Chapter Eight (Vic's POV)
"Ughh..." I sighed at Rick's deep, pained moan as he buried his face against his pillow, breathing heavily. His forehead on fire with a fever, his cheeks flushed and sweat forming down the sides of his face. I set the NyQuil on the tray that I had laid out on the dresser before picking up a glass of water and holding it out to him.
"Here, drink as much water as you can." I said, but Rick turned his face away into the pillow.
"I want my beer." He grumbled into the pillow. I rolled my eyes and set the water down.
"You're not getting any beer for quite a while now. You have the flu. That's what you get for having such terrible hygiene and staying out late in the cold. You're lucky Devin didn't get sick and he's spending the day with his mother." I chided as I picked up the tray.
"Tell Devin to come back here." Rick grunted, peeking at me past the blankets that he'd pulled up to his head. I sighed.
"No, Rick. Just lie there and sleep. I'm heading into town to pick up some more tea and supplies. If you need anything, let Blake know. He's just across the hall, and damn it, Rick, don't hesitate." I added sternly, watching Rick mutter something before the heavy dose of NyQuil seemed to hit him and he slumped on the bed, fast asleep.
I relaxed, watching him for a second.
It seemed like only yesterday he was ten-years-old with the flu and Blake was crying because I had found out. Apparently if they'd gotten sick back at home, they'd get in trouble for it. I never understand that. Rick had insisted he was fine, but bringing him to the doctors proved he had a fever. Blake thought I was going to 'throw Rick in the closet' as he put it- I never, ever asked what that meant and to this very day, I didn't know, nor did I want to.
"He's not sick!" Blake had insisted, his little hands fisting in my sweatpants while Rick coughed and panted, rubbing his throat as he sat on the edge of the doctor's bed.
"Yes, he is, Blake," I had told him gently, "But he won't be for long, all right? He'll get better. I promise. The doctor's going to give him some medicine to make him all better." Blake's blue eyes had welled with tears.
"Uh uh."
"Cut it out, Blake." Rick managed between coughs and Blake had whirled on him to start arguing about what would happen if he was sick, but Rick kept telling him to calm down.
Even now, Rick was hesitant to let me know if he was sick. I usually had to find out about it myself.
And looking at Rick now, it was almost hard to believe he was twenty-five. Tall, dark, and handsome with a pair of shocking blue eyes and a body that could take down any karate master. He looked so small again, just lying there on his mattress and covered with thick blankets and his pillow almost hiding his head as he snored softly.
I smiled faintly and stepped out, shutting the door behind me to see Blake leaning on the wall outside.
"Jeez," I muttered, "Don't scare me like that." Blake rolled his eyes and pushed off the wall.
"Is he all right?" Blake asked. I let out a long breath before pursing my lips and nodding.
"He just needs lots of rest and he drank enough NyQuil to keep him down for more than half the day." I answered. Blake nodded slowly and dropped his arms. I watched his posture relax and I smiled at him.
"He'll be fine. I told him to come to you if he needs anything," I added, watching him just shrug, "Well, anyway. I'm gonna head into town and grab some things. Do me a favor and check on him every so often?"
"Yea."
"Thanks, Blake. I'll be back in a couple hours." I nodded to him and went downstairs to put the dishes away before I went upstairs for a nice, long hot shower. Although I hadn't mentioned it, I planned to stop by Anthony's to apologize about last night. I was feeling embarrassed now by the way I had reacted. I shouldn't have shoved him away like that. He reminded me of Rex when it came to affections.
They just sort of clashed and exploded on you.
I stepped out of the shower, throwing on a pair of jeans and a blue sweatshirt, seeing as it was one of those lazy Saturdays. I ran downstairs, grabbed my wallet and headed out to my car. I pulled out of the driveway and headed down the freeway towards town to pick up my necessities first.
Pictures of last night kept popping into my head, though. I really rather they not because it just made my face feel hot with embarrassment. It wasn't just the fact that I reacted so rudely and childishly, but it was also the fact that I had let Anthony see me naked. I wasn't normally a completely self-conscience person about my body. I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't highly attractive either. I was just plain and that didn't bother me.
