With the arrival of the police and ambulances some semblance of order was established as cars moved and people were ushered along their way. The men from one of the ambulances after treating Michael took him away along with Ethan who was still traumatized and softly sobbing. The other ambulance crew attended to the driver of the car.
At the hospital Michael was firstly x-rayed to ascertain the extent of his injuries and then to surgery. One of the nurses managed to extract their names and addresses from Ethan before they sedated him and admitted him to the children's ward.
Ethan's mother was the first to arrive and was shown into the ward where her son was sleeping peacefully for the time being. She turned to the doctor and enquired. "How long will my son have to remain in hospital?"
"That depends on the counsellor but I shouldn't think it would be more than a day."
"How is Michael the other boy?"
"I don't really know he's still in surgery and won't be out for some time yet, he's had extensive injuries to one of his arms, and leg, and also his ribs, that's all I've heard from the ER staff. He'll be sent to intensive care after surgery for the first twenty four hours to make sure all is well then transferred here if they feel he's out of danger."
"Oh My God!" Mrs. Grant exclaimed, "Can I go and see Michael's parents."
"Not at the moment they're in with the hospital counsellor and will stay there till Michael comes out of surgery which will not be for quite some time so I would leave it till tomorrow Mrs. Grant."
"Alright doctor, now how long will it be before Ethan wakes up?"
"Well he was given quite a heavy sedation, you must realise what he saw had quite an effect on him and was very traumatic. Actually I think you should spend the night here we have a bed next to Ethan's for you so that when he awakens you'll be there for him. If you want you can use the phone to ask any relations to bring whatever you require for your stay here tonight."
"Thank you Doctor for your consideration I'll get my mother to bring whatever I need over here and also some things of Ethan's."
"You're welcome Mrs. Grant if there is nothing else you require I'll continue with my duties." And he left.
In the waiting room Michael's parents sat both silently praying that there son would make a full recovery. The counsellor after putting there minds at rest that there son wasn't in a life threatening situation had left them telling them if they required him for anything they only had to press the call button.
At first the mother had been nearly hysterical when the police had given her the news of Michael's accident. Now that her husband was at her side holding her hand she felt more composed but still fearful until she could see for herself that her son was out of danger.
The hours dragged by they phoned Mrs. Bolton's sister to speak to their younger son Robert where they'd left him. He was full of questions about his brother, which they answered not very satisfactorily but which seemed to satisfy him. Then what seemed like an eternity, which in reality was four hours the doctor walked in with a smile on his face. "Mr and Mrs Bolton." He beamed.
"Yes." They answered.
"Well you'll be glad to hear that Michael is out of surgery and in the Intensive Care Unit. Before they could question him he continued, "Don't be alarmed it's just to keep a check on him he should be out of ICU and in the children's ward later tomorrow."
"Now to inform you of his injuries. Luckily the driver because of the traffic wasn't going very fast so he came out of it with fewer injuries than we at first suspected. His right arm and leg are broken, and he also has three broken ribs and a concussion. We've done a full scan of him and found no internal injuries. The concussion will leave him with a bit of a sore head when he wakes but he'll have a lot more discomfort from his broken bones than his head. So now if you want I will answer any questions you have."
Mr Bolton was the first to speak asking the doctor, "Will he make a full recovery."
"Yes the breaks were clean and the car wasn't travelling very fast so being young Michael should be running around in about three to four months without any handicap."
Both parents thanked the doctor on hearing his statement then asked if they could see their son.
He led the way out of the room and to the ICU ward where they saw Michael in plaster with all the normal array of tubes stuck into the boy who had just emerged from surgery. This to the parents would have been frightening had not the doctor been on hand to allay their fears and explain the purpose of the various tubes. The boy was still unconscious from the anaesthetics but was expected to come around within the next half hour, the doctor after answering a few more questions and putting the parent's minds at ease made his excuses and left. So Mr and Mrs Bolton took seats at their son's bedside looking furtively at each other and waited for him to regain consciousness.
Twenty-four hours later Ethan who'd been informed that Michael was alive and out of danger was being discharged from hospital. His mother and he were just gathering up his belongings ready to leave when Michael was wheeled into the ward. The orderlies soon had him settled in and left him in the care of the nurses. Ethan and his mother slowly walked over to Michael's bed the boy's eyes met, Ethan stood silently staring for a bit then asked, "How are you?"
Michael grimaced, "Not too good at least the pain killers are doing their job, but what are you and your mum doing here?"
