Loves First Steps (( |WW| & Zombie_In_A_Box )) Private18+

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis tensed up for a moment when he heard Orion pass through the bedroom - he wasn't ready to face him! It seemed like Orion wasn't either, however. The raven ended up waiting in the bedroom, not really wanting to stay, but too scared to leave as well. He'd put his previous clothes on - a simple black button-up with sleeves rolled up and dark jeans. He liked wearing shirts, and he had no idea why.

 

When his friend made his presence known by talking about breakfast, Travis actually managed a smile as he looked up and shook his head. "Pizza's good." He muttered quietly, straightening up with the same nervous expression. Should he mention it? Or should he just hope it'll pass by itself? "Um... Look, sorry about what happened." The raven finally mumbled out, looking away nervously. The least he needed right now was Orion thinking of him as someone who used the fact that he was asleep to... To do things to him.

 

"Uh... Like... If you want me to leave, I will... Okay?" He asked uncertainly, quietly tucking a strand of his hair under his hair. This gesture only proved how nervous he was - he only did this in extremelly embarrassing situations, or when he was really, really nervous. The raven often did it when confessing, actually. When he first gathered up the courage to ask someone out, he was basically a nervous mess... He may have looked like he was a ball of energy, but he still became shy in some situations.

[|WW|]

He'd been wrong. Travis was bothered. Very bothered. He didn't see

his usually energetic friend so nervous; except in certain times

and that involved a confession to the same sex. Orion swallowed

and shoved his hands in his pockets, wishing he had the zippo in

his pocket so he could use it like the worry stone. His hand felt

really empty. "What are you even talking about dummy?" He schooled

his face into looking confused. "Oh, I see, so you're apologizing

for being a cover thief. Well, that's what I get for using one

blanket."

 

He knew that wasn't what Travis had meant, but he didn't want to

go there. He really needed to not go there right now. Their

relationship was important to him; very much so. "And man you

should seriously try out for wrestling, you've got a crazy sleep

hold just waiting to nail someone." That's the best he could do.

Offering a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, he went

to his dresser to pull out some jeans, boxer-briefs and then to

his closet for a nice blue and gray plaid button up. The white

shirt he wore to bed still managed to look fine, so he'd wear

that beneath. Luckily he hadn't splattered anything on it.

 

"You aren't going anywhere. Let's eat some pizza, okay?" He passed

travis who still looked out of it and gently ruffled his hair. "I'm

looking forward to seeing you play tonight," he mentioned quietly

before leaving the room and heading downstairs.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis blinked a few times at what he heard and raised his gaze a bit uncertainly. So Orion wasn't angry? He knew the other was just trying not to talk about that, but... Oh, who was he to try and fight something good? He let out a nervous smile and shook his head. "I warned you about that." He said with a quiet chuckle, joining in the act. If they got through the awkward stage of this, even if they continued acting, it wouldn't be as bad.

 

And still, the raven felt a vivid blush covering his cheeks as he heard the other words. Letting out a nervous laugh, he just tried to not stare too much at Orion. He still felt bad about all that... He was pretty damn sure there was a feeling blooming that he wasn't supposed to be feeling. He was not supposed to fall in love with his best friend, goddamit...

 

The raven couldn't help the smile that got on his face when his hair was ruffled while he nodded. He could do this... He could just act, pretend that he didn't feel anything. "Yeah, okay." He agreed with a light smile as he followed Orion downstairs. He would just have to make sure to not do anything weird to freak the other out. "Can you drive me though? Sorry for using you as a taxi." The raven joked softly, a smile on his face. He could pretend that today's morning didn't happen.

[|WW|]

"Well how else are you supposed to get there goof?" He questioned, turning off

into the kitchen. His clothes he laid over one of the stools, having a habit of

dressing right before he left rather than right away. He had a small bit of OCD

when it came to being comfortable at home, and that meant sleep clothes still

there was no other choice. Grabbing a can of chilled vanilla-frappuccino from

the fridge for himself, he motioned to the remaining cans and orange juice. "What

do you want to drink?" Sliding the left overs out he tossed them on the counter,

after giving Travis his drink. Again paper plates we provided and this time they

ate in the kitchen vs the living room which he still had to clean up also.

 

While eating Orion made light conversation, trying to keep their rhythm easy-

going and as stress-free as possible. He really wanted things to slide back

into the place of best friends. He'd never realized how strange things could

be after such a silly mistake. Yeah, it had been a mistake. His mistake. He

would be the one to fix it. Travis was his closest and damn near only friend.

He couldn't afford to lose something that had developed over years to something

like jerking off. Jesus it sounded stupid to begin with. He'd just had a moment

of lost composure is all. Or so he attempted to convince himself.

 

The afternoon was spent playing video games, eating ramen for lunch and then

another heated round of one-on-one fighter action. He'd pounded the hell

out of the control and still lost. He sucked at fighting games. Give him

strategy any day and this wouldn't have been the outcome. Travis took a

break to play his guitar while Orion cleaned up the mess from last night

and finally forced himself to get dressed. The event was nearing and he

found himself pretty excited to go see the show. He didn't make too many

since he was usually working.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis blinked and pouted lightly before sticking out his tongue. He acted just like he would've everyday now, though inside he still felt slightly nervous. "Don't call me that!" He whined, pouting still. The raven plopped down on a chair and huffed, watching Orion with slightly sleepy eyes. He hand't gotten enough sleep, it seemed... Though he never did. He needed to sleep for, like, twenty hours to feel good. "Eh, just orange juice." He answered and stretched, letting out a satisfied yawn. The guitarist rubbed his neck and scratched his cheek as he received his drink and "breakfast".

