Chapter Text
Chad hated waiting. He always had since he was a child. Chad could be the most patient person in the world sometimes. Did you need someone to listen to your rants? Chad would do it! Need someone to comfort you during a panic attack? Chad was great at that! Ask Ethan; he knows for sure. Basically, Chad was the most patient person when others needed him to be.
But when he needed to be patient? He couldn't be at all. Not for a second. He couldn't stand waiting and had no patience, especially when his anxiety was high, and right now, his anxiety was through the roof.
Chad stood in horror as he watched the doctors and nurses wheel Ethan away on the gurney and down to the hospital's trauma unit. Chad watched as Ethan's head rolled to the side, unconscious, the oxygen mask slightly slipping from his face before a nurse quickly fixed it.
How this all went so bad so fast, Chad didn't know.
One moment, Chad was holding a passed-out Ethan in his lap. The EMTs carefully checked Ethan over, seeing how bad the wounds were. But then, Suddenly, Ethan's chest stopped rising and falling. Chad stopped feeling Ethan's soft breaths on his arm.
Ethan stopped breathing.
In a matter of seconds, the EMTs pushed Chad away and gathered around Ethan, saying things that Chad didn't understand, but he knew Ethan wasn't breathing.
Chad tried to shove himself back to Ethan's side, but the EMTs carefully but quickly pulled him away, ignoring his shouts, repeating that Chad needed to stay back so they could work and figure out why Ethan wasn't breathing.
One of the EMTs pulled Chad outside the theater; Chad kept saying he needed to be back in there. Ethan needed him! But they weren't listening and ignored his cries as they checked Chad's stab wounds. He also saw that Tara and Sam were pulled out of the theater. Sam was holding Tara tight to her side as she spoke to a police officer about what had happened.
Chad watched with wide eyes as they rushed Ethan out of the theater. Blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth under the oxygen mask. Chad felt like his heart was in his throat. Just a moment ago, he thought they all survived, but now? Ethan wasn't breathing. Chad saw how Tara and Sam watched in horror and the EMTs were screaming phrases Chad didn't understand, ordering doses of medicine as they loaded Ethan into the back of the ambulance.
Chad immediately rushed over and tried to climb in behind Ethan. He didn't want Ethan to be alone. Ethan hated to be alone. Chad knew how it scared Ethan to be left alone with people he didn't know! If Ethan woke up on the ride to the hospital and didn't see anyone he knew, only unfamiliar scary faces, Ethan would be sent into a panic attack. Considering the fact that he currently wasn't breathing, Chad didn't think Ethan's lungs could take that.
One of the EMTs stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder and a sad look in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Family only." The EMT explained, trying to keep Chad out of the back of the ambulance. Chad felt the same rage from before, quickly filling his body once more. Chad quickly shoved the EMTs hand off his shoulder, standing up to his full height, ignoring the way it burned his stab wound as he glared at the EMT.
"His whole family just tried to fucking kill him. I'm all he's got! He's my boyfriend. Let me go with him! For fucks sake, man! His dad just tried to fucking kill him!" Chad shouted. Desperation and fury were clear in his tone. Chad watched as the EMT had a silent battle with himself for a moment before slowly stepping out of the way, letting Chad into the ambulance.
Chad quickly climbed in and took the seat by Ethan's head. The EMTs were working all around him, attaching wires and things to Ethan's chest and body, sticking needles of medicine into his veins to try to kickstart his breathing.
Chad forced himself not to watch as they worked on Ethan. Instead, he carefully put his hand on Ethan's curls. Feeling the soft curls between his fingers helped ground Chad as he took a deep breath, focusing on the fact Ethan would be okay. He had to be. Chad leaned forward a bit, not enough to be in the way of the workers but close enough to whisper to his unconscious boyfriend.
"Ethan…Eth, I need you to be okay. Can you hear me, Eth? I know you went through so much, but I need you here, okay? Please be okay." Chad whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Ethan's curls.
Chad waited a moment, watching Ethan closely like his words would kickstart Ethan's breathing and wake him up, but much to Chad's disappointment, Ethan didn't even move an inch. His eyes stayed firmly shut as they finally reached the hospital.
The doctors quickly took over from the EMTs, wheeling Ethan into an elevator. Chad wasn't sure if it was pity or the doctors just didn't notice, too wrapped up in saving Ethan, but they let Chad ride into the elevator with them. Chad's hand stays firmly in Ethan's curls, holding on like a lifeline, Like if he let go, he would lose Ethan forever.
Once they reached the trauma unit, a nurse carefully grabbed Chad's hand from Ethan's hair, holding it tightly. Chad looked over at her, confused. She was an older woman, probably in her mid-50s.
"Oh, honey…This is as far as you can go. You can't go back there, but they will take good care of your boyfriend, okay? Why don't you take a seat? I'll bring you some water, okay?" Her voice was gentle as she led Chad to a chair in the waiting room. But his eyes were locked on Ethan as he watched him be taken into a trauma room.
The nurse helped Chad sit down before she ran off to get him some water. Chad sat there stunned for a moment, feeling as the adrenaline left his body, as he finally had a moment to sit down and actually process what the hell he just went through.
He slowly put his head in his hands as his whole body began to shake. His mind was replaying the moment that he felt Ethan stop breathing in his arms, the moment he realized Ethan's family betrayed them, that Quinn, who he did consider one of his friends, tried to kill him. All the memories of the past few hours were rushing around his head too fast, even fully stopping on one and processing it.
Chad felt so overwhelmed with all these emotions that he didn't even realize when someone sat beside him.
"Chad…"
The voice was soft, familiar, and comforting. Chad turned to see Mindy sitting next to him, guilt and pain Written across her face. He could tell from how her eyes were red that she's also been crying recently. Mindy carefully put her hand on Chad's cheek. The two twins looked at each other for a moment before Chad quickly wrapped up Mindy in a very tight hug, hiding his face and her shoulder, as he finally let go and just sobbed.
Chad finally cried for the first time since this all started. He cried because he became retraumatized by the thing that scared him the most. He cried for Ethan because he knew his boyfriend was back and in some scary hospital room, not breathing, all alone, surrounded by doctors. He cried with relief that his sister was safe in his arms, but he also cried out of mourning because he missed Anika so badly at this moment for Mindy.
He didn't just cry out of sadness. He cried out of anger, all of his emotions finally overflowing. He couldn't tell where the sadness ended, and his anger began. He's angry because Ethan grew up with a shit family that didn't care about him and the one person that cared about him. Ethan betrayed him in the end. He cried because he was angry at Sam and Tara for accusing Ethan of being Ghostface and wanting to leave him outside the theater where he would've died. Wayne would've taken a chance and killed him. Chad knew that for a fact.
