Need You [24 pt2]
Title: Need You, 24/30
Author: Reina [new_againxo]
Rating: Pg-13
Pairing: Jalex + rian/zack (Riack?), gabilliam, rydon, kyleb, and more
Summary: Alex Gaskarth is a nineteen year old college sophomore, living life the way he wants. One night, one decision, will make all the difference.
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys. I never will. I swear.
Warnings: MPREG, sensitive topics.
A/n: Part 2 :)
<33 thanks for all your awesome comments!
Suicide was never a word that was ever applied to Alex’s life in any way. He didn’t know anybody who tried it, didn’t know anybody that even wanted to try it. He himself never even really thought about - not even in a curious way. But now suddenly he’s being forced to comprehend it, because he almost just lost someone so close to him because of it.
He’s sitting beside William in one of the cold plastic chairs in the waiting room, wringing his fingers together and staring at Jack, who’s leaning on the nurse’s desk, trying to get any sort of information out of them.
“Alex,” William’s hand is suddenly on his back, rubbing small circles, “Stop doing that with your hands.” His own thin fingers grip onto Alex’s and pull them apart, keeping one hand in his own, “I know you’re freaking out but you need to just keep calm. At least for right now.”
Alex squeezes William’s hand, “I can’t,” his voice is broken and barely audible, “How can I calm down when I don’t know if Zack’s okay or not?”
“I know it’s hard. I know you’re scared - because I am too. But you’re six months pregnant and she knows that you’re stressing. She’s probably just as scared as you are.”
Alex knows that William is just trying to get him to calm down. And William knows that he can do that by bringing the baby into this. So Alex sits back in the chair and takes a deep breath, his hands automatically moving to rest on his stomach. “How come I didn’t see this coming?”
“Why would you?”
“He wasn’t happy. He’s been nothing but depressed without Rian and he barely spoke to me anymore… I should have known-”
“No, Alex. You couldn’t have known. This was a shock to everyone. Please don’t think this is your fault.”
“I shouldn’t have forced him and Rian apart. Rian made him happy and-”
William scoffs, “Rian put him in danger. And you did the right thing.”
“Doesn’t seem like that now.”
“Right now, no. But you’ll see.”
It’s another minute before Jack comes back over. He sighs loudly when he’s standing in front of them and he folds his arms across his chest. “They didn’t tell me anything new, really,” He informs them, “All they said was that he overdosed. But we know that already. And they’re hoping to get more information soon.”
“S-should I try? I mean, they should be able to tell me more than they can tell you,” Alex says, standing up from his seat with unsteady legs. When Jack nods, he makes his way over to the nurse’s station.
There’s two woman sitting there, one flipping through a magazine and the other typing at one of the computers. Alex stands there for a few seconds, leaning on the desk, before coughing in order to get their attention. The one at the computer looks up at him and smiles gently. “Yes?”
“Um, hi… I just was wondering if I could get some info on Zachary Merrick. He was brought in-”
“Well I just told your friend over there that we can’t give out much information right now-”
“Yes, I know that, but I’m his guardian, and I just need to know if-”
Hearing this new information, the nurse widens her eyes and nods, “Right…Name please?”
“Alex Gaskarth?”
The sound of her nails clicking on the keys fills the room and Alex fidgets where he stands. Finally, she looks up and nods at him again, “He’s currently in the OR,” She reads off her computer screen, “It looks like he overdosed on a variety of over-the-counter drugs…Once I get some more information, I’ll be sure to inform you. Chances are, he’ll be out within the next hour and then Doctor Phillips will speak to you personally.”
Alex sighs and thanks her, taking the short walk back to his friends on the other side of the room. He slumps down in his seat again, his heart aching even more than before. He didn’t miss how she didn’t specify whether Zack will come out of OR alive or not.
*
It’s another two hours before Alex gets any more information, and luckily enough, that information comes straight from the doctor himself. The man walks into the waiting room, his clipboard in hand and he asks to speak to Alex privately in his own office. Alex glances at Jack, wishing he could take his boyfriend with him, but knowing that it’s best to just face this on his own.
When he’s sitting in the chair in front of the Doctor’s desk, he fidgets and folds and unfolds his hands, waiting for the man to speak.
“So, I’m Doctor Phillips,” he finally says, placing his files on the desk, “I’m Zachary’s doctor - I was the one who took care of him in the OR.”
“I…Is he…Is he okay?” Alex asks weakly, knowing that he might not like the answer he’s going to receive.
“Currently, he’s in room 34B. The medications we gave him put him straight to sleep - but yes. In general, he’s okay.”
Alex lets out the breath he’d been holding and his hands immediately support his head, “Thank you so much.” He’s not sure who he’s thanking - only the doctor in front of him, or someone up there who has higher power.