"I Umm got shocked when I saw you hit by the car. I thought you'd been killed and sort of broke up so they kept me in hospital for a day now they're sending me home."
"Oh sheesh! Wish you were staying longer at least I'd have someone to talk to."
"I can come and visit you if you want Michael my mum could bring me over."
"Would you? That would be great."
"Michael we have to go now I'll bring Ethan over tomorrow."
"Okay Mrs Grant bye for now, bye Ethan."
They left the ward and on the way out met Michael's parents they spoke briefly then continued on their way home.
Ethan with his mother visited Michael on a regular basis every day for the first week but with all of his family and relatives around Ethan had very little chance to speak to him alone. The second week Ethan's mother said she'd stay in the hospital cafeteria, as there were too many people at Michael's bedside. He walked into the ward alone and was surprised to see only Michael's mother there. Greeting Mrs Bolton he stood looking down on Michael.
"Hi Michael."
"Don't stand there Ethan, come and sit on the bed," and Michael patted the bed with his good arm.
As Ethan sat on the bed Mrs Bolton asked "Did you come on your own Ethan?"
"No Mrs Bolton my mum brought me but she went to have a cup of tea in the café, she thought that there would be too many people here seems like she got it wrong today."
"Well they will all be here later when they come back from work. Meantime I think I'll join your mother in the café for a cuppa."
She kissed her son on the cheek and said she'd be back shortly leaving the two boys to themselves.
They sat silently looking at each other till reaching out his hand Michael took Ethan's in his, "Thanks for coming every day, I couldn't say it before too many people around but it means a lot to me."
Ethan was shaking inside feeling Michael's hand in his was sending all sorts of feelings running around his body. He clasped Michael's hand tighter then started to sniffle.
"What's wrong Ethan?"
"Don't know I'm feeling sort of funny inside holding your hand,"
Michael pulled his hand away.
"No I didn't want you to take your hand away," Ethan said reaching over and clasping hands again, "I meant funny nice and really happy to see that you're getting well," Ethan hung his head then looking into Michaels eyes said, "You don't think I'm a sissy wanting to hold your hand do you?"
"Don't give a shit if it is, I like holding your hand as well, I've been wanting to touch you for ages."
"What d'you mean touch me for ages."
"I umm I sort of umm,"
"Come on Michael tell me."
"Well when you first came to the school I sort of liked you but you didn't pay any attention to me. Because you were so small and they called you a wanker I didn't want my friends to think I wanted to be friendly with you. The only other way I could find to get near you was to pick on you. I know it was the wrong thing to do and I didn't have the guts to come out openly in the first place but I suppose my image meant a lot to me then. At least I did manage to put it right in the end."
"You really wanted to be my friend from the beginning?"
"Yeah, but after I stopped picking on you I hardly ever got a chance to speak to you again. You were so tied up with that Johnny character I don't think you knew I existed."
"Well he was the first boy to get friendly that day and we just started going together from then."
"Yeah fat lot of good it did me."
"Your jealous that I got friendly with Johnny aren't you."
Michael didn't answer he gently pulled his hand away and lay staring at his visitor."
"Ethan reached over and clasped hands again, "Sorry didn't mean to sound so cocky."
"You were right I was jealous of Johnny I used to wish it was me with you all the time."
"Yeah well I used to, and still do stand in front of the mirror thinking I was you with big muscles and all the boys thinking I'm their hero."
"Ha, well you had better find another model to admire this one can't even sit up let alone stand."
"You'll get better, I've always fancied you but thought that you wouldn't want to be friendly with a weed."
"Ethan, I suppose now is the time to tell you what's on my mind then I want you to go home and think about it and if you don't come back to visit me I'll understand."
"What d'you mean?"
"Shoosh will you let me talk and no questions afterwards just go home and think about it."
"Okay"
"Ethan, from the very first time I saw you like I said earlier I wanted to get to know you and be friends with you. Only after that day when I went home with you and we got to know each other did I realise what it was within me that drove me to do what I used to do to you. It was like a love hate thing, I wanted to be with you but my image wouldn't let me. Since we had the truce and you've had the chance to make friends I thought that I would be one of those friends but it never happened. Yeah you spoke to me but that was all, I used to sit in my room sometimes dreaming of being your best friend and saving you from all sorts of dangers then carrying you back in my arms and you were happy to be with me. The day I got knocked down I`d been thinking of you and when I saw you across the road I just wanted so much to talk to you that I didn't think, just yelled your name and ran over. What I'm saying Ethan is I like you more than any of the other boys. I don't care if the others weren't my friends just as long as you were I'd be happy. I know what I've just said sounds kind of you know, but I just can't help the way I feel about you."
