Ambulance sirens sounded in the warm summer night air as light rain began to fall all around the shocked truck driver…
He stared numbly over at the car afraid to look in…
He was sure they were dead.
<How could anyone hope to survive a crash like that?>
Ambulance crew swarmed around the accident spot like flies…
Talking to each other in calm and exact voices, saying things he knew were in English but that he couldn't hope to comprehend at that moment.
A hand reached out to the truck driver who was standing there staring as the people were removed from the destroyed vehicle, he glimpsed the woman and his hand shot up to his mouth.
One side of her face was grazed down to the bare pink under layer of skin and muscle and blood so much blood…
Her face was stuck in a mask of shock and fear…
A fragment of her last moments on this earth…
There was no way she was still alive.
"Are… Are they okay…?"
The truck drivers eyes were fixed on the woman, the paramedic led the man away from the crash site to the back of an ambulance.
"We'll need to get them to the hospital before we know."
The truck driver took his cap off and ran his hand through his blonde hair.
"Come on don't give me that shit… You know if they're… Dead or not…"
His hands started to shake and tears started to fall from his eyes.
"She even didn't see me coming she just charged out in front of my truck…"
The dark haired ambulance driver nodded wrapping a blanket around the young blonde haired man.
"Accidents like this happen… It's not your fault, everything will be okay."
The dark haired man handed the blonde man water.
"Try and drink a little… It'll make you feel better… What's your name?"
Rain was pouring down now the blonde was looking out from the back of the ambulance at car head lights turning around to find another route as police closed off the road they were on.
"Demyx… My name is Demyx…"
The dark haired paramedic smiled kindly at him.
"Nice to meet you Demyx my name is Zexion and I'll be looking after you okay?"
The blonde man nodded dully.
"O-Okay…"
Zexion moved around the ambulance collecting different items, checking Demyx's eyes for dilation and other signs of shock.
Demyx sat looking out at the road and the rainfall.
<I've possibly just killed someone… And this guy is dancing around me like I deserve to be looked after…>
The dark haired man smiled sympathetically at Demyx and sitting down beside him looked him in the eyes.
"Okay Demyx, we're gonna have to take you into hospital just to keep an eye on you, is that okay? Do you have a next of kin we should inform?"
The blonde's face slowly lowered to look at his shoes his light hair was dripping rain drops onto his jeans.
"Yeah that's fine and no, no next of kin…"
Zexion nodded at him and helping him into one of the seats in the back of the ambulance nodded at the driver…
Another member of the ambulance crew closed the doors on the back of the ambulance and climbed into the front next to the driver who switched the sirens on and started to drive quickly up the road.
Demyx looked out of the front of the ambulance and glimpsed the front of his truck and the car wedged into the front of it…
The people who were in that car were long gone…
Their blood stained the windscreen of the car they were driving and the ground around it…
Their blood was running in the rainwater…
Demyx swallowed hard suddenly feeling nauseous, Zexion was keeping a close eye on him and handed him a brown bag which after gagging several times the blonde vomited into.
Fever dreams invaded Roxas' sleep…
He kept seeing his parents and himself together, he and Sora were very young…
Maybe 5 or 6 years old…
But Sora kept running away from them…
Afraid and crying, like he didn't know who they were…
He kept trying to catch to his brother and just hold him for a moment, all he wanted was enough time to apologise…
But Sora could not be caught…
Even when he tried to cry out after him Roxas realised in horror that he had no voice to shout out with…
The young brunette kept looking back but running forward…
He ran through some trees into a forest and Roxas just kept running after him…
The longer they ran for, the darker the forest seemed to get…
Until a blinding light burst from nowhere and Sora darted towards it…
Roxas desperate to get his brother to recognise him, ran after him…
Sora's voice could be heard screaming…
It was a blood curdling sound.
Roxas stopped dead allowing his eyes to adjust to the light…
Only to find himself on a cliff ledge at the edge of the pitch black forest…
With his twin brother screaming falling to his death below him.
Roxas awoke with a start and sat up in bed.
"Sora!"
Sweat was running down his face and chest…
He was wearing clean smelling flannel pyjamas in a white hospital ward, he blinked a few times to let his eyes adjust.
Looking around himself he could see the bright flowers on his bedside table…
It was either sunrise or sunset, the partially lit up sky on the horizon through the window in his room told him that much.
There was a window on the other side of the room too, which looked out onto the nurses station…
A nurse walked into the somewhat dark room when she saw him sitting up.
"Hello Roxas, how are you feeling?"
The blonde blinked a few more times feeling his head pound.
