Anything But the Ordinary

Roxas huffed angrily and snapped his phone shut. Sora wasn’t answering. He thought for a moment. He knew Riku was at work and didn’t really like to be bothered, but he needed to talk to someone. Flipping his phone back open, he hit speed dial number four to call his third closest friend. Or course, with Axel losing his spot for first, Roxas supposed he was now his second closest friend.

“Hello?” Riku sounded frantic and out of breath.

Roxas hesitated before speaking, “Riku, can I talk?”

“Not now Rox, I gotta go.”

“Waitwaitwait, I really need to talk to somebody.”

“Roxas, I have to go, they’re loading him into the ambulance. I, I gotta go.”

Roxas faltered, “Wha- Who’s in an ambulance?” He asked surprised.

“Sora. He got jumped, Rox. I have to go. We’re going to the memorial hospital on 2nd street. I’ll talk to you later.”

Roxas stood frozen in shock as their phone call was disconnected. A few minutes later and he was still feeling dazed, but managed to once again use his phone. This time speed dial number two.


“Hee. Stop it.” Kairi giggled as Selphie nibbled at the crook of her neck.

“Come on Kai, if you’re gonna tease, you gotta be prepared for the consequences.” The brunette whined.

Kairi just giggled some more. “Nah-uh. That’s why it’s called teasing.” She stuck her tongue out at Selphie.

The brunette quirked an eyebrow, “Ooh, is that a proposition?”

Kairi shot Selphie a confused glance before she realized what her girlfriend meant, “You pervert.” She playfully smacked the other girl in the shoulder.

“Me? You’re the one who-” She stopped short as Kairi’s phone began to ring.

The redhead hopped off the bed, “Hold that thought.”

Selphie flopped back and sighed, “Tell them to go away!”

The redhead giggled as she glanced down at the screen of her phone. “Hey Roxy. What’s up?”

“Kai, Sora’s going to the hospital. We gotta get down there.”

Kairi’s giddiness suddenly disappeared, “What? What happened?”

Selphie noticed the sudden concern in her girlfriend’s voice and wandered out to the living room.

“He got jumped. Look, I’m on my way over, I’ll get you and Selphie. Kay?”

“Oh my God. Is he ok?”

Selphie was now hanging around Kairi’s shoulders trying to figure out what was going on.

“I don’t know. Riku didn’t tell me anything. Just that So got jumped and they were going to the memorial hospital.”

“Kay, well, come get us. We’ll be waiting.”

“Right. I’ll be there in a few.”

“Rox, wait. You alright?”

Roxas paused, “Uh, yeah. I’m just a little shocked.”

“Well, be careful driving, alright?”

“Kay. See ya in a few.”

Kairi slowly flipped her phone shut and turned to face her girlfriend.

“What’s going on?” Selphie asked.

“Uh, that was Roxas. He’s coming to get us. Sora got jumped and he’s being taken to a hospital.”

Selphie shot a hand over her mouth, “Oh my God. Is he bad?”

“We don’t know. Riku didn’t tell Roxas anything.”

Selphie bit at her lip. “Why would someone want to hurt Sora?”

Kairi frowned. “Probably the same reason someone would want to hurt us Selph.”

The brunette sighed then leaned in and wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend.


Roxas glanced down at his phone again. He knew he needed to call him and let him know, but he really didn’t want to talk to him. Taking a deep breath, he pressed speed dial number one.

“Roxas? Hey look, I wanted to expl-”

“Save it Axel, I’m coming to get you and Dem. Sora got jumped and we’re all headed to the hospital.”

“What?”

“He got jumped. I just got off the phone with Kai and Selph. I’m swinging by their place, then grabbing you two.”

Axel was still a bit confused. “A-alright. I guess I’ll see you in a few minutes then.”

“Kay.” Roxas hung the phone up and took another deep breath. He really didn’t want to see Axel right now, but he’d have to put their argument aside for the time being.


“You think he’ll be ok?” Kairi asked as she crawled into the back seat of Roxas’s car.

“I don’t know Kai. We’ll know more when we get there.”

The redhead nodded at her brother and wrapped her arm around Selphie’s shoulder as the brunette climbed in next to her.

“How could someone hurt another person over such a stupid thing?” Kairi asked, her mind refusing to calm.

“People are just afraid of things that are different. Same way someone smashes a spider, I suppose.” Roxas guessed.

“Roxas, Sora’s not a bug.” Selphie chastised.

“I.. I know. I’m not meaning to defend whoever did this. They totally deserve to be shot. I was just saying.”

Kairi scoffed. “Violence to solve violence…”


Demyx crawled into the back next to Selphie who was wrapped all around her girlfriend.

Roxas stared straight ahead as Axel got into the front passenger seat. He closed his door and buckled up. “Roxas… look, it wasn’t wha-”

“I don’t want to talk about this right now Axel. Sora’s hurt and we need to get to him. That’s my only concern right now.” He put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway.

Axel sighed and looked out his window. An awkward silence filled the car the rest of the way to the hospital.


“Excuse us. Um, we’re looking for Sora Lambert. I guess he got jumped and he was brought here about twenty minutes ago.” Roxas fidgeted with a pen on the receptionist’s desk.

“Just a minute hun. Let me see.” She typed something into her computer. “Oh…” Everyone tensed. “He’s in surgery right now. If you’d like to have a seat in the waiting room down the hall, the surgeon will speak with you when he’s done. I believe Sora already has a friend in there.”

After receiving some directions from the receptionist, the group made their way to the waiting room. They stopped in the doorway, finding Riku sitting in a corner by himself, his head buried in his hands.

“Riku?” Roxas asked hesitantly.

The silver haired boy’s head shot up in their direction, his expression melting from surprise to pain. He rushed over to the blonde, throwing his arms around his neck. Roxas rubbed his back in a comforting manner as Riku sobbed into his shoulder.