Chad clung to Mindy with a sense of desperation and fear that if he let go of her, he would never be able to hold his sister this close again. He knew that ghostface was gone for now, but he didn't wanna let go of Mindy in case Ghostface popped out of a corner and took her from him.
"Chad…Chad, it's okay. We're okay. Come on, nerd! Don't cry; it's okay!" Mindy tried to comfort her twin brother, carefully rubbing his back, being mindful of his wounds but wanting to make sure Chad knew she was there and wasn't going anywhere.
"Ethan—Ethan's not breathing, Mindy! One moment he passed out in my arms, and the next—he's not breathing!" Chad cried, pulling back a bit from Mindy so he could look into her eyes. Mindy saw the pain and sadness in Chad's eyes and felt her heartbreak. She knew how Chad felt. She only lost Anika the day before.
"He—he'll be okay. What happened there? In the theater?" Mindy asked quietly, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I know Wayne was the killer—but what happened?"
Chad took a deep breath before he explained everything that happened from the moment the twins got separated to the second they found each other again.
Mindy listened carefully to Chad's words, not wanting to miss a single thing he said. Mindy felt guilt starting to burn in her stomach for all the times she accused Ethan, but she also felt rage at the fact Chad knew who Ethan's brother was and didn't tell her.
Mindy pushed away the rage for the moment, focusing on her brother for the time being. Chad wiped his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before leaning back in his chair. He ran his hands over his face, trying to wipe the tear marks away.
The doors opened again, and Chad turned quickly, hoping to see a doctor or nurse who would have an update on Ethan. But instead, it was Sam and Tara walking in. Both girls were bandaged up, Tara had her arm in a sling, and Sam's arms were wrapped up.
"Chad…" Tara started. She cut herself off as Chad raised his hand to stop her. In silence, Tara and Sam sat down with the twins. The core four sat in silence, with only the sound of the clock ticking on the wall and some beeps coming from the computers that the nurses were working on.
Chad leaned his head back on the wall behind him and shut his eyes. He could feel the exhaustion taking a toll on his body, His eyelids felt heavy, and his head started to hurt. Chad forced himself not to fall asleep. He couldn't sleep until he knew Ethan was okay. He forced himself to open his eyes and sit up straighter to stay awake.
"I'm sorry."
Chad turned to look to his left. Sam was looking at him with guilt-filled eyes as she messed with the bandages on her arms. Tara was looking at him, too. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.
"What?" Chad asked quietly, sitting up more to face Sam. He had a feeling he knew what she was apologizing for, but he wasn't going to make this easy for either sister.
"I'm sorry…For yelling at Ethan after the video and suggesting we leave him in the alley outside of the theater. It wasn't right of me…I, of all people, shouldn't judge off who his family was." Sam responded quietly, breaking eye contact and looking down at her hands instead. Chad nodded along to her words, sighing softly.
"It's not okay, but I appreciate your apology. But I'm not the person who you need to say sorry to." Chad said softly, nodding his head down the hallway to where they had taken Ethan.
Both Sam and Tara nodded rapidly. Chad smiled at them slightly before leaning his head on Mindy's shoulder. Everyone fell into silence, but instead of it being awkward this time, it was almost calm. You could still feel the anxiety buzzing in the air at the unknown information about Ethan. Mindy grabbed Chad's hand, carefully holding it tightly on her own.
Suddenly the doors leading to the trauma unit slammed open, the loud bang echoing off the walls. The bang scared the shit out of the core four, causing them all to shoot up in their chairs and look over at the doorway.
One of Ethan's doctors was standing there. He had a clipboard in his hands and was looking around the waiting room. Chad immediately stood up, and the other three quickly followed. The tension in the air grew as the doctor made his way over to them.
"Are you Ethan Landry's family?" The doctor asked, flipping through his clipboard for a moment before looking up and meeting Chad's eyes.
"Yeah–I'm his boyfriend. Is he okay? What happened?" Chad asked. He felt slightly out of breath as the anxiety grew in a pit in his stomach. Chad felt the signs of a panic attack coming on, but he forced himself to focus only on what the doctor was saying.
"Ethan's stable–"
"Oh, thank fuck." Chad said, cutting off the doctor. Relief flowed through his body so quickly and hard that Chad had to physically lean over and rest his hands against his knees to catch his breath. He felt like three tons were lifted off his chest, and he could breathe properly for the first time since the apartment attack.
"Yes–As I was saying, Ethan's okay. He's still unconscious, but he is breathing again." The doctor explained softly. The group nodded along to his words, all processing the fact that their friend was okay. "If you follow me, I can take you to his room."
The group quickly followed the doctor down the hall and into the hospital room.
Ethan was in bed, he was hooked up to a monitor that was beeping along to his heartbeat, and he was connected to an IV. If it wasn't for the nasal cannula, Chad could've been fooled that Ethan was peacefully sleeping.
Chad quickly sat in the chair next to Ethan's bed and carefully held his hand, being cautious of the IV in his arm. Chad softly rubbed his thumb over the back of Ethan's hand. The room was silent as everyone settled into the room. Tara and Sam sat by the window while Mindy stood by the door. Ethan's doctor was at the foot of Ethan's bed.
"What…What happened? Why did he stop breathing?" Chad asked quietly, not taking his eyes off Ethan. Ethan's curls had lost their volume and were plastered to his head, his face looked pale, and he had bags under his eyes.
"Takotsubo cardiomyopathy." The Doctor responded. Chad pulled his eyes off Ethan to face the doctor with a confused look across his face. His expression must've said a lot because the doctor continued to talk.
"It's also known as broken heart syndrome. It's when the heart muscle becomes suddenly stunned or weakened. It mostly occurs following severe emotional or physical stress. Or heavy trauma like…Your whole family attacking you like what Ethan went through caused his heart muscles to weaken and for his breathing to come to a stop. Right now, he is very touch and go. He stopped breathing for a long time. We don't know the effects it has had on his brain yet. We will know more in the coming hours…but I Would prepare myself for the worst. Just in case." The doctor explained.
Broken heart syndrome. Ethan almost died from a broken heart. Chad couldn't believe his ears hearing this. Chad gently brushed Ethan's curls out of his face, trying to ignore the sickness that was bubbling in his stomach at the fact Ethan almost died because Quinn did. He almost died because of the betrayal and trauma he faced from his own family.
