Fourth Down - 8. Chapter 8

It turns out Dale was right. I had just calmed down when I heard a knock on the door. After looking up and seeing who it was, I would have been out of that bed in a flash if I had the strength. Framed in the doorway was the last person I expected to see. Fresh new tears clouded my vision as I held up my arms to embrace my best friend. I never expected him of all people to be here for me in person, as he went to school so far away.

“What are you doing here?” I ask Evan while clinging onto him as if my life depended on it.

“I had to come when I was told you had supposedly dropped out. I just knew something must have happened to you.”

“How did you find out?” I asked

“Dale here had a book of yours he was trying to return. So you can thank him for alerting us that something was up.”

I looked towards Dale at this, he just shyly nodded his head.

“When he couldn’t reach you, he contacted your folks, who then contacted me. So I phoned Dale to let him know that I suspected you were in trouble, and that I was on my way.” he continued.

So if it was not for Dale, I would probably not have been found. He saved my life. Reaching for him, I pull Dale into an embrace, “Thanks.” I whisper to him.

“For what?” Dale asks.

“For saving me.” I tell him.

“Hey,” he says, pulling back a bit so he can look into my eyes, “I am just grateful you’re now safe.”

“Where are you staying?” I ask Evan, realising it had probably cost him quite a bit to get here.

“Your friend here,” he says, once again indicating toward Dale, “has offered me his spare room.”

“You’re staying with him?” I ask, glad that he has somewhere to stay. Though I am not sure why I am not completely happy about this.

“Don’t worry he’s all yours.” Evan whispers in my ear.

I look at him confused. Why did he say that? Dale is not mine, I don’t even know if he likes me like I like him. I am then hit by another thought. “Why did you guys not come together if you’re staying with him?” I ask

“Oh that’s because a certain ‘someone’,” he says looking at Dale with a smirk, causing his cheeks to redden, cute, “was supposed to be in class this morning.”

“You skipped class?” I ask, shocked that Dale would even do something like that.

“Well of course. How could I not when my friend is alone in hospital.” he says, as if it should be that obvious.

“My parents are here, so I am not alone.” I say with a smile, happy that he was clearly thinking of me. “And, Madox, Olivia, nor Vicky have stopped by yet.”

“Well clearly I like you more than they do.” He says putting his nose in the air, which causes all of us in the room to laugh at his silliness. “Seriously though,” he says soberly, while taking my hand in his, “I would not have been able to concentrate in class knowing you’re in here. Especially after seeing you in that room.” he says with tears in his eyes, which cause me to pull him in to me again, wrapping my arms around him.

“I’m ok now.” I say.

I have not even held him in my arms for long when there is a sudden gasp from the doorway. We look over to find Olivia with a shocked expression on her face, which slowly morphs into one of anger.

“Is this how all fags act?” She asks.

I am confused, I have never seen her act this way, and why was Madox not with her?

“Young lady!” my Mother reprimands her, causing me to flinch. “I’ll not have you use such language in front of my son and his friends.”

Olivia just looks at her bewildered. “Dale is clearly trying to take advantage of your son, who is also my friend.” She shrieks.

“If Dale likes my son enough to want to be with him, then I could not be happier for them to be boyfriends.” My mother tells her.

“But Hunter is not even gay.” she says.

“Yes I am.” I say quietly

This causes Olivia’s mouth to open and close a few times. After acting like she was a fish out of water for a few minutes, she just closes her mouth, turns around, then silently walks out of the room. Olivia hates me. I knew this would happen if I came out, but why does it hurt so much.

“She doesn’t hate you.” Dale said, trying to comfort me.

“Yes she does,” I say sadly, “Madox and the rest of the team will too when they find out.”

“No I don’t.” I hear from the doorway. Madox just looks at me sadly from the doorway. “How could you think I would. Obviously I wasn't clear enough when I accepted both Evan and Dale as friends when I first met them.” He says slowly walking towards me. “Idiot.” He lightly laughs while giving me a friendly punch to the shoulder.

Madox accepts me. At least I have not lost him.

“Would be pretty hypocritical of me if I didn’t accept them.”

This has me very confused. “Why?” I ask.

“Lets just say, I happen to like guys as well.” he says with a wink.

“Wait. You’re gay to?” I ask completely shocked.

“No.” he laughs. “I’m pan.”

“Pan? Is that what people who are obsessed with Peter Pan are called, or are they the ones that love Pan’s Labyrinth.” I ask, even more confused. What does any of that have to do with liking guys?

Madox just burst out laughing even more. “Again, no. A pansexual, is someone who is more attracted to the personality of a person. Basically we are like bi people, but just more involved.” he says once he has calmed down.

“Oh.” I say simply, not really getting all of it.

“Are you ok?” Evan asks.

“Yea, I’m fine.” I say.

“Not you silly, I know you’re fine.” he says while jostling me slightly. “I was asking the other big lug in the room.”

“Me?” Madox asks, a bit surprised.

“Yea, with everything last night, and Olivia’s reaction.” Evan clarifies.

“What happened last night?” I ask

“There was a bit of drama last night in the waiting room. Olivia kinda went postal on Evan when Madox was just trying to comfort him.” Dale informed me.

“Yea, she thought he was hitting me.” Madox added. “So I ended up having to come out to her about not exactly being as ‘straight’ as she assumed. And, after how she reacted just now, looks like we’ll be breaking up soon.” he says sadly.