"Like shit… My heads pounding…"
He sounded hoarse and his mouth felt like he hadn't drank anything in days.
The nurse nodded taking notes on a notepad.
"You have the headache because you're dehydrated dear… Do you remember vomiting?"
The blonde thought back and remembered hazy details.
"I think so…"
"You're going to need to intake a lot of fluid to replace what you lost from that… Okay?"
The blonde nodded in understanding.
"Do you want me to get you anything?"
Roxas looked down at his hands bound to the bed.
"Water please…"
The nurse nodded and set off to get Roxas water.
The blonde sighed and lay back against the pillows closing his eyes hard against the world trying to dull the pain in his head.
A nurse arrived up to the station outside Roxas room.
"Who here is in charge of a young male patient named Roxas?"
The nurse returning with the water in her hand answered.
"I am…"
The woman motioned to her to come into an empty room…
Glaring white lights welcomed her into the room, she clicked the door closed behind her knowing that this must be important.
"What's wrong?"
The nurse looked at the woman like she'd roused her from some kind of trance.
"I'm not quite sure of what we should do yet… But you're looking after him so I think it's best you know…"
Zexion helped Demyx out of the ambulance.
"Would you like a chair? If you're not feeling okay we can wheel you up."
The blonde shook his head still feeling a little woozy.
"I'm fine… I can walk…"
The dark haired man regarded him with concern.
"Are you sure?"
Demyx nodded but his legs were getting weak…
They walked towards the elevator, Zexion was keeping a close eye on the blonde man…
<He's quickly losing colour from his face and that usually means…>
Fast as lightning Zexion caught Demyx before he hit the floor.
<They're going to faint…>
"Can I get a trolley over here please?"
A nurse wheeled a trolley over and helped Zexion lift Demyx off the floor onto the wheeled bed.
"Zexion! Another 911 call… We need you out here."
The dark haired man looked at Demyx on the bed and quickly checked his heartbeat and breathing.
<He'll be okay…>
Zexion turned to the pink haired male nurse who helped him get Demyx onto the trolley.
"He's been in an accident, I don't think he's injured… But check him out just in case… Oh and keep him comfortable he's suffering from shock and he's been vomiting… Thanks!"
The pink haired male nodded and wheeled Demyx into the elevator as Zexion looked over his shoulder making his way back out to the ambulance.
<Professionalism Zexion… Don't get personally involved…>
Jumping into the back of the ambulance he watched the hospital shrink out of sight as they sped off towards the site of another accident.
Roxas shook his head slowly trying to keep his focus…
<I tried to kill myself… Mom and Dad must have kicked the door in… I didn't succeed… This isn't heaven or hell… Sora isn't here…>
A pain stabbed through his heart as he thought about his brother.
<What do I have to do…? Will I ever see you again?>
The sun started to rise over the horizon signifying that it was early morning making his room fill up with orange light.
Tears fell down Roxas cheeks as he lay there feeling helpless, hopeless and strapped up…
He felt as useful as a bird with clipped wings, he still wanted what he wanted before this, but now that he was in hospital, he wasn't even free to pursue it…
Unable to wipe his eyes he just let the tears roll freely down his cheeks and leave wet stains on his clean crisp pyjamas…
The sun was lighting the room up in burnt orange illuminating the tears he cried as they fell, making them look pretty maybe even pleasant, in ironically stark opposition to what he was feeling.
Sora sat up again in bed shaking his head…
The redhead sat up too.
"What's on your mind baby? You haven't slept all night…"
The brunette bunched the covers up in his hands.
"… Ever just get the feeling something isn't right…?"
Axel nodded.
"I've had that feeling once or twice…"
Standing up from the side of the bed Sora grabbed their house phone.
"I'm going to call home… Just to make sure everything's okay…"
The redhead yawned widely.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
The brunette shrugged.
"I'll just hide our house number…"
"As long as you're sure baby…"
Sora left the bedroom in his boxer shorts with the house phone in his hand, it was trembling even though it wasn't a cold morning…
Pacing the floor as the sun started to rise he held the phone in his hand and dialled in his parent's house number.
<I'll just stay on until someone answers… Ask a few questions and hang up…>
He took a deep breath as the ringing tone started…
And continued…
And continued…
Then finally went to the message minder…
*Hey this is…*
Sora hung up, wondering if they were all just asleep.
<It is pretty late… I mean they could be in bed…>
But something in his gut and his heart said differently.
Dialling a second time he waited…
And waited…
By the fifth time with no answer Sora started to panic.