"Oh, Eth…" Chad whispered quietly; it was all he could get out before his waterworks started again. He laid his head on the bed next to Ethan's thigh, and for the second time in an hour, Chad sobbed his heart out.
He could feel the pity looks from the other three members of the core four looking at him before Mindy made her way over and rubbed her brother's back. Trying to give him a bit of comfort, but she knew until Ethan woke up nothing would comfort Chad.
The exhaustion Chad was feeling earlier came back in full force as he laid his head down. He allowed his eyes to finally shut, and his breathing slowly evened out. Sleep was taking hold of him for the first time in two days.
Ethan… wasn’t exactly sure what was happening.
One minute he’s in the theater, holding Quinn’s body, screaming and crying. Then he felt himself pass out against Chad.
Now…he was sitting on a bed, the room felt really familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Chad was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the Carpenters sisters, Mindy—hell, his dad! No one was here.
He took in his surroundings, looking at the pastel pink walls that had Taylor Swift posters hung up along with fake plants and some old records. The bed was a full-size bed pressed into the corner of the room. The comforter was incredibly soft and white with a flower pattern. There was a desk on the far wall, and the windows were open, letting in the cool breeze and the gentle smell of summer trees—.
Oh.
Ethan knew where this was, but how was he here? This room didn’t exist anymore. Not since the move to New York.
Ethan was in Quinn’s old bedroom, back at their house in California, but that was impossible. He was just in New York! Quinn’s room in their New York apartment with their dad looked different, as did her room with the sisters. So how was he here?
His head felt fuzzy as he turned to face a mirror. Jumping back slightly at what he saw.
His hair was much curlier, like it was before Quinn taught him to style it in New York. He was in a pair of fuzzy pajama pants that had a Star Wars design across them and a hoodie that displayed his high school logo.
But when they were packing to move to New York, he donated anything to do with his high school. He didn’t want to bring anything from California schools to New York. What was happening?
He didn’t even realize for a moment that he looked younger. Ethan gently touched his face. He lost a lot of his baby fat that desperately clung to his cheeks in his final summer in California before the move, but here right now, it was still on his face.
Suddenly the door creaked open, causing Ethan to jump slightly on the bed and turn quickly to see who was there.
Upon seeing who was there, Ethan immediately broke into silent tears. Staring in shock at the doorway.
Quinn.
But it wasn’t Quinn from the theater. It was Quinn from before, before Richie’s death, and all before she went crazy to protect Ethan and got manipulated by their father.
Her soft red hair was pulled into a braid on the side. She was wearing her favorite at-home outfit: a pair of pink sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt to Ethan.
Her eyes were soft and bright. Nothing like the dark-crazed look that he saw in the movie theater. Or the emptied-eye look he saw as he held her body. She had a soft smile on her face, the same smile Ethan had grown up with.
She was just like how he wanted to remember her. The way he grew up with her. She was his protector and the closest thing he ever had to a mother(or a parent) after their mother passed away.
“Oh, Eth…what am I going to do with you?” Quinn asked softly; her voice was almost echo-like. Gentle and warm, she always asked him that whenever she found him hiding in her room.
Quinn quickly crossed the room, sitting on the bed next to Ethan, pulling him into a tight hug. Rocking them gently as Ethan cried into her shoulder, holding onto her as tight as he could.
After a few minutes, Ethan pulled back slightly to face Quinn. She had the same soft smile on her face, though now it was tinted with sadness. She gently reached up and wiped Ethan’s tears away with her sleeve.
“How—how is this happening? You—am I dead? Did I die?” Ethan asked quietly, barely able to get the sentence out as a sudden fear coated his chest. His eyes were wide, and his hands shook as he stared at Quinn.
“No, baby brother. You’re not dead.” Quinn answered simply, with a shrug of her shoulders like this was a normal occurrence.
“But then—how—“Ethan tried to say but cut himself off when Quinn let out a soft sigh and shook her head.
“You’ve been through a lot, baby brother. Half of it being my fault…so once you passed out, your brain brought you back to where you felt safest.” Quinn explained softly, still gently wiping the stray tears that were falling from Ethan’s eyes.
“Where am I safest?” Ethan asked, not fully understanding what his sister meant. “Does this mean? You’re not real?”
“Oh, Eth. I’m very real to you. So is this room. This is where you came for your whole childhood to feel safe and protected. With all the trauma you’ve gone through. You just wanted to be safe again. So you came here. While your mind and body recovered,” she explained further, gently cupping Ethan’s face as she spoke.
“Will I have to leave…? I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with you Q. I don’t want to go back to a world without you—“
Quinn cut him off with a soft shush as she pulled them to lie down in the bed. Just like before they moved, Ethan lay with his head on her shoulder, her head resting against his.
“None of that now. Just relax, Eth.” She said softly.
Ethan felt a sudden wave of peace wash over him. Like he suddenly gained the ability to breathe again, and all his problems were gone just by lying next to his sister. Ethan let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding in.
“See? Relax. Breathe. Heal.” Quinn’s voice was soft in his ear as she petted his curls gently. At this moment, Ethan felt all the pain from the attacks, and the trauma he suffered washed away for a moment. Just taking in the peaceful moment with his sister. Taking in the way, he felt completely safe and protected. He guessed that was what his mind wanted for him.
The two siblings lay in silence like that for a while. Ethan shut his eyes not to fall asleep no—he didn’t want to miss a moment of this— he shut his eyes out of pure happiness and feeling safe again.
Ethan wasn’t sure how long they lay there. It could’ve been seconds or hours—even days.
Quinn pressed a gentle kiss to his head as they lay there. She was humming softly, a song from when they were kids that their mother sang to them while they were going to sleep for the night or needing some calming down. Ethan knew it wasn’t a normal lullaby.
“What’s the name of that song?” Ethan asked quietly. Not wanting to break the softness in the room. Quinn hummed quietly as she looked down at her brother.
“You know it. You’ll know it when you hear it.” She responded, brushing off Ethan’s question, before taking a deep breath in. “Now, Ethan. You have a choice to make here, okay?”
Ethan opened his eyes at the sudden serious tone in her voice, looking up at her with slight worry now eating away at his chest. Quinn gently cupped his cheek, smiling sadly at him.
“You can either stay here with me. Or…go back to Your life. Go back to the world of the living. Your body hasn’t woken up yet. You could still change your mind and join me here.”
Ethan quickly opened his mouth, but Quinn held up a finger to stop him.
