Falling

Chapter 15

Clary and Simon were sitting on the couch in the living room of the apartment. Some movie was on. Clary chose it. Simon wasn't really paying attention. He was thinking about Jace.
"Simon?" Clary waved her hand in front of his face. "Seriously. I thought that being with Jace would help with your attention span."
"What? Clary my attention span is fine," Simon argued.
"Then why are you spaced out?" Clary asked.
"I was thinking about Jace," Simon started.
"You always are," she sighed. "What's wrong with Jace?"
"He's been acting weird. And, every time I ask if he's okay, he says he is. But, I know he's not. Do you know what's wrong with him?" Simon asked. "Is it because Sebastian is out?"
     "Simon..." Clary sighed.
     "Don't 'Simon' me," Simon said. "I want the truth... The day Sebastian got out. He acted really weird. He took me on this really long trip to the Ice Cream Shoppe and said he wanted to get a cat, but then he was just joking. He talked to you. What is going on?"
      "Simon," Clary said again. "Jace is.."
      "Going through a lot?" An unfamiliar voice asked. Simon turned. "As it's expected. 'Sebastian' is an awful man. Vengeful. Satanic even."
      "Why did you put quotations around his name?" Simon asked.
      "Sebastian isn't his real name," The guy shrugged. "His real name is Jonathan... Jonathan Christopher Morgernstern."
      "But that's Jace's name..."
     "Funny isn't it?" The man laughed. "Clarissa you haven't said anything in a moment. What's wrong?"
      "Who are you?" Simon asked. "How do you know Clary and Jace. And Sebastian?"
      "Funny you should ask... Clary tell him? Or should I?" The man asked. Clary said nothing. She was tense.
      "Clary?" Simon asked.
      "Simon. Please," Clary said.
      "Who is he?" Simon asked.
       "Well Simon Lewis, please allow me. You see I play a very important role in Jace's life as well as Clarissa's. You see we share one common ground... As children we loved to play around. And as we got older things got more fun to play around with. We played rougher. Our parents... There were two sides. One being against the rough play. Guess who that one was. The other loved it. My father. Valentine Morgernstern. Also Jace's father, not biologically. Close enough. And also Clarissa's father. We worked together for a while. Did deals and what not. Jace. He's was the best at what he did... He tortured. Clary, lured them in and sold products well. I hire, made and shipped. I torture. I think I'm quite good at it.... So Simon. Meet your best friend and boyfriends brother. I'm Jonathon Morgernstern, but my friends... They call me Sebastian," he introduced.
   "Why are you here?" Simon gripped his hands into balls and tried not show the mix of confusion and hurt.
    "Why am I here? Well that's a funny story really. I'm here because your dearest boyfriend betrayed me. And that hurts as I'm sure you know now. Trust is a real issue these days right? Don't you wish they would've told you this? They kept it from you. Conspired to as well. What do you think they were talking about the other day?" Sebastian asked.
    "Clary?" Simon looked at his best friend. She had tears brimming her eyes. "It's true? You have been lying to me?"
    "Simon it was to protect you," Clary said. "And I didn't want you to look at me different." Simon looked baffled. "Simon... This is what he does. He is trying to mess with your mind. Don't let him."
      "You lied to me. Both of you. Were you ever going to tell me? All of the times freshman year.... You were working with him? And your fathers a killer, drug dealer?" Simon looked at her. "I.." He couldn't bring himself to finish. He always thought he knew what they were doing. Freshman year, when they would go out for hours and he wouldn't hear from Clary until the next day. When Jace and Clary spoke privately. He thought that there wasn't going to be anymore lies.
     "Simon please," Clary said. "Let me explain everything to you."
    "Simon, how can she explain anything to you? She's already lied hasn't she?" Sebastian leaned against the wall. "Little Sister, don't lead him on like that. I will tell you everything, if you come with me."
    "Simon," Clary glared at Sebastian and found the strength to speak. "Don't talk to him. Don't listen to him. Please. Just look at me. I will tell you now. I will explain everything. Please let me."
     "No. I can't... I can't deal with this right now," Simon said getting up and quickly leaving. Sebastian tsked as he left.
     "A shame what the truth can do," he sighed and Clary gave him a look. "Now, now sister. Wouldn't want to get frown lines, would you? And if you want to see that boy alive again... I suggest you listen to what I have to say." He smiled at her, showing his perfect teeth.
