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Jake tried to suppress the whimper that bubbled up in his throat. He had been feeling shitty all day, mainly due to the cramping in his lower stomach which he had initially chalked up to being a slight stomach bug. That had been earlier when he didn’t have his head stuck in a toilet and the pain had felt more centralized as it had shifted to the right-hand side.
Jake just knew that it was likely his appendix and wanted nothing more than his husband to be with him and probably to go to the hospital. He just needed to get to his phone first as soon as he gathered his strength, but the tile felt so good against the heat emanating from his body. Jake gently flopped down on the tile once he was done vomiting, pressing his face into the tile. He would go get his phone in a moment after he rested his eyes for a moment, Jake told himself as he drifted off. This was how Bradley found him an hour later when he got home.
“Jake, you home?” Bradley called out, when his husband didn’t come greet him like usual.
When silence greeted him, Bradley started getting worried as Jake always came to the door if he was home and Jake had texted that he had gotten home earlier. Maybe Jake was asleep as he had mentioned that he wasn’t feeling well earlier. Still, it didn’t abate much of Bradley’s worry. Bradley continued softly calling for Jake as he began looking for him in all the usual places Jake would usually nap in. After walking into their bedroom, Bradley caught sight of Jake laying in their bathroom out of the corner of his eye.
“Jake!” Bradley yelled as he ran to Jake’s side.
All he got out of Jake at first was a soft whine as Jake cracked his eyes slightly.
“Hey, Bradley,” Jake slurred as he looked up at Lassiter, “I was just about to call you.”
“Are you alright, Jake? What are you doing in here?” Bradley asked gently resting his hand on Jake’s side causing him to whimper.
“Not really. Need a hospital probably. Think my appendix is angry at me and the tile felt cool,” Jake murmured, pressing his face into the tile again.
Without another word, Bradley gathered Jake up into his arms, eliciting a cry of pain from Jake and all but sprinted out to the car murmuring apologies as his husband whimpered in his arms. The drive was a blur as Bradley speed to the hospital ignoring all speed limits goaded by the pained expression Jake had.
Jake had been silent, outside of the occasional whimper when they hit some of the bigger bumps, which only worried Bradley more. The car came to a screeching halt in a parking spot outside of the ER and Bradley barely managed to remember to put the car into park before running to the passenger’s side. Again, Bradley pulled Jake into his arms and sped walked inside.
“My husband thinks that his appendix is about to burst. The right side of his stomach hurts, he has a slight fever and he was throwing up earlier,” Bradley announced to the nurse his words carrying more weight at the sight of Jake, pale with a pinched expression, Face pressed into Bradley’s shoulder.
“We’ll get him seen by someone shortly. Take him into exam one,” the nurse said pointing to the room.
Bradley just nodded and pushed the door open with his shoulder when they got to the door without another word. Jake whimpered again as the pain spiked under the florescent lighting, pressing his face further into Bradley’s shoulder. Bradley murmured gentle comforts into Jake’s hair as he tried to set Jake down on the table.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay, Jake. I know it hurts but we’ll be figuring it out while we’re here. I just need to set you down here so that the docs can check you out. I won’t be far and will try to stay in your line of sight, if not holding your ha das long as I can,” Bradley whispered to Jake whined at the fact Bradley was no longer holding him as close.
Bradley felt Jake nod against him and continue to hold Jake’s torso against him lightly, shushing him as he whimpered. Luckily they didn’t have to wait long as a doctor came castling in with a clipboard which she passed to Bradley once Bradley freed don of his hands from his grip on Jake.
“So I heard that you had some lower abdomen pain on the right hand side and you think that’s your appendix. Do you mind if I check it out?” the doctor asked gently of Jake.
“Yeah, it hurts like hell,” Jake said voice strained.
With that Jake un-balled himself slightly and pulled away from Bradley while continuing to hold his hand. Once he had, the doctor gently prodded at Jake’s stomach, elicitin a yelp where he pressed on the right side. Bradley had to suppress a growl at Jake’s yelp, hating the idea that someone caused his husband pain. Luckily for everyone involved the doctor immediately released the pressure and moved away from him.
