Work Text:
1.
The crack of the gunshot sounds, unexpected into the night and Carlos is barely a step ahead of his partner as they are rushing towards the house. Entering the house to see TK lying on the floor with his head in his father’s lap as the rest of his team is frantically calling for Michelle brings a feeling of terror that is new to Carlos in ways he doesn’t know how to comprehend. He feels his partner against his back urging him forward and must force himself to tear his eyes away from the horror in front of him and move past them to only be met with a kid holding a gun in a shaky hand. The shock runs through him for a brief second before he concentrates on what he knows and clears the scene.
It’s only when he has directed another ambulance crew in to help the heart attack victim that he looks back into the hallway to where Michelle is holding an already too blood-soaked bandage against TK’s shoulder and watches as they get him safely on a gurney to transport. He catches Michelle’s eye as they leave and the worry settles deep into his stomach when she shakes her head at him before they disappear.
“Reyes,” Mitchell says, her voice a little too loud and urgent like it’s not the first time she has tried to get his attention.
“Yeah, sorry” He mutters and turns back towards her.
“You alright?” she asks and Carlos can’t even begin to explain the situation so instead he nods at her and half listens as she tells him that they are clear to go.
They spend the majority of the rest of their shift at the station where Carlos half concentrates on the reports that are needing to be completed and half on his phone, sitting on the table in front of him. He’d been sent brief updates from both Michelle and Paul when TK had successfully made it through surgery alive, but it had been radio silence ever since and Carlos still isn’t sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.
He’s sitting in the change room, debating his next move when his partner walks in, already changed, and sits next to him.
“Is he okay?” she asks and he turns to look at her, preparing to feign that he doesn’t know what she is talking about when she rolls her eyes at him. “I’ve got eyes, Reyes. You two are not as secretive as you think you are”
“Oh” Carlos answers, turning back to look at his open locker again and twists his phone in his hand “he’s just come out of surgery, they’re not sure when he’ll wake up if he does at all”
“Damn. I’m sorry” Mitchell says, reaching over to lay a hand on his wrist, squeezing it for just a moment.
“We’re not a couple, not really. We just…” Carlos trails off. He wishes he had a word to describe what TK and he were, but he doesn’t. Any attempt he’d made at trying to give what they were doing a name had caught in his throat and now he wasn’t sure if it would ever matter.
“Hang out?” Mitchell provides and Carlos grimaces at the term but shrugs in reply.
“Whether you want to admit it or not, it feels like it might be more than that for you”
“Maybe, I don’t know” Carlos replies absently and Mitchell stands up in front of him
“You’ve spent the majority of the shift staring at your phone. You care about him, go to the hospital” Carlos manages a weak smile in response and Mitchell reaches over to grab his shoulder again “I hope he’s okay, Carlos.”
“Thanks” Carlos nods at her and she smiles at him before turning to leave. His phone sounds in his hand and he looks at the message from Paul encouraging him to join them with a room number, considers it as good as an invitation as he’s going to get, closes his locker without changing and makes his way out.
---------------------------------
He makes it to the entrance and has every plan of going inside, but the doubt hits him full force. He can’t push the thought out of his mind that he doesn’t belong there. He can barely admit his feelings about TK to himself and knows that TK doesn’t want anything resembling serious. Being bedside in a hospital seemed to cross the line into serious and even though he wasn’t awake, he’d never want to do something that would make TK uncomfortable. Yet, he can’t make himself leave because somehow even though he knows TK may not feel the way he does, he can’t bear the thought of leaving him.
He turns from the entrance and walks around to the side, taking residence on a bench, phone in his hand like it has been all day long. It’s been long enough since Paul’s latest update that the urge to call Paul is getting stronger and stronger in the hope that there has been some kind of change that he has forgotten to pass on to him. If there was a chance TK would wake up, then at least Carlos could leave knowing he was alright. He has almost hit Paul’s name when he looks up and sees the man himself staring at him curiously as he walks towards the entrance. He changes his path and comes over to sit next to him, bags of food at his feet.
“Why are you sitting out here?” he asks and Carlos glances over at him before looking back down at his shoes.
“I feel..-” he pauses to think of the right word “weird going up there” he settles with, and Paul gives him a sad smile before sitting back on the bench.
“He would want you there”
“You have no way of knowing that” Paul scoffs next to him
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He might not be ready to admit it, but the feelings are there”
“You’ve seen us together once”
“All I needed” Carlos rolls his eyes at him.
“I don’t know if he wants people to know about us” Carlos admits nervously and Paul reaches down to pick up the bags again, standing up.
