I Don't Think He'll Make It Through The Night - Chapter Sixteen
Title: I Don't Think He'll Make It Through The Night
Chapter: Living Dead, Only Alive When I Pretend I've Died
Author: tothebatcaveO_o
Pairing: Alex/Zack (Rian Dawson/Cassadee Pope & Jack Barakat/Tay Jardine) Alex/Jack
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Since his brother died, things at home haven't been good for Alex. His mother became overly controlling of him, and his parents continue to argue, all the time. Alex turned to his demons to help resolve the conflict, but now, Zack's suffering too, the only difference is, Zack's problem can be hidden
Disclaimer: Everything's extracted from my imagination
A/N: I have no idea anything for my exam tomorrow - I know nothing at all! OMG! I'm gon' fail. And so I write you Chapter Sixteen, like, wtf? Appreciate it, because I genuinely should be revising instead
Masterpost
‘Please pick up, Jack, please pick up.’ Alex walked back-and-forth outside the hospital entrance; he wanted Jack to know what had just happened, but Jack remained ignorant to the phone-call. Alex didn’t know what to do anymore, so he walked back inside.
‘Alex? What’s wrong? Are you sure you’re OK?’ It was Kath; she had followed Alex down as he had ran past her as she was approaching her room. Alex nodded,
‘I’m fine, but something happened in the room, with my friend - she began to wake up, but something’s gone wrong.’
‘Oh that’s no good, go on up, but I doubt you’ll be allowed in.’ Alex nodded and made his way back to room 154.
The bed was being wheeled down the corridor, pushed by two nurses and led at the front by a doctor,
‘We’re going to operation theatre three.’ The doctor told the two nurses. She stared at Alex when she turned around and noticed him with his hand on the window. She turned back around and went left down the corridor, disappearing from view, taking Tay with her. Alex gulped - something was seriously wrong.
***
‘She’s gone into theatre.’ Alex sobbed to Rian over the phone,
‘What? Why? What happened?’ Rian asked,
‘I- I don’t know, Rian, I did what you told me to, she began to wake up, and when she saw me all these machines began beeping and going off. When I got back she was being taken into theatre.’
‘Did no-one say anything to you? Like, what’s happened?’
‘N- no, Ri, nothing.’
‘Come to mine, we can talk properly if you want?’ Alex nodded,
‘Yeah, that’d be good.’
***
Alex climbed into Rian’s car; Cassadee was in the passenger seat. She smiled at Alex, but something was off about her.
They got back to Rian’s house where Alex was sat down in the living room, a mug of tea in his hands. Cassadee walked through with her own mug and perched on the arm of the chair next to Rian. Rian leant forward, placed his mug on the coaster on the coffee table and spoke to Alex,
‘Did you try and get hold of Jack?’
‘Of course I did, but he won’t pick up to me.’
‘Did you not think of hiding your number?’
‘Because that’s precisely what runs through your mind when your friend has to be taken into theatre.’ Alex took a sip of tea and placed the mug on a coaster, too. ‘Ri, Cass, I think something terrible’s happened.’ Alex ducked as he let the sentence flow from his mouth. He bit his lip and looked up. Cassadee’s eyes were welling up and she turned over, falling onto Rian’s lap and began to sob. His arms wrapped around her and he hushed her.
‘It’s OK, I’m sure she’s fine.’
‘I- I- I think,’ Cassadee sniffled, ‘I think Alex may be right.’
‘What kind of terrible thing?’
‘I don’t think she’s going to make it. She’s been unconscious for over a week, and as soon as she wakes up, she gets rushed into theatre.’ Alex said, croaking here and there as his emotions tugged at his vocal cords.
‘Don’t be silly, Tay’s strong, and she needs to make it, for her baby.’
‘She’s not going to pull through for Sandy.’ Cassadee stated. Rian raised an eyebrow,
‘What? Of course she will, Sandy’s her son.’ Cassadee shook her head; she knew something the other two didn’t.
‘She was going to leave. She was going to go and live with her Mom, she was going to give up everything - she doesn’t want Sandy, she doesn’t want Jack, and she doesn’t want to be here, anymore.’ Rian and Alex stared at Cassadee, their faces slapped with shock.
‘You’re bullshitting.’ Alex stated as his mind began to race.
‘Cass, that’s an awful thing to suggest.’
‘It’s true. She came to me, not long after all of this happened,’ Cassadee motioned at Alex, ‘that would’ve been the perfect excuse for her to leave him.’
‘Wait, you know about me and Jack?’ Alex asked her, and then glared at Rian,
‘Of course I do - I’m not thick, Alex, I can put two and two together and get four. Whilst it may have been a good thing for Tay, it most certainly was not for Zack, and no matter how much you try and justify it, even if Jack tries to justify it, I will never forgive the pair of you for what you’ve done to two of my closest friends.’ Cassadee stood up and left the living room.
