Complement, page 6
part #3 of Connectivity Series
Ash looked up at him and he knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. There was a bit of anger behind Ash’s expression. “My mom found out that your parents only said they’d come down if your life was in danger. I guess the doctor they talked to said you were stable and none of your injuries were life-threatening, so they just asked to be kept informed about how you were doing.”
Resting his head back against the bed, Nick closed his eyes. Sadly, he wasn’t all that surprised by their reaction. He’d probably have been more shocked to see them actually sitting in his hospital room, holding his hand like Ash had been doing. He opened his eyes again and looked back at the boy whom he’d only just met, but was thankful to have by his side. “Thank you for staying with me, Ash. I appreciate you being here even if we don’t know each other. I wouldn’t have really expected my parents to come, but I’m grateful to you for being willing to sit with me.”
Ash nodded. “Um, there’s more, but I think you should probably rest first. You’ve been out of it for like five days and you look pretty rough.” Nick smiled, liking that Ash was willing to tell him he looked like crap. “I’ll text my mom to let her know that you’re awake. She wanted me to keep her posted on how you were doing.”
Nick watched as Ash pulled out his phone and entered in a message. It was kind of weird to have some guy he’d never met before standing in his hospital room after waking up from a five-day sleep-a-thon. He felt okay physically, but it stung a little bit to know that his parents couldn’t be bothered to come stay with him, but some boy from who knows where was willing to drop everything to be with him when he had no one else.
Ash looked back up at him and Nick wondered if they’d ever get the chance to get to know each other. Would they just go their separate ways once he was released? Or would Ash have his mom come get him now that Nick was awake? He didn’t like the thought of another person walking out of his life and dismissing him once again.
“She said she’s glad you’re awake and even though all you’ve been doing is resting, she wants you to get your rest. I’ll text her again later to let her know what the doctors say in the morning.” Ash smiled and Nick returned it, feeling more comfortable with the boy in his room. Even though he had no idea where the boy had come from, Nick hoped to find out more about him when he woke up again.
“Are you going to stay with me still?” Nick asked, feeling the weight of his situation making him sleepy again.
A brief flash of worry or panic crossed Ash’s face. “Is that okay? I know you don’t know me and you’re probably ready for some privacy or something, but I’d feel better if I could stay with you so we can talk again in the morning.”
Nick smiled gratefully. “It would be awesome if you stayed. I’d be glad for the company, even if I’m asleep.”
Ash seemed to sag with relief and smiled a shy smile as he tucked his hands back into his sleeves. “Cool. Is it okay if I rest my head on your bed again? The chair isn’t so bad to sleep in, but I’ve kinda been using your bed as my pillow for the last few days.”
That got Nick’s attention. “Days? How long have you been here?”
Ash shrugged. “Since Wednesday night.”
“What day is it?” he asked, feeling overwhelmed.
Ash looked down at the ground. “Saturday. Well, I guess it’s technically Sunday now.”
“You’ve slept here with me every night since you got here?”
Ash looked up but seemed taken aback. Nick’s voice had gotten louder and the look on Ash’s face reminded him of the last time he’d lost his temper. He’d been upset with the situation with Cory and Josh and Cory’s dad had kicked him out of their house. The looks on Cory and Josh’s faces were etched into his memory as he’d yelled at them and they’d cowered together, scared by his outburst. How had things gone so wrong that his best friend had literally been terrified of him?
The sudden memory and the look on Ash’s face had Nick turning away in self-loathing. “I’m sorry,” he said in a gruff voice. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice. I was just shocked that you would do that for someone you didn’t even know. I’ve had a rough few months and everyone seems perfectly content to just forget I even exist. I have no idea why a nice guy like you would even be here, not to mention the fact that I’m a pretty shitty person. If you knew me you’d probably just text your mom and have her come get you. Not that I want you to leave. You’re like the only person by my side right now, literally. And I can’t thank you enough for being willing to stay with a complete stranger. I’m sorry if I scared you.” Nick rolled slightly onto his side and away from Ash’s watchful gaze.
Ash moved over to the other side of the bed and pulled his chair in close. He sat down and without a word tucked his feet under him and grabbed Nick’s hand. That same warmth and contentment seeped into Nick’s skin where they touched and he chanced a quick look at Ash and their hands. Ash didn’t smile but he squeezed his hand lightly and then rested his head on his arm on the bed. Nick squeezed his hand in return and closed his eyes, ready for sleep to take him away.
~
“Good morning,” the nurse said as she bustled into his room just past dawn. Nick had barely cracked his eyes open before she’d come in and Ash hadn’t been awake at all. The boy was still holding his hand and Nick made sure not to draw attention to that fact since he hated to admit that he actually really like the feeling.
But Ash squeezed his hand and without letting go, uncurled himself and stretched his free hand up over his head with a big yawn.
“Glad to see you awake, Nick. And good morning to you, Ash,” the nurse said, as she tapped away at a computer near his bed.
“Morning, Jules,” Ash replied, sounding slightly sleepy.
“How’s our patient this morning?” Jules asked but her question wasn’t directed at him, it was directed toward Ash.
