Eternity - 6. Chapter Six

Six Three days later, Kyle sat next to Jared's bed, Jared's hand clasped gently in his own. His thumb brushed lightly over Jared's knuckles as Kyle watched the man he loved. Kyle had been praying constantly that Jared would wake up from this, but so far his prayers had not been answered. Earlier that morning Jared have finally been moved out of the Intensive Care Unit and moved to a private room, where his friends could visit him a bit more frequently, not that he knew they were there. Kyle had stayed with Jared as much as he was allowed over the past few days and during that time had come to a startling conclusion. He didn't care about the past anymore, he didn't care why Jared had felt he had to leave, all he wanted was to be able to take Jared home with him and fall asleep next to him every night.

"Well good afternoon Mr. Blackner," Nurse Witch said as she came into the room, glaring disapprovingly at where Kyle held Jared's hand. Nurse Witch wasn't the Nurse's real name, but Kyle didn't care, he had nicknamed her Nurse Witch since every time she came into the room she made her disapproval known.

"Afternoon Nurse," Kyle muttered, making sure not to add the ‘Witch' onto that phrase. He didn't really want to chance riling the nurse's anymore than necessary since he didn't really feel like getting kicked out of the hospital. Kyle wasn't surprised when the nurse ignored him as she checked the monitors surrounding Jared. After a thorough look at all the equipment the nurse hurried back out of the room, but not before shooting another look of disapproval at their clasped hands. "God what a witch," Kyle muttered before looking again at the man laying on the bed. "Maybe you should be glad you're not awake babe, I don't think you could handle her," he said with a chuckle. Hearing a noise in the doorway he looked up to see Chelsea standing there. Getting up from his position in the chair he walked over and gave her a hug. He had forgotten that she was coming to sit with Jared while he got cleaned up and got something to eat.

"How's he doing?" Chelsea asked, returning Kyle's welcoming hug.

"There hasn't been any change. God Chels, I hope he wakes up soon, I don't know how much longer I can stand this."

"I know hon, but don't you worry none, he'll come out of this none the worse."

"I hope you're right, but with each day that passes my hopes dwindle a little more," Kyle said, the worry lines showing on his striking face.

"Don't worry about that which you have no control over Kyle, now, I'm here, you go get cleaned up and get some food in your belly."

"Yeah yeah, I'm going, I'll be back in a half hour," Kyle said, walking over and placing a light kiss on Jared's forehead before heading out the door.

Kyle headed quickly to the same showers that he had been using while he was at the hospital. Though he didn't want to be away from Jared long, he didn't hurry to fast through his shower. He needed to feel the hot water pounding on his back, easing away the aches that hours in the chair caused. Grabbing his shampoo out of the little kit that Chelsea had brought him he quickly lathered his hair, all the while wishing that it was Jared's hands sliding over his scalp. Rinsing the lather out of his hair he grabbed his bar of soap. Lathering up his hands he started slowly running them over his body, starting at his feet. He slid his hands slowly up the calves of his legs up to his thighs. He ran one soapy hand over his flaccid cock, groaning at the pleasure that swept through him at the fleeting touch. He hadn't brought himself to orgasm since the time that Jared was forced to stay at his house. Somehow it just hadn't felt right, and now with Jared in the hospital it felt wrong to be thinking of sex while the man he loved was in a coma.

Turning his mind back to his task he quickly moved up and soaped his chest, groaning again when his soapy hands came in contact with his hard pebbled nipples. Realizing that if he lingered much longer he was bound to do something, he quickly soaped up his arms and then let the hot water wash away the suds. Shutting off the water he quickly grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist before stepping out of the curtained cubicle. Walking over to the sink he used a couple paper towels and wiped the steam from the mirror. Reaching again into his bag he pulled out his shaving cream and razor. After lathering up his face he made quick work of shaving off the three day growth of stubble. Another reach into the bag brought out his toothbrush and he quickly brushed his teeth before pulling clean clothes out of the bag and clothing himself. Looking at his watch he realized that twenty-five minutes had already passed and there was no way he'd have time to eat in five minutes. He decided to just have a tray brought to Jared's room and after quickly shoving everything back in the bag he headed back to Jared's room. Walking in the door he saw Chelsea bent over Jared.