   Simon got into his car slamming the door. He pulled out of the garage and sped out. He wiped his face. He was so mad. He ignored his phone that was going off. Texts coming in.  No doubt that it's Jace. Who knows, if he knows, that Simon knows. He screamed. People near him probably thinking he's crazy. He didn't know where he was going. God he didn't want to know.
   He was stopped at a red light and he looked around. The passing people. The lights of other cars. The children in passing by cars. Some crying and others playing with some toy that was hidden by the car door. The sky was almost completely dark. The light turned green and he began to drive. His phone rang and he opened it. Another car started at him and he seen lights coming. And for a moment he thought of that Hilary Duff movie, where her brother dies.
   Jace got a text from Clary saying to meet her at the park immediately. He sighed and got up from the lunch he was at with his friends. He told them he had something come up. He threw down some money for his food and tip as he left.
   As he began to see Clary in the distance he noticed a familiar figure. Sebastian. He rolled his eyes as he grew closer.
   "What are you doing here?" Jace asked. "Clary why is he here? I thought you were with Simon today? Were you crying?"
     "Brother," Sebastian said. "It's so nice to see you again... I understand that you and Simon are a couple now. Congratulations. I wish I was there to celebrate with you. But, unfortunately, I was incarcerated. And for that. I know you did it. Dear brother, I thought we were closer than that. So in exchange of you throwing me away. I told your boyfriend everything. And now he's gone. Funny how things work huh?"
   "Gone? What are you taking about?" Jace asked, you could see the fear behind his eyes.
    "Is that fear?" Sebastian smirked. "I thought you were a brick wall? Soft?"
     "Where is Simon?" Jace asked, poison laced in his voice and his eyes becoming dark.
     "Oh you'll get a call soon enough. Everyone pays a price," Sebastian said. "So think before you try to pull a trick like that again. There can be way worse consequences then what I have done today. I hope all goes well for you all."
   "Clary? What did he do? What did he  ask you to do?" Jace asked.
     "Jace I'm so sorry," Clary shook her head. "It's my fault. It is. He got into the apartment. I don't know how. But, he hates me now," Clary cried. "Simon hates me."
     "He doesn't hate you," Jace said. "Do you know where he was going?"
     "No... Sebastian... He said that he if I wanted to see Simon alive I would help him with another deal. He has someone following Simon," Clary said.
      "It's okay... We can do this," Jace said. He pulled out his phone and texted Simon and he tried calling. He got no answer. "Where's Izzy? And Alec?"
     "At home," Clary said.
     "Okay. We will go there. We will see if Simon messaged any of them. We know Alec and Simon have been getting along pretty well lately," Jace sighed. She nodded and they went to the Lightwoods.
    "Guys? Is everything okay?" Isabelle asked. "Clary? What's wrong?" Clary explained to Isabelle what happened. "Oh my god... Simon... I haven't heard from him."
    "Alec?" Jace looked at his older brother.
     "He texted me earlier," Alec said. "Said he wanted to take me to this music store he knows about. And then after that he said that something happened and he couldn't make it. I asked him what, but he didn't text me back. But, he read it."
    "Where are Maryse and Robert?" Jace asked.
     "Dads at work," Isabelle said. "Moms working on a case."
"Should we tell them about this?" Clary asked.
"We have to," Alec said. "There is no choice. He is potentially threatening Simon's life. He broke into your apartment. And he's dealing again."
"We can't tell them," Jace pleaded. "They... They would look at me different."
"Jace. It doesn't matter," Isabelle said. "He's hurting people. And we don't have much authority to do anything about it."
"There minds are not going to care about anything, but me being raised with Valentine and Jonathan. They aren't..." Jace was cut off by his phone ringing. He looked at the Caller ID. Robert. He sighed answering it. "Hello?"
"Jace," Robert sounded relieved. "Where are you?"
"At your house," Jace said. "Why?"
"We just got a call in," Robert started. "A car accident... The driver was identified as Simon... He has to be air flighted and immediately put into surgery. They said there was two people being brought in. I wanted to make sure you were alright."
    "Wait... Simon was in an accident?" Jace asked. "Where?"
     "I'm not sure, but he will be here very soon and I think that you should get here," Robert explained. "From the sounds of it. It's not good."
    "Thanks Robert... I will be there," Jace said. The three looked at him. "Simon was in a car accident and he had to be life flighted."
    "Oh my god," Clary said. "We have to go... Jace?"
     "Yeah," he nodded. "Let's go."
     "We're going to," Izzy said. "He's my girlfriends best friend and he's my friend."
      "He's my friend too," Alec nodded. "And my brothers boyfriend."