“He was fine about me knowing and he never told me not to say anything” Carlos shrugs and Paul sighs, looking away for a second before turning back towards him “Look, you can ask for apologies later but you need to go up there for him and you. You know you do”
Paul starts to walk away, and Carlos hesitates for barely a second before he gets up to follow. Five minutes later he is walking through the door of TK’s hospital room, Paul practically pushes him in the room’s direction and watches as TK’s dad recognises his presence and encourages him to enter.
The shock of seeing TK so still and pale distracts him from questioning why Owen has no issues leaving him alone with him. His plan of coming in, seeing him and then being able to leave disappear as soon as he sits on the chair, close to the bed. He tentatively reaches across to stroke his hair and his memory flashes to when he had done the same action only a few days ago, early morning when his brain didn’t overthink every single action he made, and they were both still feeling the full effects of sleep. He remembers TK waking up, smiling at him with that particular smile that he hopes is only for him and rolling towards him like he didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Carlos pushes away any thought of leaving him. Paul was right, he’d apologise if he had to later but right now, he knew where he was meant to be.
2.
Carlos paces the room nervously as he watches the door TK had disappeared through, what feels like an eternity ago. He glances at his watch, groans when the time has moved only a minute since he last looked, before letting himself fall into the chair in the corner of the room. He can feel the adrenalin of the evening starting to make way for exhaustion and takes the time to stretch his neck and back to try and make his body wake up. The sound of the door opening has him snapping his head up to look and when he sees Owen he tries to disguise the disappointment that runs through him.
“Hey,” Owen says, looking confused when he sees him alone.
“He’s gone for a CT scan” Carlos supplies and Owen nods in reply and moves a few steps into the room so he can stand against the glass.
“You doing alright?” Owen asks and Carlos glances up at him and shrugs.
“When I know he’s okay, I will be”
“If it wasn’t for you, I don’t know if they would have been. I hope you know that” Owen tells him and Carlos shakes his head slightly
“I’m just happy we found them when we did” Owen frowns at him and goes to reply before the ringing of his phone distracts him. He accepts the call with a grimace and if the loud voice Carlos can hear from across the room is any indication, he assumes it is Gwen on the other end. Carlos looks at his phone, attempts to follow the non-stop 126 text conversation that he knows he should add to, and pointedly tries to ignore Owen repeatedly apologising.
“I promise. I’m coming right now” Owen hangs up the call and can’t hide the exhaustion when Carlos looks up at him.
“Everything okay?” Carlos asks
“She’s never been the most patient” Owen mutters “I’ll go and pick her up and then we’ll be back. Can you let TK know?”
“Yeah, sure” Carlos agrees, and Owen gives him a small smile in response, and squeezes his shoulder before heading out. Carlos watches him go before turning back to the empty room and letting out a sigh. He considers calling his dad, knowing he would have been home by now and informed his mom of the day’s events but before he has a chance to decide any further, he hears the squeak of the hospital gurney and stands as TK is wheeled back into the room. He lets them reconnect monitors before moving to the bedside, taking TK’s hand in his and squeezing it to get TK’s attention.
“You okay?” He asks quietly and TK hums in reply, squeezing his hand back. “Your dad was here, but he went to get your mom and then they’ll be back” Carlos adds.
“Okay,” TK mumbles and Carlos smiles at the nurse as she exits the room leaving them alone. He releases TK’s hand to reach behind him to pull the chair closer to the bed and has to pause his movements when TK lets out a sound of distress and opens his eyes to frown at him.
“You leaving?” TK mumbles and Carlos shakes his head.
“Just bringing the chair closer, I’m not going anywhere baby” TK gives him a barely-there smile before letting out a low groan.
“So this hurts like hell,” TK says while reaching up to touch the bandage on his head “Such an idiot.”
“You were trying to help,” Carlos says and TK turns his head towards him and narrows his barely open eyes at him.
“So you heard?” he asks.
“About your attempt at being the hero? Yeah, Nancy might have mentioned it” Carlos jokes and TK rolls his eyes at him, and instantly lets out a low moan at the apparent pain the movement caused.
“I just wanted to help, I thought if I could get to the alarm, I could get us out of there,” TK explains “Made it worse instead” he adds before angrily wiping at his suddenly teary eyes. Carlos pushes himself up from the chair and leans over to rest his hand on TK’s chest, rubbing it gently until TK looks up at him.
“Hey. You did help” he tells him, pulling out the chip which hadn’t left his pocket since the parking garage.
“You found it” TK breathes, reaching up to grab Carlos’s hand, the chip between them
“It’s the only reason we knew where to look in that garage. If I hadn’t found that who knows how much longer we would have been”
“I knew you’d come looking for me,” TK says softly and sends a wobbly smile his boyfriend’s way.
