*Alex's POV*


"Jack?" I called as I slowly opened his front door, still lightly rapping my knuckles against it. I had been knocking for a couple minutes, but the house was silent.

"Jack? I heard you had left the hospital early, I wanted to check if you were okay," I called into the house, shutting the front door behind me. I slowly walked into the house, looking down into the object in my hands. I smirked at myself.

"I brought Home Alone!" I prompted, looking up from my hands and into Jack's living room.

I gasped, dropping the disk in my hands.

Jack was slumped against the wall opposite me, and it was not a sight I wanted to see.. He was beaten and bruised, and oh shit his arm. His arm. He was way to pale and there was way to much blood coming from the gigantic cut. Did he do this to himself? I asked myself, nearly choking at the thought. I shook all that from my head and quickly called 911. It was only after I hung up from the call that I realized I was practically in hysterics. I ran to Jack's blood covered body.

"JACK! JACK, PLEASE! PLEASE! STAY WITH ME! JACK YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU PROMISED!" I screeched, getting myself covered in his blood as I clutched his arm, trying to stop the bleeding. Tears ran down my face as I clutched my best friend, flashes of the past overwhelming me.

"Tom!" I called, dropping off my school bag at the door and beginning to run up the stairs.

"Tom, I'm home!" I ran up the stairs, hearing my mother chuckle behind me and pulling me off the stairs and back down to the living room.

"Mom! I want to see Tom!" I squealed. "Tom's tired," she replied. "You can go see him after you get some food in that tummy of yours!" she giggled, pulling up my shirt and blowing a raspberry on my stomach. I squirmed, giggling.

"Fine, fine, fine!" I screamed. I raced her to the kitchen and bounced on my heels expectantly as she cut up an apple for me. As soon as she was done, I scarfed it down quickly and began running up the stairs again.

"Tom, Tom Tommmmm!" I called, stumbling up the steps. I shoved open my brother's door. "Tom lets pla-" I froze, door slamming into the wall from my rushing in. I stared at him. My brother. My brother was hanging from the ceiling, broken bottles littering the floor. Blood was rushing down his wrists, and I fell to my knees. i watched the shadow on the wall for a second, still in shock. The shadow sways back and forth slightly. Then I took a deep breath-

And screamed.

I screamed. The paramedics were trying to take Jack from me.

"NO!" I screamed. "NO I NEED TO GO WITH HIM!" I shouted as they hurried Jack into the ambulance. I heard the distant sound of them discussing his condition.

"...critical.... loss of blood.. might not make it..." My heart dropped to the floor.

"JACK!" I screeched, fighting against whatever arms where restraining me. I heard a voice near my ear.

"Listen, son, you can go with him if you calm down." the paramedic said. I immediately shut my mouth and held my breath, stopping my tears and screams short. The paramedic looked at me in shock.

"I'm calm," I stated, my voice shaking only slightly. The paramedic nodded and helped me into the ambulance. I took a deep breath as the ambulance drove away, sirens blaring. I looked down at the pale, skunk haired boy on the stretcher beside me. I could feel the coolness of the previous tears on my face, and the burning hot in the back of my eyes telling me more were coming.

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*Emma's POV*

I watched, my eyes wide, as the doctors wheeled in a new patient. I wondered who the poor sap was. It was dreadfully boring here. The paramedics wheeled him directly to my left and got to work hooking him up to various machines. I wondered what had happened to him. Just then, the paramedic that was blocking my view from the patient moved slightly to the side.

It was the strange skunk-haired boy. He looked so beaten. So broken. I gasped as I let my eyes travel to the very large, deep gash on the boys arm. What was his name?

"JACK!" I heard someone shout. I turned my head to see the caramel haired boy from before running towards the boy on the stretcher. That's right, I thought. His name is Jack.

I watched as the doctors tried to get Alex to stay away from Jack, tried to convince him that everything would be okay. The doctors wrestled him out of the room, and left him in the hall.

Before they shut the door to the room, I watched as Alex slid down the opposite wall, bringing his knees to his chest, and began to cry his eyes out.

Notes

heyhey, another depressing chapter. oh well.

AND HEY. I AM NOT DEAD. I moved and I didn't have internet for a little bit. I didn't get eaten by orca whales or anything.

BUT I DID START A NEW STORY. I am co-writing with atllover, and since I don't know how to do links properly, just look it up. It's called 'The Selfless and the Brave'.

*whispers* I love all your lovely faces.