“Let me finish, please. I know you said you don’t want to live in a world without me, but Eth… you’re only nineteen. You have so much life left. You need to think hard about this.”
The two siblings stared at each other for a moment while Quinn’s words sunk in. Ethan felt his tears come back, pricking the corners of his eyes.
“What is left in that world without you? No one else likes me. Tara and Sam wanted to leave me to die. Anika—Anika’s dead too. Dad is dead and hates me! Mindy never liked me—“
“And Chad loves you.” Quinn suddenly cut Ethan off, her words soft but stern. “That boy loves you, Ethan. He loves you like how you love him. Isn’t he worth going back for?”
“…yes. But—but you’re not there, Quinn. I’ve never been without you. How am I supposed to go back to a world without my big sister? That scares me.” Ethan admitted quietly, messing with the sleeves of his hoodie. Suddenly unable to meet Quinn’s eyes.
“Oh, Ethan. Life will always be scary. But facing it only makes you stronger. There’s still so much to offer in life for you, baby brother.” Quinn said softly, pressing a kiss to his head.
“What do you want me to do?” Ethan asked, taking Quinn by surprise. She wasn’t expecting that.
“Oh, baby brother, I want you to do whatever you think is best. If you really think staying with me is best, we will do that. Me and you, here. Forever. I’ll go downstairs and make some hot cocoa, and we’ll put on a movie. But…like I said. Who knows what amazing things can come next for you? You have Chad, who wants to be there for you for life! College. So many things are out there for you. And I will always be here. When your time has come, this place and I will be here waiting like a moment stuck in time.” She said softly, pulling Ethan into a tight hug.
“You don’t have to choose now, okay? You have time. But Please. Think hard about it.” Quinn continued before wiping Ethan’s tears again gently. Watching as Ethan nodded slightly to her words.
“…can you make the hot chocolate now? While I think?” Ethan asked quietly. Quinn laughed softly, taking Ethan by surprise and causing him to laugh along with her.
“Yeah. Yeah, I can, kiddo—come on, let’s go downstairs.” Quinn said, still laughing as she spoke.
The two siblings headed downstairs. The house was the same as Ethan remembered it. But Richie and Wayne clearly weren’t there. Their photos are gone from the walls. Any traces of them disappeared. It was like they didn’t exist here.
“They don’t exist here, you know? Your brain wants you to be happy here. So they aren’t and will never be here.” Quinn explained like she knew what he was thinking, which she probably did. Quinn always knew what he was thinking before he said it.
Quinn entered the kitchen and started to prepare the hot chocolate as Ethan sat at the kitchen table Island, watching her make it.
As Quinn cooked, Ethan’s mind started to stray off to Chad. To his life.
He did miss Chad badly. He knew he would miss him every day here, like how he would miss Quinn every day out there. It seemed like no matter which he picked. He was going to be leaving someone he loved behind.
It had been almost three days since the theater attack, and Ethan still was touch and go. There were moments when it seemed his breathing got better. Still, then after, the doctors had to up his oxygen because his breathing was becoming too shallow again.
Chad woke up about an hour ago now, his body needing rest like Ethan’s, causing him to sleep longer than expected. The room was silent. Mindy was across from him, on her phone, watching something with her headphone plugged in. Sam was talking in the hallway with Danny, and Tara was sleeping in her chair. Chad was honestly shocked that the three girls stayed. He didn’t think they would want to, but then again. Trauma bonds people.
Suddenly, Mindy sat up in her chair, ripped her headphones out, and turned her phone off with a loud sigh. Chad watched as Mindy rubbed her face, taking in the distressed look on her face.
“What? What’s wrong, Mindy?” Chad asked quietly, not wanting to wake Tara. Mindy shook her head for a second, taking deep breaths before meeting Chad’s eyes.
“One Google search of Richie’s name pulls up his stupid blogs and YouTube channels. One look at any of it shows that Quinn and Ethan were his siblings. We could’ve avoided all of this if we just looked the asshole up!” Mindy whispered and shouted. Rage was evident on her face. They could’ve avoided all this trauma if they just googled Richie’s name.
“Mindy… why would we have ever wanted to look him up? He tried to kill us. We didn’t do anything wrong. This isn’t our fault.” Chad said softly, moving so he was sitting next to Mindy now. “Richie and Wayne…And Quinn. Are at fault here. Not us.”
“I know, I know—but it bugs me that if I just googled him, Anika wouldn’t be...” Mindy trailed off, tears almost reaching her eyes before she pushed them down.
“Mindy… if we had, you probably wouldn’t have met Anika. Or Ethan. And I know that probably seems best but…we were really happy. You got some great memories with Anika that you wouldn’t trade for the world. Her death isn’t your fault Mindy.” Chad said softly, trying to convince his sister that she wasn’t at fault.
Mindy sighed softly before nodding and handing Chad her phone. Chad took it confused before he looked down at the screen.
Mindy was on Richie’s YouTube channel. After a quick scroll, Chad realized that more than half the videos featured Ethan or Quinn.
‘Making my little brother so scared he almost pukes!’
‘Scaring my sister! CRAZY REACTION!!!’
“Convecting my baby siblings that GHOSTFACE IS AFTER THEM! THEY CRY!’
“Locking my brother in the bathroom during a GHOSTFACE CALL!”
Some of the videos went back to when Quinn and Ethan were just little kids, the first video being Ethan no older than six being made to recreate the first Stab movie. Chad felt sick looking at these videos, so he quickly turned the phone off and shoved it back to Mindy.
“I don’t wanna see that shit, Mindy...I don’t need to be reminded of how fucked up their family is.” Chad mumbled, focusing his eyes back on Ethan.
Ethan wasn’t getting any better, but he wasn’t getting any worse. So Chad took that as a small victory. Chad sighed quietly before standing up. He quickly kissed Ethan’s forehead and brushed the curls out of Ethan’s face.
He wished more than anything that Ethan would open those doe eyes again. He missed Ethan’s laugh. He missed his smile. He missed Ethan’s little nose crunches whenever he tasted something he thought was gross. He missed the way Ethan would play with the strings on whatever hoodie Chad was wearing whenever they lay in bed together.
He missed Ethan so badly.
Sam came back into the room. She was holding bags of food; on her other hand were some drinks. She quickly passed the food and drinks out, and Chad’s stomach growled with hunger. He didn’t realize how hungry he was till he smelled the food.
The second he saw the food, his hunger immediately left him.
It was Taco Bell which seemed fine on the surface.
But the last time Chad ate Taco Bell was the night of the Halloween party. In his dorm. With Ethan.
