A Pessimists Romance Ch.03

Neil sighed and threw down his pencil. He couldn't focus with all of these thoughts running through his head. He was happy with Dalton. He was a bit arrogant but he treated Neil well. Better than Neil thought most people would treat him. Regardless however his hope for humanity remained nonexistent. 

"Something wrong?" Dalton asked. Neil looked over at him. They were sitting in his room on Wednesday night, trying to finish their English project due tomorrow morning.

"I'm just having trouble focusing." Neil said. It was the truth. He was happy with Dalton, but he did miss Conner. Conner had a certain way about him that Dalton didn't have. Neil couldn't place what it was, but it was very obvious when it wasn't there. It drove him insane. 

"Maybe I can fix that." Dalton smiled. He climbed over Neil and began kissing him feverishly. Neil moaned under him and let Dalton take control. He didn't like being submissive, but he knew Dalton loved having him be so willing under him. It made Neil nervous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Conner stared at Neil from across the room. His pale skin called out to him. He wanted to lick and nibble at the hollow spot under his chin. He wanted to kiss the soft pink lips that smiled ever so softly at Dalton. Conner hadn't spoken to either of them in weeks. He missed his friends, but he couldn't keep his anger under control when he saw them together. He wanted Neil. He deserved Neil.

It wasn't a secret that Dalton was possessive and arrogant. And he would cheat on his boyfriend the first chance he got. Conner had dated Dalton for four days before they drove each other insane. After they broke up they had remained friends, both agreeing they were better that way.

"Thank you, Neil." Their teacher said, as he finished their presentation. Neil nodded and sat back down. Conner snapped his pencil in his fists as Dalton leaned over and whispered something to Neil, making him laugh softly. He had to get over this. He missed Neil too much. Dalton he could live without to be honest. But if he wanted to remain friends with Neil, he would have to get over it. Dalton had him now. The bell rang and the class stood up and began walking out the door. Conner waited until Dalton waved goodbye and walked in the opposite direction.

"Neil." Conner called out. Neil turned around and seemed shocked when he saw it was Conner calling him.

"Hey." He smiled softly, almost hesitating.

"Hey. I just wanted to say I'm sorry I got so pissed off. I really want to stay friends." Conner said.

"I wanted to stay friends, too. But you got so mad. I really don't want to have to deal with that, Conner." Neil said.

"I'm sorry, okay? I was just jealous. I still am, but I can see past that. I don't want to lose you as a friend." He grabbed Neils hand and made him stop to talk to him. He felt a spark but Neil quickly got a hold of himself. Neil sighed.

"You're totally right. I still feel bad for taking you out of school for a week. You are okay, right?" Neil asked. Connor nodded. "Good...Hey, we were going to go to the movies tonight, do you want to come?" Neil asked.

"Are you sure Dalton will be okay with this? I haven't talked to him yet..." Connor said. He held back his frustration at the way Neil casually said 'we'.

