Something New
Chapter 4
Andres couldn't think straight. He wanted to help, but he didn't want to move Nacho’s body.
He couldn't even look. How horrible is that? But every time he tried, all he saw was his father.
The stinging on his forehead and arms was still there, from the glass, but that didn't matter.
Everything was a blur…
Soon, he could see flashing lights.
The paramedics went to Nacho first.
He watched in silence as they lifted Nacho out of the car. They laid him on the gurney and started to stop the bleeding.
The body from the other vehicle was taken away. She was killed instantly.
This was too much.
When they loaded Nacho into the ambulance, Andres was allowed to ride in the back. The whole time, all he could do was stare at his boyfriend.
When they got to the hospital, they were separated. Nacho went into surgery to stop any internal bleeding, remove the glass, and put a pin in his right arm, which was discovered to be broken.
Andres was sent to a room to remove the glass from his head and arms. They also wanted to check him over.
The nurse who did it was really nice. She didn't push him and tried to make it less painful. Everyone in the hospital knew of the tragic accident.
Two officers came in to talk to him.
"Sir, are you Andres Ceballos Sanchez?"
Andres just nodded.
"And Nacho Gotor Carrasco was in the passenger's side of the car you were driving?"
He nodded again.
"What is your relation with him?"
Andres' heart skipped a beat. "We're best friends. We're in a band together."
The officer wrote something down. "Can you describe what happened?"
He took a deep breath. "Nacho and I had gone to see a movie. We were going back to where we live. We got to the four-way stop. I waited for the green light – I even used my blinker. When I started to turn, Nacho yelled to look out… and then…" His voice faded.
As the officer wrote that down, he spoke. "Well, we would like to inform you that you are at no fault. Mrs. Valeria Lopez was highly intoxicated. She was speeding."
He turned to his partner then back at Andres. "Thank you for your statement. We'll come back later with more information. Get well," he said, and the two walked out of the room.
The nurse smiled at him. "You know, you did your friend a good thing. Most people think it's a good idea to move the body in this type of situation – but it's not. It's like when a person has a seizure. He'll probably have a faster recovery."
Andres shook his head. "He's my boyfriend."
The nurse didn't falter. "Well, then, you did your boyfriend a good thing."
It was almost 1:00 am when he was able to go in the waiting room. He wondered if he should call his mom now, or after Nacho was out of surgery.
He decided on now.
His mom picked up on the first ring. "Oh, thank God! Andres, where the heck are you two? You promised you'd be home by 12!"
That's when Andres broke down.
"Mom, Nacho and I were in a car accident. I was driving and another car hit us…" He could barely say that.
Silence. Then, "Oh, Andres. Are you both okay?"
"He's in surgery right now… He lost a lot of blood and he broke his arm. At least, that's all they know so far." Tears were streaming down his face. "They'll come and get me when he's out."
"Are you okay?" she asked, ruffling background noise behind her.
"Yeah, mom. The other vehicle hit ours on Nacho's side…"
"Oh my God…Okay. We'll be there as soon as we can."
We? Luis and Missis were coming, too? And Martin and Alba? He didn't want them to see him broken.
Andres sat there for a long time with his head in his hands. He couldn't think of anything, do anything. All he saw in his head was Nacho.
Time ticked away slowly.
When the group came in, Andres hadn't moved.
Mama Ceballos sat down next to him. Alba sat across. Martin, Luis and Missis stood.
"Andres, sweetie… Are you okay?"
He looked up, eyes puffy and red. His cheeks were stained streaks. "I don't get it. How can I walk away from that, and he's still in surgery?"
She wrapped her arms around her son. "I don't know. Life is just like that sometimes."
"The driver that hit us is dead," he mumbled into his mom's shoulder, his tears staining her sleeve.
Mama Ceballos tightened her grip.
No other words were said.
The others shifted, changing seats and moving around – but not his mom. She didn't let go of her son for a long time. They both knew the pain of reckless driving.
After about an hour, His mom stood up. "I should call Franklin and Fernando. I didn't think it would take this long." She walked away to make the call.
Andres still looked down. The moment just kept replaying in his head.
"Andres, are you really okay?" Luis asked, though he didn't want to push anything.
"Luis, I think it's a little too soon to ask that…" Martin replied, glaring at him. "He just saw Nacho all broken and bloody!"