“He’s doing so much better. He woke up really early this morning and had some water. We talked for a little bit but his meds knocked him out again pretty quickly. Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything in days,” Ash said to him, looking like the fact that he was discussing Nick’s medical history was no big deal. He squeezed Nick’s hand and his gaze seemed to be trying to convey some secret message.
“Um, yeah, I guess. Now that you mention it, I am kind of starving,” Nick replied, shifting a little to get more comfortable.
Ash beamed at him then turned toward the nurse. Nick was completely thrown off guard by that smile. That one simple action was something he hadn’t experienced in quite a while and even though he knew nothing about the boy holding his hand, he felt so pleased with himself that he’d made the other boy happy with his answer. He smiled even though Ash didn’t see it and the nurse began her routine, asking him a dozen questions about how he felt.
“Well, you seem like you’re definitely on the mend and now that you’re awake, Dr. Monroe will want to have a chat, but I’m sure you’ll be good to get out of here by this afternoon. You didn’t have too bad a deal considering what you went through, or at least what we figure you went through, but still, you were pretty banged up and out cold for a good while. We had you intubated for a while but once Ash told us you were moving around a bit more and making some noise, we had the tube taken out. So that’ll explain if your throat is feeling a bit sore. We took it out on Friday but it’s probably still a bit tender. Cold drinks like smoothies or milkshakes will help it feel right as rain soon enough. I’ll have the doctor notified that you’re awake and after I take your vitals we’ll get you something to settle your stomach,” Jules explained. She then busied herself with examining him all the while working around Ash as the boy held fast to his hand, never breaking contact, even when the nurse had to use his other arm for a blood pressure check.
“Everything seems a-okay from my perspective,” Jules said as she returned to her computer and started imputing data. “I’ll let the doctor know you’re good to go.”
She tapped away for another few minutes and when she finally left, Ash released his hand. “Sorry about holding your hand while she was here. It’ll be easier to get you released if we can touch while the doctor examines you. Let me text my mom and let her know that you’ll probably be released this afternoon.”
Nick looked after Ash as he stood up and stretched a bit then pulled out his phone and texted his mom. When he finished typing, Nick asked, “What do you mean it’ll be easier to get me released if we touch while the doctor examines me? Why would that make anything easier?”
Ash came over again and rested his hand on the bed. “Can I go to the bathroom first? We need to talk and it’s going to be a long conversation. I’d rather not do it with a full bladder.”
Nick nodded, not really understanding what Ash meant or what they would have to talk about. “Yeah, sure. What do we need to talk about, though?”
“Just give me a minute and I’ll be right out, okay?”
Nick nodded and Ash turned to the small bathroom to take care of his business. While he was gone, Nick reached over and grabbed his cell phone off the roller table. He swiped the screen and realized he had almost a full battery and wondered if Ash had been charging his phone for him. His phone showed six text messages and four missed calls, none of them from his parents. He recognized Cory’s number immediately and the other number he didn’t know, but when he opened his texts he realized the other number belonged to Travis.
Cory was asking when he’d changed his number and why he’d had to get the new number from his parents, and Nick’s jaw about dropped when he read the last of Travis’s texts. Apparently, Travis had eloped with his boyfriend, and now that they were married, they wanted to invite Nick to their wedding reception.
What the hell was up with his friends? First Cory and Josh then Travis and, Nick looked again, Michael? Nick could have sworn the other dude’s name was something else, but he’d only met the guy that one time. He shook his head. Who in their right mind went off and got married the minute they graduated high school? Nick could tell how much Cory and Josh loved each other, but to get married so early in their relationship? And now Travis? Nick was pretty sure he’d never even dated anyone before and all of a sudden he was married too?
The door to the bathroom opened and Ash caught sight of the expression on his face. “What’s wrong? Your phone has been going off a bit. Is everything okay?”
“I don’t even know what to say…” Nick paused, setting his phone on his lap. “My best friend, Cory, or at least he was my best friend, just got married to his boyfriend, whom he’d only known for like six weeks. I mean, I get that they’re in love or whatever, but we only graduated high school in the beginning of June and they were already planning their wedding. I mean, who gets married after only knowing someone for six weeks? Then, I just read this text from my other friend, Travis—we all played baseball together—and now he’s gotten married too. He’d literally never dated anyone before and I didn’t even know he liked guys. But apparently he and his boyfriend eloped in Hawaii and now they want to invite me to their wedding reception. What the hell? Am I missing some memo that it’s the new thing to just date someone and then marry them in a minute? I mean, who does that? Don’t people usually date around and then eventually decide to get serious with someone? No one ever gets married to the first person they like and after only a few weeks.”
Ash’s eyebrows were up in his hairline and his mouth was slightly open. He’d stopped his approach to the bed, but seemed to realize it and finally closed the distance, coming to sit on the end and propping his feet on the chair he’d been using to sleep in. “Uh… In a weird way, if what you’re saying is true, this is going to make our conversation so much easier. Are you sure that both of your friends had only just met their husbands and then they’d gotten married really quickly? Like, there’s no way either of them knew their partner and was just keeping it quiet?”