I just felt so strange with Anthony staring at me, his hands feeling me everywhere as if he couldn't wait to just-
Oh, for the love of God! Going shopping with a tent in my pants was just going to increase my shame and decrease my self-respect.
"Focus, Vic. Focus." I told myself firmly as I found a parking spot at the super market. I climbed out and headed inside, snatching a cart and pushing it along as I watched the aisles for the things on my mental list. I stopped by the teas, staring up at them, but not quite seeing them.
It was hard to focus with all of this going on.
I had Cherri's Christmas party to think about- which just led my mind to Ace and I tried so hard not to think about him. I was working on falling out of love with Ace, if that made any sense. After last night, I realized...
I couldn't have Ace. I truly, really couldn't. Ace belonged to Cherri and maybe that was best for Ace too. Cherri was sweet and cheerful with a touch of aggression that perfectly matched Ace's and kept him check. They complimented each other perfectly. There was no getting around that.
I just really wish there was the slighest chance that somehow, someway...
"Did you come here to shop or space out?" I almost leapt through the ceiling, instead letting out a rather unmanly gasp, snapping my head to the side to see Ace standing there, staring at the tea with a deadpan look on his face before he glanced at me out the corner of his eye. I quickly composed myself, looking back at the tea.
Why now?
"Uhm. Just need to get things for Rick. He's sick." I answered stiffly, reaching out and mindlessly picking up a carton of lemon drop tea. Ace nodded slowly, leaning on the cart he had behind him that was filled with all sorts of Christmas goodies. I recognized ham, whole potatoes and carrots with a can of peas and at least a dozen bags of rolls.
"Devin mentioned that. I hope he's all right."
"Just the flu, but with the amount of NyQuil he's taken, he'll be better in time for the Christmas party. I take it that's why you're shopping? Is Cherri with you?" I asked, avoiding eye contact as I placed the tea in the basket on my arm. I could feel Ace staring at me as I kept my back to him, pretending to look for another type of tea.
I shouldn't be avoiding him. He's still my friend.
The friend that I'm head over heels in love with and fantasized about almost every night.
Oh God, now I just sound like some kind of pervert or stalker. No wonder he doesn't even have the slighest bit of feelings for me. I was a freak of nature.
"Cherri sent me here alone. She said it's easier to shop if there's just one person. She should've come herself, though," Ace muttered dryly, "I don't know a thing about shopping for these sorts of things." I blinked and looked at him now, abandoning all my negative thoughts at the mention of shopping for food.
"You don't?" I asked. Ace blushed. He actually blushed and averted his eyes, tapping his finger on the bar of his cart impatiently.
"I don't cook. I only know how to make instant coffee. I'm an office worker, not a chef." He responded in irritation. I smiled anyway. Goddamn it, Ace Carter, stop making yourself more attractive. You're lucky I have good self-control, otherwise, I'd be drooling right now. That and the fact that I was just too old for this sort of behavior.
Come on, Vic. Calm down. He just needs help shopping for food and who better to do that than you? It'll be fun anyway.
"Well, first of all," I said slowly, walking to his cart and picking up the peas, "These aren't the kind you want. They're far too mushy to use when you're making a vegetable casserole. You need to buy the frozen kind. Here, follow me." I was surprised to hear him pushing the cart along and following me to the freezer section.
I stopped in front of the frozen vegetables, reaching in and taking out a large package of frozen mixed vegetables, handing it over.
"This will save you money too since it has more than one vegetable. Peas, carrots, broccoli. And they're on sale too, so just grab a couple bags of these and put the other things away. Including the potatoes. You bought the wrong kind for mashed potatoes." I advised. Ace looked at the frozen veggies before glancing at me, lifting a brow.
"You must cook a lot." He pointed out as he took another package out of the freezer. I mentally used the cold air hitting my face as an excuse for why my cheeks pinkened.
"It's a hobby of mine."
"You good at it?"
"I'd like to think so."
"You think you could cook instead of Cherri?" Ace asked. I blinked and looked at him in surprise. You'd think he'd want to eat his own wife's cooking. I'm sure Cherri wasn't awful at cooking a Christmas dinner. Although, the look on his face told me Cherri wasn't good at cooking anything that didn't have directions on the back.
"I don't want to impose..." My voice trailed as Ace waved his hand at me in dismissal.