“He’s a lucky boy, Mr. Gaskarth. If he had gotten here any later than he did, I’m not so sure if we would have been able to save him. He took a variety of drugs - some over the counter, some prescription - and we had to pump his stomach.”
“I-I don’t… I don’t know why he did this,” Alex admits, “I mean… He’s been having a rough few weeks, but I never…”
“It’s not your fault,” Doctor Phillips assures him, “It’s nobody’s fault. Zachary’s still here and that’s the main thing to think about. However, it’s my job to help patients get better - and I feel that looking into therapy sessions would really help him.”
“Therapy? I … I guess… I mean, I don’t know if he’ll-”
“You don’t have to think about this right now. You can go see him. He’ll wake up soon and you can decide when it’s best to bring the subject up to him. I wouldn’t advise that you do it right away, but it’s entirely your choice.”
“H-How long will he be staying here?”
“A few days. We’d like to monitor his progress and then we’ll release him by the end of the week.”
By the time Alex gets to Zack’s room, both Jack and William are already inside, sitting on the left side of Zack’s bed. Jack has his feet up on the bed, his head leaning back against the wall and William is doing a crossword puzzle in the newspaper.
Alex sits on the other side, his elbows leaning on the bed and supporting his head, waiting for Zack to wake up. The younger boy looks sick - so pale and thin in the large bed. Alex feels the tears stinging his eyes but he keeps them back. He doesn’t want to break down right now.
*
“I’m going to go make a few phone calls,” Jack says quietly an hour later, standing up from his chair, “I’ll call Zack’s school and his job. And the rest of the guys. That way you don’t have to worry about anything.” He walks around to Alex’s side, leaning down and pressing their lips together.
Alex smiles against Jack’s lips, pulling away after a few seconds, “Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you too, baby. I’m going to get you some coffee, too. You look so tired.”
“You’re the best.”
“I know I am.”
Jack is gone in under thirty seconds, and William laughs from his seat across from Alex. “You two are so fucking cheesy. It makes me sick.”
“Shut up,” Alex blushes, “You’re jealous.”
“Not really. Gabe and I are perfectly fine without all the clichés.”
“Sure. Are you two okay, though? Like… Gabe’s really gay?”
“He’s bi, Alex. And yes, we’re fine. Actually, I’m going to go call him. I’ll be back, alright? Text me if he wakes up.”
Now, Alex finds himself alone with Zack. He leans on his arms a little bit more and sighs. “You need to wake up, okay? He says quietly, “Seriously. You’re making me nervous.” He picks at the bed sheets and watches as the threads come out easily. Cheap.
“Alex?”
Alex jumps, the sound of Zack’s rough voice taking him by surprise. His eyes land on the younger boy, and he really just wants to pull him into his arms and hold him. But the wires and the bed rails are sort of in the way. “Zack,” he manages to say, reaching for Zack’s hand that’s closest to him, “How do you feel?”
Instead of answering the question, Zack shakes his head and his eyes fill with water, “I’m so sorry, Alex - I probably scared you so bad.”
“Well…yeah,” Alex admits, “But you’re okay. And that’s what I care about.”
“I just - I wanted to… I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”
Alex knows that he’s going to need to have a serious conversation with the younger boy soon - but right now he’s just happy that he’s alive, that he’s sitting up and talking to Alex. He’ll worry about the impending conversation later - when Zack isn’t in such a sensitive state.
“You can’t leave me yet,” Alex says, “You haven’t even met Jasey yet.”
At that, Zack cracks a smile, looking down at his hands, “I guess you’re right. Who’s going to help you raise her? Jack knows shit about babies.”
*
When Zack is sleeping again, and visiting hours are ending, Jack and Alex are sitting next to the bed. Alex has a calculator in his hands that he stole from the nurse’s desk and he’s punching in number after number, a frown obvious on his face.
“I can’t afford this. Why the fuck are hospital stays so fucking expensive?” he mumbles to himself, “Maybe I can take more hours this week-”
“Don’t be stupid,” Jack says quietly, his voice sleepy, “You’re moving in with me once Zack is released.”
“Moving in with you? We already live together!”
“Don’t be dumb. I mean to my apartment that has working elevators and is closer to both your school and Zack’s.”
“No.”
“Yes, actually. You can’t say no. Because you’re nearly seven months pregnant, and you can’t be walking up so many flights of stairs - not mention, you can’t afford it without my help. So either you take my help and live in the apartment that my parents pay for, where we will also have a room for our baby, or you can just live on the streets. So move in with me. Yes or no?”
Alex is getting frustrated - He wants to tell Jack that no - there’s no way he’s taking his help and moving into an apartment that he can’t pay for. But then he sees the look on Jack’s face, the look in his eyes and he knows that Jack is just trying to be there for him - the way that he’s supposed to be. Like a good boyfriend is - like a father is. And that’s what makes him say ‘yes’.
