chapter 7

Two months later

On a typical day, the bright and sunny morning gave no hint of what was to come. It had slowly begun in the best possible manner for Vukan, from his mother waking him up to come down and have his favorite breakfast; blueberry pancake with yoghurt, to being granted the opportunity to ride his bicycle down to school

His father hardly ever endorsed the desire to ride his bike to school, when he had a fleet of cars to choose from.

Vukan jumped on his bike, felt the morning breeze smack against his face in a feeling he was sure to savor as best as possible. He had chosen an alternate route too, deciding it would be better to travel through the longer channels and enjoy his morning ride, since he wasn't in haste to arrive in school. He figured it would make his morning better and livelier.

Humming his way down to school, ears plugged, volume loud enough to cancel out any external noise or sound, Vukan drowned himself in metallic music until he arrived by the bike posts. Carefully, he ground to a halt and applied the brakes before taking off his helmet.

"Watch out! Watch out!" voices screamed from either side.

Vukan turned around while he was still lodged on his bike to find out what exactly was going on, but his movement was a little too late. The incoming car struck without proper notice, and sent him flying off his bike and ramming himself into the wall nearby. He groaned for a moment, thought of getting back up, but felt his body shoot through with immense pain before deciding against it.

His vision slowly faded and his consciousness went along with it as he managed to catch sight of a pair of "Air Jordan Sneakers" rushing his way. He wondered who the person was… he wondered who had struck him.

Oliver went on a knee and didn't care about the light colored jean he was wearing. Frantic and unstable at heart, he looked around and pleaded with people to assist in calling an ambulance. He leaned closer to the unconscious body and placed his ear towards the boy's nose to determine if he was still breathing.

"Thank God, he is still breathing", he muttered in relief while he hurriedly tried to check for any external bleeding.

Besides some cuts and bruises on the young man's skin, there seemed to be nothing major. He remained worried about internal impacts though and prayed the ambulance would arrive soon enough.

"Is he dead? Is he going to die?' a lady asked while she fretted.

Oliver shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "He isn't going to die… he just passed out and should be fine when the medics get here".

Feeling worried and restless, he got to his feet and began to pace while a crowd gathered. He bent over to check for a pulse and after finding a steady pulse, he would panic and pace around nervously again. Time seemed to move slower than normal and the medics were taking forever in what should be five to ten minutes.

"He just moved!' someone pointed out as people slowly eased back on Oliver's orders to give the wounded boy some breathing space.

'Hey buddy", Oliver called out, holding one of the boy's hands and staring into his eyes. "You are safe… you are safe and the ambulance is on their way".

He could only pray he was right about the ambulance. The possibility of watching someone die and being responsible for it wasn't something he ever intended to witness. His hands shook fervently as he struggled to hold the bruised hand of his victim.

"What happened?" the young man on the ground, slowly coming back to life and regaining his consciousness asked.

"You were in an acci… ", Oliver paused upon realizing who was before him.

Those eyes weren't mistakable and he recognized them from the pub. He was certain his victim could recognize him as well and the duo stared intensely at each other for a while.

Vukan could not believe his eyes; he had woken up to the deep and quite alluring pair of green eyes from his fantasies. He chewed on his lower lip for a moment, doing his best not to speak as a copious amount of pain began to jet out from every inch of his body. The severity of his fall had not completely dawned on him yet, but seeing his bike helmet crushed underneath the car's tyre did just about enough to tell him about how lucky he had been.

"Your eyes", Vukan muttered weakly.

Oliver managed to nod his head, hoping to comply with whatever he had to say until the paramedics would come to whisk him away. His worries grew with the fact Vukan's words came off in stutters and without any form of coherence. He looked back and saw how much damage his car had caused. The bike was underneath his car now with its fate unknown but most likely a terrible one.

He could only wonder what could have happened if it had been Vukan's head in the same spot where the flattened helmet was. His heart skipped its beats, his stomach churned with worry and his entire body shuddered worryingly.

"You have really beautiful eyes", Vukan whispered with a weak smile.

