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Buck shifts, biting back a groan. “‘S not bad,” he murmurs, blinking back the heavy exhaustion weighing on him. He aches— his ribs, his hands, his knee. His whole body feels like one giant bruise.
“Buck—“
He doesn’t need to see his sister to know exactly what expression is on her face. He can hear the worry in her voice and rushes to reassure her.
“‘m okay.” He forces his eyes open, searching for Maddie beside the bed. He finds her, taking in the dark circles beneath her eyes. “‘look tired, Mads. Go home.”
“I just got you back,” she tells him, her voice soft, almost too quiet to catch. “I don’t want to leave you alone.” She has his hand clutched in both of hers and she squeezes it tight.
There are tears on her cheeks and Buck hates that he’s the reason she’s crying. He can’t imagine what it must have been like for them - his family - while he slept, unaware.
His arm doesn’t feel like his own. It’s a dead weight on the bed and when he raises it his hand shakes. It takes all his energy cup Maddie’s cheek and wipe away the tears.
“Not alone.” Buck’s eyes flick towards the window. The blinds are down now, but he can see the silhouette behind it.
Since waking, he’s seen everyone… mostly everyone.
Bobby and Athena were by earlier. He’d fallen asleep during their visit and woken to Hen and Chim. Even his parents have been in, offering sympathetic words that felt hollow in comparison to Bobby’s warm comfort.
“Are you kicking me out?” Maddie’s mouth pulls up at the corner. “Do I really look that bad?”
“You look like you need a shower.”
“You’re one to talk,” Maddie teases, running a hand through Buck’s hair. He closes his eyes, sinking back against the pillows and relaxing into the touch.
“Mads—“
“Fine. I’m going.” She doesn’t make any move to leave, one hand still brushing through Buck’s hair while the other rubs small circles into the inside of his wrist.
He finds himself drifting, his eyelids dragging shut.
There’s still a hand in his hair when Buck wakes again.
”‘said you were gonna go home, Mads.”
“She did.”
Buck rolls his head against the pillow, his eyes blinking open.
“Hey, kid.”
“Bobby?” It takes two goes, the words catching in his aching throat.
“I’m right here.” Bobby leans forward over his bed. “You want something to drink?”
Buck nods, his hands shaking as he accepts the plastic cup. He stares at them, willing them to still as water splashes over the rim.
“Here.” Bobby helps him steady the cup so he can take a sip.
“Thanks.” Buck sinks back against the bed, looking around the room. “Maddie went home?”
“Yeah, she did.” Bobby’s face does something weird, but Buck’s too tired to question it.
“Good.” He lets his eyes shut again and he drifts.
“Buck?”
There’s a new voice that drags him back to the surface.
“Chris?” He fights against the draw of sleep, reaching out to the figure by the bed. “Hey, kiddo.”
The boy falls into his arms, sobbing.
“I missed you so much,” Chris sobs, his words muffled against Buck’s shoulder. “They wouldn’t let me see you. They just said you were sleeping.”
“I’m sorry.” Buck whispers the words into Chris’ hair, his arms tightening around the boy. “I’m so sorry.”
They stay like that for a long time— Chris half on the bed, tucked into Buck’s side. It’s not comfortable. Chris’ weight against Buck’s ribs makes it hard to get a full breath, and he’s pretty sure one of his IVs is caught somewhere but he doesn’t want to move Chris.
If he closes his eyes, and focuses on the strawberry scent of Chris’s hair instead of the astringent scent of the room, he can almost pretend they’re back at home, dozing on the couch.
He half drifts, still mumbling soft reassurances, more soft sounds than actual words.
“Dad helped me sneak in so I could see you.”
Chris’ voice pulls him back again.
“He did?”
“Yeah.” Chris shifts, easing up on Buck’s side. “I didn’t like seeing you like that. It was really scary. There were all these machines and nobody knew when you were going to wake up.”
“’m sorry I scared you.”
“I’m just really happy you’re okay.” Chris leans in to give him another hug before shuffling off the bed and into one of the chairs nearby. “Dad is too. He was really sad before. He didn’t want anyone to see though.”
“Where is your dad?” Buck asks, struggling to prop himself up a little higher.
Eddie is the last thing he remembers before waking up surrounded by doctors and since waking, Eddie’s the only person he hasn’t seen.
“He’s outside,” Chris says, looking back towards the door. “I think he was really scared,” Chris says, his voice dropping to a whisper. “We all were, but— Dad was really scared. I think that’s why he didn’t want to come and see you.”
“Oh.”
“He wouldn’t come home through,” Chris continues. “He stayed here every day.”
“He did?” Buck rolls his head towards the door.
“Yeah.” Chris bounces in his seat. “I can go get him,” he offers. “Maybe he’ll come in now that you’re okay.”
“Mm.” He’s so tired still, but he wants to see Eddie, so he nods.
“I’ll get him,” Chris promises, reaching for his crutches. “Just stay awake a little bit longer, Buck. I’ll be right back.”
The door to Buck’s room creaks open, and soft footfalls echo across the floor.
Buck stirs, expecting a nurse, and the footsteps stop.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.”
It’s not the nurse who’d woken him earlier, and that throws him until he places the voice.
“Eds?” His voice is raspy with sleep and for a moment Buck thinks Eddie didn’t hear him.
A chair scapes across the floor to settle by the bed.
“Yeah. I’m here, Buck.”
He blinks, head fuzzy with sleep and turns towards Eddie.
“Hey.” Seeing Eddie ignites something in his chest. It bubbles up into his face, tugging his lips up into a smile. “Where’ve you been?”
Buck watches Eddie rake a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” Eddie starts, his voice low. “I should have been here. I just— I couldn’t see you like that.”
“‘t’s okay,'' Buck tells him. “‘missed you.”
Eddie stares at him, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“ You missed me ? You were asleep the whole time.”
“I was dreaming,” Buck murmurs, lifting his hands to rub at his eyes. The tremors haven’t gone away yet, and he doesn’t want to think about what that might mean. “You weren’t there. Woke up. You weren’t here.”
“I’m here now.”
“Yeah.” Buck lets his hands drop, one of them landing by Eddie’s on the bed. There’s only millimetres between them. If he was brave enough it wouldn't take much to close the gap. “You’ll stay?”
Warm fingers close around Buck’s hand.
“I’m not going anywhere.”