"He'll be fine." Neil smiled. "We'll pick you up at eight." Neil said, and walked away.

~~~~~~~~~~ They chose a horror movie. Connor watched as Neil sat between the other two men. Dalton hadn't said anything when he picked him up, but he was sure he was pissed at Connor. Connor wasn't sure why, either. He hadn't done anything to Dalton. The movie started and Dalton was holding the popcorn. Neil munched quietly on the buttery goodness while focusing on the movie. But Connor couldn't help but stare at his smooth jaw and pink lips. He looked up from Neil's beautiful face and met eyes with Dalton, who had caught him staring at his boyfriend. 

Dalton scowled at him and wrapped his arm around Neils shoulder, pulling him in close. Neil rested his head on Dalton's shoulder and Dalton smiled smugly at Connor. Connor felt the anger building inside him. He tried to focus on the movie but just couldn't get into it. He looked over and saw Dalton playing with Neils hair. 

He reached over to grab a handful of popcorn from Dalton's lap, and made an extra effort to get his own face close to Neils, who didn't even notice the sly move. Dalton glared at him as he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of Neils hair. He raised an eyebrow at Dalton and moved back to his seat. Dalton glared at him for the rest of the movie.

Neil jumped at all of the scary parts and buried his head in Dalton's neck. Connor was surprised that Neil was scared. He just seemed so cool and aloof all the time. But he guessed that was because of his 'I don't give a shit' attitude, not his bravery. The two boys kept trying to one up each other through the whole film. Dalton held Neil closely and Connor kept finding ways to get close to him. He would offer Neil candy and would feed it to him, or would reach over to steal some popcorn from Dalton, getting unnecessarily close to Neil. He pretended to be scared during one of the scary parts and grabbed Neils hand, not letting go for the rest of the movie. 

When Dalton watched, for the fourth time, as Connor fed Neil a Junior Mint, he decided he had had enough. He threw the popcorn at Connor and pulled Neil up, storming out of the theater.

"What the hell are you doing?" Neil pulled his hand from Dalton's.

"He keeps making moves on you!" Dalton pointed at Connor, who had followed them out. 

"He is not! He's just a friend Dalton, I can't believe you're throwing a fit over this. What, I can't have male friends anymore?" Neil asked. Dalton crossed his arms.

"Not if you're friends with him." He said.

"You're making me chose between my friend and my boyfriend?" Neil crossed his own arms.

"Yes. Yu can be friends with anyone but him, Neil. He just wants to get with you!" Dalton shouted. People stared at them while buying their tickets or their drinks.

"That's such bullshit, Dalton. And you know it. He wouldn't do that." Neil said.

"Then fuck you, Neil. You made your choice." Dalton stormed out. Neil sighed and put a hand to his head.

"I get out of solitary confinement after three years and I have to deal with high school drama, what is this shit?" He muttered.

"I'm sorry Neil." Connor said.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." He waved a hand. "I didn't think he would get so jealous." 

"You can't really blame him. I would get jealous if you were my boyfriend and he was hitting on you." Connor shrugged, as they began walking from the theater.

"Yeah, but you weren't hitting on me. He got mad over nothing." Neil said.

"Well... In all honesty I was kind of getting close to you, just to piss him off." Connor admitted. Neil stopped and stared at him, before sighing and started walking again.

"I'm with Dalton, Connor. I plan to keep it that way. Sure he's a little arrogant, and can be annoying...but he's a good guy. I'm sorry." Neil said. 

"I know. I hope you guys are happy together. Just know that I'll always be there for you...okay?" Connor said. Neil nodded. 

"Thank you." He smiled. He knew that Connor meant it. He would always be there for him.

~~~~~~~~

Months passed and Neil and Dalton stopped hanging out with Connor. Dalton would get jealous, or Connor would get pissed off. It was best if they just stopped talking all together. Neil would pass Connor in the hallway and wave and smile, but that was where their contact ended. In no time at all, Graduation was just around the corner. As they lined up to get their robes and cap, Dalton put his arm around Neil.

"So have you decided where you're going after all of this?" Dalton looked around the high school.

"Yeah. I want to go to UC Berkeley." Neil said.

"What? You aren't a musician." Dalton frowned.

"Yes... I am. I've been in Orchestra all year, and I was playing before that." Neil said, shocked Dalton didn't know.

"Oh...That's cool." Dalton shrugged.

"Where are you going?" Neil asked, moving forward in the line.

"Nowhere. I think I'll just take a break from school for a year or two." Dalton smiled.

