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The choruses of beeps and whirrs keeping his boyfriend alive. How Kevin both appreciated and despised them.
Just a few days prior, Kevin received news that Streber had been brutally attacked and nearly killed. Apparently he’d even flatlined several times before they could stabilize him to some capacity.
While Streber wasn’t dead, he was far from okay. He’d been in a coma for three days.
Three.
Excruciating.
Days.
And the sick fuck that did this to them managed to take one of his arms with them.
At this point, all Kevin could really do was stare longingly at his lover, clutching his remaining hand and hoping that he’d pull through.
Kevin cried a lot.
In general, but especially now. Streber was his rock. They had always been there for each other through thick and thin. If he had a shitty day at work, he could always count on Streber to listen to his rants. If Streber was feeling down, Kevin was always there to bring him sweets and support.
But this was so much different.
After what felt like an eternity of just sitting next to Streber and pretending that he was just sleeping peacefully, Kevin decided that it’d be best to call it a day.
“Gotta go now, Streb.” He wasn’t expecting a response, but couldn’t help but feel heavy upon hearing the deafening silence in return.
Kevin sighed, finally letting go of his hand and stepping out, giving one last glance.
As he left the ICU and started making his way to an exit, Kevin froze.
He heard what sounded like soft sniffling and crying.
While part of him wanted to ignore it, a much louder part of him was saying to investigate. He followed the source of the cries, which lead him to a vending machine in a darker corner of the hallway.
Or rather, something behind the vending machine.
He peered over and saw a very familiar face. Said familiar face gave a startled yelp and vigorously rubbed his red, puffy eyes.
“H-Hey! What are you- oh.”
Kevin remembered this kid. He’d been to the store a plethora of times. His friend had even shoplifted once.
He would’ve felt rather annoyed and angry with this kid if he hadn’t just found him, y’know… crying in a hospital.
Feeling awkward, Kevin simply just asked the only question he could.
“Are you okay?”
That was enough to make the boy burst into tears all over again, much to Kevin’s dismay.
With no other choice, Kevin plopped down next to him and awkwardly patted his back, waiting for him to calm down again.
“I-I’m sorry… It’s just…” The boy hiccuped, tugging at his blonde hair.
He took a deep breath. “It’s… m-my little sister… She… hasn’t been doing well…”
Ah.
“She’s been sick a-and… I’m just really worried about her…”
Looking down at the boy, Kevin couldn’t help but see himself in him. Worried sick. Exhausted. He wasn’t really good at emotional support, but he couldn’t just not say anything.
“I… I understand how you feel.”
The blonde boy wiped his tears. “You do…?”
Kevin nodded. “Yeah. I know what it feels like to have a loved one in that kind of state. That feeling of not knowing if they’re going to get better.”
“Not knowing if the moments you’ve just spent with them are the very last…” The boy grimly added, hugging his knees to his chest.
They both fell silent, Kevin feeling himself choke up as well. The two of them just sat there, teary-eyed for what felt like an eternity before the boy broke the silence.
“So… what do I do then…?”
Kevin sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose the best we can do is be there. It’s hard, but I’m sure your sister doesn’t want this to make you fall apart.”
Silence.
“It feels horrible, I know. Knowing that there’s nothing you can do to take their pain away. But sometimes just being there for them through a time like this is the best we can do. If you understand what I mean.”
The younger of the two slowly nodded, sighing. Kevin stood up and walked over to the vending machine, sliding in a few coins, reaching into the slot and pulling out a water bottle.
He handed it to the blonde boy, along with two candy bars and a wobbly smile. “One for you and one for your sister.”
“Thank you…” The teen muttered. Kevin gave him a light pat on the back and stood up.
“Hope your sisters gets well soon, uh…”
“…Robert.”
“Robert.” He echoed helping him to his feet. “Take care of yourself, alright? Your sister might be sick, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about your own health, y’know?”
Robert slowly nodded, offering Kevin a small smile.
“…It sucks, but it’ll be okay.”