58 58- What Family Is For

"Why don't we stay until you fall asleep?" Howard suggested.

Ryan agreed with the idea, then complained to Scott about being cold. He asked for his jacket. He didn't know where it was, but remembered wearing it to work last night. He started going on about how it was broken in just right and still smelled a little like Scott, but that Scott needed to wear it for a few days because the smell was wearing off and that he knew the jacket wasn't actually his but he hoped Scott would let him keep wearing it because he liked it so much.

Scott had a pretty good theory that that particular article of clothing didn't exist anymore. He looked over at Michael, who shook his head sadly and mimed scissors with his fingers cutting up an imaginary sleeve on his own arm. It stood to reason to think that none of what Ryan wore last night, including his ring, was in any state worth saving, and had all likely had to have been cut off, either in the ambulance or in the emergency room.

"I could give you this jacket if you want?" Scott indicated the one he was wearing.

"If I take the one you're wearing, you're going to be cold, though..."

"Well, do you want my jacket, or do you want an extra blanket?"

Ryan seemed to think long and hard before deciding on the spare blanket instead. Scott fetched one from the room's supply closet and tucked it around his fiance gently. Everyone else was just kind of watching this play out, honoring Ryan's wish to not leave until he'd fallen asleep.

"Can I do anything else to make you more comfortable?" Scott asked.

"I'd sleep better if you were in bed with me...?"

"Let's wait until the traction can come off, then we'll see. Anything else?"

"Yeah... You haven't finished your breakfast yet..."

Scott very deliberately scarfed the pastry in three bites, licking the mess off his fingers and showing Ryan his empty hands, with his chipmunk cheeks. It was enough to earn him a little laugh. Once Scott's hand found his free fingers under the blanket again, Ryan actually let himself fall asleep.

"Guess that's my cue to go, then," Michael whispered, not wanting to disturb his friend. "Oh, before I forget..."

Michael took Ryan's phone out of his pocket, handing it to Scott.

"The unlock code is 5230, in case he gets any calls..." Michael looked at the floor. "Apparently he was supposed to work this morning. I wasn't exactly professional when his manager called. Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it." Scott tucked the phone in his coat pocket. "I probably wouldn't have been either. He won't be up to working for a good while anyway. He's lucky to have a friend like you who looks out for him."

Howard handed Michael what was left of the box of cinnamon rolls. "Why don't you let me take you home? It's the least I could do."

Michael nodded with a small, "Thank you" and let himself be led out of the room.

With the two of them gone, Gail ran her hand through her son's hair comfortingly. "Why not let our lawyer handle this? She's got more experience in workers comp cases, and if we're taking care of the court stuff, that's one less thing you have to worry about."

"Thanks, Mom." Scott didn't take his eyes of Ryan's sleeping face. The beeps of the heartbeat monitor and the hiss of the oxygen lines were the only sounds in the room.

Gail hugged Scott's shoulders. "Sweetheart, it's going to be okay. I'll sit with him awhile. You should take the opportunity to get things in order. You need to let your office know what's happened, and I'm sure Ryan has some people who need to be informed as well." She gave him a squeeze. "Plus, you'll want to go home and pack a bag. You'll want your own soap, a razor, toothbrush... It won't do poor Ryan any good if he sees you're stressed out to the point of neglecting your own personal hygiene."

Scott sighed. "You're right..."

"And don't be afraid to lean on us. We'll be here for you, so you can be here for him. That's what family's for."

--------------------

It was almost two by the time Scott had everything sorted. Staying away was agonizing, but he'd made very sure to be through in his preparations. Ryan's apartment had taken the longest, Scott had hoped to avoid the hassle of the building's safety protocol coming in to effect since there was no way Ryan would be going home within three days. They couldn't take his word on the matter, and instead insisted on an official fax from the hospital. So, Scott had to call the hospital, wait for them to find the paperwork, wait for the fax... The whole thing took way much more time than it needed to.

