He Likes Boys//It (2017)

t w e n t y f o u r

Chapter Twenty Four:

"Are you sure we're aloud to be here without adult supervision?" Stan whispered to Hom. The pink lady at the desk looked up from the magazine she was reading and stared at them. Stan felt more uneasy.

Hom nodded. "Just relax." He whispered quietly, draping a hand over Stan's shoulders. "Everything's going to be fine." He reassured.

Stan caught sight of the pink lady at the desk looking over at them and immediately pulled away from Hom's clutches. Although he wanted to be with Hom, he knew that gossip spread fast in a small town like Derry, and if they did things like that out in public, it was almost certain that all the suburban moms would be gossiping about 'the two homosexual children' left and right.

The two walked up tp the desk. The pink lady looked up at them, popping the bubble gum bubble she'd been making. "What's your problem?" She asked.

Stan pointed to his neck. The lady leaned over the desk, examining it.

"You don't need the doctor for that. Just put some ointment on it." She pointed out, obviously being more intelligent than a couple of fourteen year olds.

"Are you sure?" Stan asked hoarsely.

When she heard the sound of his voice, her eyes widened, she gabbed his chin, turning his face towards the ceiling to get a better look at it.

"Jesus Christ kid. What the hell happened to you." The piece of bubble gum nearly fell from her mouth as it gaped open.

She let go of Stan, feeling for the buzzer on the side of her desk. She buzzed the doctor, letting him know that there would be new patients soon. There wasn't very much going on in the Derry for the most part during the day. Usually, the ambulances tended to bring in more dead than injured, with all the children, but this boy was an exception.

Stan and Hom followed the pink lady nervously to the doctors room. His throat was still aching, and he wheezed slightly as he breathed.

Hom looked at Stan with concern, the marks on his neck only seemed to be getting worse by the second. It was a reminder of just how dangerous the creature could be. It was a reminder that this thing was actually out there killing kids like them all the time, and that Stan would have been nothing more than a small evening snack for the monster plaguing Derry.

Hom didn't want to think about it. He shook his head, attempting to get the image out of his mind. He thought of what would have happened if the losers club hadn't arrived just in time, of if It had grabbed his throat just early enough so that Stan couldn't had gotten out that scream.

He imagined Stan being torn to bloody pieces, his insides splayed out in the grass by the forest.

Then he looked up at Stan, who, although injured, was still perfectly alive and began to relax again.

The pink lady drew back the curtain, revealing a white bed.

"Wait here." She instructed. "The doctor will be seeing you shortly."

Stan sat down on the bed, and Hom stood beside him. The pink lady turned to Hom. "You're aloud to stay, just make sure you don't get in the way of anything." Hom nodded. He was certain that if he had been any younger looking or if Stan had been accompanied by an adult he would have to wait outside, but he was grateful to be allowed to stay with Stan in the waiting room.

"Are you okay?" He looked at Stan, who nodded, and then looked down at Stan's neck.

"Does it hurt to move?" Hom asked.

"A little bit." Stan replied quietly.

"I'm sorry." Hom didn't want to cause him any pain. "Just don't try to talk, okay?"

Stan gave no response, as were Hom's instructions. It really didn't hurt if he didn't actually do anything to it, but he couldn't help wincing as he nodded and talked. It must have somehow damaged his throat when he was choking him.

Stan thought of what lies he could tell the doctor. Surely he couldn't really tell the doctor what had actually happened. He'd think Stan was insane. And besides, the lie he made up to tell his parents later wasn't too far from the truth.

Stan would just say that Henry Bowers had done it.

The doctor came into the room, slamming the door behind him and glaring at them. He looked fairly young, as well as fairly upset, as though their visit to the hospital had interrupted something very important for him. If that was the case, Stan hoped that the man wasn't too harsh, and that he didn't hate him. That was the last thing he needed right now.

"What's wrong with you?" The doctor snarled, putting his hands on his hips. He looked like a typical high school mean girl. Stan nearly expected him to be wearing lipstick and a wig.

He gestured to his throat and the doctor leaned in for a closer look.

"A bully at school started trying to choke him." Hom explained for Stan. "He took it top far. Stan passed out by the time I got to him."

The doctor looked at Hom, in his typical geek wear. Both boys looked like the average scrawny nerd. Easy to beat up.

It was a believe able enough story.