Chapter Text
Joe knew the way to the hospital ward, where Nicky stayed, in his sleep.
Joe: "Hi, Lizzie. How are you?"
Joe put the duffel bag down on the floor and looked for something.
Lizzie: "I'm fine, thanks. Listen, Joe, about Nicky..."
Joe: "My Mom already told me, and I understand. I got something for you, nurses."
Joe handed Lizzie one of the cookie tins, which she took.
Joe: "For taking such good care of Nicky. I have written on the tin that there are nuts in the Christmas cookies. In case someone is allergic."
Lizzie: "Thank you, Joe. It is a very nice thought of you."
Joe: "Don't mention it. Are Nicky in room 4?"
Lizzie: "No, we moved him to room 8. You see why when you get there. Dinner is in an hour, so don't eat all the snacks you got in your back."
Joe: "I can't make any promises."
Joe quickly found the room and knocked on the door.
Nicky: "Yeah, come in."
Nicky gave Joe a smile when Joe entered.
Nicky: "Joe, you made it."
Joe: "Of course I did. I promised I would come, and here I am."
Joe dropped the duffel bag on the floor before getting out of his jacket and boots.
Nicky: "Another home-knitted sweater from your Granny?"
Joe: "What gave it away? Santa with a sombreo?"
Joe looked down at the sweater. When Joe looked at Nicky, he was smiling.
Joe: "Granny went to Mexico. According to Mom, she has still not come home from there even though she is home."
Nicky: "It looks warm."
Joe: "I tell Granny you also want one for Christmas."
Nicky nodded.
Nicky: "Speaking of Christmas. If my vitals stay stable for the next week, I can go home for Christmas."
Joe: "That's fantastic news, Nicky."
Joe looked up at the monitor next to Nicky's bed.
Joe: "Now, you listen to me, vitals. Stay stable, or else you'll be in a lot of trouble with me. My best friend and I are going to build snowmen this Christmas."
Nicky: "You're still silly, Joe."
Joe: "That's me. Something else. I got a lot to show you, so let's start with this."
Joe showed Nicky the Christmas cookies and the movie.
Joe: "For tonight. Mom baked them with all the things you love: chocolate, nuts, and oranges."
Nicky: "Sounds yummy. Can't wait."
Joe placed the Christmas cookies on the table. Then Joe found a blue notebook and his pencils before crawling up onto the bed next to Nicky.
Joe: "I thought before dinner, we could talk about what we want to see in Europe when we go on our journey in a couple of years."
Ever since they were younger, they had talked about going around the world. So far, they had filled up five notebooks with places they wanted to see. It was Nicky's idea to use different coloured notebooks to tell the different parts of the world apart from others.
Joe: "I thought we could start in Italy this time since it is the land of pizza. And we both love pizza."
When Nicky didn't say anything, Joe looked at his friend. Nicky was looking out of the window, and it was there for the first time, Joe noticed why Nicky had been moved to another room - you could see the big Christmas tree with the Christmas lights outside.
Joe: "Nicky, is something wrong?"
Nicky didn't want Joe to see the tears in his so he didn't look at his friend.
Nicky: "Why plan a journey? I am sitting in a wheelchair and am constantly ill. You should go alone."
Joe: "No, we go together as we always have done. We planned this journey together."
Nicky: "I will just be a hindrance the entire way, and..."
Joe placed a hand on Nicky's hand.
Joe: "You will never be a hindrance to me because you're my best friend in the entire whole world. And I want to see the whole world with my best friend. And about the wheelchair, it just means we got extra space for snacks."
Nicky gave Joe a small smile.
Joe: "And I got ideas on how to make your wheelchair even cooler than the sunflowers."
Nicky: "I kinda liked the sunflowers. I know that as a boy, I shouldn't like flowers."
Joe: "This time, I'm going to kill Micky. I told him to stay away from you..."
Nicky: "Leave him, Joe. He isn't worth it."