Ethan did as Michael requested he released Michael's hand stood up turned and left the ward, he made his way to the Cafeteria where his mother was talking to Mrs Bolton. After saying their goodbyes the two of them headed for the car park. Half way there Ethan stopped told his mother he had to go back to wait for him at the car he wouldn't be long and headed back inside the hospital. He arrived back at the children's ward Michael was still alone his Mother hadn't returned from the Cafeteria.
Ethan walked over to the bed clasped Michael's hand, "Don't need to go home to think about it what you said, I know what I feel when I hold your hand see you tomorrow."
"Do you have to go?"
"Yeah my mums waiting in the car park tell you what I'll try and get her to drop me off here after my dinner."
"That would be brilliant if you could come back again."
"Will do I promise." With a bit of difficulty Ethan extracted his hand from Michael's who was a bit reluctant to let it go then made his way out to the car park where his mother was waiting for him.
He was quiet in the car as they headed homewards not making any conversation and deep in thought.
"A penny for them."
"What did you say?
"A penny for them, your thoughts you've been sitting there since we left the hospital and you haven't uttered a single word."
"Sorry mum, will you do me a favour after dinner."
"You want to visit Michael again."
"How'd you know?"
"Didn't take a lot of brain power when you came back the second time and just sat in the car staring ahead like a zombie."
"I wasn't like a zombie I was just thinking about something."
"Can I help in any way?"
"No, not
yet at least mum, but will you take me back after dinner you don't have to stay
just take me to the ward and come and pick me up at
"I don't suppose it's any use saying no as you've most probably already told Michael you'll be back later."
"Mum can you read minds?"
"No just putting two and two together."
"So you'll take me back later."
"Yes I just told you, but what about Johnny normally he comes around on a Friday evening."
"It's okay he's going out with his parents tonight."
"Yes Mrs Bolton, my mum, she'll be here at nine."
"Oh that's good, see you again soon," and she and the rest of the entourage left the ward.
As soon as they were all out of sight Ethan turned to Michael and exclaimed! "Bloody Hell! Michael, are you crazy what if they'd seen us holding hands under the bedcover."
"I don't really care Ethan I've been longing to make friends with you for so long and now that we are it doesn't worry me who knows about it."
"Yeah, being friends is one thing, but being seen holding hands we'll be made fun of by all the other kids and I don't think our parents would be over the moon about it either,"
"Okay, I'm sorry I won't do it again, now you'll have to excuse me for a couple of minutes I need to pee and the nurse has to attend to me."
"Alright I'll wait till you've finished."
Michael pressed the call button at the side of the bed and in a few moments a nurse walked into the ward to attend to him.
Ethan waited till the nurse had finished and drawn the curtains back then went over to Michael.
"That must be really embarrassing to have to have her do that for you."
"Well I'm getting used to it now but the first time I felt so embarrassed I had a hard time pissing."
"Yeah I would have been the same."
"That's the easy part the most embarrassing is when I had to use the bed pan and the nurse had to clean me afterwards. The first time I could have died, but she was really good and joked about it and we had a good laugh." So now its not so bad only thing is I have to lie here like a bloody mummy till they think its time for me to start moving around."
"Well the time will soon pass."
"That's okay for you to say you don't have to lie flat on your back for the whole day."
"Okay I know it's a real pain meantime is there anything I can do for you Michael."
"Yeah put your hand under the shoulder of my good arm and scratch the shoulder blade above the strapping around my chest."
"No problem," Ethan started to slide his hand under Michael's body when he told him to stop.
"What's the matter?"
"Slide your hand under my bed shirt not on top of it."
Ethan did as he was asked and was thrilled to feel Michael's bare skin on his hand when he passed the strapping. He reached the spot that Michael had requested and started to scratch him. As he did this he had to lean forward which brought his face much closer to Michael's and gazed into each others eyes.
"Is that okay where I'm scratching?"
"Anywhere is okay it feels brilliant having your hand on my skin."
"So your back is not really itching at the moment."
"No, but it's nice to feel your hand on me."
"Michael, can I ask you something?"
"I can guess what it is but all the same go ahead and ask."
"Do you like going with boys, you know like doing things with them?"