“Yes, it is your appendix. Someone will be in shortly to get you prepped for surgery and we’ll get you all fixed up,” the doctor said, giving Bradley a short nod before heading out again.
At that, Jake let a slightly muffled sob as he slumped slightly against Bradley, who immediately wrapped his arms around Jake. He had been half hoping that it was something else even though he knew it likely was just that. At the very least, Bradley was there with him both before and after the surgery and knowing Bradley, Ice and Mav would be around as well as the rest of their friends.
Still Jake hated the idea of going into surgery even if it was necessary. Bradley continued to hold him gently until the nurses came in to bring him into surgery less than an hour later, leaving Bradley at loose ends. One of the nurses lead him into the waiting room for surgeries where he sat down hard in a chair shaking slightly, the adrenaline wearing off slightly. Not feeling completely steady, Bradley pulled out his phone and called Mav hoping that he could offer some good insight. After a couple of rings, Mav picked up.
“Hey, Bradley! What’s going on? I thought you had dinner with your husband this evening,” Mav asked sounding confused.
“We were but I had to take Jake to the hospital. He’s currently in surgery for his appendix and I don’t know what to do. I feel like I can’t do anything and couldn’t help him,” Bradley said with a choked sob.
Bradley heard Mav yell to Ice, “Ice we’re going to the hospital! Jake is in surgery for his appendix and Bradley need us,” before Mav turned back to the phone.
“Bradley, you did help him. You took him to the hospital and got there in time. I know it’s terrifying but you did the right thing. Now Ice and I are headed your way. Two questions: which hospital are you at and would you like us to stay on the phone with you until we get there?” Mav said, concern tinging his voice.
“We’re at the one at the cross roads of 15th and Elm and I think I’ll be fine until you guys get here, just worrying about Jake,” Bradley sniffled.
“Ok then kid, we’ll be there soon. If something happens between now and when we get there let us know,” Mav said softly.
Goodbyes were exchanged and the phone was hung up leaving Bradley to his own thoughts, which may not have been the best idea despite knowing that Jake was likely going to be fine and that his dads were on their way. Now all there was to do was to wait for any news regarding Jake and for his dads to get there. Bradley let out another shaky half-sob, half-sigh as he let himself hunch forward slightly, releasing some of the tension that had taken up residence in his shoulders after seeing Jake curled on the floor.
If he never saw Jake curled up in pain on the floor again, it would be too soon. Questions were now swirling through Bradley’s head at a break neck pace, all of them founded in worry. How long had Jake been like that before Bradley had found him? What if he hadn’t gotten when he did? What if, what if, what if. Bradley didn’t realize how much the what if were getting to him until a warm hand touched his shoulder drawing him out of his thoughts and into the blinding lights with a gasp.
“Hey, Bradley. We’re here, can you take a deep breath for us?” the gentle voice asked gently as something guided him back slightly against the chair.
Bradley tried his best to do what the voice had told him to do and took a shuddering breath that seemed to take more air away and make the fuzzy world sharper at the same time. When the world came back into focus, Mav crouching in front of him was the first thing Bradley saw causing him to throw himself slightly at the smaller man. Maverick caught him with an oof and ended up on the ground cradling Bradley to his chest.
“It’s okay, Bradley. Jake’s going to be fine. I just need you breath for me right now as Ice is seeing if he can get any new information on your husband, ok?” Mav said gently rubbing a hand up and down Bradley’s spine.
Bradley managed a stuttery nod against Mav, not quite ready to talk yet. After another moment or two, Bradley had calmed down enough for Mav to haul both of them off the ground and into the nearby chairs as Ice joined them, demeanor not beleeing any news either way.
“Hey, Ice, Mav. Thanks for coming and sorry for panicking on you a little bit there,” Bradley said, voice slightly hoarse.
“It’s fine Baby Goose. You’re worried about your husband and hate seeing Jake in pain. I know I hate seeing Mav in pain and in the hospital every damn time,” Ice said with a slight growl, “No new news when I asked which is good news.”
“Thanks, Pops. Sometimes it’s the waiting for the news that is worse than actual news because you start to overthink it,” Bradley admitted, ducking his head slightly, “It was terrifying to see him laying on the ground, unconscious and in pain. At the very least, he was awake and talking when I brought him here. God, I wished that I could take all the pain away and make it so that he never got into trouble again.”