Oliver cocked his head and wished to agree… he would rather do that and keep his victim engaged, instead of leaving him and watching him slip back into an unconscious state. He watched the injured boy mumble endlessly as he constantly drifted in and out of consciousness.

"This cannot be happening! This cannot be happening to me right now!' he raged within and verbally.

The thought of killing someone threatened to send him spiraling out of control mentally. He had never struck someone down while driving and the fact it had to do with the same person who had caused his sister heartbreak some days back made it even more worrying. While the facts didn't add up and while the accident was a mistake, people wouldn't take it that way or even see it as such.

"Where are the paramedics? Where are the fucking paramedics!?" Oliver yelled atop his voice, hoping to get some proper feedback.

Those around fidgeted and looked as scared as he was. Nobody knew what was bound to happen to the injured young man lying helplessly on the ground.

"Please don't die on me", Oliver begged. 'Please… please don't bloody die on me!"

His mind could not take into construct the damage such an incident would do to his life and that of his parents. His heart was in overdrive at that moment and point in time. His throat felt clumped with lumps of worries and his temperature heightened without signs of it coming to a low anytime soon. He could not help but think of the worse in that very moment.

It also didn't help to have a host of people pointing their fingers in his direction. Some were taking pictures of his car already and none seemed interested in coming over to help. Oliver looked through the crowd, hoping to see a friendly face. He looked around in hopes of finding a friend, but like always, he felt alone.

"What did I do?" he queried himself once again before hearing his victim cough aloud.

Vukan felt his eyelids slowly begin to part open and with that, the view above him became clearer. He had seen those gorgeous eyes before passing out the last time and now he was more determined to stay awake because of them. The pains he felt in his body didn't seem to exit as much as they actually did and he didn't seem particularly aggrieved that he had been in an accident.

He recalled the name the young man hovering above him had been called in the pub. He could still very much recall some aspects to him; his sister and the fact he would stand for those he cares for as evident by what he did to Brad.

"I want that form of protection too", Vukan said to himself inwardly while his lips muttered incoherently.

Oliver fell to a knee to tend to the boy struggling for words. "The medics are on their way and you will be taken to a hospital in no time… do you feel any broken bones?"

If he was sure there were no broken bones, he would have lifted him into the car and rushed him to the hospital personally. Yet, he knew better than to make things worse. He knew better than to cause more harm by moving a man who had just been in an accident without caring for what injuries he might have sustained.

"I need to get my phone", Oliver said to the young man whose name he didn't know, but whose face he was fast becoming familiar with.

Vukan reached up and held Oliver by his arm, preventing him from going away. "Stay with me".

The request sounded perfectly reasonable, and Oliver decided to oblige. He remained on his knee and felt his hand being held unto tightly.

"I am here", Oliver whispered for support. "I am not going anywhere".

He wondered if the young man was dying. He wondered if he was suffering from some serious internal injuries and what would become of him if things went south. His life was just beginning to stay on track. He was just starting to know what happiness was with his parents. The thoughts were extremely disturbing and he couldn't quite picture what life was about to become.

Vukan slowly smiled and tightened his grip around Oliver's hand. He felt better and could not quite believe he had been struck down by the same person he had been trying to indulge and speak to but to no avail for some time.

"I… ", he stuttered, feeling a catch in his throat for a moment.

Oliver leaned closer, hoping to hear what the boy had to say. The thought of it being a dying wish sent shivers down his spine, but he decided he would do due diligence, being the least he could do after what he had caused.

Vukan cleared his throat with some blood splashing out before he spoke again, "I love you".

Upon spilling the words, a wild grin slowly took over his face as his bloodied teeth came into view.

"What!?" Oliver replied, sounding pissed right off the bat. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

He could not believe his ears.

"That's the best you got even while you are in a situation like this?" Oliver asked. "Are you this dumb?"

Vukan wondered what he had done wrong. He had simply confessed his affections to the young man and nothing more.

"You don't seem to remember, do you? I will like to attribute this to some form of knock you got to your head, but I have a feeling this is precisely what you are", Oliver retreated and yanked his hand off from Vukan's. "You are nothing but a piece of sit, manipulator and a playboy".

