Disclaimer: If sex between two males offends you then please leave. If you're under the legal age( you've probably skipped this part anyway) please leave as well. All this material is mine and mine only. It is not to be copied or anything like that without my consent.

~*::Ocean Blue::*~

"Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo, but what you need is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." Oprah Winfrey

Aiden was barely recognizable. His whole face seemed to have a purplish hue and he had a bandage across his left cheek. His lower lip was slightly swollen causing it to stand out against his features. As Tristan inched closer he would see that Aiden's left arm was in a cast. His hair had fallen into his eyes once again, framing his still beautiful face. There was tubes and machines surrounding Aiden and Tristan wondered what they were all for. Aiden looked so small and frail in that huge bed. Tears snuck their way from his eyes and the world blurred for a moment as Tristan stood frozen, next to Aiden's bed.

Tristan spoke softly without bothering to turn around or even shift in his mother's direction, "Why isn't he awake? If he's going to be fine then why isn't he awake?"

"He should wake up soon. His body just needs time to recharge itself."

"Oh" Tristan said pulling a chair from across the room over to Aiden's bed and plopping down.

"I'm gonna be in my office sweetie, I need to get some more work done. If he wakes up before I get back he's probably gonna be in a lot of pain so page a nurse ok?" Tristan's mother instructed with a tired sigh.

Tristan could tell the lack of sleep was taking it's toll on her. She turned to leave, but before she could make it out the door Tristan's voice stopped her,

"Mom"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, um I mean for everything."

His mother looked surprised for a moment and her eyes glazed over. She quickly swiped at her eyes with her sleeve and paused a few moments before responding,

"You're welcome honey."

Tristan turned back to Aiden and gently scooped up his hand, interlocking their fingers. He laid his head down on the side of the bed, noticing how uncomfortable it was but not caring. He just wanted to be close to Aiden. After while he drifted off, not quite realizing how tired he was and awoke to someone shaking him by his shoulder.

"Tristan, Tristan honey wake up."

Tristan blinked a few times to clear his eyes and let out a small yawn.

"Aiden's mother is here and I thought you might want to explain to her what happened."

Tristan's eyes widened in fear and he immediately shook his head,

"No! I can't see her, she'll hate me!"

"Why in the world would she hate you?" Tristan's mother asked bewildered.

"Because it's all my fault!"

"What's all your fault?" Tristan's mother asked trying desperately to understand, but failing.

"This!" Trsitan said flinging his hand in Aiden's direction.

"Did you stab him?" Tristan's mother asked, trying to keep the accusatuin out of her voice. She knew Aiden was in pretty bad shape when he arrived but she had no idea who or what had caused it.

"No!" Tristan snapped his voice squeaking he was so upset.

"Then what's the problem?" His mother demanded. She was getting sick of beating around the bush.

"I should have been protecting him mom, don't you get it?!" Tristan cried out.

His mother's features softened as she began to understand.

"Tristan, honey, " She said in a gentle voice hoping to calm him down, "There was nothing you could do. Nothing."

Tristan stood, not letting go of Aiden's hand until the last possible second. His lower lip began to tremble slightly and he was visibly shaking. His voice was quivering as he spoke,

"You don't understand."

"Yes. Yes I do. You're feeling guilty. You're scared Aiden will hate you when he wakes up. You're thinking if you could have just done one more thing or stayed one more minute he wouldn't be lying here. Am I right?"

Tristan nodded, to choked up to speak anyway.

"Well guess what honey? None of those things would have made a difference. For some unknown reason this was all supposed to happen. It's this intricately woven pattern called life. With that last sentence she pulled a now sobbing Tristan into her arms.

"I tried...I couldn't...just-" Tristan mumbled into his mother's neck still shaking. His legs were barely holding him up and the sobs kept racking his body like electric shocks. Tristan began to worry he was going to make him self sick or hyperventilate. He was clutching his mother's coat so hard he was absolutely sure he had to be hurting her.

When he finally calmed down he felt like this huge pressure on his chest had been lifted and he could suddenly breathe again. He was also beginning to think that maybe, just maybe all of this wasn't his fault.