"Oh, that's cool I guess." Neil shrugged. Dalton wasn't stupid, he wasn't a genius, but he could get into a good college if he wanted. He also had enough street smarts to survive without a higher education, though. Neil could respect him for doing what he wanted, not the norm.

~~~~~~~~~~

"God you're so hot." Dalton panted as he kissed Neil passionately. 

"You're not so bad yourself." Neil smiled. Dalton pushed his shirt over his head and began nibbling at Neils nipples.

"Please, Neil. I have to have you. You're so beautiful." He panted. Neil nodded. Dalton smiled and moved down lower. In no time at all Neil was naked and Dalton was sucking his cock greedily. Neil writhed under his hungry mouth and let Dalton take control. He felt his balls tighten up and he panted heavily.

"Dalton, I'm gonna cum." He said. Dalton kept suck until Neil flooded his mouth. Dalton smiled around his cock and sucked out the last drop. Neil panted and Dalton leaned over, spitting the cum out into the trash. Neil poked out his lip.

"You don't really love me." He joked. Dalton laughed, wiping his mouth. He pushed Neils knee's up to his chest.

"Hold these for me?" He winked at Neil, who smiled and wrapped his arms under his knees and held them up, giving Dalton access to his hole. Dalton rolled the condom on and squeezed a fair amount of lube out onto his cock, rubbing it around the condom. Neil felt the cold lube on his hole as Dalton worked it in slowly, stretching him out. He moaned under Dalton's fingers and took a deep breath when he felt Dalton's cock up against his ass. Dalton pushed in and the head popped in. Neil hissed and Dalton paused, letting him adjust to his size.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Neil nodded. 

"Keep going, I like the pain." He admitted. Dalton raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"My own little S&M freak." He smiled, and pushed the rest of his cock into Neil's hole quickly. Neil cried out in pain and pleasure and Dalton began fucking him quickly. Neil tossed his head back and forth as Dalton pounded into him. Neil would have cum sooner, but the feeling of Dalton standing over him ruined it. He pushed Dalton back and climbed on top of him, sinking down on his pole. He rolled his head back and moaned. He preferred being on top. In no time at all he squeezed Dalton's shoulders as his boyfriend jacked him off.

"Oh shit!" Neil cried out as he came for the second time that night. Dalton moaned and pulled Neil down against his chest. He filled the condom and smiled at the feeling of Neils cum between their chests.

"Shit, I love being eighteen." Dalton laughed. "You won't be able to cum twice in one night forever, you know?" He smiled.

"Oh I can do more than that." Neil winked.

"You're a little horn dog. Why didn't we do this sooner?" Dalton asked.

"I had to make sure you were the right guy, you know?" Neil smiled.

"So wait, you're a virgin?" Dalton said, surprised.

"Not anymore." Neil chuckled.

"Wow...It means a lot to me that I was your first, Neil. It makes me feel really close to you." Dalton stroked Neil's back, as they laid together in the dark.

"I feel close to you too, Dalton." Neil smiled. He realized he wasn't lying. Dalton was one of the first people he had felt close to in a long time. He felt his heart begin to stir, something else he also hadn't felt in a long time.

"Good, I don't want us to be just a fling. I want this to mean something, Neil." Dalton whispered.

"When I was in solitary, in the camps...I just shut myself off from everyone. Even when I got out. I can't connect with my dad, or with my teachers or any of the guys from school. I forgot how good it feels to be connected to someone." Neil admitted. He put his ear to Dalton's chest and listened to his heartbeat. Dalton sat quietly as Neil listened to the steady 'thump thump' of his chest. He put a hand on Dalton's chest. As his heart beat, he let two small electrical currents flow from his hand. Dalton jumped and smiled.

"That feels...really weird." He said. Neil did it again, letting the current flow at the same time as the beat of his heart. He smiled, and kept up the routine for awhile longer. Finally he began falling asleep, letting the steady rhythm of Dalton's heart soothe him.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Neil." Connor smiled.

"Hey." Neil returned the smile.

"Nice." Connor nodded at his diploma. 

"You too." Neil laughed. Dalton walked up and wrapped his arms around Neil.

"Hey babe, congrats." He smiled. 

"You too." Neil smiled and kissed Dalton happily. Connor kept the fake smile plastered on his face.

"So what are you guys going to do to celebrate?" Connor asked.

"We were going to go to the grad party, in a half hour." Dalton said. "Want to come?" Dalton had managed to warm up to Connor again, once Connor agreed to back off.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to be a third wheel." Connor shook his head.

"No, come on. It will be fun." Neil said. 

"What?" Dalton and Connor said at the same time. 

"The eternal pessimist says somethings going to be....wait for it....fun?" Connors jaw dropped.

"Not horrible and traumatizing?"

"Or painful and scarring?"

"Or depressing and-"

"Okay okay, you made your point, alright?" Neil laughed.

"So hey, whatever happened to 'I'm not gay'?" Connor asked.

"Oh be quiet." Neil scowled. Dalton laughed the hardest. They climbed into Dalton's car and sat down.

"You need to get a new truck." Neil complained.

"What's wrong with this one?" Connor looked around the ancient truck.

"Well for one thing, it has no seat belts." Neil glared.

"The guy who owned it before me took them out to replace them after an accident. They broke and he just kind of forgot about them." Dalton explained.

"Yeah, I still want a seat belt." Neil glared at Dalton harder.

"Baby." Dalton winked at him. They pulled up to the other side of the school.

"Lets party like rock stars, boys!" Connor smiled and jumped out of the truck excitedly.

