by E. M. Leya
As he pulled onto the road, he decided it was time to move. It might cost him a bit more, but the area was getting too dangerous. He worried about his car every night. The drug and gang activities were increasing and it just wasn't a place he wanted to be anymore.
He wondered if he could afford one nicer at Les's complex. Would Les even want him that close? Hell, he didn't know for sure if he'd ever hear from Les again after last night. Ax believed him when Les said he wasn't leaving because of the kiss, not because he was freaking out about it. Les was overwhelmed already when he'd shown up, the kiss just added to it. He was probably freaking out, trying to figure out his sexuality. Ax got it. He didn't blame him for leaving when he had. He was touched by the honesty.
Still, he wished he could help him somehow, but this was something Les had to work out on his own. Ax had no choice but to wait for the phone call to come to know what was going to happen. Waiting wasn't going to be easy, but there was nothing else he could do.
Thinking about it too much would kill him. He needed to just let whatever happened, happen. He liked Les a lot, but he wasn't going to get his hopes up that a guy who'd claimed to be straight up until now was going to suddenly change everything just for him. He wasn't that special.
Pulling into the driveway of work, he pushed the worry behind. He would let fate play this one out. There was nothing more he could do.
CHAPTER NINE
Les left his parent's house around nine on Wednesday night, calmer about everything that was going on. The cancer was bad, and if he was honest with himself, he probably would be losing his father in the next year, but talking things out with them helped. The initial shock was gone, and he was facing things head on with a positive mindset instead of the fear he'd felt when they first told him.
It was the same with his mother. There wasn't much they could do but wait and see how the medication helped and how quickly things advanced. Right now, they would prepare for the worst, but expect the best.
Now that he was calmer about his family, he was able to deal with Ax. The last few days were hard, and guilt hit him hard for not calling sooner. As he drove, he punched in his phone number and waited for him to answer. When there was no answer, he sighed, debating on dropping by his place anyway.
He worried that he'd ruined their friendship with the kiss. He wasn't any surer about where to go from here, but he didn't doubt for a second that he wanted to see what happened. The attraction was too strong to ignore, but the thought of what might happen when he was really faced with dealing with dating another man worried him. He didn't want to hurt Ax. That was his biggest fear.
He left a message for Ax to call him back and headed home. As much as he hated to admit it, he was looking forward to Jeff leaving for a few days. Having the quiet apartment to himself would be a nice change. He vowed when Jeff got back from his conference, he would sit him down and talk about things and see if they could come to an understanding. The only other option was to buy Jeff a ball gag, and hope he wore it each time he had sex.
He smiled at the thought as he walked into his apartment. Knowing Jeff, he'd probably go for that before he would quit bringing people home.
"Hey," Jeff called from the kitchen. "Just warming up the pasta from last night. Want some?"
"No thanks, I ate at my parents' place." He tossed his keys on the table. "You're eating late. Just get home?"
"Yeah, I went out for a bit. I met this guy the other night. He wanted to hook up for a beer after work." Jeff pulled a bowl out of the microwave.
Les whistled. "Same guy, two nights. Sounds serious. You didn't bring him home?"
Jeff shook his head. "I offered, but he wants to get to know each other a bit first."
"And you're okay with that?" Les was stunned. "What have you done with my roommate?"
Jeff laughed. "I know, but this guy, I don't know what it is. I don't want to risk losing this one. I like him a lot."
"Wow, how the mighty playboy has fallen," Les teased.
"I know. I knew you'd give me shit, but you'll see when you meet him. I've asked him to come to dinner here one night when I get back. I want you to meet him."
"Does Mr. Special have a name?" Les sank down on the couch.
"Shane. He works for a sporting goods store. Spends a ton of time spelunking. Wants to maybe take a trip down to Arizona sometime if things work out. Says I will love exploring the caves."
Les didn't even try to hide his surprise. Jeff was the farthest thing from Mr. Outdoors.
