Page 33 of Beneath the Indigo Sky

Namid

The ring from a video call startles me awake. I can’t believe that I fell asleep on the phone with Jayce while Ken was in surgery; what kind of useless asshole does that? I fumble my phone as I try to answer, barely managing to stab at the green button before the ringing stops. Ken’s face pops up, and I burst into tears before I can stop myself.

“Hey. I’m okay, kiddo. Everything is just fine.”

I can only nod while I fight to pull myself together, and Ken’s face quickly disappears, only to be replaced by Jayce’s.

“Hey there.”

I can’t help the thankful half laugh, half sob that tears its way out of my throat.

“Thank you, Jayce. Thank you so much for everything. I can’t begin to thank you enough.”

He shakes his head on the tiny screen. “It’s nothing. I promise it’s been a pleasure getting to know Ken a bit.”

It’s the first time he hasn’t called him Mr. Johnson.

“I’m going to hand you over and step out to get some coffee so you guys can chat, okay?”

I nod in thanks, and the image on the other end shuffles. I stare at the hospital ceiling for a few moments before Ken appears once more.

“You promise you’re really okay?”

Ken laughs. “I’m fine. It’s just a broken arm. I’ll be home in a couple of days, and then aside from having to learn how to button a shirt one handed for a few weeks, I’ll be good as new before we know it.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there with you. You know that I wanted to, but I just…”

“I know, son. I know, and it’s fine.”

All I can manage is a nod. I’m barely holding my useless self together.

“Speaking of…” Ken trails off in an odd tone of voice, and I raise an eyebrow in question.

“Jayce tells me you’ve told him about your feelings stuff. That’s a big step. Anything else I should know about?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

I flush with embarrassment as I try to convince Ken that I don’t have feelings for Jayce.

“Ken! God! No. Jayce is my friend. It’s just…it’s nice to have a friend, ya know. I think I can trust him.”

Ken’s smile is soft and kind and loving. “I think you can too. He seems like a good man, and I’m so glad you boys have each other to lean on now.”

Ken and I talk for a few more minutes before Jayce reappears at his side, and Ken transfers the phone back with a yawn.

“You should go home Jayce.” Ken’s voice is distant with the phone now in Jayce’s hand. “You both need to get some rest. You boys have had a long day too, and it’s getting late. I’m sure they’ll be in here shortly to drug me into a coma for the night.”

I hadn’t realized how much time has passed since Jayce first showed up to help us this morning, but it’s nearly midnight.

“Ya, of course. I’ll see you soon?” I know my voice sounds unsure.

“Couple of days, kiddo, then you’ll have more of helping me around the house than you can handle. Love ya.”

“Love you too, Ken.”

I can’t feel emotions over the phone, but when Jayce pops back onto the screen to hang up, the emotion on his face looks like…longing.

Jayce’s house is only ten minutes from the hospital, and I find myself pacing again as I wait for him to get home. He’s been so kind to sacrifice his time and sit at the hospital all day, and it was so generous of him to let me wait here so that I could be close to Ken if there were an emergency serious enough that I had to pull myself together enough to brave the hospital, but he’s never invited me over before. We don’t have that kind of friendship. Now that he’s had time to think through it, what if he doesn’t like that I’m here?

Jayce had said that he was going to get a cup of coffee even though he rarely drinks coffee, and it was ten thirty at night when he’d stepped out of Ken’s room. I wonder if he really got coffee or if that was just an excuse to give us privacy. Shit. I wonder if he even ate today. I don’t know if he’ll like me snooping through his kitchen, but making sure he eats tonight seems like the least I can do before he takes me home. By the time the door squeaks open, I have some sauce heating, some pasta boiling on the stove, and some vegetables cut up and ready to cook.

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