[CLOSED] turn it all around or throw it all away.

[zander trey brooks]

Zander paced the waiting room, running his fingers through his hair. He walked one way, turned, and then started back the other way. He had tried at least thirty times to call Jayson, leaving him nearly as many voice messages. How do you tell a boy that his boyfriend nearly died? He started pacing again, chewing on his lip. He could remember all too vividly the screaming when Nevada collapsed behind the counter, the paramedics..

"Is he okay?" He asked the nurse at the desk and she shrugged.

"It might be awhile, sir. Why don't you go get some fresh air? I promise as soon as they're done, I'll come get you." She said with a smile, and Zander wandered outside like a zombie, working his hands through his hair again.

[jayson thomas christopher]

Jayson sighed softly, finally throwing the television remote at the wall. "Stupid mother fucking son of a-"

His phone buzzed and quieted and he picked it up curiously, frowning at alk the missed calls. The voicemails didn't make it any better, and he hesitantly dialed to call back, working his jaw. He hadn't heard from Nevada at all today, had been at home dealing with his father.

[zander trey brooks]

Zander heard a phone go off and searched for Nevada's phone. He thanked God he didn't have to unlock it. He was tired of putting in the stupid code.

"Hey, Jayson? You need to get up to the hospital.." He said, trying to keep his cool. But the lack of information and the fact that it was annoying Nevada and he wasn't being annoying was getting to him. "Nevada just collapsed at work today and they're not telling me anything but I'm not guessing it's good.." He looked around at the flowers, bending to pick one.

[jayson thomas christopher]

Jayson almost dropped the phone, sitting in stunned silence for a moment. "I-..oh shi-...I'll be there in a moment. What room?" He got the information he needed and snatched up his things, calling something to Cory upstairs before grabbing his keys and bolting for the door.

He drove in stunned silence, begging that it was nothing too bad, wondering what the hell had happened...why he hadn't been there, hadn't paid attention to his phone. He pulled into the lot, demanded to see him, and only when he admitted he was his boyfriend did they let him pass to go find Zander since apparently he wasn't allowed to know what was up yet.

[zander trey brooks]

Zander leaned against the wall from Nevada's room, his hand over his mouth in either an attempt to stay together, or to not vomit. He looked over at Jayson, managing a smile. He reached out, ruffling his hair before he put his hand back over his mouth. He watched the nurses, most with soaked scrubs and shivering. They took turns putting ice packs around him.

"He looks like a corpse.." Zander whispered, his hands shaking. Nevada's blue lips wouldn't have told any different. The only condolence he had was the heart monitor and his slow beating heart.

"What happened?" He asked one of the nurses, and she pulled off her mask with a cold shaky hand.

"His.. he went into cardiac arrest. They had to drop his body temperature to get his heart to slow down and prevent any brain damage. That's why they have the ice. But they're gonna get his body temperature back up again." She told him, then walked off to get changed into a pair of not wet scrubs.

"He.. They.. huh?" Zander looked at the nurses now putting blankets on him.

"You can come hold his hand." One of the nurses said, with a smile. Zander didn't want to, too afraid of the tubes and wires coming out of him.

[jayson thomas christopher]

Jayson gazed at him with a weak smile, looking over at the nurse as she explained, and looked past her at Nevada. He was the one to crack, and he'd been there a total of two minutes, turning away as he gagged softly, drawing in a wavering breath and swallowing.

He let out a shaky breath, hesitant to approach, afraid to even touch him. "My god..." He rasped brokenly, sliding to the ground before his legs gave out and did the job for him.

[zander trey brooks]

Zander couldn't help but gag, hearing Jayson. He walked off to the bathroom, trying to think of other things besides the unnaturally pale boy in the hospital room.

"Aw, honey.." The nurse said, walking over to Jayson. She helped him up, setting him in a chair close to Nevada's bed. "Why don't you talk to him? Maybe he'll wake up. I can get you a bed if you wanna stay." She offered, rubbing his back gently. Zander walked back in, wiping tears from his cheeks.

"He's so un-annoying.. It's hard to even recognize him." He said, hoping to make Jayson smile.

[jayson thomas christopher]

Jayson stumbled after her, sitting down slowly in shocked silence as he stared at him, jaw trembling. Tears rolled silently down his cheeks and he reached out to take his cool hand, a faint, strangled sound passing his lips. He couldn't even find words to speak in the first place, gazed up at Zander brokenly.

"Yeah.." He mumbled, brushing a trembling thumb over the top of his limp hand.

[zander trey brooks]

Zander ran his hand through Jayson's hair, then started to rub his back. "It's gonna be okay.." He said quietly, even if he didn't believe it. He expected Deacon to come waltzing in at any moment to come take him.

"Don't come to work until he's better, okay? I can get you the money, but he needs you a lot more than I do." He said, kissing the top of his head. His employees were like his children. He loved them all. He rubbed his back slowly, watching the rise and fall of Nevada's chest. It was slow and steady. You could probably set a watch to it. Zander walked over, pulling the blankets up a bit more. Nevada's hand twitched, then fell still again. Zander bit his lip, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

[jayson thomas christopher]

"Okay.." He rasped, swallowing. He felt his hand twitched and gazed down at it, playing with his fingers so delicately it seemed he was almost afraid to break them. His own were shaking so bad, and he felt sick to his stomach.

So much for sleeping tonight, he'd had a rough enough day as it was. "Fuck..." He whimpered under his breath, head finding the bed railing, hiding his face.