Carlos grins down at him before leaning down so he can place a gentle kiss against his cheek “I’ll always come to find you”
3.
He doesn’t know whether it’s because of adrenalin or just that his attention was completely on his patient but the blood dripping down his hands is a complete surprise to him when he finally has a chance to pause once their patient is safely outside the upside-down car, fellow paramedics taking over to get her ready to transport. He pushes up the sleeves of his long sleeve shirt and hisses when he sees the myriad of cuts lining both of his forearms.
“Why is there so much blood on your hands?” Tommy asks surprising him as she comes around from behind the ambulance and TK tries to push his sleeves down but isn’t fast enough as she grabs the arm closest to her and turns it gently so she can see the damage. The move brings a wave of pain, and he hisses and tries to pull out of her reach. “Take off your shirt, TK” she adds on a sigh.
“It’s just a few cuts, Cap” TK tries, and Tommy doesn’t even have to answer him before he gives in, unbuttoning and sliding the long sleeve shirt from his shoulders.
“It’s more than a few. Why didn’t you say something? We told you to tell us if the glass was causing any issues” TK just shrugs in reply, and concentrates on trying not to pull his arm back when Tommy starts to examine the deeper cuts along his arm “There’s still glass in this one” Tommy comments before letting his arm go and pointing in the direction of their rig.
“Nancy, I’m going to need you to drive,” Tommy says when Nancy comes around the corner, raising a brow at TK’s lack of shirt. Tommy turns back to TK and points at the gurney “You sit there. I’ll get you some pressure bandages”
“Cap..” TK starts and promptly shuts his mouth again when Tommy gives him a look.
“It wasn’t a suggestion,” Tommy tells him in that no-nonsense voice that makes it so difficult to argue with and TK fights the urge to retort with something that would not be appropriate for his boss but once again he has somehow found himself injured and he can just hear Carlos’s voice in his head, really, TK?
“It doesn’t even hurt that much” he mumbles and Tommy just shakes her head at him and gently pushes him further towards the back of their ambulance.
“That’s because you are running on adrenalin, give it half an hour”
---------------------------
The ER is busy and while he grudgingly admits he will need stitches for at least some of the deeper cuts, it’s nowhere near serious enough to be pushed to the top of the queue and he allows Tommy to do the talking until he is sitting in a bay near the back of the ER, arms bandaged securely. He tells Tommy and Nancy to leave, and while they argue, he eventually wins out and settles in to play the waiting game. He watches patients come and go and accepts the ribbing of some of the nurses as they walk past him, always in a hurry but telling him it won’t be much longer.
He considers calling Carlos - knows he should - but the idea of dragging him in for another hospital visit and this time for a few cuts doesn’t even seem worth it. The time starts to tick by and he decides that by the time he’s done here Carlos will be off and he can just tell him about the visit and show him he’s fine all at once, no worry to be had.
“What did you do this time?” a voice calls out and TK looks up to see an officer, it takes him a second to place him as Aiden Holliver, one of the guys from Carlos’s command area.
“I cut myself while crawling into an upside-down car” the cop whistles like he’s impressed.
“Gotta give it to you, you do it doing pretty cool things”
“Thanks, I think”
“You must have the worst luck of any paramedic I know, Strand” he turns to walk away.
“Yeah, thanks Holliver” TK calls back, rolling his eyes as he grins back at him before turning to leave.
He nearly drifts off as the wait continues but eventually, a doctor comes over, introduces himself as Dr Pallert and tells TK he’s going to get started. He zones out as the uncomfortable pulling feeling of stitches begins, and the next thing he knows his boyfriend’s voice filters in through the usual ER low hum. There’s a moment where he wonders if he is imagining it, even hopes that he is, knowing that he doesn’t want to have to explain how he’d ended up on a hospital bed again.
“Here I was thinking there was no way my boyfriend wouldn’t at least send a courtesy text to let me know he’s sitting in the ER again” TK flinches at the words and looks up to meet Carlos’s worried eyes.
“I hate it when you say my boyfriend like that” TK sighs and the doctor huffs out an awkward laugh as he finishes the final stitch before placing bandages back on his arms.
“I’m guessing I don’t need to tell you about wound care and when to get these stitches taken out?”
“I think I have it covered,” TK says quietly and waits for the doctor to pack up the supplies and exit before talking again “Who told you I was here?” TK asks and Carlos looks at him, annoyance seeping into his expression.
“That’s what you’re starting with?” TK shrugs in reply and Carlos sighs loudly from his spot against the wall, keeping the distance between them “I was asked if I had got you a room in here with your name on it as you’re here so often”
TK cringes at the words and has to shut his eyes against the feeling of guilt that washes over him “Okay, not the best way to find out” he concedes.