"I don't like all boys I like you and I've never done anything with other boys but I have dreamt about doing it with a boy."
"Who's the boy you dreamt about?"
"Jeez Ethan, that's a pretty stupid question to ask."
"What d'you mean stupid?"
"It's you dumb cluck."
"Me?
"Well who else do you think it could be Dennis the Menace?"
Ethan was silent for a short time digesting what Michael had just said; "Its more or less time for me to go home my mum will be waiting at reception, see you tomorrow."
"What time tomorrow?"
"In the morning," and Ethan made his way out of the ward he was halfway to the lifts when he turned back and returned to Michael.
"You really dreamt about me?"
"All the time."
He took Michael's hand and squeezed it, "You going to dream about me tonight?"
"What d'you think especially with you standing here holding my hand and giving me a stiffy."
"Oops sorry, I'd better go now let your stiffy go down."
"No, play with it please Ethan then I can have a really good dream."
"What."
"You heard Ethan, please, will you?"
Ethan unclasped their hands and slipped his hand under the bedcovers he lifted the bed shirt and his hand soon found Michael's throbbing member. Gently he squeezed it while groans of ecstasy escaped Michael's lips he stroked it a couple of times and suddenly Michael stiffened, his penis throbbed and erupted as his semen blasted out onto the sheets and his groin. As he regained his senses Michael exclaimed, "Oh God Ethan that was wicked but I need to clean up now can you do it for me there are some tissues in the bedside locker."
"Okay, boy you must have been saving that up for some time I hardly touched you, and you shot your spunk."
"I haven't done it since before the accident, and having your hand on my cock was just too much and it exploded."
"That's some cock you've got there it's huge."
"It's not huge just average for my size."
"Bloody Hell! If that's average I'd hate to see what big is. What you've got is lots bigger than mine and it's a lot fatter as well."
"Well you're a lot smaller than me but when you grow so will your cock."
"Okay now you're cleaned up and I've got as much off the sheets as I can I'd better go now my mum will be waiting for me."
"Okay thanks Ethan I can have some wicked dreams tonight."
"Me too, see you tomorrow Michael," and Ethan left to meet his mother his mind in a whirl still marvelling at the thought of having held Michael's cock in his hand. He knew that at the first opportunity he got when reaching home he'd have to attend to his own erection. At the moment it wouldn't go down and needed the same relief that he'd given Michael.
The days went by with Dominic getting only a couple of chances to repeat their first moment of intimacy with Matthew as he normally had someone of his family at his bedside. They did however mange to do so on a couple of occasions the second time Michael even putting his hand inside Ethan's tracksuit bottoms and fondling him till Ethan had to stop the Michael's manipulations not wanting to eject his semen inside his underwear. The fourth week the after his physiotherapy sessions and instructions on how to use his crutches the doctors decided he could go home but no school for another four weeks. Michael was thrilled to be going home although he would miss some of the nurses that he'd got very friendly with. The drive home couldn't end quickly enough until finally they were there and with the help of his father he made his first tentative steps outside to the front door and into the house. The spare room downstairs had been turned into a bedroom for him so that he wouldn't have to negotiate any stairs as there was a shower and toilet available as well. The moment he was settled in he was on the phone but was disappointed when Mrs Grant answered his call instead of Ethan. She told him that Ethan was not in but would tell him when he returned that you called. He felt a bit saddened, he knew that Ethan was aware that he was coming home today and being a Saturday there was no school so he thought that he would be at home waiting for his call. He was wondering if Ethan had gone to see Johnny and was working himself into an anxiety complex thinking that now he was no longer in hospital that he would have to take second place to Johnny, when his thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing. He heard his mother's footsteps as she went to open the front door then return to stop outside his door a gentle knock the door opening and there was Ethan. They both grinned as they saw each other Ethan walked over to the bed and sat beside Matthew who noticing that his mother had closed the door behind Ethan took his hand in his.
"So good to see you again Dominic."
"Michael what's wrong?"
"What d'you mean what's wrong."
"Michael I can tell when you're not so good you get all emotional, I saw you last night in the hospital and only left at nine and now you're saying so good to see you as if you hadn't seen me in donkey's years."
"Okay I phoned your home and your mum told me you were out so I though because I was out of hospital you had gone to see Johnny."
"That was my fault I told mum not to tell you I was coming around to see you I wanted to surprise you. So would someone be jealous if I was to go and visit Johnny."