He could not believe Vukan had the guts to try and play a fast one on his emotions after what he had done to his sister at the pub. It was even more annoying after he had heard Vukan made snide remarks about love over at the school board.

"For someone who talks shit about love, and who doesn't obviously believe in it, you are a piece of work", Oliver continued to rant.

Feeling angered by Vukan's words, he paced around as the crowd dispersed to let the ambulance through. He watched them lift Vukan off of the floor and into the van before standing akimbo and watching them drive off in a hurry into the distance.

"This is crazy", Oliver thought to himself.

He had never met someone as condescending as the young man he just struck down and the more he thought about it, the harder it was for him to stomach. He wondered what could have made him such an arrogant and quite obnoxious personality. Oliver sighed in relief but still knew he wasn't out of the woods yet.

He had just put someone in the hospital and the best he could do was to follow up on what was going on.

"I need help", he said and returned to his car to park properly.

He was still too mad at Vukan to go anywhere near the hospital. He figured he would visit when the air had flattened some bit. Through his mirrors, he could see people beginning to disperse, with some still taking pictures of his car. Oliver wasn't entirely bothered about the pictures they were taking. He would submit himself to the hospital or to the authorities with proof that he had struck down the guy by mistake.

Thankfully, the campus had enough cameras around to back him up.

***

"Oliver", Sofia called out immediately. He can hear his aunt cursing him for bringing trouble to this family since the day he stepped in the house. Oliver didn't care much as he was used to hearing his aunt cursing him at every moment since his childhood. She is a divorcee and now living with their family. Though her words are harsh, he knows she is trying to be protective of her brother, Peter Douglas. Just like Sofia is for him.

Oliver defended himself immediately to avoid any form of castigation from his sister, "It was an accident… I didn't even know it was the guy and I wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose. You of all people should know that".

Sofia went silent on her end of the line as he spoke.

"I need your help", he added.

'What do you need from me?" Sofia asked.

He would need a company when he visited the hospital to know what was going on. The thought of going there alone and being by Vukan gave him the creeps. It wouldn't have been a problem had Vukan not made the bold statement he made earlier. The words continued to ring in Oliver's head, causing him to wonder what sort of madness Vukan might be harboring inside of him.

"That dude has to be nuts", he concluded before slamming his car door shut.

Putting the car in reverse, he drove off to go and get Sofia who was most likely going to be at home for the day.

"Keep your cool and Aunt,mom or dad wouldn't know a thing is going on", he recited to himself.

The day was bad enough to have his family become involved. He was not about to let them know anything about the incident and he was sure Sofia had his back without a doubt.

***

The blaring noise from the ambulance seemed to keep him awake, but something else was at the core of his mind and regardless of how well he attempted to cast it aside, Vukan just found himself wallowing deeper in it. The reaction on Lover's face, the fact Oliver had smacked his hand away and the manner in which he had been spoken to, all raced through his feeble consciousness.

The words he aired weren't what he would on a day his consciousness was proper. He wouldn't tell a random boy he had never spoken to that he was in love with such a person. The fact he had done it to Oliver just made him uncomfortable. To make matters worse, Oliver had responded in the most demeaning manner.

"You don't seem to have any visible injuries, but we will access you better in the hospital", one of the paramedics engaged Vukan in hopes of keeping him awake.

Vukan managed to nod his head, even though his neck hurt badly.

"Can you tell me your name?' the man asked, staring right back at Vukan and not blinking the entire time.

Vukan coughed subtly and replied as strongly as he could, "Vukan Adamson".

He watched the man etch the name into his notepad, before tucking them away and checking Vukan's vitals once again.

"Why did I do it?" Vukan asked himself.

He had never professed affections to anyone in that manner before. He was certain he wouldn't have done it unless he felt something deeply within. the thought dragged him back into consciousness every single time he tried to close his eyes. He wanted to see those eyes he had been glaring at before the ambulance came.

He could still recall how smooth Oliver's hand was to his touch and how soothing his presence had been. It wasn't infatuation of any kind and he had only felt such a presence before when he was with someone he genuinely loved.

"Oh my God!" Vukan gasped.