~~~~~~~~

"For a school dance, this is actually kind of fun." Connor said over the loud music. Neil nodded. "So Dalton said you're in Orchestra? When did that happen?" Connor asked.

"Why does nobody know anything about me?" He threw his hands up.

"What do you play?" Connor asked.

"The violin is my main instrument. But I can also play trombone." Neil smiled.

"Wow, a man of many skills." He laughed. "So does that mean you're good at hand jobs AND blow jobs?" Connor winked.

"You bet he is." Dalton walked up with their small cups of punch, putting his arm around Neil's shoulders.

"Dalton!" Neil laughed and elbowed him in the side, accepting his drink.

"It's true, babe. I'm not gonna lie." Dalton laughed, kissing Neil's temple playfully.

"I have to admit...You two are kind of cute together." Connor said.

"Thanks." Neil smiled, glad that Connor got rid of most of his jealousy...most of it.

"I just want you guys to be happy. If that means I'm the third wheel...I think I can deal with that." Connor smiled sadly.

"You're not a third wheel." Neil said. "We're all still friends. Though I don't think I'm going to ever get over you guys treating me like some prize to be won." Neil rolled his eyes.

"Let us just be macho and old fashioned for a little bit." Dalton laughed.

"You can't be old fashioned when you're not old!" Neil shouted, smiling.

"True..." Dalton shrugged. "But who needs to be old when you have spiked punch!" Dalton held up his cup.

"What? Someone already spiked it?" Neil looked down at his drink as if he would be able to tell the difference.

"Yep...someone." Dalton looked around and pulled out an empty unmarked bottle.

"Jesus, Dalton. You used the whole thing." Connor whispered and looked around.

"I need a nice buzz!" He held up his hands, downing his entire cup of punch.

"You're so not driving tonight." Neil set his down.

"Oh come on, get blitzed with me Nelly." Dalton smiled.

"I don't drink. But thanks anyways. Besides, someone has to get you into bed once you crash." Neil crossed his arms.

"Always the responsible one. Loosen up. You deserve it. You are graduating after all." Dalton nibbled Neils neck playfully and Neil pushed him away.

"You really can't hold your liquor, can you?" Neil shook his head.

"Oh, like you can do any better. Look at you, you tiny thing." Dalton pinched Neil's small waist.

"Hey! Hands off." Neil slapped him away playfully.

"I like hands on better." Dalton whispered, and pulled Neil in for a hungry kiss, before going to get another cup full of the spiked punch.

"I'm sorry. If I had known he was going to be spiking shit, I wouldn't have let him leave the house." Neil blushed.

"It's okay. You guys are a couple, you're supposed to be all lovey dovey. If you weren't, I would be worried." Connor smiled, still a little sad.

"I hope you know you're my best friend, Connor. Dalton may be my boyfriend, but a guy still needs a best friend, you know?" Neil said.