 

Travis was glad that it was Orion - he knew how to keep the conversation going without making things awkward. The raven joined in, smiling lightly as he ate and sipped the juice. He seemed to get lost in his thoughts a bit more than often, his eyes trailing over the other's features while he realized better and better with each minute how deep he was in. The day spent with his friend was both amazing and almost painful. After finding those forbidden feelings inside of him, he just couldn't stop thinking about them. At some point, he knew he would confess, and... And that would probably not end too well.

 

The faster the better, then. When he got his guitar and clothing ready, Travis waited for the other at the door, covering a small yawn. "Hey, come on, hurry uuuup!" He whined from downstairs, huffing a bit impatiently. As always, the band had an hour-long practice before the performance itself. He was glad that Orion agreed to drive him... And he felt a bit bad for him having to wait until the performance itself.

[|WW|]

"Yeah yeah, I got it, hold your hyper horses," he yelled down the steps, sitting

at the top of them while he adjusted his boot laces. He usually kept them in the

closet because they were one of his nicer pairs. Having loosened the laces enough

he rose and came down to the main level, sliding his feet into them at the front

door. He did a loose tie and tucked the laces so they wouldn't dangle, then

dropped his pants over them.

 

Sliding his phone in his pocket, he grabbed his keys and motioned for Travis to

go ahead to the car. He locked up behind them and beeped the car open, sliding

into the drivers side. Once Travis had his stuff in the back and the car was

humming happily, he flipped off the emergency brake and eased back out of the

driveway. He took a different route this time, which shaved off time to

their destination. Or so he thought ten minutes later while they were sitting in

what appeared to be bumper to bumper, light after light traffic.

 

"Sunday nights," he muttered, now idle behind someone who was turning left.

He flipped his turn signal on so he could ease himself into the next lane

and skirt through a yellow light just on time. "Must be something going on

tonight at the arena. I didn't think there was a game though," he commented,

easing up to the next light which was just two stops away from their music

venue. By now the traffic had thinned considerably, most cars having turned

off a few intersections back towards the arena parking garages. Orion watched

the red light, lightly tapping his thumbs on the wheel as he waited. When it

turned green he shifted and eased forward casting a glance up ahead to see if

any spots might be available on the Main road to ease into. Maybe they'd

get lucky.

 

Lucky wasn't exactly what they got at that moment. The first thing he heard

was a blaring horn followed by a screech of tires. It was like a slow-motion

action film, in the worst way. His head turned just in time to get a blare of

high beams. "Trav-," his arm flew to the side on instinct; pushing his friend

who'd been leaning forward back into the seat. The sound of breaking glass and

metal crunching was deafening. He felt sudden excruciating pain as his whole

world tipped in one frightening moment. The next thing he knew, his car was

resting against a large truck halfway nudged onto the sidewalk. His vision

was blurred and he could feel something warm trickling down over his face.

He couldn't move, even if he had wanted too. He felt nothing, no pain;

just a numb sensation. And then... everything was black.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis huffed softly with a pout on his face. He didn't want to be late to practice... He'd be scolded! He hated being scolded. The raven crossed his arms and huffed while waiting impatiently. Orion was so slooow... A heavy sigh slipped past his lips as he pulled out his phone to glance at the time. They'd manage to get there in time if there weren't too many cars.

 

Which, obviously, there were. The raven sighed repeatedly, resting his head on his hand while his elbow was on his knee. "If we left sooner, we wouldn't be stuck." He mumbled out and huffed quietly, glancing at Orion with a frown. "You've become so slow... Getting old?" He teased with a grin - just moments before he was suddenly pushed back against the seat. His breath was pushed out of his lungs and he didn't quite catch on what happened - just that he felt pain.

 

Travis really couldn't help the whimper that left his mouth when realization slowly got to him. The car was just hit... And Orion wasn't moving. Panic rose inside him as he struggled to unbuckle himself with his left hand. He couldn't move the right one and his face was dripping with blood. This was a nightmare.... "Orion!" He called out shakily reaching for his friends while tears began blurring his eyesight. He managed to get out of the car as someone pulled Orion out as well. He didn't even understand it was him screaming and crying until a woman tried to calm him down and he struggled to get to the man who was his friend.

 

Someone called the medics. They took Orion and him. Travis felt his tears mixing with blood as he sobbed - just sobbed - unable to answer the questions given to him, just panicking, fearing that Orion was dead. He was told to go with a nurse, but that meant leaving Orion alone. Of course he tried to fight back, but in the end he was still dragged off to examination. He had a broken arm and three fingers. Nothing more serious than that. He hadn't even lost his consciousness. While the bones and cuts were being taken care of, he couldn't stop his body from shaking. He must've been mumbling Orion's name over and over again because at some point, the nurse told him where his room was and that he could visit him. He didn't know how long had he been there. A few hours? Minutes? He just didn't know.

 

He managed to get to the room he was told to, and once again felt himself beginning to sob at the sight. At least he was alive... Though all patched up, eyes closed, probably still unconscious. The raven took shaky steps towards him, disbelief in his eyes. How did this happen? Why did this happen? He couldn't answer. No one could. At some point, other people began gathering into the room, but no one said a word to him. He felt like his world had completely fallen apart.

[|WW|]

Orion hadn't remembered anything of what happened after the truck

plowed into his drivers side. When his body had been drug from the car

he'd long been passed out from the trauma. Though he shouldn't have been

pulled out by anyone but the paramedics; bystanders had rushed to remove

him from the wreckage regardless of training.

 

Though Travis had escaped with minor wounds, his friend had taken the

blunt of the impact. The airbags had saved his face from slamming into

the steering wheel, but it had not saved him from smashing into the drivers

side window while it shattered to pieces. Lacerations covered the left side

of his face and throat, and his skull had been cracked the smallest amount

causing an immediate concussion. The truck had bent his door inwards,

forcing him sideways even as the seatbelt had cling to him like a lifeline.