"I know. Not my usual, but maybe that's what makes me like him so much. He's different." Jeff kicked his feet up on the coffee table.
"I'm happy for you. Hope it—" He was cut off by the ringing of his cell. His breath caught as Ax's name came up on the ID. He readied himself for the conversation they were going to have to have and answered. "Hello?"
"Les? I need help." Ax's voice was weak and shaky. "I'm in the hospital and can't get hold of my sister."
"Are you okay?" Les sat up, his adrenaline rushing.
"Not really." It sounded like he was crying.
"Which hospital?" He stood and grabbed his keys from the table.
"Lutheran. I'm in the E.R."
Les waved off Jeff's worried stare as he rushed out the door. "I'm on my way. Can you stay on the phone with me?"
"No, got to go for x-rays. Ask for Axel Robinson." He sniffed and then groaned as if in pain. "Thanks, Les."
"Of course. I'll be right there." He was already in his car, pushing the key in the ignition.
"Okay." He groaned again and the line went dead.
Les's pulse raced as he drove to the hospital. Luckily, it was nearly eleven and traffic wasn't bad. Every possible scenario played through his mind on what happened. His guess was a traffic accident. Whatever happened, it had to be bad for Ax to call him like this.
He pressed down on the gas pedal, speeding through yellow lights, trying to get there faster. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He wanted the next time they saw each other to be special. He wanted to tell Ax that he wanted to explore their feelings, but now, he just wanted to know he was okay.
He parked in the hospital emergency parking and rushed inside, weaving through people as he made his way to the desk. "I'm here for my brother, Axel Robinson." The lie fell easily from his lips and he hoped Ax hadn't told anyone different.
"Let me look." The older lady behind the desk entered the name in the computer. She nodded. "He's in exam room seven. Through the double doors, then follow the hall to the right."
Thankful they didn't argue with him, he turned and nearly ran through the doors. He had to slow his pace as he started down the hall, passing by empty gurneys and staff. When he got to room seven, he rushed in, coming to a dead stop when he saw Ax lying in the bed. "Jesus, Ax, what happened?" His stomach tightened as he looked at Ax's face. Both eyes were nearly swollen shut, his bottom lip was swollen and there was a red welt across his cheek.
Ax moaned as he turned his head toward Les. "I got jumped."
"Fuck." Les wasn't even sure Ax could see him with how swollen his eyes were. He rushed to his side. "It's okay. We'll get you taken care of." He touched Ax's arm gently, seeing the wrist was swollen. "Do you know how bad?"
"Not yet. Think my ribs are broken. They took some kind of scan to check my stomach. The doctor said he'd be back."
"Okay, I'm not leaving. We'll get through this. Did they call the cops?"
Ax nodded. "They think I deserved it."
"What? Did they say that?"
"No, but I could see it in their eyes. I was coming home from the bar. Got just outside my apartment when a couple guys started hitting on me. When I didn't respond, they grabbed me. When one pushed his hand up my dress…" Tears filled what little of his eyes he could see.
"Shit, Ax." Les braced himself for the worst. He prayed he wasn't raped or worse, but he knew how assholes treated people they didn't understand.
"I don't remember much after they hit
me the first few times. I woke up in the ambulance. Guess some kids found me as they were walking home."
"Have you called your parents?" He wasn't going to ask anything more about the attack. Ax could tell him if he wanted him to know.
"No, can't. My parents don't want me dressing as a girl. They won't help. Tried to call my sister, but she didn't answer. I didn't leave a message. Didn't know what to say." His voice quivered as he spoke.
"Do you want me to try to call her now?" Les fisted his hands to keep from touching Ax and comforting him. He wasn't sure where he could touch that wouldn't hurt him.
"Yeah. My phone is on the table. The screen is broken, but you can kinda see. Look for Sarah." He tried to lift his arm to point, but couldn't.
"Easy. Don't move. I've got it." He tried to smile reassuringly, but couldn't get the smile to come. He was too concerned. The more he watched Ax, the more he worried there was something seriously wrong. He was too pale, too something… It was just his gut warning him it was going to get worse.