I grab his hand and squeeze it, offering him some of my support knowing that this must be really hard for him as he loves her quite deeply.

“I’m sorry.” Madox says sadly to me. “Here you are recovering in a hospital bed, you don’t need my issues being lumped on you right now.”

“Hey, it’s ok. In a way it’s distracting me from my own issues. And, just like you, I am here for you.” I tell him.

“Thanks.” he weakly smiles at me.

“That goes for me to.” Evan said.

Vicky joined us about an hour later, and we all just hung out in my room. My parents left shortly after she arrived, to give us space, saying that I was in good hands, and that they’d see me in the morning.

The rest of the week went by in a similar fashion, Dr van der Merver would see me in the morning to check up on me, he had also assigned one of the hospitals psychologists who specialised in cases similar to my own, to come and see me in my room. There were also physiotherapy sessions as I was still rather weak and had very little stamina. I was also visited by family and friends. As the days went by, I grew stronger little by little, that by the 4th day I was able to walk short distances unaided. I also learned that Madox had indeed broken it off with Olivia, who ended up having to move out. Turns out she moved in with Vicky, which put Dale in a fit of giggles when he found out. Turns out Vicky is obsessed with stories, movies, and Asian TV shows that primarily focus on romantic relationships between two guys.

Evan had also let me know that he was in the process of changing schools, and that by the end of the week, he would be enrolled in my school. This news excited me to no end. It will be nice being around my best friend on a near constant basis. The first few weeks of every school year were always hard, trying to adjust not being around each other after spending each and every day just hanging out.

Dale’s presence was also a near constant. He would be at the hospital as soon as his last class ended, and wouldn’t leave until the nursing staff would come in and tell him it was time for him to go home in the evenings. He would also bring notes and course work that I needed, in order to catch up on the things I missed. I heard the Dean had renenstated me at the school shortly after they were made aware of what had happened to me. Mayson was being charged with the numerous things he had done to me. He had also been expelled. Sad thing was, he had still not woken up from his accident, and his parents had still not bothered to visit him. Police had also told me that he was on numerous medications, none of which he had been taking it would seem.

***

I had just come back from physio when I noticed that Dr van der Merve was waiting for me in my room. He looked happy with my progress. He had just helped me get back into bed when he dropped a bombshell on me.

“Well it looks like you will are strong enough to go home tomorrow.” he said with a smile

I felt the world had lost all colour at what he had just said. Home. For some reason, it never occurred to me that I would be returning to that place. The place I had once called home. The place that had at one time been a refuge, a safe space. A space once filled with happy memories. A space that was now forever tainted. Tainted by the memories of Mayson forcing himself on me.

Tears began making their way down my cheeks, my breath became shallower and shallower.

I was so in my tormented head that I never felt the prick of a needle in my arm.

“It’s ok Hunter, I have just given you something to calm down.” the Dr said.

It soon became easier to breathe as a calm forced its way over me. “I don’t think I can go back home.” I say once my emotions have calmed down enough.

“It would appear that way.” Dr van der Merve said sadly “Unfortunately we won’t be able to keep you here.”

“He can stay with me.” came a voice from the door.

We both looked over to find Dale standing in the doorway.

“Well, now that that’s settled, I’ll leave you two young men alone.” the Dr said before leaving Dale alone with me.

“Are you sure?” I asked
“Yup, if you can’t go back to your place, then you’re staying with me.” he said confidently

“What about Evan, isn’t he staying with you.” I ask.

“He was, but I have room at my place for him to stay.” came another voice to the conversion.

Both Madox and Evan had chosen that time to enter my room.

“Yea, I can stay with Madox, while you get better at Dale’s.” Evan said.

“But now I feel like I am kicking you out. I can’t do that to you.” I say to my friend.

“You’re not. This is clearly what you need, and his building has an elevator.” Evan reinforced. “This is the best thing for you right now.” he says rubbing my shoulder, “You need to be around people who care about you, and who better than the one that got the rescue party organised for you.” he winks.

“Hey, I did nothing of the sort.” laughed Dale.

“Deny it all you like, I said what I said.” Evan reiterated with the teasing smile I knew so well.

“I agree, this will be best for you, especially when Coach puts you in his specialised strength building program he has been working on, specifically for you to get you back up to scratch.” Madox commented.

“Wait, Coach said I can come back?” While I was recovering, the school in an effort to make amends for believing that I had indeed dropped out, had changed my scholarship to one that would better suit my current needs, and I did not have to worry about being on the team or not.

“Yea. Coach was kinda pissed with himself for believing you just up and quit. Said he should have known you better than that, and knew that something was up.”

“What about the whole ‘gay’ thing?” I ask.

“What about it?” he responds with a question of his own.

“He’s ok with having a gay guy as quarterback?” I ask.

“I don’t see why it would matter.” He said matter of factually. “Coach said to me that just because you happen to like other dudes, doesn’t invalidate what you do on the field.”

“What about the guys?” I ask about our team. Surely they would have heard what happened to me.

“You have more support than you know, Hunter. Our guys are not gonna care, they have also shut down any comments that a few have made as a joke. Even those guys have your back.”

“So they all know?”

“No one’s said anything out right, but I have a feeling they are aware of what happened to you. Seriously Dude, They have all been asking if you’re alright. We all miss you.”

Thank you for reading Chapter 8
I really appreciate all comments and reactions this story has gotten so far, as it has really encouraged me to keep writing. So Thank you ☺️