Date: Mon, 16 May 2016 13:07:34 +0000 From: "Ed Hamner (via Google Docs)" <heyham88@gmail.com> Subject: Crashing into Love Chapter 6 [--- Connor's POV ---] I woke up to find Benji's hand still interlaced to mine. I hate the fact that I am tethered to all these machines and have all this stuff attached to me. I wish that I could have Benji climb into this bed and hold me. Losing the first week of my new found relationship with my now boyfriend of a best friend was not my idea of a good time. Benji looked so peaceful, if it weren't for the fact that we were in a hospital this would be perfect. I would give anything right now to be at home holding on to him. I gently run my fingers through his hair. I always wanted someone like Ben. Someone loyal and makes me smile the way only he can. Little did I ever think in my wildest dreams that it would be Ben himself that would fulfill that desire. As I keep running my fingers through his hair, I hear him start to stir. He turns his head around and looks at me with those amazing eyes, albeit in a very groggy state. "Hey bud, go back to sleep. You need to rest before you end up in a bed next to me." I don't think he exactly comprehended what I said with his reply, "That would be nice." I just run my fingers in his hair again and down his cheek, "I said in a bed next to me, not in the bed next to me." It didn't make any difference trying to clear it up at this point, Benji was already sound asleep again. I closed my eyes hoping to fall back to sleep when I hear a knock on door. It's Heather who comes walking into the room. I just simply look down at a sleeping Ben and she gets the picture. "You know he has hardly left your side since you were brought into this room. I think your parents got him to go home a few times, but it wasn't for more than a couple of hours tops." I look down at him and look back at her, "I bet he has to be exhausted." She smiles, "maybe physically, but the love he has for you keeps him going." I just smile. Here is my best friend and the love of my life. I don't think I could get rid of him if I wanted to. "Well, I wanted to let you know, the doctor wants to go back in and finish your leg today. Hopefully, that will get your leg in a better place so you can get out of here sooner and sleeping in your own bed." "That would be nice," I reply thinking of the queen size bed at home that would be big enough for Ben to lay in with me. Hospital beds are definitely not the most comfortable thing in the world. "Do you know how long I will be, I want to try to get him home to take a nap before he ends up in a bed next to me." "It would probably be a couple of hours, but seeing how he was this last week, I doubt he could stay away long." As Heather finishes up, I feel Ben stir again. He looks at me and then at Heather. "Morning sleepy head," Heather says to him. "I am so tired," he says groggily. "I bet bud," I say still rubbing his hair. "Why don't you go home and get some real sleep. I think I can survive a few hours without you, especially with Heather watching over me. That and they want to take me in to do some more work on my leg, so you would be in this room all by yourself." "I don't want to go home. I'll stay." "Benjamin Zachary Allan," I say rather forcefully, "go home and get some sleep." This new tone in my voice catches the sleepy boy off guard. He gets this pouty puppy dog look on his face. I just run my good hand down his face. "I need my boyfriend to be nice and rested up to help me with physical therapy," I say as I look down and give him a wink. Heather looks at Ben with a smile, "plus the other patients are starting to complain that someone resembling death keeps shuffling past their doors and it has them worried." I have to hold back a snicker. Ben does look awful, but that was still mean, even by my standards. "Fine." I grab his hand. "Can you do me a favor. I need my phone and maybe computer. I am going to go mad just laying here and there is not going to be a damn thing on television." "Umm... Computer I can do, but you are going to need a new phone," he bashfully says looking away from me. "It was messed up in the accident wasn't it." "Yeah, they found it crushed under your truck." My truck. I don't even want to think about it. I mean I have been awake for a couple of days, but it was the last thing on my mind. "How bad?" He really looked away from me, "It's a goner babe. As soon as you are up and ready, though, I promise we will find you a brand new truck." "I'll settle for the new phone right now. I bet my parents can help you get one for me. For now though, I need a rested up boyfriend. Give me your phone." He looks at me, but reluctantly gives up his phone. I scroll through the contacts to find my home number and dial it. "Hello, Benjamin," The voice on the other side of the phone says. It is my dad, he still refuses to call Ben anything other than Benjamin. "Try again," I say back jokingly. "Hey there kiddo, how you feeling?" "Sore, but ok. Heather says they need to take me back into surgery to finish the work on my leg. Can you guys come get Benji and take him back to the house to get some sleep. I don't trust him to drive home and I want to make sure he gets some rest." I stop and stare right at him, as he give me the look of "really?". "Plus, I need some stuff from home to make the stay a little more bearable." "Ok, let me get your mom up and we will be down shortly." "Thanks Dad." I hang up the phone and hand it back to Benji. He gives me this look and I can't help but give a slight grin and chuckle. "I love you, but you know full well I am going to be the boss in this relationship." Benji huffs, "Fine. I could have called my mom though." "You could have, but I really want a phone to get in touch with the outside world." I say as a grin spreads across my face. Ben just rolls his eyes. "As much as I love you and want to be with you all the time, I know that you hopefully still have a