"Do you think you're ready to see Aiden's mother now?" His mom asked, still holding her son.

Tristan nodded backing away from hs mother's embrace and wiped his tears clumsily off his cheeks.

"Ok, I'll send her in." His mother said walking out of the room.

Moments later Aiden's mother entered with worry written all over her face. She gasped when she said Aiden and rished to his side. She stared at him a moment and reached a trembling hand out to caress Aiden's battered cheek. She turned in Tristan's direction and a jumped a little, startled, as if she hadn't even realized he was in the room.

"Hi" She said, the perfect picture of calm once again. The emotion she'd displayed when she entered the room gone and replaced with a false cheer.

"His Mrs. Jones." Tristan said beginning to fidget.

"None of that, " She scolded, "It's Beth remember?"

"Sorry" Tristan said blushing slightly.

"What happened to him?"

It was an innocent question and she deserved an answer, but how the fuck was he supposed to give one.

"Um uh," Tristan faltered for a moment and then began again, " Some guys from school beat him up and they ...stabbed him." Tristan finished in a whisper, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Oh my." Was all Aiden's mother could manage.

"I'm sorry." Tristan said still whispering.

"Oh sweetie, it's not your fault." Aiden's mother said with a small smile that made Tristan feel slightly better.

"I'm going to get some food ok?" Tristan said, realizing he was hungry.

"OK" Aiden's mother said smiling a bit more.

Tristan walked out into the hallway and deciding he certainly wasn't in the mood for hospital food he figured he'd go to McDonald's or something until he realized his car was still in the ice cream shop parking lot. He let out a dejected sigh and turned to go to the cafeteria only to run smack into David. He stumbled backwards clutching his forehead.

"Shit that hurt." Tristan said more to himself than David.

"Sorry, Sorry My bad!" David apologized

"It's fine." Tristan reassured him.

David shifted his weight from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable.

"Is um Aiden ok?"

"Yeah, his mom's with him right now so.."

"Oh." David said knowing he couldn't go in there and introduce him as the boy who helped beat up her son. "I'll come back later then I guess." David turned and began to leave when he was stopped by Tristan calling his name.

"I was just about to go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast, do you wanna join me?" Surprising himself at making the offer.

"Sure" David said a smile appearing on his face.

The two boys made their way to the cafeteria, choose their food, and sat down in a booth. Tristan busied himself with preparing his food for eating. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to David. Finally after a few minutes of silence except the sounds of their eating, David made an offhand comment about football, the only sport Tristan truly enjoyed playing at his old school. That sparked a conversation and soon Tristan found himself completely comfortable in David's presence.

When they were about halfway through their meal Tristan saw Aiden's mom approaching and for a moment, panicked. He hoped she wouldn't ask who David was.

"Hey Tristan." Aiden's mother said.

"Um hi Beth." Tristan stumbled glancing quickly at David then back to Beth.

"I have to get in to work, um tell Aiden that I love him when he wakes up ok?" Aiden's mother said with a sigh. She hadn't even noticed David. And Tristan was beginning to suspect she was to tired to make any observations.

"Ok, I will." Tristan said with a slight smile.

Aiden's mother surprised him by leaning down and giving him a short hug before walking away.

Tristan noticed that David had paled at the moment Beth had mentioned Aiden but decided not to say anything. Nothing he could say would help anyways and the continued their lunch in silence. The ease that Tristan had felt earlier was shattered.

"So uh do you want to see him now?" Tristan asked as they threw the remains of their lunch away.

David simply nodded and followed Tristan down the hall in the direction of Aiden's room.

Tristan entered and immediatly went back to his seat by Aiden's side,not noticing that David hadn't followed him. He turned and gave him a curious look,

"What?"

David stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with unshed tears and a hand over his open mouth.

"I can't believe...I...god I'm so fucking sorry." David whispered his eyes flicking briefly to Tristan and then darting back to Aiden.

Tristan shrugged. He wasn't quite sure what to say, he couldn't just say that it was alright because it wasn't. David took a few more steps into the room and settled himself in a chair in the corner of the room.

"He's going to be ok right?" David asked in a small voice.

