Chapter Text
The instant Avery gets into the hospital, they hurried for Derek’s room. He always does. He misses Derek. But this was different.
“Hi Avery,” a deep voice rings in his ears.
“Derek?..” Avery stuttered as tears grow in their eyes. He practically leaps toward the man sitting at the end of the bed and pulls him in a tight hug.
“God- Avery, I can’t breathe,” He groans, though he barely wanted to let go.
He pulls back slightly, their hands resting on Derek’s shoulders, “Oh sorry!! I just missed you so-so-so-“ Avery chokes between sobs as he finally meets his friend. They never want to leave him again.
“How are you doing?” He asks, they know it’ll be the same “I’m fine” D3rLord3 always said, but Derek knows he won’t take that as his answer, he never did.
Derek admits, “Well rather than the crazy migraines, some brain damage, and being prone to seizures, I’m great,” he huffs, “And all of the infinite knowledge shit is gone, I can’t tell if i know more or less than the normal person. I forgot a ton.”
“Heh, at least you don’t have an eldrich horror of a god in your head,” Avery giggles. Derek follows suite. His laugh was so warm.
“I’m glad about that too.”
“I’m glad you’re alive!!”
“I am, of course I am, thanks to you, Avery,” Derek says softly, “How did you even save me, even? I don’t remember anything from passing out to waking up today.”
“So like I found the link to your youtube, and I searched your address - which I know sounds really, really weird, but like it saved you so,” They breathed deep before continuing, hands rattling in the air as they went on. “And then I came to your house- Did you know you kept your door unlocked? Anyway, I like, called an ambulance and they helped so yeah!!”
Derek snickered, his face seemed a bit more of a crimson shade than normal, “You aren’t as dumb as you seem.”
Avery continued, though flustered, “So, how’s recovery going to go?”
“I’ll have to go through years of both physical and mental therapy. It all did a number on me.”
“I’m assuming mostly mental, it’d be hard to get some of the things you saw out,” Avery sighed, “That king melted your brain half to mush! You’re also very malnourished now.”
Derek responds, “I was drinking old smoothies for a while, I think it was unavoidable.”
Avery pulls him in for another hug, this time Derek even attempts to stand up. He’s quite wobbly, I mean obviously, he had been unmoving for so long. “I know I’ve said it before- but I missed you so much Derek! It’s been so long!”
“How long was I out even?”
“Oh god, like 6 months? It’s June,” Avery said, “All of this—us meeting!—is so overdue, Derek!”
“Indeed it is.”