 

His back had twisted in a way that just wasn't supposed to happen. Blood

was everywhere, because head wounds always bled the worse for some reason.

His left leg was also badly broken and had received a large piece of metal

through the thigh. In all he was very lucky no vital organs had been run-

through by the spear of metal instead. He remained knocked out for the entire

ride to the hospital, and through his friends heart-wretching crying and screams.

 

He'd been stabilized after an emergency surgery to remove the metal from his

leg and to check for internal bleeding. His head had been stitched up and

bandaged along with the left side of his face. One cut was very deep above

his brow and would leave a pretty dominant scar as a reminder. After he

was out of surgery they placed him in ICU to monitor. The issue now was him

waking up, and just what injuries had he sustained to his spine. And what had

the head injury done? Would there be further damage there also?

 

Too many questions. Not enough answers as a day ticked by and still no

movement. They considered a coma until the next day, after his family had

left to get something to eat- his fingers squeezed softly around the hand that

held him. Travis's hand, who had stayed by his bedside more than anyone else.

Orion was waking up. Dark lashes fluttered as tired hazel eyes took in the

blur of the room. His lips peeled apart and the first thing he did was groan

and try to grab his head. It was obvious the pain was slowly becoming alive

as he'd woke.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis knew he should stop crying, but with each second that passed with him staring at his friend's face, he couldn't. The raven didn't want to eat, even though the nurses told him to. He felt like he would throw up. Finally he did agree on an apple, but absolutely refused to leave Orion's side. He felt like he was at fault for all this... If he hadn't rushed his friend, this probably wouldn't have happened.

 

At some point he fell asleep. Holding onto Orion's hand, his arms on the bed and his head on them. Someone put a blanket over him and he was left alone for the night. Even Orion's family left home... And he just couldn't. His phone was crushed in the accident, but his band members still found out. Travis must've looked like a complete mess, since all he heard from them was that it would be fine. It wouldn't be fine... Not with Orion like this.

 

At night, he was awoken by some sound. His head raised from the uncomfortable position and he swore he saw Orion move. The tears began rolling down by themselves as he grabbed the other's hand with both of his own, his breathing shaky. He was awake... He was awake... This repeated in his head a few times before he was able to look at the other.

 

"You dumbass..." He hiccuped out, not even trying to stop the tears. He knew he'd fail anyway. "Don't scare me like this..." He whispered shakily, gripping his hand tightly. He should get a nurse... There was a button somewhere, the nurse who got him there mentioned it. The raven found it and pressed it, then looked at the other. In the darkness he couldn't really make everything out, but it didn't matter. He was alive...

[|WW|]

"Mhn, shit," a curse of discomfort filled the dark room. His hand had made it about half

way to his head before falling back to the covers, unable to continue. It probably didn't

help that arm was hooked up to two IV's, and the movement was somewhat limited. His head

lolled towards Travis's voice, those soft hazel eyes landing on his friend who grasped his

other hand in overwhelming relief. Orion's lips trembled seeing the concern on his friends

face also. He remembered the blare of headlights and the sound of metal being crushed.

Glass shattering. He'd pushed his friend back into the seat...nothing more was coming to mind.

 

"Trav," he whispered, his throat so very dry. "Water, please," he pleaded with his friend,

frustrated somewhat at his lack of being able to move the way he wanted too right now. But

he was also feeling relief. Travis looked banged up, but the fact he was at Orion's bedside

meant that things hadn't been too terrible for his friend physically. Him on the other hand,

well, that was a question he intended on asking once the fog cleared. For now he just wanted

water to clear the terrible taste out of his mouth and throat. His head was throbbing also,

but he figured a few pain killers would probably hit the spot. Or he hoped they would.

 

When the nurse came she checked his vitals and asked a few questions concerning pain levels.

He did his best to answer, and when Travis brought a small cup of water the nurse lifted his

bed a small amount, but barely enough to actually drink properly. She added a straw to the

cup and made him sip through the small tube instead. He felt like a damn toddler. He received

a shot for the pain, which he wasn't thrilled about. He really disliked needles. All the

while Travis was hovering, looking absolutely haggard and exhausted.

 

He had an idea of what had happened and grabbed his friends hand. "Hey, calm down, you need

to rest. You look like you haven't slept in days," he commented, his eyes more aware now

that he'd gotten poked and prodded, shot up with meds and fed water through a freakin tube.

"Trav," he repeated, squeezing his friends hand. Damn he wanted out of this bed. If he

could have moved better he would have pulled Trav down for a hug; but instead he was

just pulling on the hand, his eyes almost begging. The nurse had left to inform the

doctor in call, as well as call the family with news.

 

 

 

[[OOC- LOL I love my phone. What the heck is this spacing XDDD]]

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis nearly knocked the chair down as he hurried to get the water. Now that Orion was awake, he'd do anything to make him feel better - even somethibg as simple and small as getting him a glass of water. His single good hand was shaky, nearly spilling the water as he stood by his friend's bed, giving him the water quietly. The nurse gave him a few worried looks before leaving to get the doctor. Travis' cheeks were still wet from his tears and his whole body was shaking. His cheeks seemed slightly hollowed - it was almost like he was just a shadow of what he'd been.

 

"I'm fine." He muttered quietly in a scratchy voice as he slowly sat back down, lightly taking Orion's hand. His eyes filled with tears as he stared at the other sadly. "I'm so sorry... If... If I hadn't rushed you..." He found himself mumbling an explanation as he tightened his grip on the other's hand, his hair all messy and falling over his eyes. "I thought you wouldn't wake up... I was scared."

