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The camp fam all wait in a dimly lit hospital room. After being struck with that thagomizer, and being dragged through unbelievable circumstances, Ben was finally
in a hospital room.
Kenji had gone with Ben in the helicopter that brought them to the hospital in the first place and met up with the camp fam later.
Kenji couldn’t help but think: After all this time, he finally realized that he had something for Ben.
Not friendship, not brotherhood. But love.
—
Kenji sits stunned on the grass, looking at Haps unconscious body. His emotions quickly change as he looks up to find…Ben?
Ben who fell off the god damn monorail after saving their life. Ben, the one who he thought was never coming back. Ben, who he thought was dead.
“What? Never seen a ghost before?” Ben laughs. He looks significantly different from the last time he saw. His button up is gone, now a bandana around his head.
Not only that but Bumpy’s huge now. She had grown from an infant to a mature adolescent.
Before Brooklynn could react herself, Kenji leaps up from where he was on the ground and pulled Ben into the biggest hug he’s ever given anybody. He’s so warm, Kenji thought, like a human furnace. Isla Nublar was already insanely hot but the warmth radiating from Ben’s body had some sort of comfort in it.
Ben seems shocked. To be fair Kenji has only expressed displeasure whenever he saw him. But Kenji has changed. In fact he missed Ben a lot. He even kept that stupid dork pouch that Ben always used to carry. Speaking of, when they separated, Ben had already swiped it.
Brooklynn swoops in herself to give him a hug.
“How— How the hell?” Kenji stutters in disbelief.
“Oh the trees broke my fall, I’ve got a bit of bruising but overall I’m okay.”
Ben nonchalantly picks some berries to feed them to his huge pet dinosaur.
“Kenji, since when did you miss Ben so much?” Brooklynn elbowed Kenji, teasing him.
But honestly, Kenji didn’t know. He always associated Ben as an annoying parasite that just never went away.
He always felt the need to protect him though. To shield him from the dangers that they have so unfortunately faced while being on this stupid island.
Now, Ben looked…strong. Sure he was bragging about how high and mighty he was for living through a leech bite, but through the harsh months they spent surviving with Ben by their side, Kenji realized that Ben really had changed.
He was more agile, sassy, violent, angry. A different person, with the same heart as the one he met on the first day of camp. His personality just…altered.
For fucks sake, he’s blowing shit up now.
Throughout the six months that they went through grueling, traumatic experiences, Kenji was drawn in. He knew Ben could protect himself, in fact Ben could protect everyone. He wasn’t fragile or weak anymore. Kenji just had this urge to make sure Ben was okay. That his blue eyes would stay lit up. That his cheeks would stay rosy. That he stayed warm and cuddly like the furnace he always was.
—
Ben wasn’t warm anymore, he was cold. Ben’s cheeks were rosy anymore, they were pale and lifeless. Ben’s round blue eyes were dead and soulless. The last time Kenji saw Ben and kissed his hand while they were being flown to that god forsaken hospital, he was on the verge of death and he was clinging on to the last bit of warmth he had.
Yaz burst into the waiting’s rooms doors, panting and with a worried expression on her face.
“Where the fuck is he?! Kenji where is he?”
Kenji had to stop her from rampaging the lobby.
“Yaz he’s fine they’re taking care of him! Calm down!”
“Like hell he’ll be fine Kenji!”
Yasmina was sobbing, being restrained and comforted by Sammy. Darius had been pacing for the last 10 minutes. Brooklynn doesn’t even know what to do.
—
It’s been a few hours and still no sign of Ben’s gorgeous face. To lighten the mood up Brooklynn started to reminisce.
“Anybody remember Ben’s hugs?..”
Everyone stayed silent for a bit before Yaz spoke up, sniffling.
“I remember when I told him about Sammy, he hugged me, telling me how proud he was and shit. He’s always so warm.”
Sammy laughs.
“Yea that big guy could keep you warm
during the winter alright.”
“Anything you wanna add Kenj?” Brooklynn nudged him.
“I think I’m in love with Ben.”
The Camp Fam all stop speaking, opening and closing their mouth in disbelief, unsure of what to say.
“What?” Darius finally speaks up.
“I think I fell in love with Ben.”
They sit in silence before Yaz sits up and smirks.
“You guys always looked at each other in some way…”
Before anyone else could reply, a nurse came out. Kenji stood up immediately.
“Is he okay?!”
Silence.
“He’s gone.”
Silence again. Then tears. Then sobbing.
Everyone rushes into the room, all to see Ben’s lifeless body in a hospital bed.
“Oh my god.” Yaz’s hands rise up to her face, clutching and fidgeting around each other with anxiety.
Sammy couldn’t even bear the sight, running out of the room with Darius running after her. Brooklynn looked like she was about to black out, hyperventilating and whispering the word “no” under her breath in denial.
Kenji ran to Ben’s side. He’s too pale. His eyes are closed. He’ll never see those baby blues again. He grabbed Ben’s hand just to find that it’s cold.
“Why’s he cold? He’s not supposed to be cold.” Kenji muttered.
Kenji lifted up his hand to his lips, the last time he did it, he was warm. He should be warm. Why isn’t he warm?
The whole room was cold and dim. No room is ever dim and cold when Ben’s in there. But it is now.
Ben’s never lighting up a room again and Kenji will never tell him the feelings he had just realized.