Les grabbed the phone, shocked that it still worked. The screen wasn't just cracked, it was nearly missing. He tried to find her name through the slivered glass, finally coming to what he hoped was it. He dialed the number and waited.
It rang four times before a female answered, "hey, Ax."
Les took a deep breath. "Actually, this is Les. I'm friends with Ax. I'm here in the hospital with him."
"Oh fuck. What happened?"
"He was jumped. Beat up pretty badly. He's okay. We are waiting for the doctor to come back in with more test results."
"Oh, God." She sounded like she was out of breath. "I'm out of town, but I'll head home right now. I'll be on the first flight I can get. Are my parents there?"
"Um, no. He told me he couldn't call them. That they wouldn't come."
"Shit. Okay, I will call and tell them. He's probably right, though. Fuck, I hate them for being so closed minded." Her worry seemed to turn to anger. "Listen, I'll get there as soon as I can, but can you keep me updated? Is he really okay?"
Les stared down at Ax. "Honestly, it's not life and death, but it's bad. They beat him severely. Be prepared, okay?"
"Tell her I'm fine." Ax rolled his head to look at Les.
"Was that him?" His sister sounded relieved to hear him talk.
"Yeah, he said to tell you he's fine."
She blew out a loud breath. "Tell him I love him. Will you take care of him until I get there?"
Les touched Ax's shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll call you as soon as we know anything more."
"Thanks. What was your name again?"
"Les."
"Les, I owe you. I'm calling the airport now. I'll let you know when I'll be there."
"His phone is trashed. Let me give you my number. I'm not sure his will work much longer." He rattled off his number for her. "I won't leave his side. I promise."
"Thank you. See you soon." She hung up.
"She's worried," Ax whispered.
"Honestly, so am I." Les brushed a matted piece of hair back from Ax's face.
"It's not as bad as it looks."
"You're not a good liar."
"I hurt." Ax tried to turn on his side, but cried out as he twisted. "Fuck."
"I bet you do have broken ribs."
"They took x-rays of those too."
Les wanted to pull back the sheet and look at Ax's body. To see for himself exactly how bad his stomach and chest were. "You're lucky you're alive. I told you to call me when you needed a ride."
"It was early. I thought I was okay. I made it home, almost."
Les grunted. "You're moving as soon as you get better."
"Bossy."
"You're in no shape to argue." Les smiled.
A doctor stepped into the room, his clipboard in hand. "Mr. Robinson. We got your x-rays back." He glanced at Les. "Can I speak openly or would you like to talk in private?"
"You can tell me. Les can hear." Ax tried to smile.
"Well, as expected you have several cracked ribs and several bruised. Your wrist is only sprained. Scans show no brain injury, but I am worried about your scrotum. There is bleeding and I will need to have a urologist take a look before I know if it's something serious or just from where they kicked you."
Les cursed. He wanted to kill whoever did this to him.
"It will still work?" Ax asked.
"Everything should be fine. I just want to make sure we don't need to stop that bleeding. I'm just getting someone who specializes to take a look. We will know more by morning. We saw no sign of rape, but did do a rape kit just to be safe. We won't have results for a while on that."
"I don't feel like they did. But everything hurts."
Les listened as the doctor and Ax talked, not surprised when they said he'd be in the hospital a few days. As he looked over his broken and beaten body, Les vowed he wouldn't leave his side until he was able to walk out of here with him.
CHAPTER TEN
Ax opened his eyes and tried to focus, but he could barely see through the small slits. His eyes were so swollen it was as if they protruded in some alien form. He dreaded to see what his face looked like.
He rolled his head to the side, able to make out a form, but unable to tell who it was. He tried to roll to his side, but pain flooded his body, and he cried out.
"Ax?" Les's voice came from somewhere, but he couldn't tell where through the pounding in his head.
"I hurt." His lips were so dry they cracked as he spoke.
