“How far away do you live?”
“It’s a ten-minute drive.”
“I’ll get there in five.” Finn quickly studied the route before peeling out of the parking lot.
Grabbing the handle above the window, Tristan tried calling Jax again, putting the phone on speaker and hoping that he was overreacting, but his panic only grew with each unanswered ring.
Finn pulled up to the building in record time, and Tristan was out of the car before it stopped, hauling himself up the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. Breathless, he ran down the hall to his apartment, his hands shaking as he unlocked the door and pushed it open.
“Jax?” his voice echoed along with his footsteps, and he quickly checked the kitchen before darting to his bedroom.
He didn’t see Jax at first; the gigantic bed blocked his view of the bathroom floor, but a low moan had him rushing to the other side of the room, where his racing heart stuttered in his chest.
Curled on his side, Jax was sprawled across the threshold, his upper half in the bathroom, his lower half on the carpet, and Tristan gasped, dropping to his knees beside Jax, but he didn’t respond at all.
“Jax!” His back must’ve locked up on the way to the shower, causing him to fall. Thankfully, the bath mat his head rested on was soft and cushioned, or this would’ve been much worse.
Not knowing what to do, he placed a hand across Jax’s blazing-hot forehead. At the touch, Jax let out another low scratchy moan, as if his throat was hoarse from yelling.
How long had he been here? Tristan glanced around the room, realizing that Jax’s nightmare had happened again. His phone was on the charger beside the bed, but Jax was too far away to grasp it, and he must’ve been calling for help.
Tristan’s vision blurred, and he felt tears burn down his cheeks.
“J-Jax?” He ran knuckles down Jax’s cheek, breathing a sigh of relief as Jax cracked open his puffy eyes.
“T-Tris-tan! M-My back…” The mix of fear and relief on his tear-stained face made Tristan want to gather Jax up into his arms and hide him away from the world, keep him safe.
But he couldn’t keep Jax safe. This had happenedbecauseof Tristan, because he hadn’t been there when Jax had needed him most.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Tristan didn’t know how he managed to talk with guilt’s hands around his throat, suffocating him, but he held strong.
“Tristan?” Finn ran into the bedroom, his eyes going wide when he saw Jax lying on the floor. “Jax!”
“It’s his back,” Tristan said as Finn dropped down next to him, pulling out his phone.
“I’m calling an ambulance.”
“N-No…” Jax’s eyes cracked open a little wider, and the fright in them made it even harder for Tristan to breathe.
“Okay, no ambulance. But youdoneed to go to the emergency room. Please.” Tristan put everything he could into his gaze, hoping that Jax would agree.
“…I can’t.” Tears flowed from Jax’s eyes, falling across his nose and dripping to the floor. Tristan dried them with his sleeve, thinking. How could he make this less scary for Jax?
“What if I carry you and we drive you there? I’ll be beside you every step of the way.” But it wouldn’t make up for leaving Jax alone this morning. Nothing would.
“I d-don’t know…” Jax swallowed, opening his mouth to speak, but he jolted, letting out a raspy howl. This was much worse than what Tristan had seen before, and he stood, ripping one of the blankets from the bed and wrapping it around Jax. Spring had been blooming across town, but the nights were still brisk, and Jax wore just pajama pants and a t-shirt.
“T-Tris-tan,” Jax took in a shuddering breath, holding onto the blanket.
“Please.” Tristan knelt again, putting one of his hands over Jax’s. “I promise, I won’t leave your side. But Finn and I would feel a lot better if a doctor could look you over.”
Letting out a weighty sigh, Jax gave him a single nod, followed by a sniffle, and Tristan took a few seconds to smooth back his hair and calm him.
“I’m going to carry you now, okay?” Although he still gasped for air under guilt’s hold, once Jax gave him another nod, Tristan easily lifted him again, cringing at the cry he let out before he settled in Tristan’s arms.
Finn held the front door, called the elevator, and ran ahead to grab the car. Once Tristan hit the crisp night air, Jax whined in the back of his throat, shifting into Tristan a bit more, and it had Tristan tearing up again.
He never thought that he would lie to the one he loved, but he had, and this was the consequence. Jax trusting him so deeply was only twisting the knife, but Tristan forced it all back, remembering that Jax’s health was the main priority right now. He’d sort everything out later.