"No imposition. I'm inviting you to save our Christmas dinner. Cherri's not bad, but she's gonna have a hell of a time impressing guests if she can't cook a ham without setting it on fire."
"If she's all right with that."
"Who's idea do you think it was? So, what kind of potatoes do I need for this then?"
"Over here." I ended up leading him all over the store to not only take back the wrong ingredients for the food, but also to grab the best that were also on sale too. By the time we reached the check out counter, Ace looked relieved that his wallet wasn't wiped out.
"So. How was your date last night?" Ace asked suddenly as we bagged up the products. I stiffened for a second and glanced at him, but he was shoving things in bags and tossing them in the cart a tad carelessly.
I was wondering if he was doing the same with conversation too. We both knew he wasn't really interested. He couldn't possibly be. Ace had only just recently begun to accept that his sons were in relationships with men. How could he possibly get used to me being in a relationship with another man?
Was I even in a relationship with Anthony? Not really.... After all, we only went on one date and we just met and I had already screwed up in running out on him. I still needed to apologize and I made a mental note to stop by there on the way home, even though my gut twisted at the thought.
"Fine." I answered him at last, returning to bagging everything before I had my two bags on my arms and Ace's pile of bags in his cart, ready to wheel out to his truck.
"Just fine? Did you eat out?" Ace asked as we headed outside together, the sliding glass doors blasting a cold winter wind at us. Little snowflakes danced and fluttered around us as cars drove through the slushy parking lot. The sky was gray again with only the faintest bit of sunlight peeking out.
Even though it was freezing outside, I felt warm as I walked beside Ace as he pushed his cart through the gray slush toward his truck. I was thankful my car was just a row past his so it didn't seem like I was following him on purpose.
"Yea."
"Where at?"
"Uhm. That restaurant on the corner of 67th and 8th."
"Pierre's?"
"Yea."
"Wow, that's fancy. He must really like you." Something about the way he said that made me look at him as he opened his passenger door rather roughly, turning around to grab his groceries without looking at me. Why was he trying to make conversation with me if he wasn't going to look at me? Did I disgust him that much or did I say something that ticked him off?
"I don't know." I responded numbly., ready to head to my car, but Ace paused his vigorous packing to glance at me.
"You guys went to dinner and go to a movie or something?"
"No. Just back to his place."
"Oh." Ace went back to packing his things up again before slamming his door shut and turning to look at me. I didn't look directly at him, although, it was very tempting. I could see a muscle working in his jaw, his icy eyes staring almost right through me and his dark hair brushing over his eyes in the wind before he shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
"Well, glad things went well," He said at last, his breath coming out in clouds, "I'll be sure to let Cherri know. I hope Rick gets better." I nodded.
"Thanks. All right, see ya later."
"Bye, Vic." I turned away from him and headed to my car, feeling like my heart was going to explode into a million pieces as I got behind the wheel. I blasted the heat, blowing on my hands as I watched Ace get in his truck and pull out of the parking lot, almost rocketing down the street in a way that would've had him fish-tailing if it weren't for the bare spot of snow and ice where the turning lane was.
I sighed.
It didn't matter how much I tried. Maybe Ace never would accept the fact that I prefered men over women. I don't know why I kept hoping. It did nothing, but sting even more.
I shook my head and drove out of the parking lot, turning the opposite way toward Anthony's house. I had something more important to do anyway.
I had to apologize to Anthony for last night. There was no way I could live with that on my conscience. He was probably upset that I bolted on him. Although, it wasn't entirely my fault. He just scared me. I mean, telling me he loves me on a first date? That's so weird. I had never actually been on a date before, but even I know that's just not how things work.
I liked Anthony, don't get me wrong. He was very sweet, understanding, and he listened so well. He wasn't judgemental in the least and he was honset. He was cute too. I just didn't feel as strongly for him as I did for Ace, and I hated myself for that.
Why couldn't I just fall in love with Anthony instead? At least he'd like me back and treat me good, right? I guess I was just a sick masochist or something. I groaned and hit my head on the wheel as I came to a red light, mentally cursing myself.
I had the self-esteem of a teenaged girl.