"What you doing Chels?" Kyle asked, only mildly interesting in the answer.

"Nothing Kyle, was just checking to make sure he didn't have a fever," Chelsea said before turning towards Kyle.

"Did the nurse come in while I was gone?"

"Yeah, the one that you call Nurse Bitch, honestly Kyle, I don't know why you have such a problem with her, she seems perfectly nice."

"Yeah well, why don't you come in when I'm in the room and you'll see a totally different side of her. Thanks for coming and staying with him while I got cleaned up," Kyle said, feeling bad for the dismissal but wanting to be alone with Jared.

"No problem hon, call me if you need anything," Chelsea said before hugging him and leaving the room.

Kyle quickly resumed his seat next to Jared's bed and quickly called down to have a tray brought to the room. He probably could have gotten it faster if he had went down to the cafeteria but he didn't want to leave Jared again. He had just gotten his food and begun to eat when he saw Jared's breathing slow to where it was almost unrecognizable. He had just hit the call button when Jared body started convulsing in what looked to Kyle to be a grand mal seizure. He slammed his hand hard on the call button just as the alarms in the room started to go off. With the alarms brought nurses running into the room and shooing Kyle away from the bed. Within seconds he was ushered out of the room and as the door was closing he hear Jared flat line. Sweat popped out on his brow as he twisted his hands together. He wanted so badly to go back in that room but other than the doctors that were rushing in nobody was allowed in. It seemed like a lifetime before the doctor came back out, but in reality it had only been mere minutes. Pulling Kyle to the side he patiently explained what was going on.

"Kyle, we have a major problem."

"I can see that Doc! Now damn it, tell me what is wrong with him."

"We're not sure, but a guess would be a drug overdose."

~~~~~~
"What the hell do you mean it won‘t work, what the hell am I paying you for then!!?" Chelsea heard as she walked in the door of the apartment. Dropping her keys on the table she walked over to where Matt was on the phone and ran her hand up his back to rest on his shoulder. She was a bit surprised when he shrugged her hand off and sent her a glare.

"Can't you see I'm on the damn phone," he growled before walking into the bedroom and shutting the door, the cordless phone still held to his ear.

Creeping closer to the door, Chelsea strained to hear any sounds come out of the room. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't hear more than a murmur every once in a while. The only thing that she was able to catch was Jared's name every once in a while and even that she had to strain to hear. Something was going on with Matt and she wasn't sure what it was. All she knew was that it had to do with Jared. Giving up on hearing exactly what Matt was saying she headed back to the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. She had just flopped down on the couch and turned the TV on when Matt finally came out of the room. She barely glanced over at him as he hung up the phone before turning her attention back to the television.

"I'm sorry about that babe, but you can't interrupt me when I'm on the phone like that," Matt said, walking over to sit next to her on the couch. When Chelsea didn't answer him he tried again, "So how did it go today at the hospital? How is Kyle dealing with everything?" When he still didn't get a response from her he didn't know what to do. Obviously she was pissed at him because he shrugged her off, but some information she just didn't need to know. "Look babe, I'm sorry that I did that, but you shouldn't have tried to distract me. So how'd things go?"

"They went fine," Chelsea replied tersely. "You know, maybe if you actually called up Kyle yourself you would know how things were going," Chelsea said before getting up from the couch and storming into the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.

"Yeah, that would work if he was talking to me!" Matt yelled after her. He just hoped that his plan worked and couldn't wait until Joe and Max got up here the next day. He figured that they'd be able to get at least somewhat close to Jared since they could tell Kyle that they were friends of his from while he was gone. Matt got up and headed towards the bedroom before deciding that she would come out when she was ready. Grabbing a soda he walked back to the couch and started flipping through channels. His problems would all be over soon.

~~~~~~
"A drug overdose, how the hell could that happen? And why the hell do you think it's a drug overdose!" Kyle yelled, not caring who heard him.

"I've seen drug overdoses before Kyle and Jared has all the symptoms. He skin is clammy to the touch, he's having convulsions. I checked his pupils and they are as small as a pinpoint. On top of that his breathing has become extremely shallow. I've already drawn a vial of blood and I should know within the next half hour if that is the cause and exactly what drug is in his system and how much."

