When your dad gets here then you can get up." Scott stated.
Mitch gave out a puff of air and laid back down, wishing that he wouldn't need to see his father.