He had not seen it before but it was clear and right before his nose. He shook his head and tried to deny its existence as best as possible. It would be easier to admit he had a severe knock and was acting under the influence of his knock, but Vukan felt his mind begin to become clearer as they neared the hospital; everything he had done was of his volition and not through the influence of any external factor.

"How can I be in love with him?" he thought to himself.

The thought alone felt sickening but came with some measure of pleasure too. The fact Oliver had turned down his declaration in such a humiliating manner caused his entire body to ache badly as they stretched him off and into the hospital.

"Why?" he thought to himself. "Why did he decline?"

The misery ate at him until he was put to sleep by the doctor. Thankfully, he felt better, but his heart still hurt.

***

Oliver remained rooted outside the hospital door with his eyes caressing the building for what felt like eternity. Sofia stood by his side, waiting on him to take the next step forward, but Oliver couldn't bring himself to do it. The sight of the doors brought back memories and the thought of walking down those hallways threatened to trigger something he didn't want to birth again.

"This might have been a very bad idea", he said to his sister.

Sofia shot him a quizzical look, looked over to the front entrance again as people traipsed in and out without caring for the scared boy standing some feet away from them.

"When was the last time you were in a hospital for any reason?" Sofia asked inquisitively.

Oliver would rather not answer the question. It was in the past and he would like to bury it as best as possible. He fiddled with his fingers and cracked them consecutively in hopes of gathering enough courage to walk through the door. The door, obviously so close, felt like it was a city away. His eyes narrowed in vision every time he attempted to take a step forward.

"I cannot do this", he turned and said to his sister.

Sofia stared back at him in loss. "Nobody is giving you a shot. You simply need to see how the boy is doing or they might think you did this on purpose".

She was right, but he was beginning to wonder which he would prefer; walk into the hospital and let himself become crippled by his demons, or let people carry around fake news that he had struck someone down with his car because he was fighting for his sister.

He looked at Sofia once again, with beads of tears forming in the corner of his eyes, "I wish you'd understand".

He really wished he could explain to her, but it would mean opening a can of worms. It would mean unearthing the can of worms he had managed to bury for years and he wasn't sure his mind was strong enough to handle that.

"Did something happen to you inside a hospital?" Sofia asked in a concerned tone.

He looked at her with pain in his eyes but remained silent as he tried to brace himself to head inside it. Oliver had promised himself he would have nothing to do with hospital or visiting them and for years, he had managed to keep to his words. Sadly, there was no way out for him in that particular moment. He had set the tune for what was going on and he had to dance to it accordingly.

"Let's go", Oliver said while he sucked in some really strong air.

He wasn't about to let his past cause him to chicken out on doing important things.

"You have outgrown the pain and sufferings that brought you here", he recited to himself. "You are no longer that boy".

Stepping through the front door felt like he was walking through the gates of hell. Even with the well-aerated and conditioned building, the air felt hot and each step he took felt as though he was about stepping into quicksand.

"Are you alright?" Sofia felt compelled to ask.

Oliver ignored her question as they headed over to the reception to make enquiries about the young man they had received earlier.

"What is his name?" the receptionist asked.

Sofia looked to her brother to answer, but Oliver was so far gone in his own mind. He flared at the beds being wheeled around and images began to flush through his mind. The stench of alcohol and ammonia in the air threatened to upset his stomach, while the sight of someone being carted away with a bandaged arm, caused his heart to skip some beats.

He could vividly remember being on one or more of those beds in the past. He could very well remember what had brought him there and how he had managed to survive every single onslaught or attack.

It was a cold and treacherous Saturday night. Oliver was right back there; the one place he never wanted to be again. This time around, everything seemed to be bigger than he remembered them to be. His frame was frail and his breath barely came through as he crawled backwards, hoping and praying "he" wouldn't find him.

"God, please", the young boy pleaded with tears in his eyes.

"The house of horrors", would have been a befitting name for where he was. It would have done justice to what he called home or at least, where he used to call home. Regardless, he was back there; a place he had sworn never to go back to regardless of what life had to offer him.

"Come on out, boy!" the growling voice called with huge and terrifying footsteps marching through the house.