“You were sitting here all this time and you didn’t think to tell me?” Carlos asks, the annoyance in his tone giving way for hurt and TK wants to cry.
“I’m sorry. You were working. I didn’t want to interrupt your day for nothing”
“Nothing?” Carlos replies and pauses for a moment when a nurse comes towards them “You’re sitting in a hospital bed, TK”
“It’s a few cuts on my arms, definitely not something you have to come rushing here for. You want me to be that guy? I could have come home and worn long sleeves and you wouldn’t have even known about this” Carlos tilts his head at him, eyes narrowing.
“I don’t think that’s as comforting as you think it is”
“This is nothing. It’s a few stitches at most”
“15 all up” the nurse interrupts “if we were counting” and TK scowls at her as she finishes recording details in his chart.
“Thanks. For that” TK says sarcastically and the nurse, unperturbed turns to leave, giving a nod of acknowledgement when Carlos calls a thank you out to her.
“Carlos. If it hadn’t taken so long to get them to stitch it, I would’ve just gone back to work. This is not worth interrupting you while you’re working” Carlos shakes his head at him and TK turns so he is sitting sideways on the bed, as Carlos leaves his spot next to the door and comes to stand in front of him standing between his legs and bringing his hands up to tilt TK’s face towards him.
“I don’t want to hear about my boyfriend being in a hospital through a joke thrown my way, TK. It doesn’t matter how bad it is”
“Yeah, okay. I completely get that.” TK agrees, pausing, and dropping his head so Carlos’s hands fall from his face.
“But?” Carlos asks and TK sighs, lifting his head to meet Carlos’s eyes again.
“You can’t keep interrupting your shifts because I do something stupid. I just feel like you’re going to get annoyed with it. With me”
“You were helping someone, doing your job, that’s not stupid and I’m not annoyed. Why would I ever be annoyed with you for getting hurt?”
“When I changed to being a paramedic, I remember you distinctly saying ‘at least there’s more of a chance I won’t have to make any more ER visits,” TK says and Carlos shakes his, amused.
“Yeah, hasn’t worked out so well yet has it?” TK sighs at Carlos’s words.
“That’s my point. I know that this constant worry and having to always interrupt your life to come to my aid can become rather annoying” TK says, looking down at his arms, half-covered by thick bandages.
Carlos is silent for a moment as he tries to figure out where TK could have got the idea that he was anywhere near annoyed with him before it clicks.
“Do you worry about me when I’m working? Would you want to know if I was hurt?” Carlos asks and TK looks up at him, offended.
“Of course I do” TK huffs out and Carlos reaches up to run a hand down his face.
“You have a job that puts you in danger and so do I. It just as easily could be me here, okay? You know why I do this job and I know why you do yours. It’s different” Carlos says and feels TK relax into him, convinced in his words.
“It’s never been like this before, with others, you know” TK mutters out and Carlos can’t help but lean down and kiss TK gently before pulling back.
“I know,” Carlos says softly, thumb stroking TK’s cheek “You can call me in the middle of the night after I’ve worked an overtime shift and I’ll still come.”
“Okay” TK whispers “I’m sorry. I should have told you”
“It’s okay. I’m glad it’s not serious” Carlos answers and then takes a step back when a nurse comes back in, holding a form out for TK to sign. He gives her a nod when she gives him the usual wound care run down and then they’re alone. “Okay. Shall we go home?” Carlos asks and TK doesn’t answer for a second before he pulls Carlos closer again and wraps his arms around Carlos’s waist, settling his head against his stomach.
“In a second”
4.
“TK” Judd murmurs and TK looks across at him from where he’d been staring, willing a doctor to come out and tell him his dad was fine, that the possibilities running through his head were an overreaction.
“Yeah?” he gets out and Judd stands and crosses so he’s sitting right next to him
“Did you want me to call Carlos?” TK shakes his head slightly and spares a glance to his phone beside him on the empty chair.
“I texted him. He’s working. I don’t know when he’ll get it”
“If you need him, I can get him. I got ways” TK lets out what might be a laugh before shaking his head.
“I think we’ve filled the room with enough people” TK forced a rattled breath out.
“I know it looked bad, but you have to stay positive, okay?” TK squeezes his nails into his palm and turns his head back to lean on his knees, pulled against his chest and continues to stare at the door he knows his dad is behind.
“It was a big fall. It didn’t just look bad.” Judd sighs next to him
“I should have stopped him. I knew the house was too far gone” the comment makes TK pause and he picks his head up, letting his legs fall off the chair onto the floor.