 

Admitting that he was scared had never been easy to Travis. And he was mostly scared that he'd be left alone, without any friends. And Orion was his closest one... He never wanted to lose him. "Is there anything you need? Something I can do?" He questioned hurriedly, dark bags underneath his eyes. Travis really was a mess. Even so, his guitar somehow remained alright and was placed in the corner of the room. He couldn't play it for quite some time though...

 

"I feel so guilty when I look at you." Travis let out this faint whisper before pressing his forehead against their hands. He couldn't handle situations like this too well. It wasn't something he could run away from.

 

((Oh, so it's not just me ))

[|WW|]

Orion took a few more sips of the water before nudging it away, a small stream escaping over his lip onto his chin. He lowered his head a touch and rubbed it on the sheet, feeling like a damn kid for drooling. Listening to Travis he sighed, finally understanding at least one thing that was going on. His friend was blaming himself for the whole thing. That just wasn't right at all. "You do realize that accidents happen, right?" He frowned at his friend, dark eyes looking over the male who seemed like he was suffering. Orion didn't like seeing that vulnerability on a usually strong and energetic demeanor. "Travis you can't possibly think this shit is your fault. That's too stupid to even imagine. We got hit because of some jerk-off running a red light. Not because of you." He could at least remember that much. he'd had the green, not them.

He got quiet for a moment, his face contorting into a small bout of pain before it relaxed a bit. He sighed, squeezing the hand that was trying to cut off his circulation. "My car," he breathed out on a long groan, suddenly realizing his baby was toast. He closed his eyes saying a small prayer for the lady of his life. Rest in peace, or pieces. Dammit. He could afford to be slightly selfish on this since he'd worked his rear off for that beauty. Well, looks as though he was hitching a ride on Trav's baby for a while. The thought of even getting on a moving vehicle right now making his stomach turn.

Feeling more up to it he lifted the sheet slightly and peered down. His hand with the IV struggled to get beneath and feel around till his hand touched an unfamiliar tube coming out of a very private place. Ah man he even was pissing in a bag, awesome. Come to think of it he didn't even feel the urge, or anything for that matter. They must of had him pretty sedated. he didn't know whether to grateful or angry for not being able to move. "If you want to do something for me, stop feeling guilty over something that isn't your fault and get your ass in a bed." He really wanted his friend to go rest. Man the guy had a broken arm and fingers. And here he was worrying over a bed-ridden lump. "Be a little selfish, okay? Go rest. As you can see I'm up and well enough." He pried his hand gently out of Travis's and reached up to lightly comb at the mess on top of his friends head. "Talk about bed head," he teased, trying to wipe those tears out before he ended up getting soppy too. "Please take care of yourself too, okay?"

 

 

[[OOC- Going to change my paragraphs centering so that won't happen again. XDD]]

 

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis lowered his head slightly, looking as if he was about to burst into tears again. He nodded slightly at his friend, trying to swallow that annoying lump that appeared in his throat. "Okay..." He murmured out softly, still kind of believing it was his fault. If Orion hadn't been hurrying because of him, he probably would've noticed that car and they could've avoided it. So it was still his fault. He probably also distracted the man by talking to him, and... And he was still pushed back to his seat so he would avoid major injuries. He'd heard something about spinal injury from the doctors - but nothing more than that. He was scared of those words, honestly. They definitely didn't mean any good.

 

The raven flinched slightly when Orion groaned out the two words, and there, another wave of guilt washed over him anew. "...The one who hit us should pay for it.. And for our treatment, but... I don't know if it's possible to fix it..." He muttered quietly, staring at the hand he'd been gripping. His eyes were almost swollen from all the tears he'd shed for his friend. He hadn't slept properly from the accident - only now, for a few hours he did sleep by Orion's bed. His back was aching from the uncomfortable position he was constantly in.

 

"I don't want to be selfish. I don't want to leave you." Travis muttered quietly, looking up at the other as his hair was combed through. Tears filled up his eyes at the familiar touch and he bit down on his lip so he wouldn't start sobbing again. He didn't want to. "Don't make me leave..." The raven pleaded quietly, his shoulders shivering for a few moments before he took in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Honestly, the mental shock he'd gotten was way bigger than his physical injuries. He was sure that if he was to sleep, he'd have nightmares about all this.

 

((Kay then ))

[|WW|]

Orion sighed deeply. He just couldn't get through to Travis without yelling in some way, and he was sure at this point neither of them needed that sort of confrontation. They'd both been shook up. To be honest he wasn't holding up as well as it seemed. He was concerned about his injuries of course, but honestly he just wanted to go back asleep. If he did that, his friend would no doubt stick around and make his own condition worse. Orion didn't like thinking because of him, his friend would continue to suffer. "Okay, okay, I got it," he breathed in and closed his eyes, then the exhale was with words, "you don't have to leave."

 

He was tired. His hand was sweaty from being held and his other hand stayed beneath the covers, resting on his abdomen. With his eyes closed he drifted for a bit, catching a small cat-nap of sorts. After a while a knock at the door revealed the doctor on call, holding a large clipboard and file. He woke Orion enough to do the same vitals check the nurse had and to explain in more detail what the damage was. Before the man could attempt to remove Travis from the room, Orion explained his friend could stay for the little chat. He listened quietly, looking down at his leg when he was told he'd had emergency surgery to repair his thigh from being run-through. He winced just from hearing it. The head injury didn't seem so bad since he wasn't missing any memories that he knew of, or stuck in a vegetative state.