<Someone would be awake by now… Definitely… Unless they're on holiday? No mom and dad only went away a while ago… Why would they be away again…?>
Nothing was adding up…
Wide awake now he ran a hand through his hair wondering what could be done…
His head was creating more and more horrible scenarios by the second…
He needed to get in contact with his family somehow…
Axel walked into the living room where he found Sora with his knees pulled up to his chest on the sofa with tears in his eyes.
The redhead still in his boxer shorts too put his arm around Sora's shoulder.
"Did you get through?"
The brunette shook his head from side to side gazing straight in front of him tears slowly spilling from his eyes as the rising sun started to illuminate their apartment…
"Well what do you want to do?"
The brunette's tears spilled down his cheeks as a barely audible whisper left his lips.
"I don't know…"
"Ugh…"
Demyx blinked his eyes open to the bright sunrise…
He shut them again…
Seeing the light imprinted on the back of his eyelids…
<I must have passed out…>
Holding up his hand to block out the light he surveyed the room he was in…
White, white, white…
And clinical as hell…
Except for a bunch of summer flowers on his bedside table…
<Who put those there…? Unless it's just something they do in this hospital…>
Sitting up slowly his face flushed red to find Zexion the paramedic from earlier asleep in the chair at the end of his bed.
The pink haired male nurse walked into Demyx's room smiling.
"Hey there! You feeling better?"
The blonde scratched the back of his head slowly.
"A little better… Yeah…"
His mind suddenly flashed back to the accident, his face became slightly paled and his lips turned down into a frown.
The pink haired nurse looked at him in concern.
"What's wrong? Is there anything I can get you or do to make you feel better?"
Demyx swallowed away the sudden guilty lump in his throat.
"A-Actually… I wondered if… You could find out… The people I crashed into last night… A… Are they okay?"
Zexion snored suddenly catching Marluxia's attention the pink haired man raised an eyebrow at his presence.
<What's he doing here? He was supposed to be off hours ago…>
Turning his attention back to Demyx he nodded smiling.
"Of course I'll get that information for you as soon as I can. Meanwhile would you like me to get ZEXION out of your room?"
He emphasized the dark haired paramedic's name making him jump awake all of a sudden.
"Huh…?"
Wiping his eyes he found himself staring into the faces of an extremely unimpressed looking Marluxia and a rather flushed and confused Demyx.
Seeing the blonde awake and staring at him his cheeks flushed slightly pink and he stood up.
"Uhm… Uh… Sorry… I was just gonna take a quick nap and I guess time got the better of me…"
The pink haired male looked Zexion up and down and turned back to face Demyx.
"I'll get that information as soon as I can for you sweetie, by the way if you need anything else my name is Marluxia."
Winking at the blonde making him flush a dark red the pink haired nurse exited the room leaving Zexion and Demyx alone again.
The dark haired male swallowed hard searching for anything to say but the blonde broke the awkward silence with an even more awkward question.
"So… Why did you stay here?"
Zexion was entirely caught off guard.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay…"
Demyx looked at him oddly.
"So… Is this something you do with all of your patients?"
The blonde motioned at the flowers.
"And one more question… Are… These from you?"
Zexion looked lamely at the flowers and a realisation sparked in his mind.
<Marluxia… You little cunt?!>
"No… They are not from me… They are from the pink haired nurse that winked at you before he left. Flowers are his thing…"
"Oh…"
Demyx nodded staring at his feet which were under the covers.
"So what about the other question I asked…?"
Zexion looked up to see beautiful blue eyes staring him down keeping him on the spot like a deer in headlights.
<How could I have ever thought this would be a good idea?>
The nurse looking after Roxas walked up and down the corridor that his room was on several times…
He already had his water…
She had sent another nurse in with it…
That nurse was currently serving him breakfast because she was still trying to figure out a way to keep her calm while she told him the news…
"Here you go Roxas, breakfast complete with bacon, eggs, sausages, toast, hash browns and tea! Wow they're giving you the good stuff huh?"
The young woman smiled kindly at him as she served him breakfast and undid the restraints on his arms…
"I hope you don't mind, but I have to stay here while you eat because…"
Roxas nodded.
"I know, because of the knife right?"
The young woman nodded embarrassed.
"Sorry about this…"
The blonde teen shrugged frowning.
"It's alright… I know you're just doing your job… Anyways… I'd like the company…"
The young woman smiled at him.
"Well company I can be! So tell me about yourself…? Handsome guy like you must get all the girls at your school huh?"
Roxas took a mouthful of egg and swallowed without chewing…
He was starving…
His appetite had suddenly come back with a vengeance…
Attempting suicide was hungry work it seemed.
"I doubt it… I haven't noticed any of them looking…"
The young brunette girl laughed.