“Dad does what he wants. You couldn’t have stopped him even if you had tried” TK tells him and he wants to get up and pace, the nervous energy bubbling inside of him, combining with his emotions reaching the end of their tether. Instead, he lets his head fall back against the wall behind him and closes his eyes.
“Yeah” Judd mutters “We’re here for you okay?” he adds and TK can’t stop the tears that he has been struggling to keep at bay when he feels the grip of Judd’s hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks” he whispers and Judd stays silent next to him.
“Hey” the voice from across the room startles him forward and when he opens his eyes and sees his boyfriend’s concerned face staring back at him he knows he won’t be able to put off the breakdown now.
“Carlos” he manages and only has time to get to his feet before Carlos is in front of him, arms already wrapping around him
“I’m sorry. I only just got your text. I came as quickly as I could, baby” Carlos breathes into his ear and TK lets himself cry, face hidden against Carlos’s neck. “Ssh, it’s okay” he hears repeated only for him.
He isn’t sure how long it takes before his brain slowly catches up and the soothing hand running up and down his back forces him to take a shuddering breath and pull back enough that he can see Carlos’s face through the tears obstructing his vision. He sniffs as Carlos reaches up to wipe away the tear tracks.
“I didn’t know if you could get away” Carlos hushes him before pulling him towards the corner of the waiting room, away from the watchful eyes of the people gathered around them and sits down himself before waiting for TK to sit down next to him and pulling TK until he rests his head against his shoulder.
“What happened?” Carlos whispers “You didn’t say much in your text”
“He fell from a second storey window” TK replies and feels Carlos’s uptake of breath at the words, “he thought there was a kid stuck inside their bedroom” TK adds and Carlos huffs in reply.
“Sounds like your dad, did he get the kid?”
“He wasn’t even inside” TK huffs out.
“Oh,” Carlos says, confused and TK is about to explain further when a flash of movement at the doors he’d been staring at catches his attention. He tenses as he sees a doctor walk into the room and look around the room’s occupants.
“Owen Strand’s family?” he asks and TK rises to his feet, hand squeezing Carlos’s still.
“He’s my dad. Is he okay?” he asks and the doctor walks over and sits on the chair near them and Carlos pulls TK back down, his hand reaching over to grip onto his.
“I’m Doctor Fisher. I’ve been with your dad since he came in. We’ve ruled out any damage to his pelvis and back, which we might have expected with a fall as he had, so he’s really lucky. Unfortunately, your dad has a serious break of his right leg which will require surgery to fix”
“Okay. And his head? He was out of it at the scene” He feels Carlos squeeze his hand, a second of comfort.
“A concussion seems to be the explanation. We’ll see how he goes over the next little bit, but we took him for a CT scan and there is no sign of a brain bleed. We’ll monitor him closely over the next 24 hours to make sure that continues”
“That’s it? That’s all?” the doctor gives him a slight smile and the rush of relief it brings to TK is immediate.
“I don’t see any other injuries, the leg will require quite extensive physical therapy, but otherwise everything looks good” the doctor confirms and then jumps at the sound of screams of joy from the other side of the waiting room. TK grins at them. “Someone will be out shortly to let you in to see him. We’ll organise surgery for his leg as soon as we can”
“Thank you,” TK says before turning into Carlos beside him and letting the relief wash over him fully.
“Sounds like good news,” Carlos says quietly against the side of his head and TK makes the effort to pull himself away and settle beside him once again
“He’ll hate being out of action, but he’s so lucky it wasn’t worse. Good news” TK agrees “I’m sorry I pulled you out of work for this. Asking you to be here for no real reason”
“TK” Carlos starts and tugs at his hand, so he turns towards him “this is the same as if you were physically hurt, okay? I want to be here. I’m glad your dad is okay and I’m double glad that you’re in one piece this time”
“Hey!” TK argues “I was always in one piece” he grumbles, and Carlos lets out an amused huff
“Let’s just make it a promise that whenever one of us is in this hospital we let the other know,” Carlos says,
“So every time I bring a patient in, should I let you know?” TK teases and Carlos gives him a look of barely-there annoyance and pokes him in the side.
“Okay. It’s a deal” TK laughs.
“If that never happens, I‘ll be so happy. Had enough of these walls for a lifetime” TK hums in agreement and settles back down against his boyfriend’s shoulder to wait until he can see his dad.
5.
Dinner has just been served when Carlos gets the call. He recognises the glare from his mother at the head of the table and mumbles an apology before quickly reaching into his pocket to pull his phone out, smiling when he sees TK’s name across the screen. He excuses himself from the table, ignores the teasing from his family as they realise who it is and connects the call as he steps outside.
