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Nancy knows something is off the second she sees him. And yes, his mother did pass away less than 24 hours ago, but it’s not that. In this moment, the emotional trauma is being masked by something physical, something more acute; she senses it as a paramedic but also as the kid’s appointed big sister. She glances at Paul and Mateo, receiving a helpless shrug from both, before following TK into the ambulance.
“Hey, buddy. What are you doing here?”
“Inventory.”
He answers like it’s just a regular day, just a regular shift, but he even sounds off. Flat affect, speech a bit mumbled. He’s pale, too. His hands slightly shaking as he grips the clipboard. She takes it from him, not surprised that his skin is also clammy.
Symptoms are adding up as quickly as time is running out.
“Did you eat this morning?” she asks, keeping her tone casual as she maneuvers TK to sit on the stretcher behind them. When he squints up at her, she wonders if it’s because he’s trying to remember or if his vision is blurring as well. Neither is a good sign. “Hey.” She grasps his wrist, feeling his pulse race beneath her fingertips. Another bad sign. “Look at me.” She waits until he does to rephrase her question. “Did you eat breakfast?”
TK shakes his head, and even that looks clumsy and uncoordinated.
“Okay.” She reaches for the glucose meter. “When’s the last time you ate?”
TK flinches when she pricks his finger but doesn’t otherwise respond as he watches her with a detached gaze.
Nancy stares back. “Was it last night?”
TK still doesn’t speak, but that’s fine. His blood sugar level is telling her everything she needs to know, confirming her suspicions while also intensifying the urgency of their situation.
“Nancy, have you seen – ”
She startles and turns as Carlos appears at the ambulance’s door. He takes one look at TK and climbs inside.
“Hey, sweetheart.” TK hums at the greeting and offers a weak smile, slumping against Carlos as he sits beside him. “Thought I might find you here.” TK only has three safe places in Austin: their home, his dad’s house, and the 126. When Carlos had returned to an empty loft, he had made a quick call to Owen to double-check father and son weren’t together before heading to the firehouse. He glances at the dangerously low number on the meter, then glances at Nancy. “He hasn’t eaten since last night.”
Nancy nods. She figured even before she saw proof.
“Then with everything going on this morning…” Carlos shakes his head, annoyed with himself. TK has been too distracted and overwhelmed by grief to monitor and manage his condition, which means he should’ve reminded TK to check his numbers, should’ve insisted he eat before now. “I had gone to get us food.”
That explains it, Nancy thinks as she reaches for the glucose tablets. TK giving his dad the slip is nothing new since Owen is often too self-absorbed to notice but escaping from Carlos – especially a worried, hovering Carlos – would’ve been impossible if Carlos had still been at the loft.
“I shouldn’t have left him, though. I should’ve had it delivered or just thrown something together in the kitchen or – ”
“Dude. Stop.” Nancy recognizes a Carlos guilt trip spiral when she sees one, and they don’t have time for it. She holds up the tablet bottle. “Do you think he’ll take these?”
“No. Too similar to pills.”
“Right.” She drops the bottle and offers the second choice. “Glucose gel?”
“No. He hates the texture. He needs – ”
“Hey, is Tommy here yet or…” Judd’s voice trails off as he takes in the scene inside the ambulance. “You know, I knew somethin’ was off with that kid.”
“Congratulations,” Nancy snarks, because no shit, Judd. A stranger could tell something is off with this kid. He’s a pale, sweaty, shaking mess; his condition deteriorating by the second.
“Juice. Now.”
Judd nods at Carlos’s order, but Paul is already there, handing over a glass half full while Mateo stands by with the jug in case they need more.
Carlos cups the back of TK’s head as he lifts the glass to his lips. “TK. Drink this.”
TK makes a noise – half grunt, half groan – and jerks back, spilling some of the juice as he pushes it away.
Carlos is not deterred. He’s used to this now. He knows TK is disoriented and can be slightly combative when he’s hypoglycemic. He tries again, resisting the urge to snap when TK responds the same way.
Judd shows no such restraint. “Hey! Stop bein’ a pain in the ass and drink the damn juice.”
It’s the kind of tough love they’ve all come to expect from him – especially when he’s dealing with TK – but Mateo still cringes as Paul shakes his head and Nancy twitches a smile. Carlos sighs, though it’s reassuring that TK has enough coherence to glare in Judd’s direction.
“Yeah, pretty boy. I’m talkin’ to you.” Judd holds the kid’s unfocused gaze and points at the glass. “Drink the damn juice.”
“Please,” Mateo adds, shrugging when Paul cuts his eyes at him. He knows that killed the vibe, but he can’t help it. His mama raised a boy with manners.
Carlos smiles when TK’s attention drifts back to him. “You heard them,” he says, playing along as he once again lifts the glass. “There you go,” he encourages, smiling even wider when TK finally takes a swallow. He waits for Nancy to wipe the dribbled residue from TK’s mouth and chin, then offers another sip. “One more.”
They repeat the process until the glass is empty, and TK is no longer shaking.
“Better?”
TK nods, his head bobbing on Carlos’s shoulder as he sags into him. He’s exhausted, but his color has already improved.
“Pulse is stabilizing,” Nancy reports, releasing TK’s wrist as she dabs the cooling sweat from his face. “We’ll wait 15 minutes, then re-check his numbers.”
“Is it just me, or did that happen faster than usual?”
“It’s been building,” Carlos tells Paul. “He didn’t sleep last night. Didn’t eat this morning.”
“Y’all still goin’ to New York?”
Carlos glances at Judd. The answer depends on multiple variables out of their control but – “I hope so.”
“Me too, man.” There’s a beat of silence as Judd looks around the firehouse. “Well…” He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess we’ll get back to work since the crisis is over.”
“I hope so,” Carlos repeats. He’ll feel more confident after they check TK’s blood sugar but for now, he’s grateful that TK is cool, quiet, and still as he rests against him. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime, brother.”
“Right,” Paul agrees. “We’re family. And you know it takes a village.”
“Especially with this one,” Judd quips, leaning into the ambulance to ruffle TK’s hair. He laughs when TK retaliates with a half-hearted swipe.
“I’ll leave this here,” Mateo says, squeezing by Judd to set the orange juice jug at Nancy’s feet. “You know, just in case…”
Nancy smiles. “I think we’re good, but thanks.”
Mateo smiles back, and Carlos arches an eyebrow as something passes between them. Something he’s never noticed before. He wishes the others were still here to confirm what he just witnessed, or TK was awake enough to ask because his boyfriend would definitely know. “Wait. Are you two…”
Nancy scoffs as Mateo blushes and leaves. Neither deny it.
“Huh.”
“Shut up, Reyes.”
Carlos mimes zipping his lips and presses a kiss to TK’s temple as they continue to wait.