The termite-infested corridors creaked, the wind howled from every corner of the house and the little boy panted aggressively as he hoped someone or at least, anybody would come to save him. The air thinned and felt more vicious by the passing second and while his throat was dry, his breath stank of fright.

"Oliver, we shouldn't be doing this", his sinister voice called out to the young boy without an ounce of scare in it. "You broke the rules, and it is time to pay".

Oliver knew what that entailed and quite frankly, didn't want more bruises on his body. He was still pretty much sore from previous beatings and his skin and entire body was on the verge of breaking down completely should he receive any more.

"God", he called out, hoping somebody somewhere would hear him.

He crouched within the crawl space he had created over the past few days in the garage, and managed to remain hidden behind a wall made out of cardboard. He knew it would amount to nothing. There was no doubt something as fickle as that could keep the monster on the other side of the door from him. Yet, it was all the young Oliver could assume and hope for.

Slowly, the thudding sounds from the boots crept closer and in that moment, he could feel his spine stiffen. His offences would be well laid out and magnified before the abuse would commence. He was on the verge of landing himself in hotter soup, just for some few minutes of calm and ease. It didn't matter if the monster approaching would eventually get him; he would savor the peace and quiet and hopefully be bold enough to take the consequences like a man.

"There you are, you little twat!' The hand reached through the fickle covering Oliver was protecting himself with, before yanking the young boy by his hair and dragging him out of the garage.

"I have been looking all over for you", the vicious man cackled without an ounce of mercy or compassion.

Oliver knew better than to protest; it only worsened the abuse. He could very well beg and plead though; it seemed to work in lessening his punishment when the man wasn't in an irate mood. Oliver wondered how he could call the fellow who had dragged him head first, bruising his delicate skin through the ground and with the intent to enact physical abuse on him, father.

Pulling out his belt from his waistband, the man grinned cowardly as he glared down at the helpless little boy. "You know what comes next, don't you?"

"Oliver! Oliver! Snap out of it!" Sofia dragged him back into consciousness with a raging tone.

Oliver's heart sunk within his chest, his eyes widened and his lips parted as he screamed like anyone about to be mauled by a vicious being would.

Oliver tried to catch his breath as best as possible. It was his umpteenth nightmare for as long as he could count. He managed a weak smile at her as they were finally permitted to head down to the ward where they placed the person they came to search for.

"I don't know what is going on with you, but you have got to get your shit together", Sofia warned her brother.

Oliver wished he could explain in detail, but the thought of even recounting his experiences in words haunted him. Sofia had always been a wonderful elder sister and she would stick her neck out for him, but not in his current situation. He wasn't about to bring anyone in on what was boggling his mind, or at least, not fresh people.

The few people who bore knowledge of his past were more than enough.

"How badly did you hit this guy?" Sofia asked as she stopped outside a room and looked through the glass covering in the door.

Last Oliver recalled, he had not done serious damage to his victim, even while he wasn't sure of what the internal repercussions of his hit would have caused.

"I don't know… it was an accident and i… ", Oliver stepped closer to his sister before wearing a frown and halting his sentence.

The individual in the room was way older and judging by the amount of bandages on his legs and arms, not to mention the screws holding his skull into place, Oliver was sure he had nothing to do with that particular patient.

"He is over here", he said to Sofia upon finding the right patient.

They stood outside and watched the patient sleep peacefully. Asides some bandages to his forearm and knee, he looked perfect. They both sighed in relief and shared a warm hug with each other.

"We should go inside and see how he is doing up close and personal", Sofia suggested.

Oliver screamed out loud, "No!"

His outrage caused his sister to startle, while she hurriedly stepped away from him and into the room. Oliver felt saddened by the fact he had screamed at his sister, but it wasn't something he was able to control. In fact, his response would have been understandable if she knew about the last time he was inside a hospital ward or anywhere near the bed.

"I don't know what is going on with you and I honestly wish I do, but this is just crazy and we need to leave as soon as possible before you pull up another stunt", Sofia sighed.

Oliver nodded but remained by the door while his sister approached the bed and laid down a rose flower she had brought along with her, by the night stand. Oliver shuddered where he stood, hoping to leave as soon as possible. It felt as though the walls would close in on him and the longer he was in there, the more frightened he got.