“Hey babe, how was your shift? We’re just sitting down for dinner, mom made your favourite for me to bring home to you. I think you’re overtaking the others to be her number one” Carlos frowns at the silence at the other end and then confusion takes over when Nancy is the one to speak.
“Carlos. Sorry, it’s Nancy” his mind quickly cycles through reasons that Nancy would have TK’s phone and all of them point to him being hurt.
“Nancy. Is he okay? What happened?” he asks, already thinking the worst.
“He stupidly decided he was going to step between two drunk dudes intent on killing each other and ended up third best. I’ve been informed to stress that he’s okay and to tell you not to worry”
“Of course, you have” Carlos sighs and grips the phone to his ear tighter as his worry rises anyway. “How bad is it?”
“He was out of it on the way here, so a concussion I’m guessing. His wrist looks bad, could be broken but will have to wait for scans. Hopefully just sprained”
“You’re at the hospital already?” Carlos asks, now recognising the familiar sounds of the ER in the background.
“We just got here. He’s been quite insistent that someone needed to call you right away otherwise he was going to be in trouble” Carlos lets out a laugh at that, remembering their deal.
“Listen, I’m a bit of a distance away, can you stay with him, tell him I’m coming as fast as I can?” Carlos asks, his head already calculating the shortest route possible to get back into Austin.
“Will do” Nancy answers, before quickly adding “he’s going to be okay, don’t go driving crazy and end up next to him, alright?”
“I won’t. Thanks, Nancy” He hangs up the phone and heads back inside and only has to walk back into the room before his mother is rising from the table and coming towards him.
“Carlitos? What happened?” she asks, her hand already reaching for his to comfort him.
“TK got hurt at work, he’s in hospital, I’ve got to go” he walks across the room to grab his coat, sending an apologetic glance to his dad.
“Oh, mijo. Is he okay?” Andrea says, pulling him into a hug.
“I think so,” he says, pulling back “I’ve got to go, ma” The other people around the table all start to say well wishes and he kisses his mother on the cheek before stepping back, moving towards the table near the door, to grab his keys. “I’m sorry about leaving early”
“Don’t be silly, Go. Drive safely, okay?” Carlos gives her a weak smile as he opens the door.
--------------------------------------
By the time he gets to the hospital, he’s worked himself into a panic that he objectively knows is not helpful but the only way to calm himself down will be seeing TK with his own eyes and knowing he’s going to be alright. He’d debated calling on his drive back to get an update but had told himself that if anything were to happen Nancy would have called him. The silence was a good thing.
He’s barely through the doors of emergency when he recognises Nancy against the opposite wall, phone up to her ear. She looks up and waves him over, hanging up the phone as he comes towards her.
“Marjan’s passing on the news to everyone. They’re having a shift from hell so they’ll come by later on I think” Carlos just nods in reply and Nancy doesn’t waste any more time before leading him through the doors with a nod to the nurse and to the far room on the right. As they come around the corner a doctor is leaning over TK, stitching up a wound on his forehead and he pulls a final time before moving back, seemingly happy with his work, and then places a large bandage over the wound. He looks up after he’s finished and gives them an easy smile.
“You can come in; we’re all done here. You still with us TK?” the doctor asks and TK blinks up at him drowsily and then grimaces as the light hits him.
“Yeah” he mumbles and tries to move his head to look in Carlos and Nancy’s direction but stops with a hiss and his hand goes to touch where the pain is seemingly flaring but all he touches is the bandage before he huffs and lets his hand fall back onto the bed.
“I’ll turn the light down now and be right back with the results of those scans. If they all look okay and you still want to leave, you can, even though I’m going to recommend we admit you” Carlos frowns at the doctor’s words but walks to the opposite side of the bed so TK can easily spot him. The doctor reaches over to a switch and the lights dim before he heads out the door letting it close quietly behind him.
“Making a run for it, are we?” he asks softly and TK’s eyes snap open, concentrate on him and promptly fill with tears “Hey, hey, you’re okay. What’s wrong?” Carlos soothes, hand reaching up to cup his cheek.
“It hurts” TK sobs and Carlos’s heart sinks at the pain in his voice.
“Okay, you’re okay” Carlos hushes and rubs his hand across his boyfriend’s chest to try and soothe him. As he does he sees the bruising that has taken over the entirety of one side of his face and the bandage that is significantly bigger than last time he had been here with a similar injury. He continues to drag his eyes down and notices the makeshift sling around his arm, supporting what he assumes is the possible broken wrist Nancy had already warned him about. He’s used to TK glossing over how much pain he is in, even though Carlos knows that having no pain relief must make these visits so much worse than they would be for someone else, so the immediate complaint puts him on edge.
