Beta Complex-Chapter 61: Someone Call An Ambulance!

Ethan’s phone vibrates in his pocket and he quickly pulls it out. However when he glances down at the notification, he deflates and blows out a breath. He texted Zander as soon as he came home last night from the fashion show. He thought about calling him, but felt to ashamed to do even that. The alpha still hasn’t looked at his message.

Pushing him out of his mind, Ethan puts his phone away, grabs the strap of his backpack and walks into the convenience store. Beck stands at the front counter, his uncle behind the register.

"Are you ready to go?" Ethan asks Beck and lifts his hand to give the older man a wave. He doesn’t know him very well, other than he’s quiet and keeps to himself. He often visits the restaurant during the weekends when he doesn’t feel like cooking for himself.

Beck hauls his bag over his shoulder, says goodbye to his uncle, and together they walk out. Mid terms are over and summer break has started. Ethan now has two months to get his brain in order before his classes start up. It’s nerve wracking thinking about it.

"Leo’s not coming?" Beck asks when he notices that the blond omega isn’t waiting outside.

Ethan shakes his head, the two of them walking down the street towards the bus stop. Maybe Ethan can talk his mom into getting them a car, it’d be more convenient. "He’s spending his time with Max."

"Max?" Beck asks with furrowed brows. They pause at the corner where the walking sign is red. "Who is that?"

"Ah," The walking sign turns green and Ethan crosses the street, his gaze staring ahead. "His boyfriend."

"Damn, you’re the only single one now, then." Beck chuckles. "Have I told you about my girlfriend? She’s so cute," The beta goes on about the girl he’s been smitten with since the start of the school year. Ethan drowns most of it out, his thoughts wandering back to the dominant alpha. Is he really going to cut Ethan out without him apologizing? He bites his lower lip, does he even have the right to be upset about it when he was the one who did it first?

There’s a sudden large screech and a car on the street swerves. Ethan turns back to look when there’s a loud boom as the black vehicle collides with the next car over. Ethan stares with wide eyes as it flips over, barreling towards them too fast for him to think about what just happened. On instinct, Ethan ducks, his heart racing. He jostles as the giant machine hits him. The world spins and his ears begin to ring.

"Ethan!" Beck’s voice sounds distant and muffled, like there’s a thick curtain separating them. He feels something wet against his head, causing his brown hair to stick against his skin. Did it start raining? Wasn’t it just sunny out a few moments ago?

He goes to lift his hand to his head as a splitting headache forms, but his body doesn’t move like he wants it to. Why can’t he move? He blinks, his vision growing blurry and his thoughts sluggish.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Hands cradle the back of his head and he squints up at Beck’s face. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"What?" The word comes out as a croak and he winces when his head pulses. Then he passes out.

***

The constant and steady beeping of a machine is what wakes Ethan up. He groans, his head throbbing with pain at the base of his skull. He goes to rub the spot but finds that he can move his arm. He opens his eyes but cringes at the blinding light above him. What the hell happened?

"Oh, my baby!" Someone squeezes his hand and he winces at the sharp pain that shoots down his wrist. He squints up at his mother as she hovers over him, her cheeks stained with tears. Her greying brown hair is a mess on her head, her eyes lined with dark circles. She looks like a mess. "You’re awake." She breathes. She sniffles loudly and turns her head to shout, "He’s awake!"

Her voice rings in his ear and he winces. Why does everything hurt so badly?

"Ma’am," a deep and unfamiliar voice says. "Please lower your voice. There are other patients."

"Oh, yes I’m sorry. I’m sorry." She says half heartedly, her head nodding along with her words. She returns her attention to Ethan, who takes in the ceiling of the hospital room. "Ethan, can you hear me?"

"Like nails on a chalk board." Ethan mutters. He reaches up to scratch at his neck but finds something blocking his way. He attempts to look down at what it could possibly be, but finds that he can’t move his head either. "What happened?" Why is he at the hospital?

"No, don’t touch it." Roxanne grabs his other hand, the one that’s not in a cast, when he lifts it up. She squeezes tightly and Ethan groans. "The doctor-"

"Mr. Ethan Reed," The doctor cuts her off. He glances up from the clipboard in his hand and forces a tired smile. He looks just as tired as his mother, if not more so. His hair is white with age, and the wrinkles near his eyes are prominent. His dark skin looks a little ashen, and Ethan thinks he could sleep on the floor if he really wanted too. "You’re lucky." He looks back down at his clipboard as he comes to stand beside the betas gurney. "Any further to the left and your head would have been severed from your body."

Ethan chokes on his own spit, the movement causing pain to bloom in every part of his body. What the hell? A cast is wrapped around his neck, along with his right arm, and when he wiggles his fingers, it hurts.

"What happened?" He rasps out, his voice hoarse and quiet.

"A car accident." The doctor answers. He taps the tip of his pen against the wooden board, "The driver died on impact, not that it concerns you."