Justin moved over to his side grabbing up his good hand, kissing it as he gasped at the sight that was his wonderful lover. His beautiful face was marred with purple and blue bruises, his lips were skinless and bloodied. Around his throat were hand prints where he had been throttled , even his upper arms were dark black blue from where he had been violently manhandled. JC’s right hand was encased in plaster and elevated to help stop the swelling.
Justin cried, kissing at his lovers hand "Baby, oh baby, I thought I’d lost you. I thought i’d lost you."
JC’s eyes flickered open, they were sore rimmed with blood red where the medical staff had to prise them open.
"Justin"
"Oh baby, my sweet baby." Justin caught the feeble brunette into a bear hug.
Lance , Joey and Chris peered over "Hey" they said in unison.
"Hey guys, betcha thought you’d got rid of me?"
Chris smiled and brushed a lock of hair from JC’s bloodshot eyes "Well man you know we hoped, but hey your back, them’s the breaks I’ll just have to tell Marc Terenzi he can’t switch groups."
"Chris!"
"It’s ok I know he’s kidding me." JC tried to smile but ended up wincing in pain as his lip split open. Justin held a tissue to his lovers mouth. "I love you JC."
"I know."
Lance leaned down and kissed JC gently on his forehead. "It’s good to see you again Jace but I think you and Justin need sometime alone. So I’m gonna take these two reprobates down to the canteen, we’ll be back in an hour or so." He patted Justin’s shoulder "Later dude" Chris shot JC a grin as Joey pulled him from the room.
Left alone the two men fell into an uneasy silence, Justin clenched JC’s good hand and gave him a half smile not knowing what to say to the battered man. He gulped and lifted his fingertips to the brutalised face of his lover, running his feather light touch over the tender flesh. Josh hissed, his breath catching in his throat as he jerked back.
"Does it hurt very bad?"
JC turned his head away, hiding his tears from the concerned blond. He quivered as he tried to find the courage to speak, to let his boyfriend know what he had been through. His voice was small , shaky, hardly more than a breathed whisper making Justin strain to here.
"They ..... they hurt me ...... they hurt me so bad Justin." He began to cry, one large tear following another till he couldn’t control them anymore, couldn’t stop. The younger man gathered him into his arms, holding him to him, stroking the glue matted hair. "I thought I’d never see you again Justin. I thought they were going to kill me. They hurt me." He squeezed his eyes shut, hiccuping his words as sobs racked in his chest. "He .... He ... oh god. I can’t..... I can’t do this, I can’t."
Justin made hushing noises "It’s ok baby, I’m here I won’t leave you. You’re safe baby. Tell me angel, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me." The blondes heart broke as his boyfriend concealed his face against his chest, clinging on to him, as if he was to let go he would be lost forever, disappearing into nothingness as his Despair engulfed him.
"Please Josh, tell me, let me heal you."
The brunette lifted his head but only inches his eyes fixed firmly on his hand that was entwined in Justin’s death like grip. "He ... he ... raped me, he beat me ...... and raped me. I tried to stop him , really I did, but I was tied, He just took what he wanted, then beat me. He would have killed me but one of them stood up for me, argued for my freedom ... for my life. Justin I feel so dirty, used and dirty." His tears began again. Justin was numb, His beautiful boyfriend , violated, tortured. He bit his lip hard drawing blood as he strengthened his resolve. He wouldn’t cry, he had to be strong, JC needed him. He slid out of the hospital room hours later when JC had succumbed to a fitful sleep, spasms rolling through his body.
He wondered down to the canteen finding his bandmates bursting into tears as his eyes meet with those of his friends. Strong arms wrapped around him, offering comfort, support, camaraderie giving him the strength he needed to go on breathing.