"No I wouldn't be I'd just umm I'd, I'd, I'd go back to my old friends that's all and you can stay with your Johnny if that's how you feel," he said letting go of Ethan's hand
"Do you want me to leave then."
"You really know how to play on a persons feelings don't you. You know I don't want you to leave and yes you know I'm jealous about you and Johnny and how close you are with him."
"So what do you want me to do give up my friendship with Johnny? That's impossible he was the first good friend I made at school and I'll never stop being his friend."
"What about me then, how do you rate me?"
"I don't make a habit of rating you or Johnny he's my friend the same as you are only you and I are a bit more than friendly."
"Is that the only reason that you like me for what we did to each other while I was in hospital?"
"Michael, what's with you you're acting like you want to drive me away and if you carry on like this I will go and I won't come back."
"Then go, see if I give a shit run off to your stinking Johnny."
Ethan got up left the room made his goodbyes to Michael's family and went home.
It had been over a week since Ethan had seen Michael and was beginning to wonder if they would ever talk again. He had thought that Michael would ring to apologize but nothing at all had happened and he himself had felt that as he was not in the wrong he was not going to be the first to phone.
He made his way home from school with Johnny at his side.
"You still seeing
"No haven't seen him for over a week."
"Then why haven't you been over to visit me in the evenings?"
"Didn't really feel like it Johnny"
"What's the reason you haven't been to see him?"
"No reason just giving it a bit of a rest for the moment."
"What's he like to talk to?"
"He's okay actually quite interesting."
"Do you like him?
"Yeah he's not bad, better than some of those stupid cronies he used to have."
"How come after he had that truce with you he became a bit of a loner?"
"Don't know, anyway why are you so interested in him all of a sudden?"
"I'm not interested in him just never had a chance like you to talk to him."
Well I've not spoken to him for over a week and I don't think I will be speaking to him anytime soon."
"Have you had an argument with him?
"No, why d'you ask."
"Because of the way you're talking and the way you've been acting at school for the last ten days."
"You're imagining things what's with you all of a sudden."
"Okay no need to do your nut only asked a simple question."
"I'm sorry Johnny, see you in school tomorrow." he turned with Johnny's goodbyes echoing in his ears into the street that he lived on.
Michael was miserable; he couldn't understand why he'd driven Ethan away like that and now he had no one that visited him. He'd lost interest in trying to get about on his crutches and constantly made excuses not to. His loss of appetite was soon made apparent in the thinness of his body. His parents noticing his change in character questioned him and were politely told to "Leave me alone."
In the second week when the situation hadn't improved they informed the doctor about his condition, the doctor told them he'd be around to see him after his surgery.
Later in the evening after the doctor had examined Michael he sat discussing Michael's health with his parents.
"There is nothing medically wrong with Michael," he said, "his fractures are mending well from what we can see from the last x-rays that were taken, so something must have happened at home to cause this downward trend in his physical well being."
"That's just it doctor we just don't know what it can be."
"Have you questioned him on the matter?"
"Yes and we can't get a thing out of him."
"What about his friends can't they find out what the problem is?"
"Well he hasn't had any visitors not for quite a time. Even before his accident he didn't get many friends coming around not like he used to have. Then only Ethan Grant visited him while he was in hospital and only the once on the first day he came home since then no one has been to visit him."
"That could well be the problem not having any friends visiting him. I'm not sure what we can do about that you can't very well force children to visit only ask."
"I'm not too sure that Michael would like us asking boys to visit him doctor he's told us on a couple of occasions to leave him alone."
"Well the only other way to get him to eat would be to threaten him with hospitalisation again and that's what I'd better do right now, will you excuse me a minute while I go and speak to him again."
The doctor knocked and entered Michael's room again.
"I've been discussing you're decline in weight with your parents Michael and it seems that you just don't want to cooperate and eat what's prepared for you. If you continue to eat such minuscule portions of food then the only solution is to enter you into hospital again and feed you intravenously until we feel that you can be trusted to eat properly again, do you understand?"
"Do what you want doctor I don't really care what you do."
The doctor left the room and confronted the parents again.
"That didn't seem to have much effect on him if his appetite doesn't improve in the next week then let me know and we'll enter him into hospital again."
"Alright doctor and thank you for coming."
Precisely eight days later Michael was back in hospital and promptly put on an intravenous feed his weight was down to 95lbs. he'd lost nearly 40lbs in weight and the doctors were getting concerned about his condition. His parents and younger brother were absolutely distraught not knowing what could cause Michael's health to deteriorate in this manner.
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