"Guys!" Alba yelled, looking up. "Just shut up!"
"No, It's okay, Alba. They just don't think sometimes," Andres whispered, still not making eye contact. "Guys, I'm okay. I just… can't think right now. But thanks for giving me space."
He went back to his silence.
The clock read 2:37 a.m.
Mama Ceballos walked back into the waiting room. "I got a hold of Fernando. He said he and Franklin will be here tomorrow morning. I also told him I'd call him when we find out the severity of Nacho's injuries."
Her answer was more silence.
"Now guys, I know this is rough. But we have to be strong – for Nacho."
Andres actually smiled at this. He knew his mom was right. Nacho wouldn't want them to be sad, especially Andres. He knew that his boyfriend wanted him to be strong.
In his head, saying Nacho was his boyfriend was easy. He even said it to that nurse. But maybe that's why this hurt so much.
"You're right, mom – for Nacho."
Right then, a nurse walked into the waiting room. "Mr. Ceballos?"
Everyone looked up. Andres’ eyes were still red. When he realized it was the nurse that checked him out, he stood up.
She walked over to the group. "Mr. Gotor is doing great."
Six relieved sighs were heard, though Andres’ was the loudest.
"You can go see him now. But, he is still under from the anesthesia. He's in room 506. The doctor will come to explain things soon."
Andres was the first to start walking. He was also the first to the elevator. Rapidly, he pressed the up arrow button.
"Andres. That won't make it go any faster," Luis stated.
He spun on his heels. "Shut the fuck up."
No one else tried talking to Andres after that. The elevator ride was silent.
When they got to the room, Andres didn't hesitate. He just walked right in.
It was a private room. Nacho's body was lying silently in the bed.
Andres grabbed one of the three chairs present and set it down next to Nacho's bed. At that moment, he didn't care what his family and friends thought. All he wanted was to be by Nacho's side when he woke up.
When in reality, they all thought he was acting super-sensitive because he was the one driving. Their little secret was safe for now.
The door opened. The doctor who had done the surgery came in. In his hand, he carried some papers and two X-rays. The nurse who had been through this whole ordeal walked in as well.
"Wow, big crowd!" He smiled, and went to Mama Ceballos. "Hello, I'm Dr. Roberto."
They shook hands, then Dr. Roberto went over to the X-ray board. He put two pictures up, one of an arm and one of ribs.
"Mr. Gotor's ribs were bruised, not broken. But, I still want to keep an eye on them." Then he pointed to the other picture. "His right arm was broken, but it was a clean fracture. It did cause some internal bleeding when the bone moved, but that's all good now."
Glancing at his charts, he spoke again. "The glass cuts were deep and might cause some scarring…"
"What's the recovery time?" Mama Ceballos asked.
"Between six to eight weeks. It depends on how much the person rests and doesn't push anything."
She nodded. "Okay."
Andres looked up. "When will he wake up?"
"Anytime now, though the, uh, loopy effects the medicine has will still be present," Dr. Roberto replied, closing his folder. "Well, if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. The nurses will be in here frequently."
With that, he and the nurse walked out.
"Okay guys. We need to decide what we're going to do," Mama Ceballos stated. "I think I'm gonna take Alba home and try to get some rest. You guys can come with me or stay here."
"I'm staying here," Andres spoke first, almost immediately.
"Yeah," Luis said, "I'm staying."
Martin with Missis nodded. "We’re staying."
Andres' mom and sister left the room. It was now 3:03 a.m.
After a moment, the others left to go to the vending machines. They wanted to be there for Nacho, but boys do get hungry.
Andres reached for the motionless hand, the one that wasn't broken. All he wanted was to feel it move. This whole thing had been miraculous. He was actually glad the others had left the room. All he wanted was for Nacho to wake when they were alone. He knew this was selfish, but at that moment, he did not care.
It seemed this night was full of miracles and wishes. At that moment, Andres felt pressure on his hand.
"Nacho? Nacho, I'm here," Andres whispered.
"Hmm…" came from Nacho, head turning slightly.
"Nacho, I'm here," he whispered again.
"Ow…" he mumbled back, eyes fluttering open.
"Nacho, what's wrong?" Andres asked, squeezing his hand harder.
