Chapter 4 Head Wounded
Jason
Jason had to lay still while holding an ice pack to the back of his head. The walls were painted a pea soup green, a calming color. Jason read that gray was another calming color, not that it mattered any. At least his head stopped hurting. An ancient nurse helped settle him in, wordlessly. All he had to do was rest up, without going to sleep, just in case.
Jason never got the nurse's name. The woman hardly spoke in all the years he'd spent at this school. He hardly had many visits to the nurse's station either. She was a simple brunette woman, with plain features. The only thing that stood out about her was her light brown eyes. Jason assumed she might have been a knockout once upon a time. He supposed she still was in her own way.
He felt like he was sitting in a dentist chair with nothing to look at but the ceiling. It was a windowless room and it was dead silent. He let his eyes wander in boredom as the digital clock above him ticked on. He was missing his lunch period. He silently hoped his lunch wouldn't be green gelatin. What would be the point in that? He wasn't that hurt, he was just frustrated.
The entire time he had to fight tears, to not let his weakness show. It could have been revenge but was it really necessary? What if it was an accident? A simple misunderstanding? Now that Jason had the time to lay down quietly, let the anger slowly ebb away, he could think again. For all he knew, the guy had to be new and most likely wasn't having that much of a better day than he was.
This whole thing could have been one giant misunderstanding for all Jason knew.
What didn't help was having his very own best friend kiss him. It was like kissing his own brother! So when Jason asked for mouthwash the ancient nurse simply raised a brow at him and left the room, probably thinking Jason was brain damaged now. She came back though, with a tiny paper cup with a light green solution, and it was awful. The nurse stayed in the room arms folded until Jason spit out, which didn't take long. That shit was strong!
Jason still had to fight hard to push that image out from his head all over again. It was not at all enjoyable despite Nicklaus's good looks. He took Caitlin's words seriously, when she told him to do something, like the perfect boyfriend he was, he would do it. Even if that meant kissing Jason fully on the mouth.
Thankfully there was no tongue. That would have been overboard, crossing far over the line and then some. Jason should have taken Nicklaus's words from earlier more seriously. He should have seen it coming when the words replayed in his head.
"If anyone screws with you, I'll pretend to be your boyfriend if I have to. Caitlin said she would kill me if I don't!"
Why couldn't Jason have someone as loyal as Nicklaus?
There was no sense in letting himself fall into his own pity party now. Loud noises, including an array of shouting took place outside the room. Jason had to lift his head a little to listen in, but the door was closed making the noises on the other side sound muffled.
A frazzled looking nurse opened the door bobbing her head at whatever, whoever it was, talking to her kept rambling on and on. Caitlin. What was she doing here? The second nurse, unlike the ancient one was in her mid-forties had curly blonde hair and a thick neck. She was much more direct with words. She at first looked ready to apologize, but she wasn't that kind of person. Jason had to guess because it was due to all the things she'd seen come and go in this room.
"You're going to have to get up. We've got another patient that needs the chair more than you."
Jason obliged and moved over to a plastic green chair. He would use the wall to hold the ice pack in place.
Nicklaus was being hauled into the room by four members of the football team. Caitlin was hanging back looking frantic as they set her boyfriend on the chair. Nicklaus had a nasty black bruise, making the side of his face swell up and his nose was gushing blood. It had to be broken!
Jason almost jumped up, but Caitlin caught sight of him, finally noticing. She gave him a look that implied that he needed to stay in place. Jason, for whatever reason, felt like this was all his fault. He wasn't there, maybe he could have prevented whatever happened to Nicklaus, from happening.
The ancient old woman came back after the guys who carried Nicklaus. The guys all left to make room. Nicklaus was probed with tiny lights and white cloths. He heard Nicklaus take a sharp intake of breath when they took a look at his nose. Jason felt worse. Helpless.
Caitlin hung by the doorway as if expecting the worst news. Jason could relate.
"How bad is it doc?" At least Nicklaus was now taking this all in stride.
He was too perfect. Maybe that was why he wasn't Jason's type. Though Jason waited with bated breath for the answer. He hoped it wasn't broken. Jason knew head wounds always bleed the most but at least they healed the quickest.
White cloths were changed, soaked in blood before curly haired blond answered. "You've got a broken nose."