“I know, honey, but bubble wrap doesn’t do all that much and you can’t really stop them from doing stupid things,” Ice commented to the protests of Mav and Bradley’s chuckles, “Jake will make it through this just fine. Now all there is to do is to wait.”
Bradley smiled semi-brokenly and leaned into Ice’s side, glad that his dads were there with him, knowing that it would likely be a couple more hours until they got news about Jake. Those couple of hours seemed to last forever as the last of adrenaline faded away leaving Bradley almost asleep on Ice’s shoulder until a doctor came out.
“Bradley Bradshaw?” the doctor called.
“That’s me,” Bradley said, standing up and moving towards the doctor.
“Your husband made it out surgery fine and is currently in recovery. It may be a little while before he fully comes out of it, but you can see him in a little bit. He’ll be in room 230 in a little bit. It’s lucky that you got him here when you did as his appendix was about ready to burst when we got in there,” the doctor said, causing a wave of relief to wash over Bradley.
“Thank you, doc. I’m just glad that he’s ok,” Bradley said, cracking a smile and laughing slightly in relief.
“Of course, I’ll have someone come and get you when he has been moved into the room,” the doctor said, nodding before going back to his job.
“Jake’s alright,” Bradley whispered to himself before stumbling back to the chairs where Mav and Ice were sitting.
“Jake’s alright, just got out of surgery and we’ll be about to see him soon if you guys want to come up with me,” Bradley managed to get out once he sat down hard in a chair again.
“Only if you want us to, Baby Goose. We can also go get some things for both the stay in the hospital and for you guys at home for the recovery if you would like,” Mav said, gently offering him a choice of both support and space.
“Actually, it might be nice to have somethings from home. We were just out the door so fast that I didn’t really think to grab anything for a hospital stay. Could one of you stay with me just so that I don’t lose my mind?” Bradley asked quietly.
“I’ll go grab what you might need. Send me a list of what you think you will need and I’ll grab it. Mav, you stay here because I don’t trust you to remember to grab everything,” Ice said already getting up to head back up.
“I’m not that bad! That happened once and I apologized,” Mav whined at Ice’s remark, pouting up at his husband.
When Ice raised an eyebrow and leveled a look at Mav, Mav relented much to both Ice’s and Bradley’s amusement and shooing his husband away, leaving Mav and Bradley with more of the waiting game. Less than half an hour later a nurse came in and led the pair up to Jake’s hospital room. Bradley froze in the doorway at the sight of Jake causing Mav to run into him. Jake was looking slightly less pale and pained than earlier, but he managed to look so small on the hospital bed. Mav, seeing Bradley’s pause, managed to slip under his arm to catch his eye and to see what had cause the pause.
“Bradley, can you look at me?” Mav asked gently, moving in front of him.
When Bradley managed to tear his gaze away from Jake and look down at Mav, Mav continued, “I don’t know what’s going through your head right now, but I’m guessing that you are hating how small Jake looks right now. Just remember that it will go away when he wakes up and sees you, ok?”
Bradley nodded in response to what Maverick said and let him lead him over to the chair by Jakes bed, just in time to see Jake’s forehead did when he was waking up. With a moan, Jake’s eyes fluttered slightly, turning his head towards Bradley, causing Bradley to bend towards the bed slightly.
“Jake, sweetie, you awake?” Bradley asked, resting his hand on top of Jake’s head.
“Roo? Where are we? Don’t feel good,” Jake slurred, eyes cracking open.
“We’re at the hospital. You had to get your appendix out because it was about to burst. You scared me, honey,” Bradley said with a wet chuckle.
“Sorry didn’t mean to,” Jake murmured, pouting up at Bradley.
“I know, honey, you can’t control you appendix. If you’re good we can probably get out of here sooner rather than later, but we’re likely going to be here a couple of days.”
Jake smiled at him with that proposal and Bradley knew that everything was going to be just fine. Sure, he was going to have to deal with a cranky Jake in a few days when he went a little stir crazy and the daggers coming to bother them when they found out, but there was no where he would rather be.