"Easy. I'll get the nurse. Your sister just ran to get a cup of coffee. She's been so worried." Les touched his fingers. "I'll be right back. We'll get you something for the pain."
He closed his eyes, sinking back into a hazy darkness as memories of the night before started coming back. His pulse raced as he remembered the attack.
He was so close to home when it happened. He'd gone to the bar with Carl again, and decided to leave early. He'd walked home a million times before. Didn't think this time would be any different. And it wasn't, until he was almost home. He was close enough he could see the building. Then there were two men whistling at him. Nothing Ax wasn't used to, and honestly, it was flattering when it happened because he knew he looked good.
He ignored them, keeping his head down. He never saw them coming. Arms grabbed him and he was pushed up against the wall of the building, stranger's hands groping his body. It was when one of the guys slid his hand up Ax's skirt and felt his penis that things went from bad to worse. The guys freaked out and started to beat him.
Ax trembled as he remembered bits and pieces of the attack. Everything after that was hazy. He remembered the faces in the ER, he remembered calling his sister, and he remembered the look of worry on Les's face.
"Ax?" His sister was at his side.
"Hey." He tried to smile, but his lips hurt and were too dry. Each time he moved them, they split open.
"I was so worried."
"I'm okay."
"Luckily, though I really wouldn't call this okay." She covered his hand with hers.
"Hurt."
"I bet. Les is letting the nurse know. He has been so good. He's been by your side all night. I didn't even know you were dating someone again."
"Not, just friend." Ax licked his lips. "Can I have water?"
"Yeah, here." She moved for a minute, then came back with a cup, positioning a straw to his mouth.
He took several swallows, trying to ignore the burn as he worked his throat. "How bad am I?"
"Nothing that won't heal. Your ribs will take the longest. They said they were waiting for the swelling to go down on your scrotum before seeing if there is more damage, but the bleeding has stopped. The rest is just bruising and lacerations. You've got stitches on your chin."
He tried to reach up to touch his chin, but found his hand in a brace. He used the other hand to touch his face, then wished he hadn't. "Shit."
"I know, but you'll heal fast. I called Mom and Dad. Of course, D
ad asked what you were wearing when it happened. I told them it didn't matter and hung up on him." Sarah caressed his arm.
"Don't make them hate you."
"I don't care. They have no right to be this way. They have no issue with you one way, but act like they don't know you the other. It's not right."
"Not your problem."
"Yeah, it is." She sounded mad.
"Axel, how's your pain on a scale of one to ten?" A strange female moved closer.
"Um, eight."
Les stopped at the foot of the bed, his hand wrapping around Ax's foot where it lay under the blankets.
"Okay. I'm going to give you a shot, but it's going to knock you out again. Sleep is the best thing for you." The nurse tugged gently on his I.V. line.
"Okay." He wanted to stay awake for Les and Sarah, but he hurt so bad that sleep was a welcome relief from the pain.
"We'll be here when you wake." Sarah bent and kissed his cheek.
Les gave his foot a gentle squeeze.
"Thanks, guys." The medicine worked fast, his mind growing hazy as he drifted off to sleep.
*****
Les sat beside Sarah as they watched Ax sleep. He'd woken up a couple times in pain, but never stayed up for long. He looked horrible, the bruising growing darker with each hour. The ones that pissed Les off the most were the handprints around Ax's neck. Whoever attacked him had choked him. His anger raged each time he looked at them.
"I thought you two were dating." Sarah reached for her coffee cup. "Ax told me you're just friends."
"Yeah, but I'm kind of hoping that is going to change." Les smiled at her.
He had a lot of time to think while he sat with Ax through the night. Time to evaluate his feelings and his fears. Seeing Ax hurt was a shock, but it also brought forward a wave of emotions Les hadn't expected. The need to protect him, to care for him and the fear that he could lose him were intense. He'd never felt this way about anyone.
"Ah, good. I'm glad. You will be good for him." She stared at her brother. "A lot of people just don't understand him."