Moments later, I pulled up at Anthony's house, but I stopped when I saw a Hummer sitting almost parked on the snowy lawn. My stomach dropped in recognition. It was the Hummer that belonged to that kid yesterday, the one who blew up about Anthony.
Now that I thought about it, that situation was far too fishy to ignore, right? The way he described Anthony, though, wasn't the Anthony I knew. And Anthony did mention that the student had mistaken his attention for affection, so maybe the student was in the wrong. Or I'm just hopeful so I don't end up getting mentally smacked.
I sighed and forced myself to get out of the car, heading up to the door. I paused before I gently rapped my knuckles against the door. I waited, hearing a crash from inside, then yelling. This time, I stepped away from the door to avoid the student who came flying out the door. Instead of a suit, he wore a loose wool coat that was sliding off his slender bare shoulders, his shirt sliding along with it as well as his baggy black jeans.
"Ugh!" Was all he gasped in disgust before his eyes landed on me and turned to daggers.
"You again? I thought I told you to shove off. He's not avaliable." He snapped at me. I didn't know what to say and just stared at him, feeling a heat of embarrassment hit me enough to keep me from freezing as Anthony came to the door, wearing a disheveled gray t-shirt and matching plaid pajama pants that also looked a bit low on his hips.
Even I could recognize what I had interrupted.
Another flare of heat rushed through me and I wanted to vanish. I knew this was a bad idea, I should've stayed on the free way and went straight home. I should've taken my time shopping with Ace...
"Vic! What're you doing here?" Anthony asked, perplexed. Seriously? Is that all he had to say?
"I honestly don't know. Good-bye." I replied quickly and started down the steps when I heard him hurriedly putting his shoes on while the student scoffed.
"You're kidding me! You're not seriously going to forget about me for him? Anthony! You promised!" He cried desperately. I ignored them both as I went straight to my car, fumbling for my keys.
Gotta get home. Get home. Cook lunch, bake cookies for the hell of it, watch a little television and just go to bed.
"Vic, wait! Please, let me explain this whole mess." Anthony pleaded as he crunched through the snow to come up beside me on the road. I finally got my keys out, glancing out the corner of my eye to see the student still standing on the porch, watchng with those same angry dark eyes.
I actually felt sorry for him. He was practically oozing abandonment and hurt from Anthony ignoring him and rushing after me. I should've been pleased, but I wasn't.
"No need." I told Anthony as I shoved my keys into the lock.
"Yes, there is!" Anthony took my hands and jerked them away from the car, making me drop the keys in a slushy mess below. I gasped in frustration and whirled to glare at Anthony, who was looking at me pleadingly, still holding my hands tightly in his hot grip.
"Vic, it's just... After last night, I didn't think you'd come back. I thought you hated me."
"So you called up your student because you wanted to let out all the pent up frustration. Amazing. You really are a great teacher, aren't you?"
"You don't have to get sarcastic."
"Who said I was being sarcastic?" I mocked in irritation. I hadn't been this mad since Ace and Rex were arguing in my kitchen during the snow storm and the same white hot rage was welling up inside of me. I wanted to hit this guy in the head with a freaking crowbar.
Despite those attractive dimples and pretty hazel eyes, that strong jaw and his gorgeous dark hair that fell in messy locks down the sides of his face.
Ugh, why'd he have to be so attractive?
"Vic, I just figured you wouldn't want me anymore."
"I never said that."
"No, but your eyes did."
"Oh, please."
"It's true! I'm sorry if I was going too fast, I can't help feeling deeply for you. The moment I saw you, I wanted to be with you. You're so kind and gentle and smart. I've never met anyone else like you. I really want another chance."
"Another chance?! I'm not stupid! I come over here to apologize about last night and you were already sleeping with someone! And not just anyone, but a student?! That's wrong, Anthony!"
"I know! I don't know what I was thinking and I'm terribly sorry. I know what I did was awful. I just didn't think you'd-"
"You want me to give you another chance? Maybe you should've given me one first and we wouldn't be in this mess. Now let go of me, I'm going home." I snapped, jerking my hands away from him and stooping down, snatching up my keys. I threw open my car door, not caring whether it hit Anthony or not as I got in. I went to close the door, but Anthony grabbed it and stopped me from closing it.