Author: Reina [new_againxo]
Rating: Pg-13
Pairing: Jalex + rian/zack (Riack?), gabilliam, rydon, kyleb, and more
Summary: Alex Gaskarth is a nineteen year old college sophomore, living life the way he wants. One night, one decision, will make all the difference.
Disclaimer: I don't own these guys. I never will. I swear.
Warnings: MPREG, sensitive topics.
A/n: Part 2 :)
<33 thanks for all your awesome comments!
Suicide was never a word that was ever applied to Alex’s life in any way. He didn’t know anybody who tried it, didn’t know anybody that even wanted to try it. He himself never even really thought about - not even in a curious way. But now suddenly he’s being forced to comprehend it, because he almost just lost someone so close to him because of it.
He’s sitting beside William in one of the cold plastic chairs in the waiting room, wringing his fingers together and staring at Jack, who’s leaning on the nurse’s desk, trying to get any sort of information out of them.
“Alex,” William’s hand is suddenly on his back, rubbing small circles, “Stop doing that with your hands.” His own thin fingers grip onto Alex’s and pull them apart, keeping one hand in his own, “I know you’re freaking out but you need to just keep calm. At least for right now.”
Alex squeezes William’s hand, “I can’t,” his voice is broken and barely audible, “How can I calm down when I don’t know if Zack’s okay or not?”
“I know it’s hard. I know you’re scared - because I am too. But you’re six months pregnant and she knows that you’re stressing. She’s probably just as scared as you are.”
Alex knows that William is just trying to get him to calm down. And William knows that he can do that by bringing the baby into this. So Alex sits back in the chair and takes a deep breath, his hands automatically moving to rest on his stomach. “How come I didn’t see this coming?”
“Why would you?”
“He wasn’t happy. He’s been nothing but depressed without Rian and he barely spoke to me anymore… I should have known-”
“No, Alex. You couldn’t have known. This was a shock to everyone. Please don’t think this is your fault.”
“I shouldn’t have forced him and Rian apart. Rian made him happy and-”
William scoffs, “Rian put him in danger. And you did the right thing.”
“Doesn’t seem like that now.”
“Right now, no. But you’ll see.”
It’s another minute before Jack comes back over. He sighs loudly when he’s standing in front of them and he folds his arms across his chest. “They didn’t tell me anything new, really,” He informs them, “All they said was that he overdosed. But we know that already. And they’re hoping to get more information soon.”
“S-should I try? I mean, they should be able to tell me more than they can tell you,” Alex says, standing up from his seat with unsteady legs. When Jack nods, he makes his way over to the nurse’s station.
There’s two woman sitting there, one flipping through a magazine and the other typing at one of the computers. Alex stands there for a few seconds, leaning on the desk, before coughing in order to get their attention. The one at the computer looks up at him and smiles gently. “Yes?”
“Um, hi… I just was wondering if I could get some info on Zachary Merrick. He was brought in-”
“Well I just told your friend over there that we can’t give out much information right now-”
“Yes, I know that, but I’m his guardian, and I just need to know if-”
Hearing this new information, the nurse widens her eyes and nods, “Right…Name please?”
“Alex Gaskarth?”
The sound of her nails clicking on the keys fills the room and Alex fidgets where he stands. Finally, she looks up and nods at him again, “He’s currently in the OR,” She reads off her computer screen, “It looks like he overdosed on a variety of over-the-counter drugs…Once I get some more information, I’ll be sure to inform you. Chances are, he’ll be out within the next hour and then Doctor Phillips will speak to you personally.”
Alex sighs and thanks her, taking the short walk back to his friends on the other side of the room. He slumps down in his seat again, his heart aching even more than before. He didn’t miss how she didn’t specify whether Zack will come out of OR alive or not.
*
It’s another two hours before Alex gets any more information, and luckily enough, that information comes straight from the doctor himself. The man walks into the waiting room, his clipboard in hand and he asks to speak to Alex privately in his own office. Alex glances at Jack, wishing he could take his boyfriend with him, but knowing that it’s best to just face this on his own.
When he’s sitting in the chair in front of the Doctor’s desk, he fidgets and folds and unfolds his hands, waiting for the man to speak.
“So, I’m Doctor Phillips,” he finally says, placing his files on the desk, “I’m Zachary’s doctor - I was the one who took care of him in the OR.”
“I…Is he…Is he okay?” Alex asks weakly, knowing that he might not like the answer he’s going to receive.
“Currently, he’s in room 34B. The medications we gave him put him straight to sleep - but yes. In general, he’s okay.”
Alex lets out the breath he’d been holding and his hands immediately support his head, “Thank you so much.” He’s not sure who he’s thanking - only the doctor in front of him, or someone up there who has higher power.
“He’s a lucky boy, Mr. Gaskarth. If he had gotten here any later than he did, I’m not so sure if we would have been able to save him. He took a variety of drugs - some over the counter, some prescription - and we had to pump his stomach.”