"Yeah...You're my best friend too." Connor smiled back.

"Come on, Connor. Neil wont drink with me, so you have to." Dalton handed him another drink, though he hadn't even touched the one he had been given first.

"Oh Jesus." Connor laughed. He looked down at both of the cups and rolled his eyes, before tossing back first one, then the other.

"Yeeeees!" Dalton cheered.

"You're already drunk, huh?" Neil rolled his eyes.

"Blitzed, Nelly. Blitzed." Dalton corrected.

"Blitzed...right...and stop calling me Nelly." He glared. He looked over and saw Connor was still fine, even after Dalton had given him a third drink to nurse. "At least someone here can hold a drink with more alcohol than a Capri-sun." Neil mumbled. Connor laughed.

"My parents let me drink on holidays, and my dad gives me a beer from time to time. So I guess this just isn't my first time touching the stuff." Connor pushed Dalton with a finger and he swayed a little bit.

"I was never one for drinking. I like being in control of my actions." Neil laughed. Watching Dalton's glazed eyes.

"Man...this stuff is strong." Dalton slurred.

"You're an idiot." Neil laughed and rested his head on Dalton's shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

After an hour, Dalton was completely wasted. His speech was slurred and he stumbled noticeably around the hardwood floors of the gym. The dance was going to be over soon, and Neil wanted to get Dalton out of there before the teachers got a chance to get a good look at him.

"Maybe I should drive you home, Neil. I don't think he's okay to get behind the wheel." Connor said, worried, as Neil was about to put Dalton in the car. His boyfriend leaned on his shoulder heavily and Neil struggled to hold up his weight.

"Thank you, I don't really want him to drive anywhere." Neil admitted.

"Where's his keys?" Connor asked. He had only finished the three drinks Dalton had given him, and he was only a little glassy eyed. Neil gave Dalton to Connor and sat in the passenger seat, waiting for Connor to put Dalton in the back and grab his keys. Neil reminded himself that he needed to get his license soon, it sucked having to be driven around like a princess.

"Get off me!" Dalton shoved Connor aside. "You just want to get alone with Neil, don't you?" he snapped. "I can drive just fine." He mumbled, and climbed into the drivers seat, locking the doors and putting the key in the ignition.

"Dalton, what are you doing? You're to drunk to drive, give the keys to Connor!" Neil said.

"You are cheatin' on me!" Dalton slurred. He revved the engine before beginning to pull out of the now empty parking lot.


"Dalton, you're drunk! I'm not cheating on you, not with Connor, and not with anybody!" Neil tried to talk some sense into him, as he pulled out onto the road, hitting the curb on his way out. Neil looked back and saw Connor running across the school to get his own car, which he had left parked where they had graduation.

"Fuck you, Neil! You just think you're so great. Don't you?" Dalton glared at him.

"Dalton, keep your eyes on the road!" Neil said. He watched the speedometer climbed. 15, 20, 25...

"You're fucking him, aren't you? I knew it. I wasn't your first. I bet you sleep with everyone. Fucking whore!" Dalton shouted.

"Dalton! What are you doing? Stop!" Neil was getting scared. 30, 40... Dalton had made a wrong turn and had ended up on a long country road. The road was dark and unlit, only the moon guided their way.

"Fuck you! You don't trust me, do you?" Dalton said. He kept turning to glare and yell at Neil, keeping his eyes off the road for ten seconds at a time.

"Dalton please! Just pull over. You're going too fast." Neil said. He reached for a seat belt and remembered the truck didn't have one.

"This isn't fast!" Dalton waved his hand. The speedometer climbed even more. 45...50...55.... Neil swallowed. He looked behind him and saw that Connor was following, trying to stay at a safe speed without losing them.

"Dalton please, you're going to crash. Just pull over and I'll drive for Christ sake!" Neil said. He would say anything to get Dalton to pull over.

"Tell me you love me." Dalton said, tears fell down his cheeks and he held out a hand, brushing Neils cheek.