"That still doesn't tell me anything Doctor, how the hell could this have happened."

"I'm not sure, have you been the only one in the room with him today?"

"No, Chelsea was with him while I went to take a shower, but she would never have done anything like this."

"I'm not saying she would, but Kyle, if she's responsible..."

"If she's responsible I'll call the cops myself," Kyle yelled.

"Excuse me sirs," interrupted a young nurse.

"Yeah?"

"The young lady that was in the room left for a short time to go down the hall and get a drink out of the soda machine. I only know that because she asked me where the nearest soda machine was. I didn't notice if anyone else went into the room."

"Thank you nurse," the doctor said before turning back to Kyle. "So, somebody could have snuck into the room while Chelsea was gone, but who?"

"I don't know doc, I can't think of anyone who would have gotten in. The only one I know that would possibly try to hurt him is Matt, but he's not allowed in the hospital at the moment."

"I don't' know then Kyle, but until we figure it out no one is allowed in that room. I'm sorry son, but that includes you."

"But doctor," Kyle began, tears filling his eyes.

"There's no buts about it, nobody except nurses and myself are allowed to go into that room, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes doctor, I hear ya loud and clear."

Kyle walked slowly over to a chair by the nurses station and slumped down in it. He kept running through his mind on how the hell Jared could have gotten drugs into his system. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't figure it out in his mind. Fourty-Five minutes later he was beginning to wonder if anyone was ever going to tell him what was going on when the doctor walked over to him.

"Kyle?"

"What's wrong with him doc," Kyle said, slowly getting to his feet.

"It's pretty much exactly as we feared. The blood tests came back and Jared had quite a bit of heroin in his system. He was lucky, the dose that he had been given would have killed just about anyone. I don't know how it didn't kill him."

"Cause he used to be a user," Kyle muttered under his breath.

"What was that Kyle?"

"He used to be a user," Kyle said, flinching as he said the words. He knew that Jared didn't want anyone knowing about his past before the two of them met, but that was the only reason he could think of that Jared wouldn't have died of an overdose.

"How long ago was this?"

"About five years ago or so, he was in rehab when I met him."

"Do you know what drugs he was using regularly? Do you know if he has been using regularly?"

At the doctor's insinuation Kyle became infuriated, there was no way that Jared would go back to the drugs that he used to use. Kyle could feel the anger burning in his eyes as he faced the doctor. "He used to do meth, heroin, and weed as far as I know. I am telling you right now though that Jared hasn't touched the stuff since I have known him."

"Can you be sure of that? Kyle, have you ever given any thought to the fact that maybe, just maybe, it's a dealer that's after him? Jared gets a little pot on loan, ends up not being paid for it, bam, there's a contract out on him!"

"Jared has been clean for five years doctor, don't even insinuate that."

"I'm sorry Kyle, but I had to rule out the option. You are sure that he hasn't been doing anything?"

"Yeah, I'm sure, I've known my share of addicts and Jared has been acting the way I always knew him to act."

"One more think Kyle, does anyone else know about him being an ex-addict?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Jared told me that he wanted to keep that part of his past in the past. He only told me about it because he felt that if we were going to be together then it was something I needed to know." Kyle watched as the doctor's shoulders slumped and after one last look at Kyle, he walked away shaking his head and muttering. Kyle sunk down is the chair wondering what was going on.

A half hour had passed when Kyle heard footsteps coming towards him. Glancing around he saw two police officers come through the swinging doors and head straight to the nurses station. The nurse on duty called the doctor and Kyle wanted to know what was going on as the doctor led the two cops into Jared's room. Kyle felt a sense of dread come over him as he watched the cops walk back out of the room, his coat in a clear plastic bag. The sense of dread grew as the doctor continued to talk to the officers before pointing in his direction.

"Oh god no," he whispered, "they can't think I did this." No sooner than the words left his mouth than the two cops came towards him.

"Kyle Blackner?"

"Yeah, that's me," Kyle said wearily, climbing slowly to his feet.

"Kyle Blackner, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Jared Maloney," one of the officers said as they began to place the handcuffs on Kyle's wrists.