 

"Your MRI showed a herniated disc in the Lumbar region of your back. Because of this you'll need another scan as well as a lumbar puncture so we can get ahead on this problem," he slid the sheet down Orion's form as he spoke. He wore one of those awful gowns, and the tube that emptied his bladder snaked down over the side of the bed to a bad which dangled out of sight. He frowned at the left leg that was bandaged and wrapped in a semi-hard casting to protect the injury. The man asked travis to stand behind the small white line a few steps from the bed and pulled a privacy curtain before he pushed the gown up to Orion's midsection, exposing his entire lower half. The youth cleared his throat, embarrassed immediately.

The doctor slid out a small instrument that looked like a pen, but the tip was somewhat sharp, like a thick needle. Orion winced and looked towards the window. "Tell me if you feel anything, anything at all." The man took the tool and slowly began tapping the tip against Orion's midsection and hips. Orion jerked a bit, nodding. "I can feel that." The doctor nodded, "Good, now next." He poked further down near the pelvis and upper thighs. Orion frowned, watching closely. "I think I felt one of those, here," he poked just below his hip. The doctor nodded and continued working his way down. The further down, the less he could feel. In fact it had pretty much stopped around his thighs all together. His legs were numb. When finished the tool slid back into his pocket and he wrote something in the file; leaving Orion to cover himself with the gown. "So?" He asked quietly, his expression worried.

 

"Well, it seems as though you may have nerve damage in the same lumbar region since the limited movement is more in your lower trunk region. The fact you can feel some things, but not others points towards a partial paralysis of some kind. Or an Incomplete SCI. With the tests we'll be more sure, but there isn't always a clear answer when the spinal cord is involved. So let's just keep an open mind Mr Smith. I'll schedule your tests for this afternoon. Until then do not attempt to move around; you may agitate the injury further. For now rest is best. Your whole body needs to recover, not just your spine." With that he pulled the sheet back up, covering Orion and slid the sheet aside to reveal his friend who waited. Orion looked to him with worried eyes and then sighed heavily. The doctor excused himself and left the room leaving them alone again. "Sorry you had to hear all of that," he apologized, looking back towards the window.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis felt a small wave of relief when Orion said he could stay. The raven managed a small, faint smile in response while observing his friend. While he was half-napping, Travis found himself thinking of his feelings towards this man. It was more than friendship... No, he was pretty damn sure it was almost love. He felt such immense fear while he was waiting for him to wake up... He felt like a tiny part of his very heart was missing, making him feel horrible pain. This wasn't exactly what he'd feel towards a simple friend.

 

The raven tensed up when a doctor entered the room. So now they'd get to know what was wrong... He was glad that Orion explained him staying. He didn't feel the want to speak at all. Words seemed to hard to make at the moment. So, he just sat there while listening. Some of those words made his brain hurt - MRI? Hermiated disc? And then... Nerve damage. Travia felt frozen, even as he was standing away from the other. Nerve damage? That spinal injury? His legs were being checked... He couldn't be... Travis found himself unable to process the information. God, he was taking this worse than Orion...

 

"...Why do you apologize for it?" Was Travis' first question in a hoarse, scratchy voice. He would do anything for a cup of hot tea right now... The raven took one small step after another until he finally reached Orion. He lightly covered his face with his good hand and let out a shaky breath. "Orion... I-I swear, I'll help you out in whatever way you need." He promised quietly before looking up at him. The raven looked pretty horrid; after all, he hadn't slept, washed up or eaten properly after the crash. There was still a little bit of blood in his hair, in fact.

[|WW|]

Orion looked somewhat distant, his eyes a whirl of emotion. He was barely keeping it together it seemed. Seeing Travis break down too was not something he could handle at this point. He didn't want to be mean, but he needed some time to think. Even if it was thirty minutes. He just needed some time. Offering a smile void of it's usual vigor, he waved his hand in a way that meant he didn't have much energy at the moment. "Trav, I know I said you could stay, but you need to go get cleaned up. If you want to come back and crash again, be my guest, but for now you need to do something about yourself. You're going to worry my parents if they come and see you all banged up and still bloody."

 

He'd noticed the blood crusted in the guys hair long ago. He'd looked over Travis from head to toe when he'd stepped back to allow the curtain to be closed earlier. His friend looked like hell. And that added to his silent misery. "You're going to worry me," he admitted quietly, looking away from his friend as his eyes watered. "Just go, okay. You're welcome to come back, but now... just take care of yourself." His voice cracked slightly and he squeezed his lips together, the lower of two trembling. He was about to lose it. His pride, thought stupid, couldn't handle showing such weakness.

 

After Travis was convinced, one way or another; the door clicked behind his friend and he was left alone in the dimly lit room. His breath shuttered out and he pulled the sheet aside, touching his thighs lightly. It was true, he couldn't feel anything. His hand pressed down and dug his fingers into the skin, but nothing was there. "Shit...shit...SHIT," he mumbled, poking as low as he could without moving his spine. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his hands covered his face, his shoulders shaking as he let it all go. They were not soft tears, no, they were sobs of a young man who was sincerely shaken.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis really didn't want to leave, but Orion clearly did. Not because he so much didn't want him here - no, it was probably because he needed some time alone. The raven couldn't just continue being stubborn... If this was what Orion wanted, so be it. "Okay... I'll wash up and be back." He muttered out quietly. The crack in his friend's voice was something that almost made him stay, but he couldn't. He shouldn't even. The raven felt awful that he had to do this, he really wished that he could comfort his friend... Gods, he would do anything to help him. Even something as simple as a hug would help... He'd feel as if he didn't completely ignore the other that way.