"Let go!" I ordered.
"Not until you give me another chance! Tonight at eight! Let me cook for you! Or, even better, we can cook dinner together! I'll buy things so we can make shrimp stir-fry! I'll buy champagne or wine or Budlight, whichever you'd like!" Anthony spoke quickly. I paused to give him a hard stare.
No, Vic. Don't do it. Something's wrong with him. He's strange, and he's breaking the law by having a relationship with one of his students. And he never said he'd break up with said student for you, who is, by the way, waiting on the porch to continue his business upstairs. The thought sent another hot flash of anger coursing through me.
"I don't trust you." I stated. Anthony looked hurt, his dimple disappearing as he cocked his head in a puppy dog manner.
"Victor, please, let me try again. I promise that I won't do anything to upset you. We don't have to do anything physical. I'll keep a distance."
"And the student?"
"He'll be off my property in the next five minutes."
"I'm not leaving until he is." I answered sternly. Anthony looked conflicted. Without a doubt, we were both thinking that as soon as he backed away from my car, I'd be squealing out of here faster than Jeff Gordan. At the same time, something was nagging at me at the back of my mind.
I was being really harsh about this. It's not Anthony's fault I was in a foul mood, not exactly anyway. I had done it to myself. I was also asking him to choose between the student and myself, even though legally, he shouldn't go after a student...
"I won't leave." I said at last. Anthony seemed hopeful.
"Really?"
"Yes. Now... Just... Please make him go away." I said softly, feeling a pang of pain hit me as I said it, watching Anthony nod a little too eagerly before running to the student, who threw his hands up in disbelief. I couldn't hear what they were saying since I had closed my car door, but the student was staring at Anthony with a look of pain etched onto his face.
The entire time, Anthony was calm and gentle, even putting his hands on the boy's arms. The student started sobbing at some point and I felt even worse.
Why did I have to get caught up in this mess? I should've just left. I wanted to leave right now. It didn't take long to fire up the engine and blast off, but I'd feel even worse for leaving Anthony when I promised not to.
I sighed and slumped in my seat, closing my eyes and waiting for Anthony to run up to my car, tapping on the window. I blinked and looked up, watching the Hummer pull away quickly, splashing slush across the yard. Anthony ignored him and just smiled at me as I rolled my window down.
"Problem solved." He answered. I frowned.
"No. Not yet. Make sure that you're ready at eight." I said. Anthony blinked, then beamed even wider, revealing those lovely dimples of his.
"Right. Eight 'o' clock sharp! I'll be seeing you then, Vic. Don't forget!"
"I won't. Good-bye, Anthony." I said quietly, watching as Anthony shivered at the cold and ran up to his house. I rolled up the window and started the engine, trying not to see eager to escape.
I can't believe this is happening to me. I just wanted a simple little date with Anthony and then it leads to this whole mess of trouble. I could only hope that this was the last I'd see of it. I just wanted to be happy. Was that so much to ask? I should've ignored Anthony, went home, and continued to dwell on Ace.
Oh, what the hell.
No matter what I was thinking about, it always led back to Ace.
I tried not to melt in my seat at the redlight as I pictured Ace in my head. I really shouldn't be doing this, especially while driving, but I couldn't help it. He was attractive. His dark, dark hair and icy cold blue eyes that reminded me of icicles. His perfect face, perfect body.
My mind went back to the time he hugged me. I shivered, remembering the warm, protective feeling of having his arms around me. I sighed and tilted my head, closing my eyes as I imagined myself holding him back. I wanted to feel the muscles taut in his back and shoulders, his hot bare skin on my fingertips. His lips...
A car honking behind me made me gasp and jerk upright in my seat, catching sight of the green light before me. I quickly hit the gas, shooting through the intersection and continuing on my way.
Yea, bad idea to fantasize in the car. Not only was I embarrassed, but my groin was aching something awful.
Fantastic.
I pulled up into the driveway and got out, grabbing my things and heading inside. I walked in and paused, hearing Danny gasping from the living room. I cocked a brow, frowning as I slid my shoes off and went to the living room, pausing at the corner to see Blake pinning Danny down on the sofa, his hands creeping up Danny's shirt and pinching at his nipples. His mouth was latched onto Danny's throat like a leech as he sucked and licked. I twitched.