They wouldn't let him in to Ryan's unit to collect anything, either. Not without Ryan present. Never mind that he was Ryan's fiance and before all this happened they were literally planning to become mates! It was so frustrating! One more thing to add to the list for the lawyer to take care of...

Come to think of it, was there even anything in Ryan's apartment he could use right now? It's not like he could wear clothes at the moment...

Nevermind that! Everything was finally squared away, he just had to get back to that hospital room! He'd also gone to the jeweler's in the mall to drop off Ryan's engagement ring, so in addition to the backpack he stuffed all his essentials in, he returned bearing gifts. A bouquet of mylar balloons bumped noisily against each other behind him, and a plush bear was tucked under his arm. It was time to hide all trace of stress and worry from his face. Time to be the alpha.

"I'm back!" Scott announced cheerfully upon seeing that Ryan was awake and upright. He pulled the balloons into the room behind him. It was easy to see Ryan's drugged eyes sparkle all the way from the door. Both his parents were in the room as well. "Did someone else send flowers?"

Scott indicated the second floral arrangement in the room, sitting next to the one his parents had brought that morning.

"They're from your work," his father supplied helpfully, taking the bouquet of balloons from him and setting them up in the corner.

"I'm surprised they got something organized so fast!" Scott dropped his backpack on the floor and gave his Mom a quick kiss on the cheek in greeting. It was time to pay all his attention to the person who needed it most.

"Did you miss me, Hot Stuff?" Scott perched on the side of the bed, loosely hugging the teddy bear.

"Of course I did, but I knew you'd be back, your parents are so nice to stay and keep me company, they're the coolest, I love your whole family, even your sister who's way better at video games than I'll ever be, why do you have a stuffed animal...?"

"I got him for you." Scott held the toy out for Ryan to examine before tucking it into bed with him. "As a 'get well' gift, to show you how much I love you."

"Aww.... I love you too! You're so sweet, even though I'm such a hassle to put up with, I'm so lucky you decided to stick around, you're just so awesome and sexy..."

"Hey now, you don't get to decide if you're being a hassle or not!" Scott was very gentle in his brandishing.

As Scott doted, his mom filled him in on the happenings while he was gone. The biggest thing was that Ryan had told every nurse that came to check on him how much he loved his fiance and how great his fiance was. She thought it was cute. She tactfully left out the part about Ryan telling both her and her husband about the more intimate details of his and Scott's relationship. Her son didn't need that kind of embarrassment right now.

Ryan defended himself by saying he "didn't want them to think Cuddle Bug was the reason he was in the hospital."

THAT caught Scott's attention. "Why?"

Ryan's answer was very detached, almost like he was describing something that happened to someone else. "Because last time I was in the hospital it was because my boyfriend murdered somebody and when the cops raided his place they found me chained to the bed."

"Damn," Howard swore. His wife covered her mouth in shock.

Scott didn't know how to take that bit of information. He knew Ryan had a rocky previous relationship, but even that was a bit much. He stroked Ryan's cheek and bent over to kiss his forehead. "Well, you're certainly not going through anything like that again, not if I can help it."

"I know, that's why I gotta tell everyone how nice you are 'cause your like the most amazing person I know..."

The conversation was steered to lighter topics after that. Scott's parents didn't visit for too much longer, leaving with a promise to drop a treat off once a day. Ryan was already looking forward to what they'd bring tomorrow. After hugs and kisses all around, it was back to just Ryan and Scott in the room by themselves.

"Good news is, your urine's looking better" Scott checked the bag on the side of the bed, where it had been somewhat modestly covered by the draping of the blanket. "It was a little orange earlier. It's a sign your bleeding's getting better."

"I don't like it. It feels weird. When can the tube thing come out? When do I get to get out of bed? Can I at least get my legs and arms out of these swing things? And this neck brace is too hot."

"We can ask one of the nurses about the cath later, but you're going to be either in bed or a wheelchair for a while unfortunately. And for now, your limbs need to stay elevated for circulation. The brace is for strained muscles. Trust me, you'll want to keep it on."

"That sucks Cuddle Bug..." Ryan bemoaned.

"I know. I'm sorry."