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"Hey," Jakob said, pocketing his phone and turning his attention to a newly awake Ethan.
"Heeeeeeeeythere, darlin'," Ethan slurred, his warm brown eyes unfocused and hazy from the medicine the doctors had put him on after the surgery. "Where… Where am I?"
"San Morado Memorial Hospital. You, uh — got shot. Been out a couple days. Do you remember any of it?"
"Not… not really," Ethan answered, frowning as he tried to concentrate. "There was… someone at your door, maybe? Gets a bit…fuzzyafter that."
"That’s… probably for the best," Jakob said, reaching out to take Ethan’s hand. He struggled not to recall all the hours they’d all spent gathered in the emergency department’s waiting room to hear the news, stomach churning from anxiety and awful coffee. Blinking, barely comprehending as the surgeon went on and on, telling them about missed arteries and massive tissue damage. Seeing Ethan laid out in the hospital bed, his mighty frame all swallowed up and reduced by the stark white sheet and tubes…
Jakob was trying his best not to think about it. He wasn’t sure he was succeeding.
It hadn’t been anything like in the movies; the hero shrugging off a gunshot wound as easy as a splinter to hop over the bar with a corny one-liner as he casually took the bad guys out. The doctors had said Ethan would be a long time recovering; that there could possibly be lasting impairment, might not ever regain his full range of motion.
For Jakob, it had all sounded far too familiar.
Ethan smiled up at him in that vaguely cheerful way of the drugged or drunk, giving Jakob’s hand a squeeze back.
"Can hear the — the gears…"
"The gears turning in my head, right?" Jakob finished for him with a fond smile. "The docs — it’s going to be rough the next couple weeks, I won’t lie to you. You lost a lot of blood; lotta damage in there, they said."
"How bad?" Ethan asked, a faint frown passing over his face, his brow wrinkling.
"Surgeons spent a long time patching you up. Told me you’re missing some of the upper bit of your right lung. Might be some nerve damage too, said they weren’t sure to what extent yet. I hate to break it to you, Ethan, but your fastball has likely lost its heat."
Ethan snorted at Jakob’s poor attempt at finding some humor in the situation. "Never was much of a pitcher."
"Oh, I’m gonna have to disagree there," Jakob smirked, physically incapable of leaving such a perfect joke just lying there.
Jakob could feel Ethan’s thumb rub the back of his hand as Ethan’s smile turned into more of a leer in response, tugging at his hand…
"Unfortunately, doc implied it’d be awhile before anything likethatas well," Jakob warned him with a rueful grin. "Need to take it easy for a bit. Let someone else care for you. I… told them you might come stay with — with us… Withme. If… If you want to."
"One condition," Ethan said, pointing vaguely in Jakob’s general direction with the hand not holding Jakob’s; the IV and monitor lines trailing as he gestured. "You gotta promise to wear a nurse’s outfit. One of the old British ones — with the little hat and the watch and the heels…"
"I’m already regretting the offer," Jakob huffed, rolling his eyes.
"Hmm," Ethan hummed, the cheerfulness dropping from his face and the worry lines returning. "The uh… the school — um — They say anything?"
"Only that they want you to return — and I’m quoting — ‘at your earliest convenience, once you’ve sufficiently recovered’, and that ‘your students all miss you terribly’," Jakob grinned, happy to be able to give some good news. "They’ve sent over three entire bank boxes of ‘get well’ art. It’s all waiting for you at my place. Oh — and your Principal told me to let you know that there’s a special ‘Welcome Back Mr. Hillsman!’ celebration being planned for when youdoreturn, but that you’re to make sure you act surprised about it for the kids’ sake."
"I — uh —hmm," Ethan trailed off, his eyes looking suspiciously bright at the news. "And uh… And Alex? How’s he doing?"
"Doing as well as can be expected," Jakob answered. "Been in here as often as the doctors will let him. Got him and Cassie set up with a therapist just as soon as the Christmas break is over."
"Why, what happened?" Ethan demanded, suddenly fully alert.
"Ethan… They saw you getshot," Jakob reminded him. "That’s not an easy thing to just forget. Even before all this… He could do with someone to talk to about it all. Help him process."
"Yeah," Ethan sighed, relaxing slightly as he squinted up at Jakob. "Makes sense. But, really — he and Cassie are okay? They didn’t get hurt?"
"Yeah, they're alright physically. You should've seen how well they kept it together. Cassie was on the line with the 911 operator, and Alex kept pressure on your shoulder while I took care of his dad. Listened to make sure your lung didn’t collapse; Docs said he saved your life. Hope you weren’t planning on flunking him this year."
"Actually, think this might qualify for extra credit," Ethan grinned. "He around?"
"You just missed him, actually. Liam took him home about half an hour ago."
"Who’s Liam?" Ethan asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