"Achem." I cleared my throat loudly and heard Danny cry out, clamping his knees on Blake's waist before scrambling away and falling off the end of the sofa with another desperate, surprised cry. I watched Blake sit up right, his back to me. Even so, I could see his muscles flexing and his jaw tightening.
"You're home." He deadpanned after a moment as Danny scrambled on the floor, sitting with his legs locked together. He awkwardly pulled at the hem of his CatDog t-shirt, nibbling his lower lip and avoiding my eyes.
"Yes. And I'm so glad you two are bonding, but I'd really appreciate it if you did your love making upstairs and not on furniture that we have guests use." I responded dryly. Blake shrugged, sliding off the sofa and folding his hands behind his head casually.
"We were gonna clean up after." He offered.
"Oh god." Danny moaned, burying his face in his hands. I could see the red of his blush rising all the way to the tips of his ears. Blake smirked, then sighed, dropping his arms.
"All righty, come on, Danny. We'll go upstairs and finish." He said, reaching down and heaving Danny to his feet. Danny stumbled a little and wiggled away, still blushing a beet red.
"What'd you mean finish?! You asshole, you just embarrassed me! You have to spend the rest of your life making it up to me!"
"Exactly. Now let's go upstairs so I can do that."
"No! I meant- Oh, never mind! I'm gonna take a shower." Danny snapped, brushing past me quickly as he made for the stairs. Blake was right on his tail, swiftly catching up to the Carter twin.
"I'll join you." He replied. Danny winced, turning even redder. If that was even possible. He waved his hand dismissively at Blake as he hurried up the stairs.
"No!" He yelled over his shoulder. Blake was catching up to him and I heard a loud crash as Blake practically smacked into Danny, causing them both to hit the floor. I sighed, listening to them scramble before the sound of a door slamming followed and I made my way back to the kitchen to make the tea for Rick.
Not two seconds later did the phone ring and I snatched it up.
"Hello?"
"Vic," It was Cherri, sounding as cheerful and bubbly as always, "It's Cherri! How're you doing? Ace said you helped him at the grocery store today. Thanks so much. That man is the worst shopper in the world." I couldn't help myself from smiling.
"No problem, Cherri. It was my pleasure."
"Uh, so did Ace mention to you? About Christmas?"
"Ah, yes. Is that all right with you? I don't want to take your duties away or anything."
"No problem at all! I'd be happy! It'll give me a chance to go out and grab some last minute things. Ace can start rearranging everything too. I hope you don't mind me leaving you two alone that morning. I don't want to make things awkward..." Her voice trailed and I could just imagine her chewing on her lip.
"No, it's fine," I replied calmly, "I'd be happy to help, Cherri. What time did you want me over?"
"Is eight too early for you?"
"Not at all."
"All right, awesome! I'm so glad you're doing this, Vic. I really appreciate it. I feel like such an awful wife sometimes. I can't do anything right."
"Oh, don't say that. You're a wonderful person, Cherri. Ace is lucky to have you."
"You're so nice, Vic. Oh! That reminds me. Ace told me about your date last night, but he was so vague about it. Can you eleborate more, eh? Like, where did you go for dinner? Ace said he took you back to his house! Did you guys, uhm, talk?"
Talk. Right. Talk is another word for 'sex' in the female language.
"It was just fine. A casual date. We went to the restaurant on the corner of 67th and 8th, then went back to his place just to chat and then I left."
"Just chat?"
"Yes, Cherri, just chat."
"Oh! You are so shy, Vic! Just jump him already!"
"Cherri!" Man, she was nuts sometimes.
"What? I'm serious! You need a good strong man to support you, Vic. Someone who'll pay attention to you and show you what real love is." Cherri chided, and just went on and on. Meanwhile, I was finishing Rick's tea and cocking my head to keep the phone between my shoulder and ear. The whole time, I was wondering when she'd shut up. I wasn't being mean, I just wish she'd leave my love life alone.
Besides, she was the one with the attentive, real loving husband. The one I wanted.
I mentally cursed myself for the pang of jealousy and sighed into the phone.