Taco Bell was Ethan’s favorite fast food, and it was Ethan’s night to pick dinner, so they got tacos. Chad remembered the way Ethan bounced on his heels while they ordered. Small things like picking dinners and actually being able to enjoy them always meant a lot to Ethan.
Ethan once told Chad that Richie picked all their meals back in California, and he almost always tried to pick something he knew Ethan couldn’t eat or didn’t like. Ethan was allergic to fish. But, apparently, Richie loved everything seafood apparently. So they had a lot of fish dinners that Ethan couldn’t eat.
So having Taco Bell with Chad and having Chad purposely pick dinners and lunches that he knew Ethan would enjoy meant a lot to Ethan.
Chad stared at the tacos in his lap with a growing feeling of uncomfortableness. It didn’t feel right to eat Ethan’s favorite without Ethan here to share it with him.
But then again…he didn’t want to waste Sam’s money.
Chad took a deep breath before tucking into his dinner.
It had been almost two weeks now since Ethan last opened his eyes.
Chad hasn’t left the hospital once. Despite. The other core four members and Danny told him he needed to go home and get proper rest. Shower. Chad didn’t budge.
The hospital staff took pity on him. They let him wash up and take showers in the staff bathroom that was meant for the overnight aids and double shifters.
They had also moved a cot into Ethan’s room for Chad to sleep on. Chad figured the staff took pity on what happened to them and bent the rules for him a bit.
Chad stared at Ethan’s face. His breathing improved over the last two days, and they could take off his oxygen mask again. He currently wasn’t on any assistant breathing machines, which was a vast improvement.
Chad gently sat on the bed next to Ethan. He pushed his curls off his forehead and smoothed down the stray curls that were there. After fixing his hair, Chad gently kissed Ethan’s forehead.
He wanted Ethan back more than anything. He just wanted to hear his voice, laugh, and stupid Lego Star Wars jokes. He wanted to build those silly Lego sets like they promised to do months ago for Ethan’s birthday.
The doctors said that Ethan should be waking up. They weren’t sure as to why he hasn’t yet. All the brain scans were good, and his breathing was good. He was physically okay now. So it was up to Ethan from now on if he was going to wake up, it seemed.
Taking a deep breath, Chad carefully grabbed Ethan’s hands. He leaned in closer and locked eyes to Ethan’s closed eyes.
“Okay, Eth. You need to listen to me right now, okay? I know you can hear me….”
Ethan was honestly having such a fun time with Quinn. He didn’t have to worry about anything. Everything was almost perfect. Almost.…he missed Chad.
He really did. He missed the way Chad Randomly picked him up in a piggyback when they were walking somewhere. He missed how Chad always had a hand on him somewhere to comfort him. Ethan missed how Chad held him as they fell asleep on the couch. Or the way Chad always picked up his favorite chips if he knew Ethan had a bad day.
As Ethan lay on Quinn’s bed, Ethan kept repeating the things he missed about Chad. He loved it here with Quinn. They were having so much fun watching movies and just enjoying each other’s company. He didn’t know what to do.
Quinn told him he didn’t have much longer left to decide. Ethan knew she was right by the way he suddenly had breathing issues. She said it was his body in the real world.
That kept reminding him that this… wasn’t real. It was a thing his mind made up to comfort him while he underwent this trauma. It was like a dream.
“Hey? Eth? You okay?” Quinn asked from beside him. Her voice was soft and warm like always now.
“Yeah, I’m…thinking. About my choice.” Ethan responded, messing with his hoodie gently. It was like time wasn’t actually passing for them. They didn’t need to eat or sleep. Then again—this was a dream, so it made sense.
“Did you decide? What you wanted to do? No matter what you pick, I support you.” Quinn said softly. Pulling Ethan into a tight hug.
Ethan hugged back tightly. Pressing his face against her shoulder. He didn’t want to let go. He didn’t want to lose her again.
“Okay, Eth. You need to listen to me right now, okay? I know you can hear me….”
Ethan jumped back at the sudden voice. It sounded like it came from all around them—and it was Chad’s voice.
“The hell was that?!” Ethan asked, looking around like he would see Chad standing there with them.
“It’s Chad. Your body has healed enough now that your mind is letting you hear the outside.” Quinn said softly, a proud smile covering her face. Ethan nodded a bit, looking up at the ceiling like he expected Chad to be there talking.
“Ethan…I know you went through a lot. And I know you’ll need much help and therapy once you come out of this. But please, Ethan. Wake up. I miss you. I still need you, Ethan. You’re my other half—my boyfriend. I don’t feel right without you.”
Ethan felt tears well up in his eyes at Chad’s words. Quinn gently rubbed Ethan’s back. A soft smile covered her face.
“Ethan, I—I love you, Ethan. I do! With my whole heart. I want to have more time with you! We barleys got anything together…I want to make more memories with you. I want to be with you. I want you, Ethan. And I know this all sucks with your family betraying you and whatnot…but I’m your family too, Ethan. I’m here for you. Please, Ethan. Please wake up. I can’t lose you. We lost so much. Please don’t make me lose you too. Please.”
Ethan slowly turned to Quinn. Even here, Ethan could hear the tears in Chad’s voice. Quinn gave Ethan a soft smile, her hands reaching up and cupping Ethan’s cheek.
“Do you know what you want to do now?” Quinn asked. Her voice was soft, and she looked so proud of it. It hurt Ethan’s chest.
“I—I do…but I’m scared. I’m so scared, Quinn. I don’t want to be without you again.” Ethan admitted, his voice shaky as he stared into his big sister’s eyes.
He was almost trying to memorize her face. The way her voice sounded and her hands felt on his face. He wanted to remember everything about her.
“Don’t be scared, Eth. You already were without me, remember? You’ve done it once. You can do it again. I’m always going to be here with you. But…you need to go now. You need to go back to your life. It’s time, Eth.” Quinn explained softly. Her eyes were gentle and kind. Ethan felt safe looking into them despite the fear wrapping around his whole body.
“I’ll—I’ll miss you,” Ethan said softly, his voice cracking and the tears finally spilling down his cheeks. Quinn gently shushed him, wiping away his tears with her sleeve. “Thank you—for everything you did for me, Q. You were the best big sister and..and well... basically mom anyone could’ve asked for.”
“I’ll miss you too, Ethan. I’m sorry for hurting you. I love you.” Quinn said softly, pulling Ethan into a tight hug.
“I love you too, Quinn.”