"Yeah...yeah he is." Tristan said reaching up to brush Aiden's hair back, only to have it fall right back into Aiden's face, but Tristan didn't mind. It just meant he'd get to do it again.

"So, you guys are really together huh?"

Tristan turned slowly towards David, "Is that a problem?"

"No! No not at all." David said quickly shaking his head.

"Good" Tristan said turning his attention back to Aiden.

They both sat for awhile chatting about nothing in particular when David realized he left his phone in his truck and excused himself to go retrieve it. Tristan sighed and laid his head on the side of Aiden's bed. He heard a groan and jerked his head up to see Aiden's eyes fluttering.

"Aiden?" Tristan breathed.

***

Pain. Sharp, blinding pain. That was the first thing Aiden noticed. The second thing he noticed was someone clutching his hand and calling out something he couldn't make out. He tried to turn his head towards the voice and cried out in pain. It hurt to move. It hurt to even fucking breathe. The light from the room was blinding, but Aiden managed to open his eyes partially. The voice called out again and Aiden finally recognized it as Tristan.

"T-t-t-" Aiden struggled to say his name but immediately after starting gave up.

Tristan pressed the nurse call button for the fifth time. He could tell Aiden was in pain, but he couldn't figure out what the hell to do, but keep pressing that damn button. Maybe the button was broken or something so Tristan tried calling out "Nurse!" Tristan sighed in frustration after pushing the call button again and stroked Aiden's forehead as another expression of pain appeared on Aiden's bruised face.

"Hi there." A voice said behind him.

Tristan turned to see a nurse walking into the room with a cup and a wet washcloth in her hands.

"Hi." Tristan said softly thankful that she was finally there.

"I see someone's awake" She said approaching Aiden's bed.

"Yea, um can you give him anything for the pain?"

"The doctors gonna want to check him out and make sure everything's ok first." She said with a sympathetic smile.

Tristan just nodded and winced as Aiden squeezed his hand through another spasm of pain. The nurse handed him a cup with ice chips and a spoon it which Tristan took with his free hand.

"Those should help the sore throat I'm willing to bet he had. And this," The nurse said walking to the other side of Aiden's bed and pressing the washcloth to his forehead," Will just make him feel a little better all around."

Tristan gave her a weak smile and a thank you.

"No problem sweetheart." She said as she left.

Aiden moaned again and fully opened his eyes.

"Hey you." Tristan said smiling.

Aiden tried to smile in return but it came across as more of a grimace.

"Here, open, this will help." Tristan said spooning some ice chips into Aiden's mouth.

Aiden took note of how great the cool ice felt on his insides which were on fire at the moment.

Tristan's mom walked in with a smile on here face, "Hello there."

Aiden could only manage a weak, whispered, `Hi.'

She walked over to Aiden and began checking him over and asking him questions like what his name was, where he was born, and if he knew how he got here. Aiden answered them all with ease except the last, but Tristan's mother didn't say this was a bad thing so Tristan didn't say anything either. He was still a bit worried though. Finally she was done checking him over,

"Ok, everything looks good. I'm gonna give you something for the pain and it should also help you sleep ok?" Aiden nodded.

She turned to Tristan, "Come get me the next time he wakes up ok?"

"Ok?"

His mother left the room, closing the door behind her.

Aiden turned to Tristan and asked in a confused whisper, "What happened to me?"

"Um, do you remember what happened before lunch?"

Aiden winced and nodded.

"Do you remember what happened after school at the ice cream shop?"

"Um..." Aiden thought for a moment until he finally remembered, "Oh."

"Yeah," Tristan paused "Your mom told me to tell you that she loves you."

"Where is she?"

"She had to go to work."

Aiden sighed, ignoring the pain that raced across his chest with the action. Work. Of course. Where else would she be? He wished he could help out or do something so his mother could quit working so much. He'd already tried to get a job, but his mother had flat out told him `no way in hell'. He knew that the main thing that would be on her mind today was the hospital bill he was racking up.

He was going to have to bring up the job idea again.

While Aiden was lost in his thoughts Tristan started to wonder what was taking David so long.

