----

----

 He woke up and he didn't know where he was. The white walls hurt his eyes, as did the sun coming through the curtains. Something covered the left side of his face, and he felt a uncomfortable feeling ran across him. He felt his face with his  hands that were wrapped in white cloth. 

At that moment Joe needed to know what exactly was going on. He stood quickly on his feet, ripping out his IV's and walked to the bathroom, trying not to stumble over. Using his hands, he guided himself along the wall to keep balance.

He stood in the bathroom, only seeing half of his face, the other was covered. The twenty year carefully reached up and ran his fingers over the cloth. He started pulling it off, and he hissed as he felt his  skin pull slightly. 

He stared at his face, the skin was blistered and peeling. He didn't stop and think about how much worse it could have been, he instantly thought that he was ugly.

Joe gritted teeth looking at the face he didn't want to see, he raised his fist smashing the fragile hospital mirror. The shards fell to the ground as his knuckle began to bleed. He walked out and slouched against the wall, his jaw tightened. Joe slowly unraveled the cloth on his hands as he breathing became quicker and more uncontrolled. He turned his hands looking at the burns, they were definetly more severely burned than his face. Then he turned to the other side where his knuckles were bleeding.

----

Joe was relieved that the doctor informed him that his skin would heal over time, because the burns that he received weren't as bad as they could have been. That was the last time he'd sleep with a cigarette in his hands. It had almost ruined his gorgeous face. Which he took great pride in. 

He looked out the window and watch the people leave to their cars, and some rushing out. One couple seemed to be holding an unconscious little girl. They ran Inside in a panic and Joe watched them until they disappeared into the mouth of the building.  

He did this for a while until the night came.

----

One Friday Lung came to visit him. It was quiet on his end but Lung seemed to be enthused to talk about absolutely nothing. 

"Joeseph?..."

It was a Sunday that Sam came to visit him, which surprised him greatly. 

He turned slowly and looked at Sam, making sure his ugly side was hidden. No one should see his ugly side, he even refused to let the nurses or the doctors see it at some points.

"Hey...you..." He mumbled quietly. 

"...So..."

"I thought you didn't want to see me..." 

"Well I came to check on you...I thought I'd be nice and do that..." Sam folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "...You don't want to see me?"

"...No it's the other way around..." 

"I came here to see you didn't I?"

"Just cause I'm hurt..." Joe shifted slightly turning further away so Sam could see even less of his face. 

"Why won't you look at me?"

Joe chuckled softly, "I think you should leave..."

"Look at me Joeseph..." Sam sighed. She moved closer walking over to the bed and leaned on It slightly. "Joe..."

"Get away from me...." Joe moved away but she quickly climbed on the bed. He turned his head further away from her hiding his face further. Sam frowned as she reached up to make him face her. He expected some sort of disgust or shock but it didn't come, he only saw concern. But then again a part of him knew Sam wouldn't care if he was ugly or not.

Her finger ran over the healing skin as he hissed slightly, "Does it hurt?" She whispered looking up at him.

Joe stopped her hand after a while and nodded, "Yes..." He moved her hand off of his face but moved his own hand to her face. His thumb gently traced her bottom lip.

"I don't understand you..." Sam leaned into the touch slightly, "You give Tom a hard time but you should understand his pain Joe..." She frowned and finally moved his hand. "Your bestfriend--"

"Can we not talk about him?" Joe warned lowly, "It's the past lets leave it that way.."

"Joe...Aaron couldn't help the way he felt. He couldn't help the disease. He was born with it for fucks sake and you're blaming the poor guy like its his fault." 

"Leave me alone Sam, go run back to Tom. I hope you enjoy him fucking you with his old wrinkly--" 

Sam raised her hand and slapped Joe as hard as she possibly could. And it felt great.

Joe looked at her and tightened his jaw as he pushed her down onto the bed, forcing her hand above her head.  "Look, I'm not fucking around here, you think you can walk around and play these mind games well you can't." His voice was low and edging on dangerous, "You can't fucking do this. Aaron was my friend my best fucking friend. I have a right to be mad at what he fucking did! He was a coward..." Joe hissed. "He bailed on me and you and it was because he didn't tell me things. I could have saved him if he would've just opened his fucking mouth to tell me!...he wasn't supposed to leave us Sam...." He looked into her eyes sadly, "You're the one who doesn't understand...."

She licked her lips slowly, "So what you're saying is that it's his fault his bestfriend only cared about partying and drinking? It's his fault you didn't sit down and try to understand him? Understand what he was fucking going through?" She smiled and shook her head, "You're right...I don't understand...how can you blame this on him? He was Upset Joe. He was fucking depressed Joeseph! And if you think for one minute that--"

"S'cuse me....visiting hours are over..." The nurse raised her brow at the two as they just stared at her, "That means now, so can you get to stepping? I have things to do." The nurse snapped her fingers.

Joe released her and she got off of the bed and brushed past the nurse.

----

Tom really couldn't believe that he was walking out of the movies with a beautiful girl on his arm. He still was in shock that this beautiful girl wanted him. He looked down at their intertwined fingers as they walked.

