Chapter 12
Nick woke up with his chest burning. He remembered being stuck at a stop sign because the people in front of him weren’t moving. He got out to check on them, and when the guy rolled his window down- Nick remembered. The guy hit him with a taser. “Fuck.” Nick muttered as he looked around, he was in some kind of bedroom, and he realized there was someone beside him. He directed his attention to the body next to him, recognizing the soft dark hair and pale skin. He could see Reggie’s chest rising and falling and breathed his own sigh of relief. “Reggie, Reg, can you hear me?”
“Hmm?” Reggie shifted suddenly, flying into a sitting position as they looked around, “Oh, no. No, no, no, NO. We can’t be here. Not here.”
Nick could see the onset of panicked breathing, “Reggie, come on, look at me. Don’t look around, look at me.” Reggie turned their head to look at Nick, “There we go, come here, babe.” Nick opened his arms, and Reggie fell into him. Nick wrapped Reggie up as tight as he could. After their breathing calmed, Nick pulled away just enough to look into their face, “Where are we, Reg? You know this room?”
Reggie nodded, tears slipping out, “It was my room. We’re at my parents house. I’m surprised they were able to work together long enough to get me here.” Nick could understand why Reggie was panicking, they never thought they’d end up back here. “I’m sorry, Nick.” Reggie whispered as they heard a noise on the other side of the door.
Two voices became audible, “Why did we need to take both?” The voice was gruff, and male.
“So the blonde one couldn’t rat on us. I’ll take care of that one later, don’t worry.” Reggie felt that same protectiveness flare up at they looked at the blonde boy with them, and only one thing mattered. Keeping him safe.
“Reginald.” A gruff voice boomed through the room as the door opened, Nick was surprised when Reggie turned around, hiding him behind their back. “Come on, boy. It’s time for dinner.” Robert Shada took another drink of the beer in his hand, stumbling down the hallway. Reggie took Nick’s hand, pulling him to his feet and carefully leading him out the door. Nick could see Reggie’s brain working a thousand miles an hour and wished he could hear the thoughts whirling around in there. They got to the donor room, Reggie looking around the room like he was calculating something.
“Nick.” They whispered, lips barely moving like he wasn’t saying anything, “I have a plan but I need you to trust me and run when I tell you to.” Nick looked at Reggie with wide eyes, nodding slightly.
Nick wasn’t sure what happened after that. One second Lily and Robert started an argument over Reggie, and the next Reggie was shoving Nick out the door and locking it. Nick beat on the door when he heard the yelling get louder, and he heard the sound of glass smashing, but then Robert was at the door trying to force it open, fumbling with the lock. Nick bolted out of the doorway. He saw a car coming down the street, he started waving them down. He recognized Willie’s mom right away.
“Missus Stewart!” Nick didn’t stop to talk when she saw him, he ran straight back to the house. Robert had managed to get outside now, and he was charging at Nick, but it was like Nick blinked and then Reggie was standing in front of him, taking a swung fist that had been meant for Nick. Reggie fell to their knees, but forced themself back up. The look in their eye was unlike Nick had ever seen. “Reggie, what are you doing?”
“Protecting you.” Reggie murmured as their father raised their fist again, but this time he shuddered, falling to the ground. Reggie blinked, looking around. Willie’s mom was holding a taser gun.
“Can you kids come close to me?” Missus Stewart called out. Nick realized that Reggie was cradling their arm to their chest, so he wrapped his arm around their waist to offer support. There was yelling and everyone turned to see Lily charging out of the house with a knife, coming within just a couple feet of the two kids before a bang rang through the air. She fell. Nick turned to see a younger officer lowering his gun, so he pushed Reggie’s face into his shoulder. They didn’t need to see that. “Willie called me when he found your car, Nick. Your friends are really worried about you.”
“Come on, Reggie.” Nick muttered, “Let’s get you to a doctor.” Reggie nodded absently as they held onto Nick.
“Please don’t leave me.” They whispered into his neck.
“Never.” Nick assured.
Missus Stewart got them into an ambulance, and when they got to the hospital Nick argued with every doctor that tried to separate them. They only waited a few minutes before the others rushed in, and after the officers came to perform the interview, Nick was discharged but didn’t leave. He promised Reggie he wouldn’t leave.