I paused outside the door for a second, my heart was racing and I felt sick. I held my breath to try and slow my heart rate. As I raised my hand I lost control of the convulsive shivers that I had been surpressing for the last hour. It took more thought then it should have to direct my hand over the silver knob. I paused once more, realizing that I was still holding my breath.
Adam was in there and Jack was dead.
He was gone, they had already taken his body away - I would never see him again. The Police had made that clear to me, to prevent 'outbreaks' as the officer had put it when I first came through the hospital doors to find a pack of them standing in the entrance hall with Adam's parents - who recognized me straight away and brought it the the attention of the police that I was a very close friend - which led to questions.
"What were they doing there?", "When was the last time you saw them", "What did you last talk about with them?".
Bloody hell as if I'd know.
I saw them at school yesterday, and that was it until an hour ago when Nathan called me. Other then that, how the hell should I remember what we talked about?! They didn't say they were going to do something, or else I would have planned on going with them.
I took another breath, turning the knob and stepping into the dully lit room. Nathan looked up at me from the corner, where he was leaning against the wall. His eye's flickered from me to the direction that I was avoiding to look at.
I did anyway, and there he was; sleeping. There was no sign of physical damage from what I could see. He was taking shallow breaths but that was all I noticed,
"What's w-",
"He's in a coma." Nathan cut me off, suddenly standing beside me. "And that's all we know for now. Doctor said all we can do is wait." He closed him eye's for a second. I studied my friend during that second and recieved a small shock when I realized he looked different then I last remembered. Older.
I had known him for 13 years - since kindergarten. We had only really become friends in middle school, but even though we were almost finished the twelvth grade - I had looked at him the same nearly ever day. The kid who wore sunglasses since I could remember. The kid with a round face, torn pants, cleaver shirts, vibrant blond hair, a young voice and perfect kid-skin. As I studied him in that moment - I took in more then I had in a very long time.
I noted he hadn't shaved in a few days (I never even noticed Nathan had facial hair before) his hair itself had darkened to a dull honey shade, he had very distinct laugh lines and dark circles under his eyes. His face was long, his skin wasn't as smooth as I remembered, and it was a great deal paler then the tan color I had always taken it to be. My eye's flew down to his hand, resting on the guard - it had a very distinct web of veins tangled around it and going up the underside of his arm, his knuckes were worn and his hands themselves were huge. I could have sworn they were never like that before. Nathan was 18, I reminded myself, Nathan was an adult now. Like me. The thought gave me a small start... We had actually grown up.
He cleared his throat, and I looked back to him - his eye's were open now - meeting mine. I noted the vibrant, slushie-blue had faded to a grey-ish sometime over the years.
"Im going to call my parents, you want anything to eat?" he asked, rummaging through his pockets. His voice was rougher and deeper,
"No." I answered, I still felt sick. Although for the moment it was over how I hadn't even noticed such obviously changes on my friends. How I hadn't used my time with them to the fullest... How time had finally caught us. Nathan nodded, walking past me - leaving me to myself.
Jack was dead. Adam was in a coma. Nathan had changed.
Dead. Lost. Gone. The ride was over.
It was over.
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