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Raleigh had been knitting for most of his life. It brought peace to his sometimes tumultuous existence. His grandmother had taught him before they left Alaska, and before she passed away, so it was a way for him to keep her close.
The click and snick of the needles was peaceful and helped Raleigh focus, which had always been an issue for him. When he was little it never occurred to him that it was ‘weird’ for a boy to knit so he did it wherever and whenever he wanted, Yancy’s annoying comments be dammed. Once he hit elementary school it became an easy target for teasing the new kid so he left his needles and yarn at home. It was his secret hobby until high school when it became an essential part of his avant-garde façade.
It was a wonderful distraction during boring times, and the wrist warmers he was working on during Chuck’s soccer game were particularly tricky and attention consuming. The cable stich he had learned off of youtube last week was giving him sass so he paused in his work to watch the play.
The home team (and thus Chuck) were moving the ball up the pitch so things were getting exciting, he had picked the perfect time to look up. Raleigh only understood the basics of soccer- football- because of his friendship with Chuck, so the finer points of what was happening were lost on him.
But the much larger upperclassman player from the opposing team streaking out of nowhere and slamming into Chuck, who didn’t have the ball, was definitely not right. And neither was the loud cracking sound Chuck’s arm made as he hit the ground hard. It sounded like a gun shot.
Chuck had no idea what just happened, he staggered to his feet but he didn’t even have time to make a sound. There was merely white hot blinding pain and then darkness as he collapsed unconscious into the arms of the assistant coach.
Raleigh shot up in horror and ran towards the field and the already swarming adults. There was a lot of yelling and chaos…and there was Raleigh; standing with his kitting in his hand staring at the lifeless body of his friend…his best friend.
What was happening!? Chuck looked like he was dead! Oh my god what if he was!? The adults seemed to know what to do which was good because Raleigh’s mind was a total blank right up until the ambulance showed up. Then he knew he had only one option, he must go with Chuck- it was his place. His Charlie needed him.
He was careful to hover close as they put him on the stretcher and after that was loaded in the back he leaped up behind it, barely making it inside before one of the heavy doors slammed on his leg.
“Hey! Who are you?” the EMT asked suspiciously as a weird looking kid with a ball of yarn sat down and began touching the patient.
Raleigh ran his fingers through Chuck’s red-gold hair and cooed to him softly. Chuck was so still and so pale…he really did look dead. He heard the words he just was choosing to ignore them for as long as possible. The truck was already moving now, so that meant that they couldn’t physically remove him at this point- good.
The EMT yelled at him again, and he decided he better answer now. Raleigh looked up from under his red and black dyed bangs that were hanging over his black outlined eyes which were now filled with legit frightened tears. “I…I’m his boyfriend…” he stammered, shocked at himself when the word slipped off his tongue.
The EMT blinked once, decided he wasn’t a threat despite his startling appearance, and continued stabilizing the other boy. He asked Raleigh questions, like (his name) Chuck’s name and age, and Raleigh answered through his tears. Raleigh whispered little comforts in his friend’s ear and stroked his cheek so he would know he wasn’t alone.
It seemed to take forever to get to the hospital and Chuck never moved so much as an eyelash. Raleigh was terrified; again he had no idea what to do. As they unloaded Chuck and rushed him into the building he clutched his now badly tangled knitting project against his chest and trotted along after him. Of course he was denied access past the waiting room, so he just stood there and stared after the swinging doors. When he was found to be in the way some nurse guided him to a chair and told him to wait.
He parked, bursting into frightened tears. After he had cried himself out he sat trembling…there was nothing he could do and it was killing him. Raleigh started down at his lap and his hands instinctively found the only source of comfort he had-knit one, purl two, cable pass, purl two, knit one…..
Raleigh got lost in rhythm of the needles and yarn. It wasn’t his best work, and it wasn’t at all correct but it didn’t matter; it made time pass and eased the painful pounding of his heart. Each stich was accompanied by a little prayer of sorts, a repetitive chant of please let him be okay….He was so wrapped up in it he lost track of what was happening around him- at least until he heard the all too familiar voice of Herc Hansen.