TK has gone silent, eyes squeezed shut and Carlos uses his thumbs to wipe away the tears that are slowly tracking down his face. The door opening makes Carlos turn around and when he sees the doctor coming back in, he reaches behind him to pull the chair close enough that he can sit and still hold TK’s uninjured hand.
“TK, it’s all good news, no break in your wrist or your ribs, you’re going to be very sore for a few days though with all that bruising. The head scan looks clear but you’ve got a moderate concussion which you shouldn’t take lightly especially as you’ve had one before”
“It was ages ago” TK mumbles
“It was a year and a half ago” Carlos returns and TK opens his eyes and glances over at him.
“Ages ago” TK repeats and Carlos rolls his eyes at him but squeezes the hand still in his.
“I know you want to go, but I want to stress that I think it would be best that you stay tonight. Just so we can monitor your symptoms and get your pain under control. I know you don’t want any kind of pain relief, but there are options we can try that aren’t going to affect your sobriety”
“It’s fine, I can handle it,” TK tells him and Carlos squeezes TK’s hand to get TK to look at him.
“It’s worse than last time?” Carlos confirms and TK hums in reply and then looks down at their joined hands “It’s okay to want something for the pain, babe”
“I don’t want anything,” Tk says, voice wavering
“Let’s just try some non-opioid painkillers, see if that offers you any relief at all” the doctor tries and when TK doesn’t immediately argue Carlos knows his pain level must be pretty significant.
“Okay” TK agrees
“Shall I get you a bed upstairs?”
“Fine” TK mutters and the doctor nods in reply before turning to speak to the nurse who has entered the room. TK groans as he moves on the bed, turning further to the side where there is no damage to his forehead, his eyes immediately closing again as he gets comfortable again.
“Stop worrying so much” TK mumbles, one eye blinking open to glare at Carlos.
“I’m sorry” Carlos replies keeping his voice deliberately quiet after watching the way TK’s face moves into a grimace.
“I’m okay,” TK tells him and Carlos tries to let his words sink in, ones he knows are probably the truth but once again he finds himself in a hospital with no way to understand his boyfriends’ continual bad luck
“I know,” he says and tries to make it sound convincing but TK lets out a low sigh before reaching his arm out towards him.
“Come closer,” Carlos stands before sitting on the bed, close enough that TK can curl his legs behind him so he is bracketed in.
“At least I didn’t do this in a couple of months from now, huh?”
“I do prefer the man I’m going to marry to not be concussed on our wedding day” Carlos teases and TK smiles drowsily at him
“I’m sorry I ruined your night with your family”
“You didn’t ruin anything they’ll probably be happy to schedule another night and now you’ll be able to come and mom’s favourite future son-in-law will be there. I think they might like you better than me”
“Not possible” TK replies and grimaces through a yawn that wants to breakthrough.
“Why don’t you nap for a bit until they move you, hmm?” Carlos suggests and leans forward to place a kiss on his forehead, avoiding the bandages.
“Don’t leave, okay?” TK whispers
“Not possible” Carlos echoes and TK falls asleep with a ghost of a smile on his face.
+1
“TK” TK turns and finds Carlos’s partner through the crowd of people and makes his way towards her. He studies her expression trying to get any clues as to how bad this all is. The sound of her voice telling him Carlos had been shot in the chest on the phone still echoes in his head. He had barely heard a word she’d said afterwards, his mind getting stuck on the word shot.
“Sara, where is he?” he asks, preparing for the worst news.
“He’s in there. I don’t know much more than what I said on the phone, I’m sorry. The doctor is coming out to speak with you”
“Was he conscious after he..- after?” TK wonders if he even wants to know the answers to the questions that are circling his head.
“Yeah, he just kept telling me I had to ring you. It was barely a minute before the paramedics were on the scene and they were gone. It’s good that he was talking, right?” Sara asks, almost desperate and TK wishes he was able to comfort her.
TK nods in place of being able to manage words and clings onto her hand as they wait for answers.
“Family of Carlos Reyes?” They both startle as a doctor walks into the large ER waiting room and Sara pulls TK up.
“That’s me,” TK says and walks towards the doctor who has appeared in front of them. “I’m his husband”
“Why don’t we sit over here?” TK feels nausea rise from his stomach as he follows the doctor to a quiet area of the room, dragging Sara behind him. He motions for TK to sit next to him before continuing “I’m Doctor Weiss. I’ve been caring for your husband. I’m not sure how much you’re aware of but he was shot twice. Once on the left side of his chest which has lodged into his vest and hasn’t travelled any further. The other has hit his left shoulder, but it’s purely superficial. He’s broken a few ribs from the bullet impact on his vest and looks to have broken his wrist when he has fallen”
“He’s okay,” TK asks, his mind trying to digest the words that he’d normally be able to understand in seconds.