“Fuck, Ethan…I guess what I’m trying to say is that without you, there’s no me, you know? I need you here, Ethan. Just wake up, okay? Soon?” Chad said softly, his thumbs gently rubbing circles into Ethan’s hands, being mindful of the iv.
Chad let go of Ethan’s hands and laid his head against Ethan’s thigh. He could feel his tears starting to soak Ethan’s hospital gown, and he couldn’t bring himself to care.
His body began to shake with sobs. The ache from missing Ethan was becoming too much for him. It felt like someone had crushed a hole into his heart for fun. He felt like he hadn’t been able to breathe correctly since Ethan stopped breathing that day.
Chad would do anything to see his beautiful brown eyes open again. He just missed him so badly—
Suddenly, there was a gentle hand on his head. Chad sighed softly, knowing Mindy or Sam was trying to comfort him.
Chad slowly lifted his head, looking over his right shoulder to see who had entered the room.
No one was there.
How was no one there?
The hand was still on his head, gently now petting his hair. He could feel the hand shaking slightly, like the motions were a bit hard to do.
Chad’s eyes widened with realization. He felt his stomach drop to his feet as he slowly turned back around and to his left, facing where he thought Ethan was sleeping still.
But now.
Ethan was sitting there. His eyes were opened. There was a slight smile on his face as Ethan watched Chad. Gently Ethan moved his shaking hand from Chad’s hair to cup Chad’s cheek. Using his thumb to wipe away a tear.
“Hi,” Ethan said quietly; his voice was rough from not using it, and the sudden use of it sent Ethan into a coughing fit.
That was what snapped Chad out of it. He quickly grabbed the water next to Ethan’s bed and helped Ethan drink some with a straw.
“HOLY FUCK—Ethan! You’re—you’re awake?! Oh my god, Eth-Eth!! Holy shit! Fuck—oh my god—yeah, drink some water. Oh, my fucking fuck—“Chad blabbered out, not being able to form complete sentences with the shock that was rocking his body. Tears were rapidly streaming down his face; instead, they were tears of joy.
“Oh, Eth..oh my god….” Chad continued, setting the water down once Ethan finished drinking. Chad immediately cupped Ethan’s face, leaning their foreheads together as he sobbed. “Never—NEVER. Do that again. Oh my god, Eth! I was so scared—I didn’t think you would ever wake up—I love you, okay?! I love you so much holy shit Eth—“
“Chad! Chad…slow down. I can’t keep up.” Ethan said, cutting Chad off with a smile on his face.
Chad took a deep breath momentarily, closing his eyes to calm his racing heartbeat. Before he surged forever, pressing his lips to Ethan in a hard kiss.
Ethan immediately kissed back just as hard and needy as Chad—it almost mimicked their first kiss, but now it was Chad who was panicked. Ethan brought his hands to Chad’s cheeks, pulling him closer as Chad used Ethan’s arms to steady himself against the boy.
They both could taste the saltiness from Chad’s tears in the kiss, but neither minded, obviously, as they only pulled back for a second to catch their breath before launching into another kiss.
After their third or fourth round of kissing like this, Ethan rested his forehead against Chad’s, taking deeper breaths now to calm himself and to get a good look at the boy he loved oh so much.
Chad smiled at him. The smile was so sweet and warm. Everything felt right to Ethan at that moment. The world slipped away, as did the pain lingering in his heart from losing his whole family the way he did.
Chad brought his hand to Ethan’s cheek, using his thumb to rub small circles as the two stared at each other with such love.
“What…happened? How long was I sleeping for you to react like that?” Ethan finally asked after moments of silence went by.
“…Almost two weeks Eth. Two. Weeks.” Chad admitted quietly. Chad’s eyes dropped to his hands. Unable to meet Ethan’s eyes.
Ethan felt shocked to rock himself to the core. Two weeks? Was he sleeping for that long? How much did he miss? Ethan felt his hands shake as it all came crashing back onto him.
The memories, the pain, the realization. All at once it started to hit him. Without realizing it, tears began to stain Ethan’s cheeks. The loneliness was setting in. His heart ached so badly. He didn’t have anyone left.
Did he?
He distantly heard Chad call for the doctors to come in, but his mind was locked on the fact he was alone now. No parents. No siblings. Nothing.
Ethan felt like the word was caving in on him like everything in this world was crushing him. His mind felt like it went through a blender, and his stomach was like fatty acid. He wanted to go back to that place in his mind with Quinn, where everything was safe and warm–
Chad suddenly grabbed Ethan’s hand. The warm weight of Chad’s hand in his own brought him back to reality. Chad held his hand tightly, rubbing the back of Ethan’s hand with his thumb before softly kissing his hand.
“Eth. Breathe okay? You just woke up. Don’t overwhelm yourself–The doctors are here to check you over, okay? I’m here for you–The other Core four members are here for you!” Chad said quietly, kissing Ethan’s hand again once he finished talking.
Ethan nodded a little, taking a few deep breaths to calm his racing nerves, focusing all his energy on the feeling of Chad’s hand in his own. Ethan gently tugged Chad closer, wanting Chad as close as possible right now. Chad let Ethan pull him closer, coming next to Ethan and sitting on the bed beside Ethan.
“Hello, Ethan! Great to see you awake. I’m Doctor Karev. I’ve been the one taking care of you these past 11 days while you were sleeping! I’m gonna do some tests, okay? Then we are going to bring you upstairs for an MRI. Sound good?” Dr. Karev explained.
Karev was a nice enough-looking man. He had sandy blond hair and a five-a-clock shadow, and his tone was a bit blunt, but overall, he was nice. He was gentle during the tests he was doing; Ethan guessed he could tell that Ethan was freaked out. Ethan hated the doctors.
After the tests, Dr.Karev said everything seemed good, and Ethan looked healthy. They would keep him for the next few days to monitor him, but he should be cleared to go home by the end of the week.
Home? What home did he have? He had an empty house with cold memories of a father who never loved him and memories of a big sister that hurt too badly to think about.
Before he could think more about his nonexistent home, there was a knock on his hospital door.
Ethan turned to see the other core four members, along with Danny, in the doorway. Tara was holding a get well soon teddy bear while Sam had some flowers, and Mindy had a balloon. You could immediately feel the tension in the air as they awkwardly walked into the room.
“Ethan… I’m so glad to see you awake! Chad texted us…How do you feel?” Sam asked, settling down in a chair across from Ethan’s bed while Tara and Mindy stood by the window and Danny stayed by the door.