"Oh come now! You're kidding me! Surely you have girls falling all over you! Or do you have a special someone…?"
The blonde chewed his way through another mouthful of food.
"Actually… The reason I know girls don't look at me is because the only ones I associate with are all in school and the majority of them from my school know I'm gay."
The young nurses mouth went into a neat 'o' shape and she flushed so red that Roxas stopped eating and stared at her…
She took a deep breath and suddenly started gushing at her own supposed ignorance.
"Oh my God… I must seem so ignorant to you! I'm so sorry! I-just-assumed-that-you-know-you're-a-young-attractive-guy-and… Oh-I-don't-even-know-what-I-was-thinking! Oh my God! They were right… I guess I do still have a lot to learn in bedside manner…"
The young girl sat at the side of Roxas' bed and began crying her eyes out, much to the blondes surprise.
Stretching a hand out he patted her on the shoulder gently.
"Hey now… Hey… Hey!"
The girls head snapped up at Roxas' raised voice.
"It's an easy mistake to make… I couldn't count on both hands the amount of straight guys I've hit on… I mean you can't tell by just looking at someone."
The nurse nodded wiping her eyes.
"I guess… I guess you can't…"
"So cheer up…"
The blonde forced a smile to his face despite what he was feeling inside.
"In fact… I'm complimented that you think I'd be such a fine catch for a woman."
The brunette nurse looked up at him.
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
Wiping the rest of the tears from her eyes the young nurse straightened up and regained her smile once more.
"I'm sorry about that all the same…"
Roxas shook his head taking another mouthful of bacon and toast.
"Don't sweat it… Happens to me all the time."
The young nurse was silent for a moment then smiled again with a cheeky glint in her eye.
"So what kind of guys are you into?"
The blonde looked at her and for the first time since before Sora left, smiled a genuine smile at how much this nurse's bubbly, bounce back and easy going attitude reminded him of his twin.
Sora was still sitting on the sofa as Axel called his parents and some students from their old school once it got a little later.
"Okay… Yeah will do… Thanks."
Axel hung up the phone with a beep.
The brunette looked up at Axel with teary eyes from the sofa.
"Well…? Did you find out anything?"
Axel shook his head.
"Riku said Roxas wasn't in school today, but my parents haven't heard anything… They said they'd keep us posted if anything comes up…"
The brunette was shaking his head.
"Axel… Something's up I know it… I just… Something feels wrong."
Tears started running down his face again.
"I can't just sit here Axel… I need to go back…"
The redhead nodded sighing.
"Okay then… Well if that's what you wanna do… Go grab some stuff and we'll drive there."
Sora looked up at Axel his eyes still brimming with tears.
"Really?"
Axel nodded wondering why Sora seemed so surprised.
"I don't mind if it'll put your mind at ease… It's only about an hour and a half if we take the freeway and we can crash at my parent's place…"
Sora looked into Axel's acid green eyes.
"Are they not still weird about us being together…?"
Axel shook his head and smiled.
"They were never weird about us being together… Just a little bit surprised that I never mentioned anything about being gay before, and they assured me they would be more than happy to put us up."
The brunette nodded standing up from the sofa wiping away tears from his eyes and wrapped his arms around Axel hugging him tightly.
"Thanks Axel… I don't know where I'd be without you."
Demyx stared at the dark haired paramedic.
"Well…?"
Zexion's mouth was very dry all of a sudden.
"Uhm…"
His cheeks flushed a light pink colour and he swallowed hard.
The blonde kept his eyes on him his gaze soft in wonder.
<Why would he do this for me otherwise…?>
His voice came out in a nervous squeak.
"… no…"
The blonde cocked his head slightly.
"I'm sorry…?"
Zexion gulped, lifted his eyes up to meet Demyx's and spoke calmly and clearly.
"No… This isn't something I do for all of my patients…"
Surprise ran through Demyx's body as the small framed paramedic stared at him from the end of his bed.
He knew his face was red betraying whatever excuse he had planned to make up…
"So… Why…? Then… Why do it for me?"
The dark haired paramedic smiled sadly.
"Cause I'm an idiot… And…"
Zexion thought for a moment and selected his words carefully.
"I didn't want you to be alone when I gave you the news you wanted…"
Demyx's eyebrows furrowed.
"What news?"
Zexion approached the side of Demyx's bed.
"The people in the other car…"
The blondes lips parted and his eyes welled up with tears…
Zexion didn't need to say anything…
He already knew by the tone of his voice…
"They… Both died… I'm… Really sorry."
Demyx's hands reached up for his face and his eyes opened wide.
<I… I Killed them…>
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