“They don’t know if he’s gonna be ok.” He managed to choke out.

Roxas guided his friend over to a chair, the rest of the group following. Once they were all seated, the blonde asked, “What happened Riku?”

The older boy stared at the floor shaking his head. “I don’t know. I… I went to take a break outside, and I heard someone yelling my name. I went to the parking lot and saw two men standing over Sora. Well, I didn’t know it was Sora at first. I thought maybe someone had like passed out or something. So I ran to help them, but they took off. That’s when I realized it was Sora and those two assholes had been beating him. Dammit!” He hid his face in his hands once again. “I’ve told him hundreds of times that the club’s in a bad part of town. I don’t know what he was doing there. Well, I mean, obviously he was coming to see me. My God, what if he dies? It’ll be all my fault. If I worked somewhere better, this would never have happened. It’s all my fucking fault.”

Roxas placed a hand on Riku’s shoulder. “It is not your fault Riku. Don’t even say that. It’s those intolerant bastards' fault. God, I wish I could kick their asses right now.” The blonde clenched his fist tightly.

Kairi cut in. “So, did they say what’s wrong with him yet? Why’s he in surgery?”

Riku glanced up at her, “I don’t know Kai. They just said… they said it’s bad.”

The redheaded girl frowned, “Riku, stop beating yourself up. You didn’t do anything.”

“Exactly!” He threw his hands up as he slumped back in his seat. “I did nothing. I was fuckin’ dancing around like a jackass while my boyfriend was getting the living shit beat out of him.” Tears began to form at the corners of his eyes and he sounded as though he were going to hyperventilate.

“Riku,” Axel spoke up, “would you chill? You were at work. You thought Sora was at home. Hell, we all thought Sora was at home. If any of had known he was going to the club by himself, we would have gone with him. If you’re at fault, then we’re all just as guilty.”

Riku sighed, “I just… I just don’t know what I’ll do if I lose him.”

Roxas pulled Riku close to him. “You’re not gonna lose him. We’re not gonna lose him. Sora might seem weak to an outsider, but we know he’s strong. He’s feisty; he’s not going out that easy.”

Riku let a little sideways smile pull at his lips. “He can be kind of fiery at times.”

“Um, friends of Sora Lambert?”

Six heads turned to the doctor standing in the doorway who was looking around the room for Sora’s friends.

“Over here.” Demyx waved him over.

The doctor shook hands with everyone. “Um, I’m Dr. Vexen Rimell. I just finished up with Sora, and while he’s not out of the dark yet, we have got him stabilized. He was pretty bad. He sustained a fractured skull, broken jaw, three broken ribs which punctured his left lung, a fractured hip, a broken wrist and quite a few bruises and lacerations.”

Riku cringed and Roxas leaned over and squeezed his hand.

“Is he gonna be ok?” Riku asked hesitantly.

Dr. Rimell sighed, “I can’t really say anything for certain yet, but as far as I can see, he’s doing ok. We’ll keep a close eye on him, but honestly, it looks like he’s a fighter.”

Riku brightened up a bit at this.

“Can we see him?” Kairi asked.

“No, I’m afraid not. He’s in intensive care at the moment. Once he’s been downgraded, then you’ll be able to visit.”

Riku squeezed Roxas’s hand back. “Please, I need to see him. Please.”

“I’m sorry. If you were family, I might consider it, but right now Sora just needs some rest.”

“But I am family!” Riku argued.

“Oh, I thought the nurse said only his friends were in here. You his brother?”

“No.” Riku hesitated. “I… I’m his boyfriend.”

A look of understanding flashed across the doctor’s face. “So that’s why he was… ok. I’ll let you see him, but the rest of you will have to wait. I’m sorry.”

They all nodded as Riku got up to follow the surgeon.


Riku cautiously entered the room as Dr. Rimell held the door open for him. “Try not to touch him too much, he’s still in a delicate state.”

The silver haired boy nodded as he approached the bed.

Sora lay quietly, his usually spiky hair, now fallen around his face. It made him look very feminine, but also sort of angelic. A purple haze circled his right eye. Three stitches held closed a gash in his upper lip. A mask was covering his face and funneling oxygen to him. Wires snaked out from under his gown. A heart monitor on the other side of the bed quietly kept time with Sora’s heart beat. Near that an IV dripped a clear liquid down a hose into the back of the brunette’s hand. Riku slowly drew closer, fighting desperately not to cry.

“Hey baby. God, look what they did to you.” He squeezed his eyes tightly and shook his head. He could do this. “So, hun, I don’t know if you can here me, but I’m here. I love you Sora. You can’t give up on me, ok? I… I need you here with me. Everyone thinks I’m the tough one, but I’m only tough ‘cause I’ve got you. If you leave me… I’ll fall apart. Before I met you, I was so lost. It didn’t seem like it, but that’s because I didn’t know I was. I didn’t know what I was missing until I found you. So don’t you dare think you can leave me So. Ok?”

Riku bit at his bottom lip as he carefully took his boyfriend’s hand in his. He caressed it gently and stared worriedly at Sora’s sleeping face. “I love you Sora. I love you so much.” He leaned down and kissed Sora’s forehead. Riku spent the next several minutes just holding the brunette’s hand and taking in every bit of him.

A half hour later, the door to the room creaked open. “Riku. I’m sorry, but it’s getting late and you’re gonna have to go. You can see him again tomorrow.” Dr. Rimell waited in the doorway.

Riku nodded to him then turned back to his boyfriend. “I’ve gotta go now So, but I’ll be back tomorrow. I promise. I love you baby.” He kissed the younger boy’s hand, then laid it gently across his stomach. He took one last look before turning away and following the doctor out of the room.