“Uh–Fine…I guess?” Ethan answered, not meeting Sam’s eyes. Ethan couldn’t help the feeling of betrayal that was starting to rise in his chest and heart. He hadn’t forgotten how the three girls treated him.
Ethan guessed something on his face must’ve given away how he felt because Mindy suddenly spoke up.
“Hey, so…Sorry. For accusing you of being Ghostface a shit ton. Wasn’t cool of me.” Mindy mumbled just loud enough for Ethan and the others to hear. Chad nodded at his sister’s words, holding Ethan’s hand tighter.
“It’s… It’s fine. I guess I understand why you did what you did…I mean, you weren’t wrong about Quinn being Ghostface, so.” Etha said, letting out a humorless laugh. The room went deadly silent. No one knew how to respond as Ethan’s humorless laugh turned into quiet sobs. The tears burned his cheeks as he cried without contour. It was the first time he had said Quinn was ghostface out loud.
“Could–Could you guys give us the room for a moment?” Sam suddenly asked. The other girls nodded fast. Almost running out of the room with Danny close behind. Chad looked hesitant, but the look Sam shot him made Chad kiss Ethan’s cheek softly before standing to leave.
“I’ll be right outside the door, Eth. Shout if you need me, baby.” Chad whispered, quickly kissing Ethan’s curled before leaving the room.
Sam waited a moment before she moved to the chair directly next to Ethan’s bed. Ethan looked over at her, his silent tears still racing down his cheeks. Sam gave him a small, sad smile before she carefully and slowly took Ethan’s hand into his own, giving him a chance to pull away if he didn’t want to be touched by her.
Ethan didn’t pull his hand away.
“Ethan…I am so sorry for the things I said to you in that theater. Nothing I could say would excuse the horrible things I said to you, Ethan, but I truly am, really sorry. Out of all people, I should be understanding of having a fucking Ghostface member in your family. I shouldn’t have judged you. I mean, both of our dads, well, you know, were ghostface… We have both been betrayed by someone we thought would be there for us– but in different ways. I just wanna be here for you, Ethan.” Sam looked away from Ethan, her eyes settling on the sunset out the window.
“Richie was… An awful part of my life, and I only knew him for a few months before everything with Woodsboro happened. I can’t imagine how horrible he was to you growing up; I’m so sorry for comparing him to you and accusing you of being Ghostface just because he was. I mean, look at me, my dad’s Billy fucking Loomis. I have no place to talk.” Sam said softly, waiting a second to let her words sink in before continuing.
“I need you to know I’m here for you, Ethan. Even if you don’t want me here, I’ll give you that space… I understand how you feel, how betrayed you feel with Quinn, or at least I-I think I do. I might not, but I want to try. I want to be here for you. I promise Quinn will take care of you, and I won’t back down on that. I understand if you don’t want me near you, But I want to make up for what I said and how horribly I treated you by suggesting the weed out in the alleyway. That was so fucked up of me, and I’m really sorry. I really am–”
“Sam,” Ethan said quietly, cutting off Sam’s words. Sam looked back over to Ethan. They were unshed tears in her eyes, and her hands were in tight fists, trying to hold back the shaking. Her eyes held the most sincere look that Ethan thinks he’s ever seen from her. Sighing softly, Ethan looked into her eyes. “I forgive you.’
“You –– you forgive me? Just like that? But all those horrible things I said–” Sam tried to say, but Ethan shook his head, cutting her off again.
“You said those horrible things out of fear, I mean… You did just find out my older brother was the crazy murderer who tried to kill you and your sister. I don’t exactly blame you for reacting the way you did, Sam… I can tell you mean what you say. I’ve lost a lot these last few days.…” Ethan said quietly, taking a deep breath to calm himself from overthinking about Quinn. He looked away from Sam, his eyes settling on his hands in his lap, on the one holding Sam’s hand. “I don’t want to hold any anger or grudges against anyone. I’m too tired of it. My heart hurts too much from what I’ve lost with Quinn to be angry with people. I won’t forgive you just like that. I still am mad, but not enough to not forgive you. You do have to make it up to me.”
“Yes!! How can I make it up to you? I’ll do anything. I really am sorry.” Sam said quickly, sitting up in her chair more.
“You could give me that big sister hug you offered yesterday? If the offer still stands.” Ethan said softly, turning back to Sam with a soft smile. Sam looked shocked momentarily before her face melted into a matching smile.
“Of course, the offer still stands. Come here.” Sam said softly, pulling Ethan into a tight hug. Sam held Ethan tight like she held Tara in the hospital last year.
Ethan let himself relax into Sam’s hug, and he closed his eyes. For a moment, he could’ve convinced himself it was Quinn hugging him, but he pushed that thought out of his mind and focused on the moment now.
He wasn’t sure if he would be okay soon or ever again.
Just like the doctor said at the end of the week, Ethan was allowed to go home. All of his tests came back clear. His breathing was checked, and it was approved. Good enough that he could leave, his heart and lungs were checked too, but he passed every test they had. But the doctor prescribed Ethan a good amount of painkillers for stab wounds and helped him get a healthy amount of therapy with a well-known therapist for trauma and mental illness. Dr. Karev ordered that Ethan go to therapy at least two times a week. Ethan had a sinking suspicion that he was gonna end up there at least four.
So, Dr. Karev helped Ethan get into the wheelchair that he insisted was hospital policy. They had to leave with Chad by his side, along with Sam. The three began to leave the hospital.
But nothing was ever that easy, and Ethan’s life, of course. Once they reached the hospital’s front doors, they discovered a mob of reporters in news vans and camera crews. Surprisingly, Gale Weathers was also there. But she wasn’t there to harass them. Surprisingly enough, she yelled at the reporters to back off. Still, not surprisingly, though, there was a camera on her from her new crew.
“Are you ready, Baby?” Chad asked, leaning down to Ethan’s ear while Ethan was sitting in the wheelchair. Ethan took a deep breath and nodded.
“It’s now or never. Let’s just get this over with.” Ethan said, bracing himself for the mob of people outside.
The second they walked out the door. The mobs are flashing, their camera lights in their faces. Ethan had never felt so blinded as he did now; with the number of flashes from the cameras in his face, they were people shoving microphones at them, screaming questions that Ethan tried not to focus on. We did, of course, hear a few people shouting his sister’s name, sending a wave of pain down Ethan’s chest and into his heart; he pretended not to notice the pain and instead focused on getting the fuck out of there.
Just as they reached the car door, Sam got into the driver’s seat, and Ethan and Chad were in the back. A reporter jumped in front of Ethan and almost knocked him over while he was getting out of the wheelchair.