"Just stop! You're going to fast! You can't even see the road!" Neil said, not hearing Dalton anymore, only focusing on the road ahead. 60, 65, 70....

"Say it!" Dalton shouted. 75...80..

"I love you, Dalton! I love you!" Neils heart raced. He thought about shorting out the car with a quick jolt of electricity, but realized it was probably too old to have a decent computer in it and even if it did, it would only lock it up and they would go even faster.

"You're lying!" Dalton said. He turned to shout at Neil and didn't see the curve in the road. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Connor followed behind Dalton. He watched as his own speedometer climbed. He didn't want to speed but he couldn't just let Dalton drive off with Neil. He could see the road ahead and knew that Dalton wasn't watching by the way he drove. He drove across the center line more than once and quiet a few times he swayed a bit. Connor didn't know what to do when he saw the bend in the road. It was only small, but when they were going almost ninety miles an hour, it might as well have been a 90 degree turn.

The truck flipped and began rolling. Connor hit the breaks and watched as the old truck rolled once, twice, three times, and finally ended upside down. It had gone through a fence and into a large ditch. The barbed wire and wood spikes the fence had been made of wrapped around the truck and steam poured from the engine. Connor grabbed his phone and shut off the car, running as he dialed. He realized he got no service out here and frowned. He tossed the phone aside.

"Neil?! Dalton?!" he called out. The drivers side was closest and Connor couldn't see anything, as the door was bent nearly completely closed. He ran around the car and bent down at the passengers side. He looked inside and saw the truck was empty. He frowned. He looked up and saw the windshield had been broken through. He looked around and saw Neil lying a long ways away. He scrambled over to him and hesitated. He reached his hand out and touched his neck softly. At first his blood went cold when he realized he couldn't feel anything, then it was there. A feint beat. He ran over to his phone that he had thrown, and checked the signal again.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" He cursed. He wandered around, trying to find a signal and got nothing. "Shit!" He shouted. He ran back to Neil.

"Neil? Neil are you okay?" He gently tapped Neil's face. He didn't move. A large gash was above his eyebrow, and gushed blood onto his face. White could be see underneath the skin and Connor swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "Come on, Neil. Just wake up, please." Connor begged. He looked Neil up and down and saw his arm broken. Broken was a gentle word in this case. His arm was nearly completely torn to shreds. Most of his hand was completely gone, and everything up to the elbow was just a jagged mess.

He only had one option. He rolled Neil onto his back carefully, and wrapped his arm around him, ready to pick him up, when he felt bone crunch under his hand. He gasped and pulled his hands away. He wasn't a doctor but he knew enough to know that spines weren't supposed to move like that. He also knew he wasn't supposed to move someone who had been in a car crash, but he had no choice.

He picked up a limp Neil as gently as he could and put him in the front seat with him. He left the door to his truck open and ran out to find Dalton. Finally he found him, tossed in the opposite direction Neil was. He didn't look as bad as Neil, and when Connor picked him up, he didn't feel any broken bones. He picked him up for a second and then realized that he wouldn't be able to fit both of them in his truck.

"Fucking hell!" He cursed, setting Dalton down. "I'm coming back for you, Buddy, I'll send help, I promise. Just hold in there." He whispered to Dalton. His heartbeat was strong and his breathing was just a little ragged. Connor ran back to his truck and started it, peeling out and driving as fast as he could towards the hospital. Before he knew it, sirens flashed behind him and he cursed as he pulled over.

"Do you know why I stopped- hey, is he okay?" The cop frowned. She was beautiful and her hand went to her gun right away.

"There was a car accident! I didn't get a signal out there and his heart beat was so weak...I just- my other friend is still back there! Shit I just left him there what the fuck is wrong with me!?" Connor cursed himself, rambling so fast the police woman could hardly understand him.

"Slow down, kid. What happened?" She asked. Connor took a deep breath.