"Not too bad." That was the first time Jason had heard the ancient speak. He had expected a raspy chain smoking voice for some reason. Her voice was surprisingly light and comforting. "It'll heal in a few days' time."
"We're going to have to bandage this up real good. You can't get it wet." Ancient said. "Some over the counter pain medication should help with the pain. The rest is up to the body."
"Try to lay off the gym time." Curly said almost wistfully. Well a woman can dream could she?
"I'll write you a note for the week."
At this Nicklaus looked crestfallen.
Curly turned her head towards the doorway to tell Caitlin like she forgot she was there. "Your boyfriend is going to live. He'll still look handsome when we're done with him. When he heals up, it'll be like it never happened."
She went back to work on Nicklaus's face.
Caitlin wasn't gripping both sides of the doorframe as much anymore. Though she still looked like she was a second away from throwing herself into her boyfriend's arms. Jason couldn't recall when the last time he'd seem Caitlin upset. He looked back at Nicklaus seeing that he was trying his best to hide his pain. And humiliation. He was being strong for Caitlin.
"New guy did this to me." The ice pack on the back of Jason's head almost fell to the floor when Nicklaus said that. "Seemed to me like he was trying to save your virtue?"
Jason felt Caitlin's slide in his direction, not accusingly, but drinking in the new information.
"He gives one devilishly right hook. He had the nerve to call me immoral and twisted for cheating on you." He winced when one of the nurses applied another alcoholic smelling cloth on his face. "I never got to explain."
"That's not something you hear everyday." Ancient said calmly. She was almost finished with cleaning the wound. "How's your head?"
Jason realized it was him she was talking to. "Uh, good I guess."
Curly snorted. "Teenagers, they've got such a long way to go before becoming sure of themselves."
No one bothered to counter that.
"Caitlin had to jump on his back. She choked him out." He tried to move his head to talk to her directly but both of the nurses wouldn't allow it. "Didn't you baby?"
Caitlin gave an inaudible nod. Nicklaus wore a grimace while trying not to make any extreme facial expressions.
"If you keep making that face, it's going to get stuck that way forever." Curly had humor.
Nicklaus still took heed and smoothed out his face.
"Don't worry lover, I'm still handsome aren't I?" He said this to Caitlin.
"Always." She responded in a whisper.
Jason suddenly felt uncomfortable. When they talked like this, it felt too private. Intrusive. Not to mention they could carry on like that for a while.
The ice pack hit the floor.
Curly looked up while Ancient kept working silently, at least there wouldn't be any stitches involved. "If you're all done with that, you can wait in the other room. You'll have to wait with our other patient we need to tend to next. The waiting room is too full. We'll get you some pain medication soon if you feel you need any. Though I kind of doubt it. You look like the kind to tough it out."
She wasn't wrong.
Jason went to bend over to pick the ice pack back up, but Curly gave him a wide eyed look that implied to leave it where it was. She looked too scary to defy. They looked like they were almost finished with Nicklaus anyway. He continued to keep his bravery act up.
"First room on the right," Ancient said when Caitlin stepped aside for Jason to pass through. She never let her eyes leave Nicklaus. Jason passed her by and she took his place in the room.
The nurses were right when they said the waiting room was full. It looked like there had already been a number of fights on the first day. A scandalized looking receptionist was staring at detention slips like they were giant slugs. Jason took the only other available room as instructed.
The room was identical to the room he was previously in. Then he remembered the mention of another patient. Jason had no idea who it could have been until it was too late. New guy was lying on his back in a similar position as Jason had before. Despite the poor lighting, Jason could still see a faded purple bruise was on his cheek. Judging by the look on his handsome face, his pride got more hurt than his face.
And what a fine face it was.
"Sorry," Though Jason was unsure of what he was sorry for, "I was told to wait in here."
Jason didn't want to wait in here. His head was starting to throb already. The ice wasn't there to numb it anymore. He instinctively touched the back of his head then wished he hadn't.
The new guy was suddenly looking at him. Even in the dim lighting, he looked like he felt bad.
"I'm the one that should be sorry. Not you." He had an Australian, or was it a New Zealand accent? Jason couldn't tell the difference due to the lack of experience of being around either group. They all bleed the same, so it ultimately didn't matter to Jason.