“Hey, watch where the fuck you are going, dude!” Chad shouted, immediately helping Ethan steady himself. The crowd fell silent at Chad’s shout.
“So sorry–Ethan! HI! I’m Hunter Harris! I’m from Channel 3 News! Can I ask you some questions?” Hunter asked, shoving the microphone into Ethan’s face, not waiting for his answer before launching into questions. Hunter waved his camera crew over, bright lights shining into Ethan’s face.
“Is it true that your family was behind the whole thing?” Hunter asked, keeping his microphone shoved in Ethan’s face.
“I–” Ethan tried to say, but Hunter didn’t let him get a word out.
“Is it also true that you are the last living member of your family?”
“Please–”
“How about the fact your father killed two college kids in your own class? How did that make you feel?”
“My dad–”
“Your sister, too, yes? Was she a murderer along with your father? Were you in on it? Did you know what they were planning for revenge for your older brother?”
“What? No–”
“Is it also true you stabbed your father 19 times in the chest? Would you say you’re like your brother and family cause of this–”
Suddenly, Chad pushed Ethan behind himself before quickly swinging at Hunter. Smashing his fist into Hunter’s face. Hunter fell to the ground holding his cheek, with a loud thud.
“Back the fuck OFF,” Chad yelled, His voice echoing in the area as the crowd became so silent you could hear a pin drop. Before Hunter started screaming from the ground.
“ASSAULT! HE ASSAULTED ME. I WANT HIM ARRESTED. I WANT A POLICE OFFICER–”
“You know, seeing that? Ten times better than being the one getting punched.” Gale pipped up next to them, causing the two boys to jump. “Get in the car; I’ll deal with this mess.”
Both Ethan and Chad quickly got into the car, not wanting the opportunity to get the fuck out of this hospital and away from these crazy ass reporters. The two boys quickly got into the backseat, slamming the door behind them, taking a moment to catch their breath and relax. Sam shot them a worried look in the rearview mirror. Before turning on the car, insert it into the driveway.
As Sam drove. She turned up the volume on the radio for the silence echoing in the car. The three of them were too tired to make conversation at this moment.
Ethan couldn’t help himself and let his mind wander to the reporter’s questions. He knew he was nothing like his father or Richie. Ethan would never hurt an innocent person. He would never take an innocent life. But he did stab his father, but it didn’t feel right. Thinking about his actions made Ethan’s stomach turn. He felt sick to his stomach. Thinking about what happened in the theater.
He knew that Quinn wasn’t like his father or his brother either. But Ethan couldn’t excuse why she was done. The innocent lives she took. Anika’s life she was a part of taking. But he also knew that if his father had never manipulated her, she wouldn’t have started killing to begin with.
He wished she had noticed sooner what his father was doing to her. He could’ve at least helped her. He blamed himself. Ethan blamed his dad. He blamed Richie. Ethan blamed the world for what happened to Quinn. He missed her. Ethan missed Quinn like he never thought he was possible. It was like his whole body was aching because his big sister was dead. He never felt so alone in this world before.
But then, he felt Chad take his hand.
Chad. Sweet, loving, beautiful Chad with just one single look. Chad told Ethan a million things all at once. Chad told him that he was safe and that he was loved. Most importantly, he told Ethan that he wasn’t alone just with a look.
Suddenly, the feeling of being entirely alone slowly disappeared in his chest, and it filled with a sense of love and support instead. He knew no matter what happened. Next, Chad would be by his side. Hell–he knew that he even had Sam in his corner now. Maybe the world won’t be so bad going forward. Maybe there was stuff to look forward to like Quinn said. Ethan didn’t want to think of going on without Quinn, but at the same time, he was excited to know the future he and Chad had together. To see what life held for him now that he had made it out. Maybe it would be good. He felt he made the right choice coming back here to be with Chad. He knew Quinn wanted him to be happy. He wanted to be happy.
“You okay, Eth?” Chad whispered to him. Ethan turned to his boyfriend with a small smile on his face before he leaned close, capturing Chad’s lips in a soft kiss.
After the kiss, he leaned back slightly, resting his forehead against Chad’s. Ethan let his mind finally calm down for the first time since the Halloween party.
“I will be. Cause I got you by my side.” Ethan responded. Chad laughed softly, giving Ethan a teasing look.
“You’re such a sappy dork!” Chad exclaimed, his voice holding a teasing tone causing Ethan to let out a soft laugh as he playfully rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. But I’m your sappy dork, and you love me.” Ethan responded, pressing another kiss to Chad’s lips. The teasing look on Chad’s face melted into one of love instead.
“I do love you, Ethan. I’m glad you’re my sappy nerdy dork.” Chad said softly, reaching up and cupping Ethan’s cheek. Ethan leaned into Chad’s touch, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of Chad’s wrist.
“And I love you too, Chad,” Ethan said softly. The two boys shared a loving look before the moment was interrupted by Sam.
“Okay, okay, cool, back there, Romeo and Juliet!” Sam said, causing both boys to flush with blush and laugh. Chad and Ethan pulled apart slightly, relaxing into their respective seats as Sam drove.
Ethan let himself relax enough to listen to the radio. The song quickly caught his attention. He knew this song…But from where?
“You know it. You’ll know it when you hear it.”
Quinn’s voice echoed in his head. Her humming softly to him, their mother’s soft voice. All of it. Ethan turned all his attention onto the song playing, leaning forward slightly to hear it better.
“Sam–Sam, what song is this?” Ethan asked suddenly, causing both Sam and Chad to shoot him weird looks.
“Uhhh… It’s ‘American Pie’ by Don Mclean. Why?” Sam asked, looking at him in the mirror as they reached a red light.
“No…No reason. Just curious, is all.” Ethan said, leaning back in his seat, closing his eyes, letting the music wash over him. He guessed Quinn was right. He did know the song when he heard it.
With the song playing softly in the car, Ethan felt sure of something for the first time in a long time. He gently grabbed Chad’s hand into his own, pressing a kiss to the back of Chad’s hand with a small smile on his face as he turned to face Chad. Chad smiled back at him sweetly.
At this moment, Ethan knew something for sure.
He knew he would be okay.
Everything was going to be okay.
Ethan closed his eyes, resting his head on Chad’s shoulder. He knew he had a long road in front of him till he reached the okay status again, but he knew he would be okay again someday.
Ethan felt a spark of happiness fill his chest as he peacefully fell asleep on Chad’s shoulder with a small smile on his face.