 

So, these feelings drove him to staying by the door when he left... It wasn't a good idea. Travis heard the other sob, simply sob, and he felt the same guilt rising inside. Orion had never been like this before... It was scary. Scary and pretty heartwrenching, too. Travis swore that his heart was in some kind of cold, metal confines, being pierced over and over again. Still... He left. The raven just walked away, feeling the pain in his chest grow bigger and bigger with each step until it brought him to running. He dashed through the hospital halls, ignoring whatever pain he had until finally, some nurse stopped him and calmed him down at last. Travis was led to a bathroom where he was allowed to wash up, then he was led back to Orion.

 

He thanked the nurse quietly, shaking his head at the offer of food. He still felt sick, he didn't want to put anything into his stomach. The raven opened the door quietly, his heart clenching at the sight. Quietly, he walked up to the other, noting the signs of him crying before - there was that slight puffiness in his eyes, yet he didn't comment about it in the slightest. "Orion..." He muttered quietly, the lump in his throat making itself known once again. He took in a breath that was slightly shaky and looked down at his lap. "...I swear, I won't leave you no matter what." He more whispered than said. He rose his eyes up to the man, swallowing down the confession from the way Orion looked. This wasn't the time at all... Though he'd whispered those three words so many times when he'd been wating for Orion to wake up.

[|WW|]

Orion had let it out until he had nothing left to possibly give at that point. His eyes were sore by the time the tears dried up, or so he thought for now anyway. All he could do was wait now and do the tests this afternoon. Then they would see what needed to be done. The doctor hadn't said anything about recovery, but had said to keep an open mind. So was that hope, or just a doctor trying to comfort a patient in some round-about way? He thought about college and his job, the frown on his lips deepening. Looks like these things were a no-go. He'd have to face his family about the possibility of losing his job, failing school from attendance and not being able to pay for his own home. It was amazing how many things piled up due to one life-changing event.

 

A nurse came in once while Travis was still absent, asking if there was anything he needed. She suggested a light meal and he agreed. His stomach was growling and running on fumes. His throat always dry from the medication and the bout of tears which left his eyes slightly puffy along with the dark circles. By the time Travis had returned Orion was shoveling through some jello, after having mopped up some chicken noodle soup. A few apple juice cups piled on top of one another, all empty. He looked up with a spoon half in his mouth when his friend entered, looking cleaned up but still a complete tired mess.

 

Licking his lips once he listened to his friend and sighed, setting the half-eaten jello aside. "Trav, you're welcome to do what you wish of course- but don't piss me off." He needed to be stern if this stubborn guy were going to listen. Though he looked fragile, he really needed guidance at a time like this; even if it was a bit pushy. He pointed the spoon at his friend, the brow that wasn't bandaged raising higher. "You have school, and a job, and a bike that needs fixing," he commented. "And now me, who obviously won't be going anywhere any time soon." He cleared his throat. "You're going to continue those things, because they're important."

 

He reached out and did a small fake punch below Travi's chin, nudging his head up so he could look at those sad eyes with his own. He was being completely serious. "You're my best friend. While I appreciate your worry, you can't drop your own life to just stick around and decay at my side." He smiled slightly. "Thank you for being here though," he said gently to the other, his thumb lightly brushing along trav's jaw before he pulled away. He hadn't meant to be so strange, he just hated seeing that expression on his friends face.

 

"We'll work things out, okay?" He looked back at the nearly empty tray. "You know, the soup wasn't bad at all. I think you should try to eat something too today. It may not be pizza but it's certainly edible."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis couldn't help the small flinch from how harsh the other sounded. He looked away while biting onto his trembling lip, then down at his broken arm and fingers. "I can't write like this. I can't play either... I can't really earn money until I'm out of these." He talked quietly, keeping his head down slightly. "I can't really do much right now." He added quietly, his voice shaking as he took in a deep breath to calm down - maybe he should go to one of those classes on how to fight being anxious or scared? "I'm sorry if I piss you off." He murmured, the emotion draining from his voice for this one sentence. Sometimes it was best to just hide his feelings instead of making them known.

 

He didn't look up until his chin was nudged up. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips before he sighed, leaning into the soft touch on his jawline. His movement was nearly desperate, as if he wanted to get more. "Most of my life requires both good arms." He tried to joke as he let out a smile and lightly tapped his fingers against the broken arm. "If it was my left one, it wouldn't be as bad, but... I'm pretty hopeless with this." He said with the shadow of his usual smile - at least he was trying. His eyes saddened again as he stared at Orion's lower body, hidden by the sheets. "Still, I mean it. I won't leave you. I mean... I won't be here 24/7, but I'll come visit. I swear." He said in a slightly firmer tone. Even now, he could be a bit stubborn...

 

The mention of food made his stomach twist a bit and he shook his head a bit. "I really can't. The thought alone makes me sick." He said with a sigh and placed his arms on the bed, his head on them. "...I'm kind of sleepy, actually..." He murmured, his eyes already falling closed. Sleep right now seemed like a very good thing... All this damage - both physical and emotional - really made him tired. The raven's body relaxed slowly, not quite asleep yet, but he was close. He finally seemed peaceful like this - still a bit scared and stressed, but better.

[|WW|]

Orion tilted his head, his expression disbelieving. "Aren't those just excuses?" Weren't they? A broken arm and he thought nothing was possible? Taking voice recorded notes and using a speak-easy program could easily make up for his loss of function in his arm and fingers. Nowadays there were always ways to get around a handicap of sorts- something he should think about for himself later it seemed. While Trav may not play the guitar for a while- and may not be able to do the same work- he had options. Perhaps looking past all of this was his way of giving up for now. He didn't like that, but he wouldn't allow his friend to use him as excuse either. "Well, that's for you to decide," he said quietly, pushing the tray to the side and away from being over him.