"It," He needed to pick his words carefully, "was an accident right? I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions like that." Jason felt awkward, but he knew when to admit when he was wrong.
Jason sat in a green plastic chair but this one was molded for a person to sit in. It felt more comfortable too.
The new guy turned his head to face the ceiling again when he said, "I should have been more mindful of what I was doing. I feel really bad."
Jason found himself nodding along in empathy. "It's been a crappy day for me too."
Jason was looking down at the floor, the pain resonating at the back of his head was getting worse. He would never admit it, but his tolerance of pain wasn't as high as he would have liked it to be. He did not want to end up bawling like a baby in front of the new guy. First impressions were everything, or...?
The new guy must have noticed anyway. "Come here, let me hold your hand."
"...What?" Jason was now looking up, checking to see if this new guy was serious or not. It wasn't like random strangers asked Jason to hold hands very often. He tried to get a feel for any sneaking suspicions but couldn't find any.
The new guys face was dead serious or he was a very good actor. "I read that skin on skin contact can help reduce pain. When children are born, it helps the child. Maybe it has something to do with getting their heads squeezed together. Considering what I did to your head, let me at least try making it up to you with that."
Jason wasn't sure if he should be laughing or taking this guy seriously. The new guy was making an effort at holding his own hand out for Jason, but was this right? Did the guy even bat for Jason's team? What kind of heterosexual guy would say something like that? Oh wait... Nicklaus would. Then again, what kind of straight guy would kiss his gay best friend as a way of protecting him? All it took was one look at Nicklaus's well-built body and no one would bother asking questions. Not when a guy that looked like that could beat them dizzy. Or so it was thought. Nicklaus looked worse for wear than the new guy here.
Was it normal to be this forward in his country?
Should he give him the benefit of the doubt? Take the plunge? The leap of faith into the unknown? What if there was nothing there to catch him if he fell?
Jason reached out, and took his hand. The new guy's long fingers were amazing soft as they closed around Jason's hand. Jason forgot about the pain and was locked in the new guys lingering gaze. Jason felt like he was staring at icebergs but they did not freeze him. He also felt like the titanic and braced himself for the impact. It never came.
"Mmm, your hand is very smooth." Jason could feel the new guys voice tremble through his fingers.
"Thanks?"
Jason was searching for any sign of disgust, for the other shoe to drop. It almost felt anticlimactic. This was unexpected, especially on the first day back in school. Jason felt himself relax, the pain at the back of his head long forgotten.
Jason wanted nothing more than to keep gazing at such an angelic yet masculine face. It was dangerous to let his heart lead him further into this. He knew better. He wasn't ready to get back on the horse. What the hell was he doing?!
"Name's Trent." The new guy said.
"Jason." It felt like he was sinking deeper into an unknown oblivion. Did the titanic feel itself hit the iceberg?
"I know." He stared right back, eyes never leaving his.
"Do you?" Jason felt like he losing the ability to speak, least of all, think. "How?"
His voice felt raw, maybe trancelike. He felt like he was no more than two inches from his face and Trent didn't seem to mind! Or he was being polite by not saying anything. No, there was no trace of discomfort at all.
"Are we interrupting something? We can come back another time." Curly showed no intention of walking back out.
Jason snapped back the same time Trent looked in the direction of the doorway. Jason wasn't entirely sure, but it wasn't Trent who let his fingers slip away. It was Jason's fingers pulling through Trent's and away.
The chatter of the impatient and wounded had picked up outside the room. The harsh lightning chased away the spell of what felt like candlelight in their own private space. The air started to feel colder, or warmer. All Jason felt was, confused... about life.
What happened recently? A dream?
"I'm glad to see there's at least two students intelligent enough to know about skin on skin contact greatly reducing pain. From that ugly lump at the back of your head, you looked like you needed it." Curly was suddenly all business but left the door wide open. "Now I'm going to have to call your mom to pick you up, you are excused for the rest of the day. I've already written you a note and having it sent over to your gym teachers. No gym class for you for the week. You'll need plenty of rest and some ibuprofen. You can pick some up from the front desk. Irene will have it ready for you."
Jason felt himself nodding idiotically. Curly gave him a strange look but didn't comment on it.
"You're excused."
Jason took that as his cue and didn't look back. Now if only he could find a way to keep his heart inside his ribcage.