"All right, Cherri. Well, I'll see you on Tuesday. I gotta take some tea up to Rick."
"Aw, all righty. I hope Ricky gets better! Tell him that! Talk to ya later, Vic!"
"Bye." I hung up and took a tray with tea and some toast before heading up stairs to Rick's room. I heard a thump from Blake's room and rolled my eyes as I drifted past and gently knocked on Rick's door, but I got no answer. I frowned and pushed the door open, peeking into the darkness of his room.
"Rick?" I asked quietly and turned on the lights. I received a moan of pain and discomfort from the lumpy pile of blankets on the bed. I closed the door behind me and went to the bed, setting the tray down and pushing some of the blankets and pillows away. Rick was curled up in a fetal position, wheezing and gripping at his chest.
"Rick, are you all right? What's wrong?" I questioned immediately, worry flooding me as Rick coughed a wet, phlemy cough. His face was flushed red, sweat creating a dark patch on his shirt as he coughed.
"Ugh." Was his response. I immediately pushed some of the blankets back and put my hands on either side of his face. His face was burning up and he was wheezing.
"Rick, where does it hurt?" I asked immediately. Rick shook his head, pulling away from me and flopping back on the bed.
"Rick, what's wrong? Can you tell me what's wrong? If you don't, I'm taking you to the hospital." I threatened.
"My lungs." He managed at last. I frowned and leaned down, brushing his sweaty hair away from his face.
"What'd you mean your lungs? Can you breath?" I asked. Rick shook his head vigorously before coughing, squeezing his eyes shut.
"My chest hurts."
"All right," I said quickly, leaping to my feet and rushing to grab his coat before coming back, "Get your coat on, we're going to the hospital."
"I'm fine!" Rick argued, but he curled up tighter, his fists pressing against his chest as he shivered.
"You're not. Get up, we're going to the hospital right now."
"I can't." Rick managed. Panic welled up inside me as I hurriedly helped Rick sit up. I had to push his arms through the sleeves as he coughed and trembled. I put my arm around him to help him stand and he stumbled a little. I cursed as I realized I couldn't do this alone. I helped Rick sit again before I rushed out into the hallway.
"Blake! Blake, get your coat on right now!" I yelled. I heard a couple of thumps and a crash before Blake came to his door in irritation wearing only a pair of pajama pants.
"What-"
"Rick needs to go to the hospital right now. Come on." I commanded. Blake's eyes widened for a split second before he informed Danny of the situation while at the same time getting dressed. In seconds, both of them were coming to Rick's bedroom. He was slumped over, his arms tensed and pressing against his chest.
"Fucking christ..." He managed shakily.
"It's all right, Rick, we're going to the hospital, but we need you to try and stand up just until we get to the car, okay? Can you do that?" I asked worriedly. Rick just gave a feeble nod. Blake and I shared quick looks before we hooked our arms around Rick, helping him to his feet with Danny throwing open doors ahead of us the entire way. I had Blake get in the back seat with Rick while Danny got in the passenger seat and I hit the gas as we fled the driveway.
I looked in my rearview to see Rick panting for air, gripping his chest as he lay on his side, his head in Blake's lap. Blake looked pale and his expression was etched with worry. I pressed harder on the gas as we shot toward the hospital.
We pulled up in a matter of seconds at the emergency room and stumbled in with Blake and I holding Rick.
"We need a doctor!" Almost immediately, a couple of nurses and a doctor rushed over with a stretcher, laying Rick down across it as he kept trying to claw at his chest, but they strapped his arms down. I felt panic rising again as I rushed after the stretcher.
"Blood pressure is dropping. Breathing has increased. We need to get him oxygen immediately." The voices of the nurses seemed to blend together and I wanted to follow them into the room, but a nurse held me back.
"We're going to have to have you stay out here, sir."
"But-"
"He'll be fine, just let the doctors handle this. We'll need you to fill out these papers and give us a detailed description of his condition." She told me. Everything she said went over my head and I was still worried as hell, practically feeling it as an ache in my chest as I returned to the waiting room with Blake and Danny, who just looked at me with ashen faces before dropping into the seats beside me.
I didn't fill out the papers and just buried my face in my hands, trying to swallow the lump in my throat.
Rick... Please, be okay, please...