56 56- Still Alive
Scott stepped back into the waiting room after collecting himself once more. The police officer was just finishing up with his questions, and though Michael was still visibly upset, he didn't appear anywhere near having a breakdown like earlier. Scott waiting for them to finish before he returned to his seat.
"Sir, do you have any connections to this incident?" The offer asked Scott.
Scott ran his fingers through his hair. "No, I don't. I'm just the victim's fiance. I was home when I was notified of what happened."
"Did you learn anything?" Michael asked desperately.
"He's alive." Scott leaned back in the chair with a weary sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The injuries were extensive and severe, but he's alive. He's going to be a rough sight, so make sure to brace yourself. I'm not sure if he'll be conscious or not when we can finally see him, but the last thing he'll need right now is over excitement."
He pointedly looked at the police officer. Sure, Scott wanted justice for Ryan. He wanted it swift and hard, but he wanted Ryan's mental state cared for as well.
Thankfully, the officer got the hint. He wrote the case number on a piece of paper and gave it to Scott, saying, "Please notify the station once the victim is suitability able to be interviewed and we'll send an officer at once."
With that, the police officer got up and left, leaving Scott and Michael alone again. Michael started asking questions about how bad Ryan was injured, and what he was likely to look like, trying to steel himself for that first glance of his friend in a hospital bed.
As they continued waiting, the conversation turned to questions like how Scott knew Dr. Benri, and what kinds of things he did when the hospital needed his help. It was a good distraction. Two more groups had come to the waiting room in the meantime.
The sun was nearly up before an aide came out of the ward's door calling, "Family of Ryan Neel?"
Both of them were up like a shot, and followed the aide anxiously. Down the hall, to the elevators, up three floors, and over a catwalk they went, heartbeats drumming in their ears. They finally made it to the orthopedic ward, and more importantly, to Ryan's room.
"The anesthesia should be mostly worn off by now," the aide advised. "He's on morphine, so he'll be a little talkative. Don't let him get too worked up."
With that, the door was pushed open and they were allowed inside the dim room. Scott was right that it wasn't going to be a pretty sight. Steady beeps came from the machines measuring Ryan's heart rate and breathing. Nearly every limb was held in traction, the support bars overshadowing the bed like a cage. Most of his body was covered by a sheet, but Scott knew underneath it Ryan's chest was bound tight and his left shoulder was probably immobilized against his body. An ice pack was placed over it on top of the blanket. Ryan's head was supported with a neck brace, and was heavily bandaged. The oxygen mask completed the picture.
Michael couldn't take it. He very quickly darted out the door and stood just outside of it, trembling, fist stuffed in his mouth to try and keep from crying again. He pulled his borrowed hospital blanket up over his head.
Scott wasted no time getting to his fiance's bedside. He stooped over Ryan, brushing his fingers delicately against the exposed skin on Ryan's face, smiling tenderly as he tried to keep from crying himself.
Ryan was indeed awake, maybe still a little drowsy, but it was easy to tell he returned Scott's smile through the condensation in his oxygen mask.
"Cuddle Bug!" He croaked, voice scratchy. He tried to reach out and touch Scott, only to be very surprised his right arm was immobilized elbow to wrist, and was currently suspended in the air.
"Shhh... You're okay, don't move," Scott soothed as Ryan panicked a little, limbs swinging on their supports, the heart rate monitor beeps increasing. "You were in an accident, but you're okay now. You're going to be okay. Do you remember anything?"
"Accident...? What happened? Why don't I remember what happened?!"
The beeping sound stayed fast pace. Scott leaned in to kiss Ryan's forehead through the bandages, cupping Ryan's face in his hands and stroking his cheeks with his thumbs.
"Don't worry, it's normal to not remember anything right after something like this. It'll come back to you. You're okay."
Scott couldn't help himself. He was trying so hard to be strong, but a tear ran down his cheek anyway.
The heartbeat monitor started slowing down a little. "Don't cry, Cuddle Bug..."
"I was just... so scared..." Scott sniffed, wiping his face. "When I heard what happened... I was so scared... I thought... I thought I might lose you... but you're okay...!"
Scott found Ryan's left hand under the blanket and took it very gently. Only his thumb, index, and middle finger were free of the cast, but they closed around Scott's hand firmly.
"I'm sorry I scared you." Ryan said softly.
"I'm just glad you're okay... You're okay..." Scott let a few more tears fall, but he refused to give in to weeping. That would only make Ryan feel even more guilty, and that was the last thing he needed. Even if it was what Scott wanted to do.
Scott covered every inch of Ryan's exposed face with delicate kisses, and when Ryan asked for it, he lifted the oxygen mask to plant a kiss on his lips. Ryan was okay. They were going to get through this.
Once Scott calmed down a little, he realized he'd been in the room with Ryan all by himself.
"Your friend Michael is here too. He's the one who called me. He rode in on the ambulance with you. He's around here somewhere, want me to get him for you?"
Ryan made a noise of assent, slightly frustrated by the fact he couldn't even nod his head. Scott didn't have to look far, Michael had stayed right outside the door.
"I thought I'd give you guys a moment, first." Michael said shyly.
"He's asking to see you. Are you up for it?"
Michael took a shuddering breath and squared his shoulders. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Scott led him in with an a protectively around his shoulders. Michael did an impressive job keeping his emotions under control, but you could read the strain on his face, and his hands trembled noticeably.
Scott waited until it seemed like they had a decent conversation going and had each other sufficiently distracted before he slipped out of the room to make a phone call. His parents needed to know what happened.
One thing he couldn't prepare for, was when he came back in the room to find Ryan cheerfully discussing, in detail, their bedroom habits... And Michael, grateful for the distraction, was eating up every single bit of it...
Morphine's a hell of a drug...
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Ryan made up for his telling Michael exactly what Scott's fetish was and where all they had sex and how cute Scott's face was when he was about to cum, by telling Scott all about how Michael was sexually frustrated and had the hugest crush on and fantasized about the weatherman. Both Scott and Michael's faces were as red as could be, but Ryan kept chatting away, completely oblivious to their discomfort.
Scott tactfully tried to change the subject. "My parents are on their way to come see you too," he told Ryan. "My dad said he'd even bring you a surprise."
Thankfully, the tactic worked.
"Your parents are coming just to see me?" Ryan asked brightly. "That's so nice of them! They don't have to do that. Mick, did you know my Cuddle Bug's dad owns a bakery? His whole family are such good cooks! He can't cook though... Oh! Do you think the surprise will be something from their shop? I really hope so..."
While they were waiting, a nurse actually brought in some breakfast for Ryan. Nothing too fancy, scrambled eggs with toast, juice with a straw, and a cup of orange slices. She helped Scott get him sat upright in the hospital bed, and adjusted all the traction slings so Ryan would be more comfortable. He winced a little at being moved around, but the pain killers were doing their job very well. This was also when Ryan realized he had a very big problem.
"I... I can't feed myself... can I...?"
And, he couldn't. Not with his right arm in a cast above the elbow and his left shoulder immobilized. He could move his left arm some, but without the use of his wrist he couldn't get the food from the plate to his face. And besides, the inside of that elbow was where his IV was. It wasn't exactly comfortable to move around...
"No, you can't." Scott admitted gently. "But that's what I'm here for."
Scott waved away the nurse, who's job it would have been to help Ryan eat, signaling that he would take over. She left with a smile, telling them to page the nurse's station if they needed anything. Scott removed Ryan's oxygen mask so he could help him with his meal.