job and need to get back to work before you don't have it anymore. This way you can keep checking up on me while you are there." "I guess you are right," he says with with those puppy dog eyes again. "Good now that that is settled, I will see you in about an hour. Just don't let him give you anything to eat or drink until after. Until they are ready, I will let you two be." Heather says with a smirk as she walks out of the room, making sure that the door closes. "Come here you," I say with a growling tone in my voice. "I am famished and you have exactly what I need." Benji leans down and I wrap my good hand around his neck and pull him into a kiss. Unlike most of the other kisses we have had, this one is full of a lot less gentle love and more lustful passion. I wasn't kidding when I said I was famished for him, especially as I nip on Benji's lower lip. This must be a turn on for him, as I hear a gentle groan leave his mouth. I force my tongue into his mouth and chase his tongue around for a bit before I let Benji pull back to catch his breath. As my eyes look over the panting boy, I see the outline of his hardening member forming in his jeans. The sight of that made me glad I was under the blankets, because mine has the same idea. "Wow," he barely manages to get out. "I really hope every kiss we have has that reaction." "Me too." "I just wish that we could have taken care of that," I say pointing out the noticeable bulge in his pants. As if on cue, there is another knock at the door. Benji rushes to adjust himself as my parents walk in. "Hi loves," my mother says in her ever loving way. She walks over to Benji and me and gives us each a peck on the forehead. "Hi Mom," I smile back at her. "How are you feeling?" "Sore, but I guess that is to be expected," I say with a smile to reassure her. "I'll be even better when they get my leg taken care of. I hate this thing on my leg." It must be the day for cues as Heather walks back into the room. "Hi everyone," she smiles at my parents, "Connor, they are ready for you downstairs early." Ben looks down at the floor. The look of sadness spreads across his face. I reach out my hand to him and grab his. "Hey sourpuss, go check my bed for me. I need to make sure it is still comfortable for when I get home. You think you can do that?" He looks over at me, still very sad. I can tell he is faking the little smile on his face. I almost forget about the room full of other people until my Dad speaks. "Benjamin, we will be downstairs waiting for you. Heather, you will give us a call when he is back in the room?" "Certainly," she looks over to me, "I'll be back for you in a minute." The adults all leave the room and I pull Ben closer to me. "Benji, go get some sleep buddy. I promise I will be here when you wake up." ----------- I wake up with the smiling face of Heather looking at me. "Hey sleeping beauty. Welcome back to the world." According to Heather, the doctor has decided that my leg is healing better than expected. He also has decided that I no longer needed a lot of the extra hardware wrapped around my leg, leaving me in another cast. "Heather, can you tell my parents that I don't want to see them for a little while when you call them?" "Is it them or him you don't want rushing back?" She quips back playfully with a smile still on her face. "I really want him to get some rest before they come back and the pain meds are making me feel goofy and I might just sleep some." "Sounds like a plan to me. Just get some rest yourself. I give you an extra couple of hours to sleep." ---------- Pain. A sharp pain shoots down my leg. I look down to see my jeans covered in blood. I try to move my arm and the pain is intense as I move it. "This is OnStar, we have detected your vehicle has been in an accident. We have dispatched emergency services." A voice calls through the speakers. I can't fight it anymore and the blackness takes me. A light is shining in my eyes and I can hear voices. "We're losing him." The world goes dark again. I snap awake screaming. I am back in the hospital room. I feel something squeeze my hand and the feeling of another hand on my face. "Connor, it's ok, I have you," It is Ben. I manage to look him in the eye and calm myself down. I can see my parents getting up from their seats in the other corner, as well as Heather rushing into the room to check what was going on. Benji keeps rubbing my cheek with his thumb. He just sits there and keeps me focused on his eyes. As I start to calm down, he leans down and places a small kiss on my forehead. "You okay babe?" Ben says calmly. "Nightmare or something," I reply back cooly. Heather looks at me, "You could be flashing back to the accident. Trauma like that can have that happen. We tell everyone it should clear up in time." I try to rub my injured leg, forgetting all about the cast on that arm. "Damn it," I start to breakdown in tears. "I hate this. First the best night of my life is ruined by an accident. I spend the first week of my new found relationship with my best friend in a fucking coma, only to wake up to half of my body wrapped in casts. I can't hold my boyfriend, and I can't be held by him either. It isn't fair! I just -" I can't talk anymore as my words are stuck behind the tears. All I can do is try and bury my face in my one good hand. I feel a hand reach across my body and I can feel myself being pulled into an awkward hug. I try to stop crying long enough to figure out who it is, but I am given the answer when I hear a whisper. "Once you are out of those casts, I will let you hold me for the rest of time. You are stronger than everyone else in this room and we will through this." When did Ben ever get so wise. Usually with him it was jokes and stupid remarks, but now he seems so different to me, maybe this was a side of him that was reserved only for the person that he loves with all his heart. I just wrapped my good arm around him and let the world melt away.