"Dalton got drunk and he was driving too fast, he rolled the car and it tossed them both out, I didn't get a signal out there so I couldn't call an ambulance! I had to leave him out there because he was in better shape than he is!" He looked down at Neil, who was hardly breathing now.

"Okay, Where did all of this happen? I'll order an ambulance and more out there and escort you to the hospital." She said. After Connor told her where it happened, she used her radio to call for help. "Just follow me, I'll have my lights on and we'll get there a hell of a lot faster." She said, and ran back to her cruiser. She turned on the lights and sirens and Connor followed behind her quickly.

~~~~~~~~~

The doctors were expecting them and were waiting with a gurney as Connor carried Neil in. He set him down as quickly and gently as he could, praying he didn't hurt him more. They wheeled Neil off while asking Connor a barrage of questions.

"Is he allergic to any medication?"

"I...I- don't know...Is he going to be okay?" Connor asked, running along side them.

"We're going to do our best but I need you to talk to me. What's his name?" The nurse asked.

"Neil... His names Neil." Connor said, not taking his eyes off Neil as they assessed his injuries.

"He was in a car crash?" She asked.

"Y-yeah..." Connor stuttered, still in shock.

"Is he an infected?" The nurse asked. Connor paused. He didn't want to tell her, but Neil could die.

"Yeah." He said.

"What's he a hybrid with?" She asked, not pausing in between questions.

"An electric eel. He-...He can send out pulses of electricity when he wants to." Connor warned her.

"Okay, How old is he?"

"Uh...Eighteen I think." Connor said, still worrying about Neil.

"Does he have any parents we can contact? We don't have a file on him." The nurse said, drawing his attention back to her.

"I..I know where he lives I can go...I..." Connors mind was going blank and he found it hard to even finish a sentence. Right then, the doors swung open and Dalton was wheeled in. He was awake now and was moaning in pain. A doctor and two nurses looked over him and finally, the doctor and one nurse left while the one nurse began treating him for a few cuts and a broken arm. Connor was pissed.

"You dumb pile of fuck!" He shouted. "What the hell were you doing? Neil could be dying right now and you get out of it with a broken arm? Fuck you Dalton!" He shouted. "Fuck you!" He screamed, as two male nurses began dragging him away.

"You need to calm down." One said. Connor felt his anger surging again and it suddenly stopped when the heart monitor flat lined. Every eye in the room turned and looked at the machine, as it continuously beeped. Even the doctor froze for a second. Just for a second. He ordered one of the nurses around and she quickly climbed onto Neils chest and began doing CPR. Connor froze and watched as they tried to revive him, and it wasn't working. Finally, the doctor ordered her off and someone wheeled over a tray. The doctor placed two pads on his chest and shouted 'clear' just for a second before flipping the switch and sent the shock through Neils body. 

Neil hardly jumped. The doctor tried three more times, each time raising the amount of electricity sent through his chest, and everyone was about ready to give up. 

"We can't go any higher, it will do more damage than good." The doctor mumbled.

"He's hybrid with an electric eel! You have to keep trying!" Connor said, tears falling down his face. The doctor stared at him.

"Electric eel? Why wasn't I told? Double the charge, triple the dose of epi." Everyone looked at him like he was insane. But finally did as he asked. 

"Clear!" The doctor said, and flipped the switch. Neil finally moved more than a twitch and the heart monitor started beeping again. Connor let out the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding, and fell to his knees.

"Thank you..." He whispered, to no one in particular. He looked up and saw Dalton staring at Neil as the nurse checked the rest of him out. Soon, Neil was pulled away and through a set of double doors.

"Where are they taking him?!" Connor shouted, standing up.

"They're taking him to the operating room, he needs surgery." The nurse stopped him by putting two hands on his chest.

"I need to be with him...If he wakes up he's going to be so scared I just-" Connor rambled and she pushed him down onto a chair in the waiting room. Connor didn't know how he got there.

"You need to calm down. Are you okay?" The nurse asked. "Were you in the accident, too?" She worried.

"No...I just...I just saw it." Connors voice cracked.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked. Connor nodded, he didn't have the strength to lie.

"Okay. You need to stay here and just take a second to catch your breath, okay?" She said.

"Where's Dalton?" Connor asked, ignoring her.

"Who?" She furrowed her brow.

"The guy that just came in...with Neil." He said, completely in shock now.

"He's still being checked over by the nurses, but he doesn't look like he's to bad. We're probably going to keep him over night for observation." The nurse said. She walked away and Connor was alone. More alone than he ever wanted to be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Connor woke up from his nap in the waiting room chair and decided to try calling Neil's father. He called the home number and no one picked up. He frowned and put his phone back in his pocket. He didn't know his cellphone number. He looked at his watch and realized he had been sleeping for three hours already. His back was stiff but he figured he was in better shape than Neil was. His heart skipped a beat. He stood up and wandered over to the front desk. He leaned over the plain counter to talk to the nurse there.

"Do you know if Neil is out of surgery yet?" He recognized the nurse from earlier.

"I'm sorry, but he's still in the operating room." She said.

"Isn't that a little long? Is everything okay?" Connor felt the panic rising.

"Calm down, surgery usually takes a few hours. It's like putting together a really big puzzle. It's going to take some time. It's no longer than usual. It's actually better that's it's taking so long. With the extent of his injuries, if the doctors were done too quickly... Why don't you head down to the cafeteria and get yourself something to eat?" She smiled, warmly.

"Okay...Yeah I should do that." He mumbled. He ate a half of a sandwich but couldn't force himself to eat any more. His stomach was doing flip flops and his heart was beating a mile a minute. Finally, he began noticing a few people staring at him and he finally looked down at himself. He was completely caked in blood. Blood clumped his hair together and his shirt had dried and stuck to his chest. His slacks he had worn to the dance were now stuck to his legs with blood and grime. He even felt smears of blood on his face. He swallowed. He looked like he had just stepped out of a scene from SAW.

He threw the rest of the food in the trash and told the nurse he would be back soon. She nodded and smiled. He made a mental note to stop by Neil's house and see if his dad was there, and to pick him up some clothes. He climbed into his truck and the huge blood stain on the seat made him stop. He stared at it for a minute before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot.