"What happened?" He questioned, eyes blinking. "The last thing I remember is… pulling up to a light…"
He tried to smile, to lighten the mood. "Well… We were in a car crash. Another car was speeding and hit us as we were turning." He paused. "The other driver died. You just had surgery. You broke your arm and bruised your ribs." He stopped when he saw Nacho's eyes go wide.
"Andres, are you okay?"
Andres did a double take. "You are the one who is in a hospital bed, and you ask me if I'm okay?"
Nacho shrugged, wincing as he did so. "What?"
Andres chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me."
The nurse came in again. "Just came to see if you were awake yet."
They quickly let go of their hands as she came over to them.
"Listen, our families don't know that we're dating…" said Andres.
Nacho glanced at his boyfriend. "You told a nurse? I thought I'm the one on loopy meds!"
"I was in distress! I needed to tell someone…" He looked back at the nurse. "So, no one else knows… and we'd like to keep it that way…"
She smiled. "You think I don't know that? I know who you guys are. I don't live under a rock. Plus, I have a 17 year old daughter who’s obsessed with you guys, especially you Mr. Ceballos, your face is on my fridge" they all laughed “So, don’t worry, I understand why you want to keep it a secret, and it’s safe with me”
With that reassurance, Andres reached for his hand. Of course, at that moment, the others came back, arms loaded with mini bags and bars.
"Our little guitarrista is up!" exclaimed Luis, smiling.
"Love the outfit, by the way," said Martin, pointing to the hospital gown.
"Ha… Very funny, guys," Nacho retorted back, "make fun of the crippled."
“You're not crippled, just broken and bruised!"
They all laughed at this. Then, Nacho sighed.
"What's wrong?" Andres asked, almost reaching for his hand again.
"I'm really tired. I was just asleep, but now I want to sleep again."
"Well, you do need your rest," the nurse replied. "Maybe your friends can let you sleep." She looked at the three expectantly.
"We'll be quiet," Missis whispered, "promise."
She smiled, replying, "good! I don't want to hear complaints about reckless boys keeping patients up!" as she walked out of the room.
"I like her," said Luis, laughing, then remembered he was told to be quiet. "She's funny."
"Yeah," Andres said, then looked at Nacho. "We'll let you sleep."
His eyes closed not too soon after that.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
That morning was hectic. Fernando and Franklin had dropped by to see Nacho and discuss what to say to the media and what to do about Nacho for the next month.
"Well, all of the vocals are done, so that's a relief," Fernando said. "And I say we just tell the truth. Nacho was in an accident caused by a drunk driver."
Franklin nodded. "We could start a campaign group against drunk driving. That would get us more appeal." He smiled. "How are you feeling, Nacho?"
He shrugged. "The pain is still there. I'm still tired."
"Well, you can take as big of a break you need. We don't want to push you until you make a full recovery."
They chatted for a bit, then left.
Nacho's mom had been called that morning. She wanted to talk to him, but he was asleep. She really wanted to see her son, but it was too expensive to fly. Mama Ceballos promised to call her every morning and every night for a while.
Andres didn't know if Nacho's dad was informed.
The police came for the final statement. "The woman that hit your vehicle was traveling from a bar. The bar says they kicked her out because she had too many drinks and she was in a bar fight. We don't know where she was going because she no registered house or apartment. In fact, Mrs. Lopez is from Mexico."
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
After all of the visitors left, Nacho fell asleep again. Andres never left his side. Since last night, they hadn't had any alone time, but Andres never left.
*4 weeks later*
"Do you need help?"
"Andres, I can get up by myself," Nacho replied, on the couch. "I've been home for what, a month now?"
Andres smiled. "I know. I just worry about you."
He smiled back. "I know you do. But I can stand up without assistance."
Nacho's arm was in a cast, which was covered in signatures. Andres’ name was the biggest of course. It was his silent way of claiming him.
His ribs still hurt, but he could move a lot more now.
When he did get off of the couch, Andres followed him. Turns out Nacho was going to their bedroom.
Andres shut the door behind them, even though they were in the house alone.
Nacho was already getting dressed for bed.
"Do you have to tease me?" Andres exclaimed, going towards the dresser.
"Don't be so immature," Nacho replied, climbing into his bed.
After Andres got dressed, he joined him. "I'm the immature one?" he asked as he reached for Nacho's good hand.
"Yep," he replied, sticking his tongue out.
"Oh, okay then," Andres stated, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend.
Nacho happily returned it.
They fell asleep facing each other, fingers still intertwined.