       "We don't know that yet..." Jace sighed. "He might've changed his mind."
     "Jace," Alec sighed as he pulled his shoes on and they went to the car. "He loves you. That's not going to change."
     "We'll see," Jace sighed rubbing his face.
    They went to the hospital and Robert met them in the front. He had no emotion on his face as they approached him. People were going in slow motion around them. Everything seemed to show signs of something bad.
    "Where's Simon?" Jace asked.
    "He's still in surgery," Robert said. "He is pretty beaten up. They had to cut him out of the car. The person driving the other car was fine. He was checked out and police questioned him. He's gone now."
    "The other driver is fine?" Clary asked. "What was his name?"
      "I'm not at liberty to say," Robert said. "Really it's against the law... But, I think you should know that he had helped get Simon out." 
     "What's wrong with Simon?" Alec asked. "Why is he in surgery?"
     "The side impact. Being hit head on, he was pushed in two different directions. He hit his head off the airbag and the side of the car. Glass was lodged into his skin. There is also concussion," Robert explained. "I haven't heard anything else."
    "You aren't his doctor?" Isabelle asked.
    "He can't be," Alec said. "He has relations with Simon. It would be unethical. It's almost against the law."
     "Alec is correct," Robert nodded. "It wouldn't be right for me to be Mr Lewis' doctor. It could cloud my judgement."
     "Right... Well if you hear anything," Jace sighed.
     "Of course," Robert nodded walking away.
     "Jace," Clary said. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."
     "It's not your fault," Jace said. "It's mine... God, I knew Sebastian was coming... I knew he was after me. I... Kept those things from him."
     "You didn't know that he would do this," Alec comforted. "You couldn't have done anything about it."
     "Yes. I could have," Jace said. "I could've told him the truth to begin with... Everything. And I shouldn't have left him alone when I knew Sebastian was out. He always finds out where we are. I knew that there is no way to get out."
    "We will get through this," Izzy promised. She gave her older brother a look. Alec sighed, but agreed. "You should call his parents." Jace nodded and grabbed his phone.
    "If anything happens... I'm right down the hall," Jace said. "Scream. Or do whatever to get my attention."
     "We will," Alec nodded. Jace walked away pulling the phone to his ear. "I texted Magnus. He should be here soon... Things are pretty serious. With that much trauma... Simon could be looking at a lot of injuries. A few broken bones in his arms, being the best. He could face paralysis, loss of hearing, loss of sight depending on certain aspects, shattered collarbone, internal bleeding, his concussion could be extremely serious. It could mess with a lot of his bodily functions. Memory, Movement, thinking process. It could have long term effects." Isabelle gave him a hard look.
   "How do you know this?" Clary asked.
   "I know medical students. And I've read some of dads books," Alec said. "I've also seen news related stories. I also googled."
    "Makes sense," Izzy sighed. "God, but this sucks. Poor Simon." Clary looked down at her hands. "Clary it's not your fault."
    "It's really not," Alec added. "You didn't drive that car. You didn't put him in the car. And you didn't make Sebastian do anything."
    "My love," Isabelle said. "Stop blaming yourself for something you can not control."
    "Biscuit," Magnus' voice called from the end of the hallway. "How are you? How are things with Simon?" He pulled her into a hug.
     "He's in surgery," Clary said."He has so many things wrong with him... We don't know the half of it..."
     "Simon is strong," Magnus said. "He can get through this."
    "I hope so," Clary wiped her face.
   Jace returned and sat in one of the chairs. They waited for Simon to get out of the emergency room. It felt like years. Simon's family had met them in the waiting room. His mom was a mess. She prayed and prayed. Robert had no word of anything that was going on. Eventually Maryse called and asked where everyone had went and Alec had to explain to her what had happened as well. Jocelyn met them later. Right before the doctor came out with an update.
   "Simon Lewis?" The doctor asked. Everyone stood up. "Family?" His parents stepped forwards.
    "Jace," Elaine said. "You should come to."
    "Can we take a step away for a moment? I would like to do this more privately," The doctor asked and they followed him down the hall a bit. "Mr Lewis, the impact of the car was very severe. He has a broken collarbone, we had to place pins in his legs. He had a lot of trauma in his head and we is suffering from a severe concussion. Once he wakes up, we may hit a few obstacles. There is a possibility of memory loss. But, we will not know for sure until he wakes up. Also, there were multiple lacerations upon his face, arms, and torso. He is the recovery room, we ask that only two go in at a time."