“We’re going to monitor him, he’s going to be in considerable pain but yes, at the moment he should make a full recovery. He’s very, very lucky” the doctor confirms with a comforting smile on his face and TK turns to Sara when he hears her sob from behind him and pulls her against him letting himself finally relax.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry” she says softly against him, and TK just hangs onto her for a beat more before pulling back, taking a deep breath before turning back to the doctor.
“Okay. Where is he?”
------
Carlos turns towards him when he enters and musters a smile aimed at comfort.
“There you are” he sighs out and every emotion that TK had struggled to squash down from Mitchell’s phone call to the doctor mere moments before rises to the surface and he can’t help the tears that spring to his eyes.
“Here I am” he whispers back, and Carlos's smile falters and falls as TK tries to stop the tears he can feel coming from falling.
“Baby, I’m okay. I promise. Come here” he asks holding out his seemingly undamaged hand towards him and TK doesn’t waste another second before he is crossing the room to stand by the bed, grabbing onto the hand Carlos is weakly holding in his direction. His eyes trail down his chest and the stark bruising that he now knows is the damage from a bullet makes his breath catch as the possibilities filter through his head of how close he came to losing him. “Hey,” Carlos says sharply and TK glances back towards his husband’s face and finally allows himself to lean down and press a kiss into his forehead and his cheek and then his lips, before moving only centimetres away and letting himself listen to the comforting sound of his breathing.
“I was so worried” Carlos merely hums in reply, his hand squeezing his in acknowledgement. A subtle cough sounds behind them and TK turns and takes a step back keeping his hand in Carlos’s.
“Sorry to interrupt. Carlos, how’s that pain level now?” the nurse asks and through the panic, TK can see the signs of fatigue and pain all through his husband’s expression.
“About a 4” Carlos replies and TK scoffs quietly
“That means it’s probably a 6 or a 7” Carlos looks over at him, offended and the nurse lets out an amused laugh.
“You’d think people wouldn’t lie to us, but no”
“Sorry” The nurse lets out a laugh and rubs his arm gently for a second.
“No need to be sorry but tell me the truth. So what number are we really at?”
“Maybe a seven” Carlos eventually admits, and the nurse just nods before reaching over to a machine beside him.
“Doctor Weiss thought that might be the case, we’re going to up that pain relief for a bit. Just waiting for those scans to come back and then we’ll work out when we can move you upstairs, okay?”
“Thank you” Carlos mumbles and they’re left alone again.
“Do you need anything? I wasn’t at home when Sara rang so I haven’t got any of your stuff. I should go and get Sara so she can see you..-“ TK trails off, and doesn’t move from his spot when the grip on his hand tightens.
“Relax” Carlos mumbles, taking a deep breath and wincing as it falters. His jaw tenses as the pain takes over for a second and TK tries to force his brain to work through the fog of panic in his head so he can think of ways he could be helping. Carlos relaxes after a few moments, but his other hand sits on his chest like it will offer some relief.
“How are you so good at this?” TK asks a few moments later and Carlos looks over at him, confusion clear on his face despite the pain still clouding his eyes.
“Good at what?”
“Not completely losing the plot when I’m in this place,” TK says, and Carlos lets out a laugh and then a low groan.
“No laughing. I always lose the plot when you’re in a hospital bed” TK’s mind goes back to all the times he remembers being stuck where Carlos is right now and Carlos being by his side always steady and unwavering in his support and can’t help but think that he’s missed something.
“You do?”
“Yes. Of course. I’ve just got a better poker face than you, and someone keeps giving me chances to practice” TK grimaces at his words and swallows back a useless apology.
“Don’t get any ideas. One time is enough, okay?”
“Yeah, I’m with you on that” Carlos agrees, his hand absently rubbing his chest “I’m sorry for scaring you”
“Don’t worry about that right now”
“It’s all I could think about. Just you” TK smiles at him softly as Carlos blinks up at him, clearly struggling to keep his eyes open and TK can see the painkillers finally kicking in as his face starts to relax.
“You’re okay, that’s all that matters”
“Going to be out for a while” Carlos mumbles and then “Damn that’s good stuff”
TK snorts at his husband’s reaction and feels the first notch of worry dissolve in his chest.
“Sleep, baby” he places a kiss against the palm he still holds and then allows himself a deep breath to try and calm his still rapidly beating heart as he watches the comforting rise of Carlos’s chest as he sleeps.