The Secrets Within Ourselves (KLANCE)

36: Conversations By A Hospital Bed

Song Of The Chapter:
Carry On My Wayward Son (Lullaby Version)

Lance walked toward the hospital, checking behind him every now and then to make sure nobody was following him. He was still in slight shock after seeing Mr. Z at the police station.
What were the odds of that even happening?!
Lance laughed.
He swore he had some sort of bad luck curse.

Lance put hospitals on his second least liked place. Hospitals always asked for excessive information, and charged a lot for unnecessary reasons. But, of course, there he was, pushing open the metal doors and walking up to the front desk.
"Excuse me?"
"Ah, yes, how can I help you?"
"I was wondering where my mother was being kept? Her name is Maria McClain."
The woman at the desk took a moment to search the name, before pointing to the elevator.
"Fourth floor, room 420. Do you have your ID?"
Lance nodded, pulling it out to show her.
She nodded. "Go ahead."
He didn't need to be told twice.

Lance sprinted to the elevator, almost knocking over an elderly woman in the process. Once he was inside, he pressed the button repeatedly, as if it would speed up the process.
"You're in a hurry."
Lance nearly jumped out of his skin, realizing there was someone standing in the far corner of the elevator.
"Oh, uh yeah... I want to see my mom. Make sure she's okay."
The young girl nodded, and Lance noted that she looked like some sort of volunteer.
But-
He looked at the badge that said her name.
Shay.
Lance's eyebrows furrowed and he looked back up to her.
"You don't happen to know Hunk Garret, do you?"
The girl looked taken aback.
"Wh- Yeah, he's my boyfriend... How did you know?"
Lance smiled. "I'm Lance, his best friend."
Shay's eyes lit up. "Oooh so you're Lance! Hunk talks about you fairly often! I'm glad to finally meet you..." she paused before adding in a softer voice, "...though under sad circumstances."
The brunette smiled down at the ground. "Yeah."
"How'd you know I was Hunk's girlfriend?"
Lance shrugged. "I knew your name and that your family owned the hospital, so it's a pretty easy lead from there."
Shay chuckled lightly. "I guess so."

They parted after Shay had to go to a different level. Lance was fine with that, finding his way down to his mother's room on his own. He passed rooms with beeping machines, kids coughing, adults talking.
When he finally reached the room, he stopped, hesitating as he reached for the handle.
Would she be happy to see him?
Would she be mad? Disappointed?
Would she even want to see the face of her wayward son again?
A deep breath in and he opened the door.

His mother was sitting upright on the bed, looking out the window. There was a tray of food sitting in front of her, though it lay untouched. The sound of Lance's arrival had her turning, eyes widening at the sight of her son.
"Lance?!"
The boy smiled, walking over and hugging her.
"Hi mama...."
Sniffles were heard as Lance held his mother in his arms, his doubts vanishing.
"Oh, Lance..... I was so worried about you..."
Lance leaned back, tears gathering in his eyes.
"You worried about me? Mama, I thought you died! I thought I would never see you again!"
His mother cupped his cheeks in her hands, and Lance found comfort in the soft, wrinkled skin brushing against his cheeks in effort to wipe his tears away.
"Oh no, Cariño. I would not dare even think of dying without saying goodbye. I love you too much."
Lance found himself being pulled back into her embrace. He should be worried about if she was suffering any injuries that might be at risk, but at the moment all that mattered was the moment.

It felt as if he hadn't been held by his mother in a very long time.

"I was so worried about you.... You had to face your father all on your own. It must have been so terrible for you to experience something like that."
"I wasn't fully alone," Lance said quietly. "Slate was there to help me out. But..." He sniffed, guilt still lingering in his chest.
"I--I killed father. He's gone..."

Lance waited for his mom to pull away.
For her to get upset in some absurd way.
But the reaction didn't come.
And it didn't come.
Instead, she patted his head.
"I'm proud."
Lance looked up to her, slightly surprised at such a comment.
"He deserved it," she continued, though her eyes were distant, as if she was viewing something from a past memory.
"He deserved it," she repeated, concluding her sentence.
All Lance could do was nod.

They sat with each other for a long while.
Talked.
Lance finally convinced his mom to eat something.
They talked more, about Veronica and Luis and their situation. They talked about Keith. Friends. School. Anything but his father and his gang.
Lance was relieved, to say the least.
He was happy to see his mother looked fine, besides a broken ankle and some scrapes and bruises, and two spots that needed to be stitched shut.

It could have been worse.

They were sitting next to each other, Lance's head rested on his mother's shoulder, when she spoke softly, with such a deep amount of emotion it almost physically pained Lance.
"I'm happy you're alive, Lance."
Lance smiled faintly, listening as she continued.
"I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Any of you. And if I'm being completely honest, I'm so tired of you fighting and getting into trouble for the sake of our family."
Lance frowned slightly. "I want to support the family," he said in a murmur.
His mother took his hands.
"Lance, listen to me."
He looked up to her face, surprised to see her tearing up again.
"Your father is gone. You don't need to continue being the person he was so set on having you be."
She paused, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks.
"I couldn't handle knowing my son was so often going into dangerous situations that might leave him dead or in jail."
She wiped her eyes.
"I was torn apart by the way your father treated you... and yet I did nothing... I am so sorry."
Lance's stared forward, eyes beginning to water as well as he processed the new information.
She braced her hands on his shoulders, leaning back to view his face. A delicate hand brushed against a pale scar on his cheek.
"No more fighting...." she murmured, sounding choked. "No more robbing banks. I want you to promise me that you won't..."
She pulled him slowly into her embrace, cupping the back of his head with her hand.
"You can finally rest. You don't need to live in fear of your father any longer."
Lance's brows furrowed, and he cried.
He cried like it was the first time he had ever cried, emotions spilling out of him in the form of teardrops.

"You can finally be at peace...."

They didn't notice the door click shut behind them, or the figure of a man walking back down the hallway, going back to make a report. All they were focused on comforting each other the best they could.

"I've located his whereabouts, and I believe it is the person you have been looking for."

Lance closed his eyes, hoping he could believe that he was finally safe.

"Are you certain it is him?"

But even if the threat of his father was gone, there were still others lurking, waiting.

"Positive."

And even if he wanted to promise his mother he would stop all the fighting and bloodshed, he knew that it was something that could not be guaranteed.

"Then be ready to intercept the moment he leaves the building."

And thinking about it, Lance knew part of him would always be living that kind of life. But, he wanted to make it right. He wanted to do it for a good cause.

For once, let him finally be a good guy. Let him be the good guy. And maybe, just maybe, a hero.

"Affirmative."

A/N:
Sorry mum, you spoke too soon.
Aayyyy Shay is in the story.
I wonder who was spying on them.....
(Am I evil? I'm SoRrY.)

ALSO I AM SORRY I HAD TO MAKE THE ROOM NUMBER 420 IM SO IMMATURE.

HEY PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS: Do you want an angsty or happy ending? It's gonna be a bit of a cliffhanger anyways since I plan to make a second book bUT HELP PLS AND THANKS. DROP A COMMENT ABOUT YOUR PREFERENCE, ITS SUPER HELPFUL *^* ♡

Thanks for reading! ♡