~~~~~~~~~~

He stepped out of the shower and dressed in a pair of sweats and a T shirt. He wanted to get back to the hospital as soon as possible. He wanted to see if Neil was out of surgery yet. He had stopped by Neils house and gotten him some clothes. He didn't find his father, or the car there. He wished he knew how he could get a hold of him. He finished changing quickly and headed back to the hospital.

"Is he out of surgery yet?" He asked the nurse, who was still working at the front desk.

"He just got out a half hour ago. He hasn't woken up yet....No one but family can see him, have you found his father yet?" She asked.

"No. I don't know where he is." Connors heart broke when he found out he couldn't sit with Neil. The nurse must have seen this and she frowned and glanced around.

"Come on, you should get to see your brother." She winked. Connor smiled at her.

"Thank you." He said. She showed him to the room.

"You can hold his hand. Just be gentle." She said, before leaving them alone. Connor walked over to Neils right side and sat down in a chair that was there. He looked over at his pale face and saw the large gash in his head covered with a bandage equally as large. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was covered in bruises and smaller cuts. His lip was swollen and his hair still had a little blood in it. His neck was in a brace and he looked so small in the bed. Connor reached out to hold his hand and froze. He felt his heart skip more than one beat. He had forgotten about his ravaged arm and didn't even think about it until he reached for Neil's hand.

Neil was missing his right hand below the elbow. Connor put his head in his hands and cried for the injured boy. He kissed his forehead gently. He picked up the chair and moved it to the other side, holding Neils left hand.

"I promise, Neil. I'll always be here for you. I'll take good care of you, I promise." He whispered to the sleeping boy in front of him. "I won't let anyone hurt you again." He swore quietly.