"I'll be right back ok?" He said to Aiden.

"Ok." Aiden said yawning. He was beginning to feel the effects of the morphine.

After giving Aiden a quick kiss Tristan went into the hallway and spotted David sitting in a chair outside the room.

"What are you doing in the hall?" Tristan asked.

David looked at Tristan, fear shining in his eyes, "I can't go in there."

"Why not?" Tristan momentarily not seeing the problem. David stared at him in disbelief for a moment until it clicked. "Oh" Tristan sighed. He was at a loss for words for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Now that Aiden was awake the situation had entirely changed.

"Do you want to talk to him or..." A small part of Tristan wished that David would just float out of his life as quickly as he had floated in.

"Do you think he'll want to?"

"Um, well..." How the hell was he supposed to respond to that? "I don't know if it`s a good idea."

"Oh." David said, his face falling for a moment, "Can I uh... try maybe?"

"Yeah I guess." Tristan said, giving in. He had a feeling if he didn't David would just ask again later.

David stood and started towards Aiden's room with Tristan following behind him. Tristan braced himself, knowing there could only be confrontation ahead. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when they walked in to find Aiden fast asleep. David turned to Tristan looking defeated,

"I guess I should come back later, maybe, I mean...if that's alright."

"It's fine." Tristan said cutting off David's rambling.

"Uh, ok, I'll see you later then."

"Later"

David made a quiet exit while Tristan sank down into his chair beside Aiden's bed. He ran his hand through his hair and wondered how the hell he was supposed to get out of this. He knew Aiden wouldn't exactly be thrilled that he had befriended David. But he could be friends with anyone he wanted to...right? He laughed softly at himself knowing that it was a feeble attempt to jusity the situation. He could only hope Aiden wouldn't be to angry with him. David was really a good guy in Tristan's opinon, he'd just made some big mistakes.

There was a knock at the door and Tristan wondered for a moment if David had decided to come back only to find Kelly poking her head through the door.

"Hi." She said uncertainly.

"Hey" Tristan said not bothering to hide his surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Well word travels quickly." She said stepping the rest of the way into the room and taking a seat,

"How? I mean it's Saturday?" Tristan wondered briefly.

"Chad had the nerve to throw a party yesterday. Not the many people showed up, but it was enough for him to brag about Aiden to and they told their friends and so on and so forth." Kelly said trailing off.

"What's he saying?"

"Just a bunch of lies. He claims he killed him."

"He almost did." Tristan whispered staring at Aiden.

Kelly nodded slightly before speaking again and Tristan realized how much she reminded him of his mother. Very and collected in basically everything she does.

"So how are you holding up?"

"He'll be fine." Tristan said automatically not paying his full attention to the question.

"No Tristan you." Kelly said pointedly.

"What do you mean how am I holding up?" He asked finally taking his eyes off Aiden to look at Kelly.

"I mean what I said, I'd be pretty upset if that was my boyfriend laying there." Kelly said leaning forward in her chair slightly.

"I'm fine." Tristan said not bothering to deny it or even be shocked by it.

Kelly nodded and seemed to be thinking for a moment, "I passed David out in the parking lot."

The surprise registered on Tristan's face for a second before he spoke, "So you know him?"

"Sort of, I've seen him around a few times."

"So uh, what do you think of him?" Tristan asked trying to see if David truly was a good guy or if he was putting up an act,

"If you're asking me if I know what he did to Aiden and if I think he regrets it then yes, very much so."

Tristan smiled knowing he had been caught. "Ok, you don't have to stick around you know, you must have better things to do."

"Actually," Kelly laughed a bit, "I don't and besides you and Aiden are my friends."

"Thanks." Tristan said smiling what was perhaps his first genuine smile of the day.

***

Authors note: As always feedback can be sent to blnch@msn.com. This chapter was by far the hardest one to write yet and I haven't the slightest idea why. It just didn't flow right for some reason. Let me know what you thought of it. This was also my first time using html on Nifty and I hoped it worked, if not let me now and I'll swtich back. By the way you can check out my yahoo group for previews of upcoming chapters and other stories. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whispered_secrets/