It was a well-known thing that the other children in school didn't bother to get to know Nicky because he was gone so much. That was one of the reasons why Joe and Nicky spent so much time alone in school and at home. And Joe did all he could to keep Nicky safe and happy because Joe knew what kind of person Nicky truly was: that his heart overflowed with the kindness of which this world was not worth of.
Joe: "Okay, I won't do anything. And Nicky?"
Nicky: "Yes."
Joe: "I also love flowers."
They exchanged a smile.
Nicky: "Italy's national flower is the white lily."
Joe: "I will write it in the notebook. Oh, are we also going to see the Colosseum?"
Nicky: "We saw that two summers ago."
Joe: "That was only outside. I want to see it inside. Stand in the middle like all the gladiators."
Nicky watched as Joe got up and stood on the bed with the pencil in his hand like a sword.
Joe: "And I will tell you about the gladiator in the wheelchair who bested the biggest monster Rome, no the world has ever seen. His name was Nicolò. At first, the crowd thought Nicolò was about to lose when the monster roared so loud that it could be heard all over Rome, but Nicolò was the only one who wasn't afraid because he was the bravest man in the entire world. So, Nicolò drew his sword..."
Because Joe wanted to show Nicky the gladiator fight, he didn't watch his feet, and when they got tangled up in the sheet, he fell and ended up on his stomach. It made both boys laugh.
Lizzie: "Looks like you two are having a great time."
Nicky: "Yes, funny things always happen when Joe is here."
Lizzie: "I can see that. Are you ready for dinner?"
Joe: "Always, right, Nicky?"
Nicky: "Especially because Lizzie promised it was roasted chicken tonight. And chocolate pudding for dessert."
Joe quickly sat up.
Joe: "That does sound good."
Lizzie left after serving the boys dinner.
Nicky: "Should we watch "Alf"? I think it is on now."
Joe just nodded because he had his mouth filled with chicken. While eating dinner, they talked more about what to see in Italy, and Joe wrote it all down. After eating dinner, Lizzie got Nicky ready for the night while Joe got into his pyjamas.
Lizzie: "The telly has to be off by 10 PM so the rest on the ward can sleep. I'll be back to check on you, Nicky, there."
Nicky: "More than fine. And thanks, Lizzie."
Lizzie left the boys alone. Joe took the video and put it in the VCR machine before crawling up in the bed again.
Nicky: "I love "Home Alone"."
Joe: "I heard they are planning a second movie, or so it said in one of Mom's magazines. We're going, right?"
Nicky: "Of course. And we are going to bring the Christmas cookies. These are really good."
Joe and Nicky took another cookie.
Joe: "They are, yes. It helps that your Mom is a baker."
While watching the movie, the boys talked about their favourite trap. Before 10 PM, they watched the movie twice and finished just before Lizzie returned. When left alone, the boys played Ludo for a bit before they laid down to get some sleep. They were both looking at the Christmas tree outside.
Nicky: "Joe?"
Joe: "Hmm?"
Nicky turned around and looked at his best friend.
Nicky: "Sorry about before."
Joe: "What do you mean?"
Nicky: "That I said I didn't want to go with you. So, if you still want me to come, I do it. Can't wait to hear the rest of the gladiator story."
Joe: "I want you to come, and I promise to tell you the rest of the gladiator story. I just need to figure out the ending."
They exchanged a smile.
Nicky: "But because of the wheelchair, I think we should avoid the mountains."
Joe: "I promised to get you to the top of the Himalayas, and I'm keeping my promise. I just need to figure out how to do it, but I can tell you it involves yaks."
Joe looked at Nicky, who had fallen asleep. Then Joe looked up at the machine that showed Nicky's vitals. Joe's last two thoughts of the day were: one day, Joe would find the medicine that would help Nicky so he didn't have to go to the hospital all the time. His second thought was that he hoped Nicky would be home for Christmas because he had so many future adventures planned for them both.