"I'm sleepy..." Sam yawned as she leaned over on Tom's shoulder. "Are we still going to your place?"

Tom nodded, "Yeah if you want to...it's not too far away."

Over the few days with her Tom had become more confident and his shyness edged away a little bit. Even at his job he had more customers than usual because he would stand and in front of his register and tell them his register was open, or if there was a long line he'd direct them over to his register. He was better at socialilizing and talking to people, but he wasn't that good at being sexual with Sam yet. But she had told him whenever he was ready to go further then she was ready too. So That gave him a sense of comfort to carry with him in the bed room. 

"Is your mom nice?" Sam looked up at Tom.

"Yeah..I suppose..." Tom nodded. 

"Will she like me?"

"I'm sure she will..." He sighed. 

----

They were both sleeping in the bed, arms wrapped around each other. It was pretty late in the night when his mom came in. The door slammed open and she screamed her husbands name loudly over and over again.

"Tom? Who's that? Is that your mom?" Sam sat up, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah...just go to bed okay? I'll be back..." Tom rolled out of Sam's arms and headed out to the living room.

"Baby baby...Tom I'm glad you're here! Richard! Richard is missing! Baby Tom where's Richard! I...I..." His mom shook him slightly.

Tom tried to calm he down as best he could, "Mom...Dad has been gone for a long time...Calm down..." 

"No....No...he was here yesterday! I saw him.." His mom cried into his chest, "Tom I swear he was here yesterday!...We were talking! And..."

Tom sat on the couch with her and rubbed her back, "And what did he say?" He whispered quietly.

"We were talking about the garden out back and how we were going to grow some more fruit for you and vegetables...but I asked how are we going to afford that Richard?"

Tom nodded, "Mom that garden has been dead for years..."

"No it's not! Your father works on it every day...he...takes care of it..." She closed her eyes, "For you...he grows that stuff for you..."

"I know..." Tom smiled weakly as she drifted off to sleep.

After he got her a blanket and a pillow Tom left back to his room and climbed in next to Sam.

She looked and him and smiled, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Who's Richard?" 

Tom Pulled Sam closer to him, "My dad..." He whispered, "He died a few years ago and she's still in denial about it..." He smiled sadly, "She gets him presents for his birthday, bakes cakes...buys him Christmas presents...she doesn't want him to be dead and I wish I could get her help. I really do..."

Sam nodded and closed her eyes, "If you need money Tom I..."

"No Sam...I couldn't do that..." 

"Really I'd love to help if I can."

"No it's fine. I can handle this myself."

"Yeah that's what you thought before apparently and your mom still hasn't received help. You do need help Tom." She sighed, "Just let me give you some money so she can see a therapist, it's probably what she needs right now..."

"...Sam just leave it alone okay?"

She sighed but nodded. 

Sam fell asleep not really sure why Tom wouldn't except her help.

----

"Why are you still here? Can't you go home? Come on I've been partying without you and shit and that's pretty boring." Lung smiled happily.

"...I'm liking it here...I got bitches serving me food, I sit down all day and don't do shit. I'm living the life." Joe said with a smirk.

Really his dad had him seeing a therapist at the hospital four times a went until he got better. He knew he was old enough to refuse and leave the hospital, but he couldn't leave that security of having his dad there for him. Something about leaving that comfort scared him. 

Maybe Sam really was right. When was he going to start growing up?

"are you listening?" Lung raised a brow at Joe.

"Yeah...hey I'm kind of tired can you come back tomorrow."

"Of course..." Lung got up, "See ya, but get out of here soon so we can party alright?" He smiled as walked out.

Was this how Aaron felt? Was this the shitty feeling he got when his bestfriend didn't care about him? When his bestfriend only wanted to party? 

----

"Um my bestfriend killed himself because he was a pussy...how am I supposed to elaborate on that?" Joe crossed his arms, "Look, it's whatever now when can I get out of this hospital? Why can't I just come to your office or something?"

"We are not sure you would show up to the sessions. Your father wants to make sure that you're being taken care of and that you are taking care of yourself. If it was up to me I'd have you out on your own, experiencing the real world." The therapist shrugged.

Joe smiled, "I guess he loves me too much." He crossed his arms.

"No that's him babying you. You are In your twenties, it's time for you to act like it."

"I can act however I want..." 

"Yes you can and your actions will cause you to either get killed or put in jail. You have anger issues Mr. Johnson get them taken care of now then you won't have problems later."

"Are we done?"

"I'll see you tommorow Joeseph."

"My names Joe."

Doctor Lanyon smiled, "Yes that is your middle name, but Joeseph sounds more grown up. Like an adult." He left the room leaving Joe to think on it.

----

"Who's this beautiful young lady?" Tom's mom looked Sam over with a smile.

"This is my girlfriend...Sam." To Smiled as he took Sam's hand into his.

"nice to meet you.." Sam smiled brightly.

"Girlfriend?" She looked between the two, "Oh my baby has a girlfriend!" She said excitedly. "You can call me Cindy dear. I can't want to tell your father."

Tom frowned and Sam looked up at him knowingly.

Neither said anything about it as they all sat to eat breakfast.

-.-.-