 

He was still pretty fragile mentally, and any more arguments may just make things worse. Taking in a deep breath he rested his head back against the pillows and grabbed the remote near his bedside; pressing the button for the nurse. Glancing down he watched as Trav rested, his head propped on his arms. The fact his friend was resting was promising. When the nurse came he asked for the tray to be taken away and hesitating, motioned to the large recliner in the corner. "Is there anyway we can recline that and maybe get a blanket and pillow?" She smiled and nodded, casting her own glances at the tired youth camping at his bedside. "Of course we can, just a moment," she answered, taking the tray out to the hall to dispose of.

"Trav, hey.. don't pass out here." He poked his friends head, lightly tugging a few strands of his hair. The nurse came back holding a blanket and pillow, going to push the recliner back for the male to rest in. The chair was built for things like this, and reclined quite a ways back. She placed the pillow and blanket there and smiled. "Will you need anything else, Sir?" Orion blinked to the Sir thing and then laughed a bit. "Not unless you want to force-feed this guy," he commented dryly. She blinked and then laughed, even though she didn't get the joke. Excusing herself Orion poked Trav again. "Hey, go sleep over there."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis didn't respond at all to what Orion said. Well, verbally, at least. The raven did feel a bit of nervousness and irritation at the said words, but he chose not to respond at all. He was thankful that the other dropped it as well - after saying it was his choice, anyway. The guitarist just rested his head on his arms, half of his face hidden from Orion. He still felt guilty, though he did try to not show it - he didn't do too well there.

 

He would've missed the nurse if Orion hadn't poked him and tugged on his hair. The raven winced tiredly and raised his eyes, something close to a pout on his face. "That hurt..." He mumbled, sounding a bit like a child. He still listened to the other and tried not to just pass out there. His dark eyes were tired, staring at his friend - his crush - rather intensly even now. A yawn came past his lips as he finally looked away and sighed. For a moment he seemed like he was about to say something, but changed his mind and just shut up. His stupid depressing thoughts weren't neccessary at all. He should just keep them all to himself... Yeah, that would probably be the best thing to do. He didn't need or want Orion worrying about him when the man himself clearly had it worse. Far worse.

 

Travis sighed when he was told to go sleep on the recliner. He complied anyway, but not too hapoy to do that. The raven's cheeks were a bit hollowed as he layed down, letting out a quiet, soft breath. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep with the blanket over him and the pillow under his head. However, his dreams showed all of his feelings - and he often spoke in his sleep. So, not even an hour later, the raven was mumbling soft words - love, Orion and please were the ones that repeated the most often. Travis could be like an open book sometimes. In his sleep, when he was the most defenceless, his emotions basically poured out all at once.

[|WW|]

Orion frowned slightly. He hadn't pulled his friends hair that hard. Maybe the younger had soreness on his head from a bump too, though he didn't see any bandages to go along with that theory. Seeing Travis crawl into the recliner made him feel slightly better. That had to feel better than sleeping hunched over next to his bed. At least he could actually lay down and let his muscles rest, not to mention his arm. A broken bone needed nourishment and rest to heal, so he hoped his friend would start thinking about himself a bit too.

 

It was still very early in the morning, the sun had yet to rise. He had wanted to get some sleep himself but only managed a small nap of sorts- having a bit too much on his mind to really fall into a deep slumber. He considered asking for medication to knock him out, but passed over the thought almost as soon as it had come. He'd heard travis mumbling things, but from where he sat only a few things really made sense. He could hear his name, and the word please. He thought he may have heard another, but he wasn't entirely sure what he heard was correct. Love? Lub? He strained a bit trying to make a bit of sense of the ramble. When he got a clear 'love' louder than before he sighed, rubbing his face. "What am I supposed to say to that," he whispered, thinking a few things finally made sense. He didn't want to think about them right this second though.

 

After another small nap he woke, his friend still passed out. He rung for the nurse and when she entered his cheeks were on fire. His expression was that of someone who finally got hit with reality. He looked at his friend, then the nurse, then down at the sheets covering him. "Um, I...," he swallowed while she stood there smiling. "Yes, did you need something Sir?" She stepped to the side of the bed, reaching out to gently pat his hand in a soothing manner. The hand curled into the sheet, squeezing it while trying to hold back another bout of tears; this time in shame. "I , had an accident," he whispered.

 

Dammit he'd felt something, but what could he do being half-vegetable? She smiled in understanding and rubbed his hand while more tears escaped down his cheeks, his lips trembling. "I understand Sir, we'll get you cleaned up. How does a nice warm bed-bath sound?" Orion shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "I don't care, just.. just help me before he wakes up."

 

She slid the curtain around the bed closed, blocking off the sleeping travis and anyone else who may enter the room. The next thirty minutes were probably the most embarrassing of his entire life. He'd been cleaned up like a helpless babe, and after he was clean he laid with a sheet covering the new adult incontinence item. She had a large bowl of warm water and was lightly wiping down his legs and arms. The water felt good where he could feel it. He laid staring at the ceiling, his eyes rimmed with red from tears.

 

He was understanding finally just how shitty fate could be. "He's a cute one," she commented in a gentle tone, getting her patients attention. "The way he talks in his sleep. The things he says," she smiled and her own cheeks went slightly red. "How long have you been together?" Orion blinked and looked to her, brown eyes confused. "He's my best friend. I've known him for years." She tilted her head and frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought from the way he was talking in his sleep that you were a couple." Orion blinked and flushed. "N-no we aren't." Oh God trav, he thought. The things he didn't hear very well earlier the nurse had, clear as day. Love? His name? Please. It sounded like a confession.