Herc blew into the ER demanding answers. The panicked phone call at work from a coach had sent him speeding across town and he was in no mood to be jerked around by the lady at the desk. He got nothing helpful except that Chuck was still in surgery and the doctor would be out soon. She also pointed across the room and suggested he wait with ‘the other boy’.
Oh, surprise, surprise, Raleigh Becket. Herc walked over, still flustered by the whole situation. What the hell was the little freak doing…..”Wait….are you knitting!?” It came out more incredulously then he intended.
Raleigh’s hands came to a stop and he looked up at Chuck’s father. For whatever reason seeing Herc made the waterworks start back up, he couldn’t help it.
Ugh. No. Herc was totally powerless when it came to tears. “Raleigh…” he said gently and sat down beside him, “It’s okay buddy.” Raleigh sniffled and tried to repress a hiccup.
“You are a mess kid,” Herc smiled slightly. He rummaged out his handkerchief and tenderly wiped the tears and long black mascara trails off Raleigh’s cheeks. The boy didn’t resist, but continued to give him that kicked puppy dog look. “This is why one doesn’t wear eye makeup.”
Raleigh half frowned and half-heartedly smiled at Herc’s attempt at humor. Dads were weird, but he felt so much better now that Herc was there with him, which was strange since normally Herc terrified him. He told Herc what happened, Herc reassured him that Charlie was tough and would be just fine, they lapsed into companionable silence to wait, and Raleigh returned to knitting.
Herc fiddled with his watch band and absently watched Raleigh knit. He became so absorbed in watching the boy’s dexterous fingers work that he didn’t realize time had passed. They both jumped in surprise when the doctor called Herc’s name.
The doctor came over and explained Charlie’s injury; that it was a clean break in two places and that it only required one pin and a cast and he would be as good as new. Raleigh sighed in relief at the news. Chuck was in recovery waking up, so Herc could go see him. There was no offer for Raleigh to join.
“Wait here a minute okay?” Herc put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “I’ll come get you once he’s awake.” Raleigh nodded and sat back down for more waiting. Herc was led back to a quiet dark room where Charlie was sleeping- his left arm encased in a dark blue cast.
He leaned over and stroked the hair off his baby’s forehead and kissed him softy. Chuck’s eyes fluttered open, “Daddy?”
“Hey kiddo…” Herc said softly still petting his hair, tears in his eyes. God it was hard to see his son like this, he really had no idea what to do. “Did you know Raleigh knits?” The words just tumbled out unbidden. Wow. Where the hell did that come from? He really was rattled.
Charlie gave him a weird look; it was hard to tell if it was from what Herc had said or the drugs. “Yeah?” Like it was obvious.
Herc laughed and kissed his cheek again and sat petting him while he drifted in and out for a little while. “Is Raleigh…here?” Chuck asked groggily. Somehow his drug fogged brain had latched onto the fleeting mention of his friend.
“Yeah, I’ll go get him okay?” Herc didn’t want to leave him but he went out long enough to retrieve poor stressed out Raleigh from purgatory and bring him back. The tearful reunion was quite touching, but Herc was not prepared for Raleigh to crawl up and snuggle in bed with his son. Charlie happily cuddled with Raleigh while they cooed and purred at each other with a familiarity that insinuated this wasn’t the first time they had been in this position. That was a disturbing thought….
Herc really didn’t have long to dwell on the image or the potential implications, as an Administrator arrived and dumped a truck load of paperwork in his lap. As he sat mentally cursing every facet of his life and shuffling papers, the two boys slept peacefully beside him. Raleigh’s ball of yarn slipped from his hand and bounced to the floor at Herc’s feet. He carefully retrieved the brightly colored orb and took the needles from Raleigh’s limp fingers and put the whole mess on the table beside him.
Teenage boys were enigmas for sure, but none more so then Raleigh. Well, if knitting made Raleigh happy and Raleigh made Charlie happy then he was happy. There were worse hobbies out there then knitting; and after seeing the final bill for today’s goings on, Herc was seriously questioning Charlie’s choice of interscholastic sports. Maybe they should all take up knitting.