“I’m sure. Cory was my best friend and we did everything together. Then all of a sudden Josh was there and Cory couldn’t even finish school because he had to be with Josh. And what was even more weird, everyone’s parents were totally fine with it. They were even celebrating it and when I was the one voicing my opinion that I thought things were happening so quickly and questioned why, I get turned into the bad guy and thrown out of Cory’s house. I don’t really know about Travis except that I’d never seen him with anyone before and the next thing anyone knows, he’s married to Josh’s best friend.”
“Oh my God,” Ash whispered more to himself than anything. “I could hardly believe what was happening to us and my mom was completely baffled. I can’t believe there are others out there that have found their connections so young. And you? My God, you must be some kind of lucky charm or something. I’ve never heard of it happening for anyone so young. My mom was totally freaking out at first, I was freaking out at first. I’m still freaking out and you don’t even know what’s happening. Holy crap. This is so weird. I—”
“Ash,” Nick interrupted. The boy snapped his eyes up to Nick’s and blinked as if coming back to himself. “What the hell are you talking about? I have no idea what all your little ramblings mean.” Ash was practically vibrating as he tried to contain whatever was going on in his head. He looked ready to burst but his phone chirped and Ash held up a hand to Nick as he read whatever the message said.
“Okay, my mom asked if we need her to come down. She said she would but it’s like a five-hour drive. We’re in Moab, by the way. You had to be flown out of the canyon on a helicopter because you weren’t waking up and they didn’t know how long you had been unconscious. Anyway, we need to talk before I know if I’ll need her to come down. If you don’t completely freak out about what I’m going to tell you, would you be okay with me driving your car back home? I’m assuming, since you know Rick, that you live in Pine or at least near there?”
Nick nodded. “Can we get to the part where you slow down and actually tell me what you need to tell me before I decide anything? Right now you’re sounding a little bit crazy and I’m just trying to follow your warp speed ramblings.”
Ash cracked a smile. “I love Star Wars.”
Nick groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. Ash laughed and reached over to remove it. He held Nick’s palm in his hand and slowed his breathing, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Okay, what I’m about to tell you is both weird and quite possibly the best thing that will ever happen to you. Or at least I’m hoping it will be once you realize what it really means. And as I suspect, what it has meant for your friends. We’re in a little bit of a different situation and there are more factors at play than what meets the eye, but the basics are the same and it will just be a matter of acceptance on your part as to how you feel about all this. Just let me get it all out before you start asking questions because there is a lot to tell you and I’ll probably forget some things and I’d rather just save all the questions for the end.”
Nick nodded and Ash took a deep breath, then looked Nick right in the eye. “You and I are Connected. We’re what is known as a Connective couple. Soul mates, if you will. I carry the Connective gene and I’m what’s called a Catalyst. My parents were a Connective couple and their parents were a Connective couple and so on. The gene is passed down to the first-born child of every Connective couple and is usually not passed on to other children the couple may have.
“You, are a Complement. My Complement. You are the other half of my soul and I’m the other half of yours. We’re Connected in a way that goes beyond simply liking the other person or loving the other person; we physically need each other to survive, more or less. We’ve already established our bond and are now in what’s called the ‘bonding period.’ It’s like the ‘getting to know you’ phase of the relationship. But nature has ensured that our Connection will be strong by forcing us to be together.
“As a Connective couple, we will never be able to be more than, at most, one-hundred feet apart, but more realistically, seventy-five or eighty feet apart. That’s after the bonding period. During the bonding period, that distance is cut in half.” Ash paused. “You still with me?”
Not really sure what he was, Nick nodded and Ash continued.
“Okay, so when I say that we can’t be apart, I mean it. You will literally lose consciousness and stay asleep until we’re back within our threshold distance. That’s why you couldn’t wake up once you passed out in the park. Once you suffer some sort of trauma that causes you to lose consciousness, you trigger the Complement in you and the only thing that will ever wake you up again will be your Catalyst.
“Now, as to what effects the Connection will have on the Catalyst, I will have almost debilitating anxiety and it will be gut-wrenchingly painful to be away from you. If there was something that absolutely needed to happen and we were forced to be apart, I would survive, the separation wouldn’t kill me, but I’d be in agony and pretty much wish I was dead. I’d be desperate to get back to you and every fiber of my being would be screaming at me to find you.” Ash squeezed Nick’s hand and looked away. His voice had gotten suspiciously hoarse as he’d talked about what might happen to them. Nick had to admit, it all sounded a little far-fetched to him.
“Okay, there is still a ton to cover,” Ash said as he cleared his throat and looked back at Nick with slightly damp eyes. “But now is the time where I have to demonstrate, and I’ve been dreading this since the moment I found you all bandaged up five days ago. I haven’t left your room in five days and my mom made sure I’d be taken care of by the room service before she left. When we first came down, neither one of us had thought about this as a possible outcome. Rick had just said that a boy he knew had gotten hurt and was asleep in the hospital and he thought it would be nice if I was here when you woke up so you’d have someone your own age to talk to. I’m seventeen, by the way, and I’m just going to be starting senior year. Which is going to make this even more complicated.