 

 

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis' mumbling didn't stop for the whole time he was asleep. The raven tossed around in his sleep too, the blanket ending up wrapped around his waist and the pillow in his hands. His face was mostly burried in it as he mumbled soft 'I love you's' into it. Of course, in his dreams, they were all directed to Orion. Like he could just confess like this in reality... He could barely do it to someone he barely knew, how could he do it to his best friend? No way in hell. Not until he had a thought that it could actually work out, at least...

 

The man began waking slowly when the nurse entered the room. However, once the curtain was drawn, he just fell back to sleep. Like the curtains were his dreams coming back to him, Travis went back into his own small world where everything was still fine. He did wake up when the two of them began talking. Of course, when the first thing he heard was the nurse asking how long have they been together, he thought it was just another dream, but... As the conversation continued, he found himself getting red cheeks and such an embarrassed expression on his face, he looked like some confused, nervous child who'd just been confessed to.

 

He thought he could just pretend that he hadn't heard all that, but he was just human... And he hadn't eaten in a day at least. His stomach grumbled loudly in the room and his cheeks reached the brightest shade of red they'd ever been. Shit, that wasn't good. The raven bit down on his lip and looked away before hesitantly, almost shyly, peeking through the curtains. Why did he do this? Oh, right, he was a freaking dumbass. Travis looked as nervous and embarrassed as one could be as he managed a smile, looking hesitantly at the nurse, then at Orion.

 

"U-Um..." He trailed off with a nervous smile. "...S-Sorry." The raven muttered out quietly as he glanced at Orion, an apologetic expression on his face. And there he went, possibly ruining all of the years they'd been friends. They were supposed to stay friends, not end up crushing on... Well, no, it was just Travis, so he couldn't say 'each other'. Which was, actually, quite upsetting.

[|WW|]

"I'm so sorry, I said too much," she apologized, gently wiping over the expanse of Orion's well sculpted abdomen. He felt awkward having someone do this. Not to mention he was still half naked. He was perfectly fine to do this part himself; but she'd told him that moving too much on his own wasn't allowed, and so he'd gave in with a small amount of muttering. "It's okay. Um, he is... ya know," he hesitated then let it out, "Gay."

 

She nodded, setting the wet cloth back into the bowl. Using a dry towel she lightly wiped at the moist parts, drying him off. Strange but with a fairly attractive woman wiping him from head to toe- he'd felt very little for a healthy young man. He still had some feeling in those parts, he was pretty sure. How else had he known about the mess earlier? Not that he'd had any alone time to test that theory. No, that wasn't exactly an option at the moment.

 

"But I'm not," he added, his face showing he was still pretty embarrassed. She smiled and a thin penciled brow rose slightly. "I see," she responded, as if not quite believing that statement, but being accommodating regardless. "There now, you should feel much better. The doctor will be making his rounds early morning some time. If you need anything else, the nurse allison will be taking my place in about an hour. Shift changes."

 

Orion nodded and glanced over, just in time to see travis pull the curtain back. His expression went from uncomfortable to a moment of shock; like he'd been busted for something naughty. The nurse watched the awkward exchange and decided to give these two idiots a little push; the foresight of a woman when it came to love was somewhat scary. She left, and because she did Orion was left with a freshly wiped body, half-naked still, and no clean gown in sight.

 

Orion managed to break the silence, looking hilariously troubled. "Ah, um, gown. Somewhere. She l-left," he stuttered, a thing that only happened when he was extremely embarrassed. "You heard that..didn't you?" He looked at his friend, dreading the answer. "You were, eh, talking a lot," he mumbled looking down, pulling the sheet up further over exposed skin feeling somehow more than naked in front of a friend who'd just pretty much confessed in his sleep.

 

He'd never once thought his friend would ever have those sort of eyes towards him. He didn't hate it, nor feel disgust, but he didn't know what to do. It's not as if he were gay also, he couldn't understand the attraction. He'd been strange since he quit smoking, and even the small slip-up in bed the night before had been proof he was feeling things that weren't normal to himself. He was at a loss on how to feel. He just knew it was embarrassing somehow. "Can you get me a gown. I think she said earlier they were in the closet by the bathroom."

 

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Travis didn't even notice that Orion wasn't wearing anything at first - only when he saw the other's embarrassed, even shocked expression did he realize. Needless to say, his cheeks were as red as they could possibly be. He was pretty sure that all blood had rushed into his cheeks now... The fact that the nurse left didn't help at all. Awkward silence stood for a moment, and the raven felt a bit too embarrassed to break it... Or even attempt to do so.

 

When his friend finally said something, Travis couldn't help the wave of disappointment that washed over him. He avoided the other's gaze, looking away while biting his lip. Now that Orion knew... He just couldn't be like this, it was impossible. He had to at least get a straight response to his "confession". A soft, shaky sigh left his mouth as he nodded and glanced at his lap. "...I'll get it." The guitarist mumbled out softly and stood up rather abruptly. This almost felt like he was rejected, even though not very straight-forwardly, though that just made it worse.

 

Travis walked out of the room pretty soon until his feelings took the better of him. He was horrible at dealing with bad emotions - that was exactly why he avoided them. Any kind of emotional stress was something he could barely handle. It was no big wonder why the raven ended up on the floor against the bathroom, head burried in his knees. He wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to feel bad for himself. He was supposed to help Orion, but... Maybe he was just a little bit selfish at this point.

 

It took him a bit to collect himself and get the gown to bring it back to Orion. His nose got stuffy again as he entered the room and quietly gave the clothing to his friend. The raven sat down on the recliner and lightly gripped the hem of his shirt with his good hand. "...Do you think that's disgusting?" He finally asked, raising his eyes up to the other. He clenched his teeth so he wouldn't cry again. That was it. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't. He couldn't let himself do that again - at least not in front of Orion.