ethan

When I woke up, my memory was very spotty.

I could barely open my eyes, but from what I gathered from the small peeks I got of the room around me, I knew I wasn't in our room.

Although sleeping was what my body was pushing me into, I wanted to know what happened.

I decided to rest before trying to wake up my entire body, taking a rather deep breath, a strong hand giving my weak hand a squeeze as I did.

"A-Andrew?" It was a huge mistake to speak.

"Ethan! Thank god, you're okay."

Tyler.

"You scared us, man."

Amy.

"What happened, are you alright?"

Kat.

"It'll be alright buddy."

Mark.

No Andrew.

I still opened my eyes despite the annoying reminders.

The room around me hurt my eyes.

I blinked a lot before my vision was less white, my eyes focusing on brown curly hair and a bright smile which made me smile back. 

"Welcome back, Ethan."

Tyler gave me a gentle hug, probably thinking that if he gave me the usual bear hug that he would hurt me. I hugged him back pretty tight despite the fact that it used most of my energy.

"How are you feeling? The doctors said you fainted." Amy fixed my bed head while she talked to me.

I raised my eyebrows and let out a breath at that news. 

"Good." Throat. Burning.

"Do you want to sleep? Are you hungry-"

"I'm fine, Tyler." My throat is still burning. I pat his hand, which was still holding mine I might add. "But thank you."

My memory was slowly coming back to me, making me look at my soulmark wrist, comforted by the bracelet that was staring back at me. 

"Ethan?"

We all looked to a woman standing in the door.

"That's me."Hell is happening in my throat.

"Doctor Wheeldon, I'm your doctor. Your friends brought you in last night and I was one of the few doctors here that late." I shook her hand. "Also, when I heard it was Tyler's friend, I knew I had to be the doctor to help you."

"You two know each other?" 

Amy was just as confused as the rest of us were.

"Mr. Scheid works here."

"Oh yeah!"

I laughed at Mark's realization, my throat burning, tearing a coughing fit from my lungs. 

"You swallowed a lot of water when you fainted, you're lucky Tyler pulled you out. You could have drowned."

I saw the pang of worry on Tyler's face when she said the word 'drowned'. I smiled at him to help.
"How-" I could barely speak. "How long-"

I had tears in my eyes from the pain.

Kat handed me a notepad and pen from the nightstand and gave me a comforting smile.

"How long have I been out?"

"We were able to make sure you were alright and let you wake up naturally. You came in around 8 pm last night."

"How long will I be here?"

"You should be out by the end of the day once your medicine comes in and we clear up some other things."

I nodded my head and she smiled and left with a goodbye to the group.

"We're gonna go get something to eat, want anything Ethan?"

"Water!"

Amy laughed.

"Alrighty partner, we'll be back in a bit!"

I smiled and leaned back against my pillow, the fluffy heaven nearly making me fall asleep immediately.

My brain caught on the fact that Tyler didn't leave and stayed with me. His hands were so warm and strong against my weak, cold ones. 

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but Tyler laying there was quite distracting. 

I opened my eyes and looked down to see Tyler cuddled into the blankets under his face. 

I looked around me to see if there were blankets in my reach that I could give him, my fingers hooking onto one that was laying on a shelf above my bed.

I draped it over Tyler's shoulders and smiled as he continued to sleep on my stomach.

Tyler looked so peaceful when he slept.

The freckles on his cheeks were perfectly placed like God was having too much fun making this kid as perfect as possible. He just said "Fuck it, I'm gonna put a really cute freckle right here. And right there. And maybe five more". 

His hair was so wild and untameable, I smile just thinking of him trying to do different hairstyles than what he was saddled with. 

It looked so soft, just sitting there on top of his head, going in whatever place it pleased. 

I unconsciously let my fingers get a feel of what that majestic hair felt like, running my hand through his hair over and over again. 

I freaked out when I saw a smile ghosted on Tyler's face, but he didn't wake up.

I was aware of what I was doing, how wrong it felt in my brain, but my heart was in control at that point. His hair was just too soft. 

"Hey-"

I jumped, worried that I woke up Tyler, but he didn't move a muscle.

"Sorry to scare you, dude."

I quickly retracted my hand from Tyler's hair, blushing and shying away from Amy's gaze, but that was nearly impossible as she set all the food and drinks from her hands and sat next to me.

"Ethan."

"Yeah?"

"What did I just see?"

She didn't sound angry, more concerned.

"I don't know."

She smiled at me, holding my shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"Is there something you're not telling us?"

I looked her in the eye, hating the fact that I was trying to lie to her. 

I tried to stall, looking at the door, waiting for Kat and Mark to come in and for this conversation to just blow over. But they never showed up.

"Ethan."

I looked back at Amy, my eyes stinging.

"Yes-" I coughed, the feeling bringing tears to my eyes. Amy grabbed the water she brought me, opening and handing it to me. "Thanks."

That was the nicest feeling in the entire world. 

Water is so good man.

"Better?"

"A lot better."

"I still need an answer."

I looked at my hands, trading in between the one that was holding my water and the one that was just touching the softest thing in the world.

"Ethan, whatever you're hiding, I'm not going to judge you for it." Amy pulled my head to look at her. "You are my friend. I'm here for you."

I sighed, setting my water on the bed next to my leg.

"When I was 13, my soulmark was a surprise. My family wasn't okay with it." I wiggled the bracelet off of my arm, pulling it into Amy's sight. She gasped. 

"Oh my god."

I put my bracelet back on.

"You can't tell anyone, I-I'm not ready for that."

"Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone." Amy got up and walked to the door. "But I think someone deserves to know."

I took in a shaky breath at that sentence.

He can't know.

I'm not ready.