Chapter Text
Robby lay on the uncomfortable bed and stared at the roof. At least they hadn’t stuck him in BH and he got a semblance of privacy by the curtain in the examination room. He’d let them give him the lowest possible dose of lorazepam to break the panic attack he could feel creeping up on him as he was guided back to the ED from the ambulance bay.
There was a knock on the door and Robby turned his head as the door opened. Jack slipped past the curtain.
“Brought you some food,” he said and held up the sandwich and soda he had in his hands.
Robby sighed and forced himself to sit up. He wasn’t sure how much of the exhaustion was the benzo’s fault and what he could attribute to everything else.
Jack took the liberty to sit down next to Robby on the bed. He placed the sandwich in Robby’s lap.
“Are you angry with me?” He asked gently as he opened the can and held it out towards Robby. “For getting you locked up.”
Robby just shrugged as he grabbed the can and took a long drink. Was he angry? He didn’t know. He had been angry in the ambulance bay. Now he was just… Tired. It had felt like he’d lost, like it was all over. There was no fight left in him.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” he mumbled as ran his thumb over the logo on the can.
“What happens now is that you’re going to drink that and eat this,” Jack nodded towards each item in turn. “And then you’re going to get transferred to another hospital.”
“And then?”
“One hour at the time right now,” Jack said softly. “Half an hour at the time if needs be.”
Robby nodded and rubbed a hand over his face.
“I’m sorry,” Robby whispered before he took another long drink from the can just to have something to do.
“Yeah,” Jack put his hand on Robby’s knee. “I’m still pretty angry with you. But you know why we did this, right? We all love you, Robby. We want you to feel better. We want you to get help.”
Robby let himself lean against Jack, resting his head on Jack’s shoulder.
“I’m so tired,” he breathed out and blinked stubbornly at the tears suddenly in his eyes. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“I know,” Jack rested his cheek against the top of Robby’s head and wrapped his arm around Robby’s shoulders. “But it can get better, Robby. Take it from me.”
“Don’t see how it can.”
“I know.”
They sat for a moment, Jack’s hand drifting up and down Robby’s back.
“I miss you,” Robby said after a while. “I miss being with you.”
“I miss being with you too,” Jack sighed. “I wish you’d talked to me instead. It wouldn’t have come to this if you just had.”
Jack made it sound so easy. Jack made everything seem so easy. Jack was so good. A good person, good at everything he did.
“Take me back?” Robby asked before he could stop himself. What did he have to lose anyway?
“Robby,” Jack sighed deeply, Robby felt his whole body move with it. “Let’s just get you better first, okay? ‘Cause I can’t just stand by and watch you destroy yourself. I can’t do that. I won’t survive that.”
Robby squeezed his eyes closed. He nodded against Jack’s shoulder.
“Eat,” Jack prompted. “Before they’ve managed to get you some transport.”
Robby did as he was told. He handed the soda back to Jack so that he had his hands free to unwrap the dry sandwich and take a bite off it.
One hour at the time.