‘I’m sorry, dude.’ Rian said to Alex, but he didn’t want to hear it.
‘Jack doesn’t want to be with me because of Tay, but she doesn’t want him anyway. Rian, I hate how messed up this has become - I mean, what kind of mother doesn’t want their own son?’
‘Zack’s.’ Rian said simply. Alex swallowed and ducked his head; he sighed and bit his lip.
‘I miss him.’
‘You fucked him over, Alex; did you expect him to stick around?’
‘I don’t know what I expected, Rian, I can’t say it crossed my mind. It was like everything in my life was compartmentalised, rather than weaving together like it does. When I was with Zack, it was only Zack, and when I was with Jack, it was only Jack. It was like they were paradigms of different groups, rather than of the same.’
‘You couldn’t have made that any simpler, could you? You totally lost me.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Alex got up, ‘but Zack needs to know that Tay woke up.’
‘What and you’re going to tell him? I don’t think he wants to hear from you.’
‘I can try. I can at least send him a simple text.’ Alex walked out, too. He walked out of the room and out of the front door, ‘Thanks for the tea, Ri.’
***
Tay woke up
Alex hesitated over the send button. He was sat in his bedroom in his boxers. He had undressed for bed - he was tired, exhausted from the day’s stress.
Zack’s name was in the receiver and Alex couldn’t help but wonder if he’d get completely ignored, or if something else might happen. Alex felt his heart race as he pushed the pad of his thumb against the screen. The message slid up into a speech-bubble and the message sent. He took in a deep breath and locked his phone, placing it on the bed-side table and getting into the sheets of his bed.
The buzzing of his phone woke Alex up. He leant up, looked at the time on the clock - it was quarter to one in the morning -and picked his phone up. Zack’s name was highlighted at the bottom of the screen and an answer option beneath that. Alex hesitated with his thumb again before plucking up his courage and answering.
‘Hello?’
‘Alex, it’s me.’
‘I know.’
‘How’s Tay?’
‘I- she,’ Alex bit his lip, ‘she went into theatre.’
‘What? What happened?’
‘I don’t know, but we haven’t heard anything from anyone about her so…’ Alex was finding it very easy to talk to Zack over the phone, until it beeped to tell him he had a message. He asked Zack to hold on a second as he checked the message.
Jack.
Jack had text him! Jack was no-longer a recluse; he had turned his phone back on and was actually making contact with him!
Alex opened the message.
Tay’s gone
Chapter: Living Dead, Only Alive When I Pretend I've Died
Author: tothebatcaveO_o
Pairing: Alex/Zack (Rian Dawson/Cassadee Pope & Jack Barakat/Tay Jardine) Alex/Jack
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Since his brother died, things at home haven't been good for Alex. His mother became overly controlling of him, and his parents continue to argue, all the time. Alex turned to his demons to help resolve the conflict, but now, Zack's suffering too, the only difference is, Zack's problem can be hidden
Disclaimer: Everything's extracted from my imagination
A/N: I have no idea anything for my exam tomorrow - I know nothing at all! OMG! I'm gon' fail. And so I write you Chapter Sixteen, like, wtf? Appreciate it, because I genuinely should be revising instead
Masterpost
‘Please pick up, Jack, please pick up.’ Alex walked back-and-forth outside the hospital entrance; he wanted Jack to know what had just happened, but Jack remained ignorant to the phone-call. Alex didn’t know what to do anymore, so he walked back inside.
‘Alex? What’s wrong? Are you sure you’re OK?’ It was Kath; she had followed Alex down as he had ran past her as she was approaching her room. Alex nodded,
‘I’m fine, but something happened in the room, with my friend - she began to wake up, but something’s gone wrong.’
‘Oh that’s no good, go on up, but I doubt you’ll be allowed in.’ Alex nodded and made his way back to room 154.
The bed was being wheeled down the corridor, pushed by two nurses and led at the front by a doctor,
‘We’re going to operation theatre three.’ The doctor told the two nurses. She stared at Alex when she turned around and noticed him with his hand on the window. She turned back around and went left down the corridor, disappearing from view, taking Tay with her. Alex gulped - something was seriously wrong.
***
‘She’s gone into theatre.’ Alex sobbed to Rian over the phone,
‘What? Why? What happened?’ Rian asked,
‘I- I don’t know, Rian, I did what you told me to, she began to wake up, and when she saw me all these machines began beeping and going off. When I got back she was being taken into theatre.’
‘Did no-one say anything to you? Like, what’s happened?’
‘N- no, Ri, nothing.’
‘Come to mine, we can talk properly if you want?’ Alex nodded,
‘Yeah, that’d be good.’
***
Alex climbed into Rian’s car; Cassadee was in the passenger seat. She smiled at Alex, but something was off about her.
