I didn’t know how I found myself at the healers’ some indefinite time later, didn’t remember passing out, didn’t remember anything much. I awoke to dim candle lights flickering, casting shadows on the stone walls as I lay on the stupid white bed withTheo and Stryker sitting by my bedside. Pain came in waves, like a stone pressed against my ribs, my lungs, my spine. Breathing felt like a battle. Every inhale felt like broken glass cutting at my chest and my body throbbed in places I hadn’t even knowncouldthrob.
One of my eyes was open, the other was sealed shut by swelling and dried blood.
The light from the lamp burned at my eye but I’d found Theo’s silhouette, hunched and still, and that was all that mattered.
He and Stryker were talking, I realised.Arguing. Quietly. I couldn’t make out a word of it.
“Theo…” it came out cracked and hardly loud enough for me to hear myself, but Theo somehow did, moving instantly, his hand brushing against my forehead with a touch so gentle it hurt.
“I’m here.” His voice was low and tight “you’re safe.”
Safe.I wanted to laugh. I couldn’t. My chest protested at even the thought of it.
“Doesn’t feel like it.” I rasped instead.
Theo hushed me, leaning forward to press a kiss to my chapped lips. “You are.” He sniffled, and I realised he was crying “you are.”
Stryker was pacing behind him. The colour had drained from his face. I knew something was very wrong. Though, I hadn’t needed to look at him to know so.
Every part of me screamed- my ribs, my jaw, the deep ache in my gut where they’d kicked me long after I’d stopped fighting back. But it was my chest that scared me the most. It was like something inside me had caved in; I could feel liquid there, pooling, choking.
All I could focus on was Theo’s hand, warm around mine. But when I met his gaze, even through my haze I could see it- his fear, his grief.
“You’re okay.” He whispered “I’m sorry, Matt, I’m so sorry. I love you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” I whispered. There were no healers. Why were there no healers?
“Can you lie with me?” I croaked.
Theo nodded, tears cascading freely down his face. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him to cry.
His warmth enveloped my trembling body as he slid into bed beside me, kissing me again, everywhere he could reach.
I loved him. I loved him so much. I didn’t want him to ever let go of me.
Theo
The healers’ base was quiet, save for the soft clinking of vials and the rasp of Matthew’s breath- shallow, irregular.
I was still struggling to grasp what had happened. He’d been beside me one minute, the next he’d mumbled that he was going to step outside for a breather and he hadn’t come back. I’d found him, eventually, beaten and bloody down a dark alleyway not too far away.
Nico had gone to fetch Stryker, had mentioned that he’d seen some suspicious figures lingering around us- four- but hadn’t thought too much of it, and now said teen was standing next to me, rigid, his fists still smeared with dried blood. None of it Matthew’s. I believed they were dead but didn’t dare ask. I hoped so. I very sincerely hoped so. I wished I could have helped.
“Four of them.” He muttered, more to himself than anyone “four against one. Because they thought helooked gay.”He laughed hollowly and I flinched hard. I couldn’t believe it.
“What does that even- they can’t- how could they?” My voice hitched.
“Fuckers said they knew him when he was young and they couldn’t believe how much worse it had gotten.” Stryker sneered, eyes burning with fury “andyou.”
I jumped as he turned on me, not expecting it “what thefuck,couldn’t you have juststayed home?”
“I couldn’t have known.” I whispered brokenly “I would never have gone if I’d known.”
My eyes hadn’t left Matthew’s form the whole time. The swelling around his left eye had grown worse overnight. His lip was split. His collarbone, likely broken. But it was the lung that threatened the most. His broken ribs had punctured it and it had somehow began collapsing from there.
The healers had abandoned him. Said they couldn’t do anything without worsening the situation- it had progressed too far.
My whole body felt numb.