“I-I don’t… I don’t know why he did this,” Alex admits, “I mean… He’s been having a rough few weeks, but I never…”
“It’s not your fault,” Doctor Phillips assures him, “It’s nobody’s fault. Zachary’s still here and that’s the main thing to think about. However, it’s my job to help patients get better - and I feel that looking into therapy sessions would really help him.”
“Therapy? I … I guess… I mean, I don’t know if he’ll-”
“You don’t have to think about this right now. You can go see him. He’ll wake up soon and you can decide when it’s best to bring the subject up to him. I wouldn’t advise that you do it right away, but it’s entirely your choice.”
“H-How long will he be staying here?”
“A few days. We’d like to monitor his progress and then we’ll release him by the end of the week.”
By the time Alex gets to Zack’s room, both Jack and William are already inside, sitting on the left side of Zack’s bed. Jack has his feet up on the bed, his head leaning back against the wall and William is doing a crossword puzzle in the newspaper.
Alex sits on the other side, his elbows leaning on the bed and supporting his head, waiting for Zack to wake up. The younger boy looks sick - so pale and thin in the large bed. Alex feels the tears stinging his eyes but he keeps them back. He doesn’t want to break down right now.
*
“I’m going to go make a few phone calls,” Jack says quietly an hour later, standing up from his chair, “I’ll call Zack’s school and his job. And the rest of the guys. That way you don’t have to worry about anything.” He walks around to Alex’s side, leaning down and pressing their lips together.
Alex smiles against Jack’s lips, pulling away after a few seconds, “Thank you. I love you.”
“Love you too, baby. I’m going to get you some coffee, too. You look so tired.”
“You’re the best.”
“I know I am.”
Jack is gone in under thirty seconds, and William laughs from his seat across from Alex. “You two are so fucking cheesy. It makes me sick.”
“Shut up,” Alex blushes, “You’re jealous.”
“Not really. Gabe and I are perfectly fine without all the clichés.”
“Sure. Are you two okay, though? Like… Gabe’s really gay?”
“He’s bi, Alex. And yes, we’re fine. Actually, I’m going to go call him. I’ll be back, alright? Text me if he wakes up.”
Now, Alex finds himself alone with Zack. He leans on his arms a little bit more and sighs. “You need to wake up, okay? He says quietly, “Seriously. You’re making me nervous.” He picks at the bed sheets and watches as the threads come out easily. Cheap.
“Alex?”
Alex jumps, the sound of Zack’s rough voice taking him by surprise. His eyes land on the younger boy, and he really just wants to pull him into his arms and hold him. But the wires and the bed rails are sort of in the way. “Zack,” he manages to say, reaching for Zack’s hand that’s closest to him, “How do you feel?”
Instead of answering the question, Zack shakes his head and his eyes fill with water, “I’m so sorry, Alex - I probably scared you so bad.”
“Well…yeah,” Alex admits, “But you’re okay. And that’s what I care about.”
“I just - I wanted to… I don’t know. I don’t know anything.”
Alex knows that he’s going to need to have a serious conversation with the younger boy soon - but right now he’s just happy that he’s alive, that he’s sitting up and talking to Alex. He’ll worry about the impending conversation later - when Zack isn’t in such a sensitive state.
“You can’t leave me yet,” Alex says, “You haven’t even met Jasey yet.”
At that, Zack cracks a smile, looking down at his hands, “I guess you’re right. Who’s going to help you raise her? Jack knows shit about babies.”
*
When Zack is sleeping again, and visiting hours are ending, Jack and Alex are sitting next to the bed. Alex has a calculator in his hands that he stole from the nurse’s desk and he’s punching in number after number, a frown obvious on his face.
“I can’t afford this. Why the fuck are hospital stays so fucking expensive?” he mumbles to himself, “Maybe I can take more hours this week-”
“Don’t be stupid,” Jack says quietly, his voice sleepy, “You’re moving in with me once Zack is released.”
“Moving in with you? We already live together!”
“Don’t be dumb. I mean to my apartment that has working elevators and is closer to both your school and Zack’s.”
“No.”
“Yes, actually. You can’t say no. Because you’re nearly seven months pregnant, and you can’t be walking up so many flights of stairs - not mention, you can’t afford it without my help. So either you take my help and live in the apartment that my parents pay for, where we will also have a room for our baby, or you can just live on the streets. So move in with me. Yes or no?”
Alex is getting frustrated - He wants to tell Jack that no - there’s no way he’s taking his help and moving into an apartment that he can’t pay for. But then he sees the look on Jack’s face, the look in his eyes and he knows that Jack is just trying to be there for him - the way that he’s supposed to be. Like a good boyfriend is - like a father is. And that’s what makes him say ‘yes’.