"Jonah, you do not have to," Elliot said, his voice firm. "You need to take care of yourself. Your father..."
"I know," Jonah interrupted, his voice laced with a hint of bitterness. "But I am not wanted here anyway. Besides, it is not that big a deal. Work will keep me busy. It will be a great distraction."
"But Jonah," Elliot began, his voice filled with concern, “you are in no state to be working right now. You are emotionally drained, your father is in a critical state. I do not understand why you feel like you need to go.”
“Elliot, I understand your concern, but I need to do this. I need to keep busy, to keep my mind off things. I am not helping anyone here, and I can’t just sit around and wait.” Jonah replied, his voice slightly firm. Elliot sighed, his eyes filled with concern. "Alright," he said, "but promise me you will take good care of yourself. If you feel like you are getting overwhelmed, please come back to the hospital. Your father needs you, and so do I.”
"I will." Jonah replied, managing to give out a weak smile. "Thank you, Elliot. For everything."
"It is all fine, I can count the number of times you have told me that in the past few hours." Elliot said chuckling.
"I mean it Elliot." Jonah told him. "Alright. Here I got you some coffee and croissants." Elliot told him handing him a warm styrofoam cup and a paper bag. Jonah thanked Elliot and devoured the food quickly. Elliot looked on in shock. "If you were this hungry why didn't you say something since?" Elliot asked.
"I did not even know I was this hungry." Jonah replied his words muffled as his mouth was stuffed. Jonah finished the last of his croissant, wiping his mouth with a napkin. A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the muffled sounds of the hospital. Suddenly, Liam, the lab tech, approached them, his expression neutral, a completely opposite to his chatty behavior previously.
Elliot took notice but ignored the sort of cold shoulder. "Mr. Hartfield, Mr. Sinclair," he said, holding a clipboard, "your results are ready. However, I am not authorized to discuss them with you. You will need to speak with Dr. Wilson." Jonah's heart skipped a beat. He exchanged a worried glance with Elliot.
"Okay." He said, his voice tight. "Thank you." They rose and made their way back to Dr. Wilson's office. The doctor greeted them with a calm smile, though his eyes held a hint of seriousness.
"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chairs. "I have your results here." Jonah and Elliot sat down, Jonah tapped the chair nervously with his fingers. Dr.Wilson was doing a stellar job at keeping the suspense but Jonah did not need that right now. He shuffled through the papers on his desk, then looked up at them.
"I am pleased to tell you," he began, his voice reassuring, "that both of your tests came back negative. You are both HIV negative." A wave of relief washed over Jonah, so intense it almost made him weak. He closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath. Elliot placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently.
"Thank goodness," Jonah whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "That is wonderful news," Elliot said, his voice filled with relief. Dr. Wilson nodded. "It is always good to have confirmation," he said. "However, it is essential to practice safe sex and get tested regularly." They thanked Dr. Wilson and left his office, the weight of their fear finally lifted.
"Wheeww, that is a relief," Elliot said, his voice light. "I was starting to get a little worried even though I knew we were both clean."
"Me too, I mean you can never tell." Jonah admitted, a weak smile touching his lips. "But now we can focus on Dad." Elliot nodded. "Exactly. And speaking of focusing," he said, glancing at Jonah, "I think we both need to go home and get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow." He paused, sniffing the air lightly.
"And," he added with a playful grin, "we both stink. A shower would do us wonders." Jonah chuckled, a genuine laugh for the first time in what felt like an eternity. "You are right," he said. "Let's go."
"Hey, I finally got you to actually smile today." Elliot said teasing Jonah. They left the hospital, the late afternoon portrayed long shadows behind them. As they reached the car, Jonah paused.
"Elliot," he said, his voice hesitant. "I want to go upstairs for a moment. Just to check on Dad." Elliot nodded, understanding. "Of course," he said. "I will wait right here." Jonah went back into the hospital, taking the elevator to his father's floor. He walked down the quiet corridor, his footsteps echoing softly. He reached his father's room and gently pushed the door open. Inside, the room lighting was dim the rhythmic beeping of the machines filling the silence.
His mother was asleep in a chair beside the bed, her head resting against the mattress. His father lay still, his face pale, the machines monitoring his vital signs. Jonah approached the bed, his heart aching. He gently adjusted his mother's sleeping position, trying to make her more comfortable. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on each of their cheeks. He took one last long look at his father, his forlorn figure on the bed. He nearly teared up. He quietly left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked back to the car, where Elliot was waiting.
"Everything okay?" Elliot asked, his voice soft.
"Yeah," Jonah replied, his voice barely a whisper. "Just checking." They drove back to Elliot's house in silence, the emotional atmosphere was charged. As they entered the house, the first thing they did was head straight for the showers. The warm water washed away the grime and tension of the day, leaving them feeling slightly refreshed.
"I am exhausted," Jonah said, collapsing onto the bed.
"Me too," Elliot replied, joining him. "Let's get some sleep. We will need our strength for tomorrow." They lay on the bed. Elliot fell asleep quite quickly and his small snores filled the room. Jonah on the other hand battled with sleep as the thoughts running through his mind seemed to keep him awake. Sleep finally fell on him and the sun had finally set.