"Can we go now?" he asked his sister as she returned from the bedside.

Sofia shot him a strange look before shaking her head and exiting the room. No sooner had they closed the door back, did they hear a subtle groan, indicating the patient was waking up. Certain he didn't want to be there to see the young man awake, Oliver shoved Sofia ahead and continued to do so until they got out of the hospital.

He fell to his knees as soon as they exchanged the hospital air for some fresh and natural one. He lowered his face into the ground and remained there for the next few seconds.

"I never want to go into a hospital again", he told his sister. "I will tell you everything you need to know but I never want to have to step into a hospital anytime soon or ever, if I have the chance to".

He couldn't imagine himself going through that much mental hassle again. He couldn't imagine himself having to breathe in the tainted hospital air that brought back unpleasant memories.

"It is okay dear", Sofia assured him. ��You owe me a lot of information though and you had better start talking while we drive back home".

Oliver agreed and circled his car to get in but watched Oliver hold the door and hold out her hand.

"What?" he asked.

With a raised brow, she replied, "Did you think I'd let you drive me after that crazy fiasco you had going on in the hospital? I still need my limbs intact, thank you".

Letting off a slight chuckle, he handed his car key to her and shook his head as he rounded the car to assume his seat by the driver's side.

"Let's get something to eat first. I have a feeling I might need to pad my stomach for whatever you are about to tell me", Sofia smiled at her brother before pulling out of the parking lot.

Oliver wasn't sure on how to start. Telling people stories about his crazy childhood wasn't something he was accustomed to either. Yet, Sofia deserved to know the truth. Their parents knew after all and she was mature enough to handle whatever he was about to tell her.

"You will be fine", he told himself as they drove off.

He was in safe hands… he had been in safe hands since he assumed the name "Douglas". There had been no reason whatsoever to doubt that fact; none from his adoptive parents and none from his sister as well.

"I need something to eat too, if I'm going to be spilling my guts to you", he noted.

They shared a sharp chuckle as the hospital disappeared in the distance.

***

Vukan felt himself get nudged into consciousness as he hurriedly looked to his side. Last he remembered was being wheeled out of the ambulance.

"Thank God", he whispered as he examined his body to see he had not sustained much damage.

He spotted the rose by his bed and wore a thin frown as his senses urged him to look towards the door. He could have sworn he saw someone standing there some minutes ago. He could have sworn he heard voices and managed a glimpse of a familiar face too. Yet, it was murky and whatever drugs they had him on did enough to impair his focus.

Yet, Vukan wondered about who could have left the rose by his bed. His parents still weren't aware and his friends were far off, indulged in other activities to even know something had happened to him.

"Oh… shit", he mumbled as he tried to turn on his side and a rather searing pain tore through his ribcage.

He returned into his lying state and glared at the ceiling above. Thoughts of his encounter with Oliver replayed in his mind and he couldn't help but wonder if the young man had been in his room or if he was responsible for leaving the rose flower.

"Oh, you're awake… that's good news", a nurse said as she stepped into the room.

She set her trays down and began to check his vitals immediately.

"You were one lucky boy… your vitals look good and you had no internal complications asides those bruises on your forearm and knee", she explained. "Is there anyone you need us to call to come pick you?"

"My parents, please", Vukan replied.

The nurse cocked her head and took out a note from her pocket with a pen in hand to get their details.

"Can I ask you a question?" Vukan inquired.

"Sure. Ask anything you want", she implored him.

He held up the rose and showed it to her. "Do you know if anyone came to visit me while I was asleep? Did anybody come in here?"

The nurse shook her head and proceeded to take his parents' contact details.

"If I find out anything, I will inform you", she assured Vukan before exiting the room.

Vukan didn't feel surprised. He didn't feel aggrieved. The fact was that he wasn't expecting anything from Oliver after the boy had taken his emotional expression and stomped hard on it earlier. He had only wished to hear otherwise.

"How stupid can I be?" Vukan thought to himself as he tossed the flower away.

He believed he deserved more.