They got back to Rian’s house where Alex was sat down in the living room, a mug of tea in his hands. Cassadee walked through with her own mug and perched on the arm of the chair next to Rian. Rian leant forward, placed his mug on the coaster on the coffee table and spoke to Alex,
‘Did you try and get hold of Jack?’
‘Of course I did, but he won’t pick up to me.’
‘Did you not think of hiding your number?’
‘Because that’s precisely what runs through your mind when your friend has to be taken into theatre.’ Alex took a sip of tea and placed the mug on a coaster, too. ‘Ri, Cass, I think something terrible’s happened.’ Alex ducked as he let the sentence flow from his mouth. He bit his lip and looked up. Cassadee’s eyes were welling up and she turned over, falling onto Rian’s lap and began to sob. His arms wrapped around her and he hushed her.
‘It’s OK, I’m sure she’s fine.’
‘I- I- I think,’ Cassadee sniffled, ‘I think Alex may be right.’
‘What kind of terrible thing?’
‘I don’t think she’s going to make it. She’s been unconscious for over a week, and as soon as she wakes up, she gets rushed into theatre.’ Alex said, croaking here and there as his emotions tugged at his vocal cords.
‘Don’t be silly, Tay’s strong, and she needs to make it, for her baby.’
‘She’s not going to pull through for Sandy.’ Cassadee stated. Rian raised an eyebrow,
‘What? Of course she will, Sandy’s her son.’ Cassadee shook her head; she knew something the other two didn’t.
‘She was going to leave. She was going to go and live with her Mom, she was going to give up everything - she doesn’t want Sandy, she doesn’t want Jack, and she doesn’t want to be here, anymore.’ Rian and Alex stared at Cassadee, their faces slapped with shock.
‘You’re bullshitting.’ Alex stated as his mind began to race.
‘Cass, that’s an awful thing to suggest.’
‘It’s true. She came to me, not long after all of this happened,’ Cassadee motioned at Alex, ‘that would’ve been the perfect excuse for her to leave him.’
‘Wait, you know about me and Jack?’ Alex asked her, and then glared at Rian,
‘Of course I do - I’m not thick, Alex, I can put two and two together and get four. Whilst it may have been a good thing for Tay, it most certainly was not for Zack, and no matter how much you try and justify it, even if Jack tries to justify it, I will never forgive the pair of you for what you’ve done to two of my closest friends.’ Cassadee stood up and left the living room.
‘I’m sorry, dude.’ Rian said to Alex, but he didn’t want to hear it.
‘Jack doesn’t want to be with me because of Tay, but she doesn’t want him anyway. Rian, I hate how messed up this has become - I mean, what kind of mother doesn’t want their own son?’
‘Zack’s.’ Rian said simply. Alex swallowed and ducked his head; he sighed and bit his lip.
‘I miss him.’
‘You fucked him over, Alex; did you expect him to stick around?’
‘I don’t know what I expected, Rian, I can’t say it crossed my mind. It was like everything in my life was compartmentalised, rather than weaving together like it does. When I was with Zack, it was only Zack, and when I was with Jack, it was only Jack. It was like they were paradigms of different groups, rather than of the same.’
‘You couldn’t have made that any simpler, could you? You totally lost me.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Alex got up, ‘but Zack needs to know that Tay woke up.’
‘What and you’re going to tell him? I don’t think he wants to hear from you.’
‘I can try. I can at least send him a simple text.’ Alex walked out, too. He walked out of the room and out of the front door, ‘Thanks for the tea, Ri.’
***
Tay woke up
Alex hesitated over the send button. He was sat in his bedroom in his boxers. He had undressed for bed - he was tired, exhausted from the day’s stress.
Zack’s name was in the receiver and Alex couldn’t help but wonder if he’d get completely ignored, or if something else might happen. Alex felt his heart race as he pushed the pad of his thumb against the screen. The message slid up into a speech-bubble and the message sent. He took in a deep breath and locked his phone, placing it on the bed-side table and getting into the sheets of his bed.
The buzzing of his phone woke Alex up. He leant up, looked at the time on the clock - it was quarter to one in the morning -and picked his phone up. Zack’s name was highlighted at the bottom of the screen and an answer option beneath that. Alex hesitated with his thumb again before plucking up his courage and answering.
‘Hello?’
‘Alex, it’s me.’
‘I know.’
‘How’s Tay?’
‘I- she,’ Alex bit his lip, ‘she went into theatre.’
‘What? What happened?’
‘I don’t know, but we haven’t heard anything from anyone about her so…’ Alex was finding it very easy to talk to Zack over the phone, until it beeped to tell him he had a message. He asked Zack to hold on a second as he checked the message.
Jack.
Jack had text him! Jack was no-longer a recluse; he had turned his phone back on and was actually making contact with him!
Alex opened the message.
Tay’s gone