Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kate has a class to teach in a few hours on campus so Tyler’s packing her a lunch while she gets ready upstairs. He’s listening in to the weather report on radio like he usually does even though he could probably check the radars himself. It’s always been surprisingly easy for him to be a “stay at home husband”. He doesn’t mind it at all, he even loves spending most of his off season days on their farm, working on their land or taking care of the Youtube channel while Kate does her thing.

“Hey, did you have breakfast yet?” Kate asks as she walks into the kitchen, her dress shirt draped over her left arm.

Tyler never really understands why she insists on wearing one when she teaches, but she tells him it’s like her uniform. Even when the temperatures outside are way too warm she insists on wearing one. She’ll probably only put it on once she’s in her classroom today, he thinks.

“Not hungry this morning,” Tyler replies, zipping up her lunchbox and pushing it across the kitchen island. “Made you some oatmeal though.”

Kate goes to the stove and spoons herself a serving of oatmeal while Tyler leans against the counter and rubs his stomach. She carefully watches him for a moment, considering what she’s about to say.

“Are you still feeling a bit sick?” Kate asks, grabbing a spoon and the brown sugar Tyler had already put out for her.

“Yeah, I guess,” he replies a bit dismissively, reaching for his cup of barely touched coffee. He’d vomited out of nowhere last night just as they were going to bed and hasn’t really felt hungry since then.

“Maybe I should stay home with you?” Kate proposes before eating a bite of food. “I’ll tell my students that the class will be online today. I can teach from the office in case you need me.”

“Nah, I’m going out with the crew today to test out the new builds on the trucks. I’ve gotta make sure everything is up to my standards before we start chasin’ full time again. We only have a few weeks left to prep.” Tyler shifts his weight from one leg to another. “Your students need you,” he insists.

“Maybe you should stay home if you aren’t feeling well? Dani can keep you updated on the trucks.” It’s not that she wants to tell him what to do, it’s just that she’d feel better if he would take it easy while she’s gone if he isn’t feeling well.

“I’ll be the one driving my own truck when we chase, I need to know how it handles myself,” Tyler urges, tossing his full cup of coffee down the drain. He’ll drink some water later when he feels like it.

“I don’t think that’s the best idea honey,” Kate argues lightly, worried that he might be pushing himself a bit too much when he could just rest one day and avoid being ill at all.

“I’ll be fine baby, I’ll take it easy. If I start feeling worse I’ll just drive back home alright?”

His wife clearly isn’t completely convinced with his offer, but she still grabs her lunch box, presses up on her toes and presses a soft kiss to his lips. “I’ll see you tonight alright?”

“Text me when you get to campus?” Tyler asks as he always does, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Of course and when I leave also,” Kate reassures him. “I love you.”

“Love you too baby,” Tyler echoes her words.

Tyler stands on the porch of their home with his hand on his right hip as he watches her drive away. He’ll head back inside and pops a couple of Advils into his mouth before hitting the road.

***

Tyler doesn’t know why they picked today to test out the trucks, he feels like his pick up is an oven right now even with their air conditioning blasting in the cab. It’s an abnormally warm day for this early in the year. They decided to park up the fleet on a desert dirt road while Dani checks something out on the RV, so he has a few minutes to catch his breath.

Tyler grips the steering wheel with one hand, the other resting against his stomach. The dull ache has been nagging at him for a few hours now, a low, pulsing discomfort just beneath his navel that he just can’t ignore anymore. He shifts in the driver’s seat, adjusting his position, but the pain doesn’t ease, not even by a little bit. It only settles deeper, a slow, burning pressure that seems to be spreading even quicker now.

“I think I need some air,” Tyler says to Boone, who only looks up from his tablet at the sound of his friend’s voice. They’re also checking out a few camera angles today, getting ready for a really good chasing season.

Something feels so wrong, it’s like he’s been stabbed in the stomach. Maybe he should have listened to Kate and stayed home today.

“Alright T,” Boone calls out worriedly, noting how sweaty Tyler looks.

Tyler barely hears him. His whole body is knotted up in pain, his stomach twisting violently as another wave of nausea wracks through him. His free hand clutches at his side, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt as if that might somehow stop the pain from tearing through him. But it doesn’t. It only gets worse.

His breath comes in short, shallow gasps. The heat of the truck’s hood burns against his palm, but he can’t bring himself to move as it helps him stay upright as he starts vomiting. The taste of bile is sharp and sour in his mouth, leaving him dizzy, unsteady.

“Fuck! Guys!” Tyler hears Boone scream, calling out for help. “Tyler? What’s wrong man?”

Tyler feels like he’s underwater, his friends voice sounding muffled and the hands on his shoulders feeling like they are pushing him down more than helping. Tyler spits, his throat raw. He tries to straighten up, pushing away from, but the second he moves, a sharp, searing pain stabs through his right side, doubling him over again. He sucks in a breath through clenched teeth, his vision swimming.

Boone barely has time to react before Tyler crumples, his body going slack as his legs give out beneath him. Boone lunges forward in an attempt to catch his friend, but Tyler hits the ground before he can reach him.

“Guys! I need help right now!” Boone yells, completely panicking.

Lily arrives to their side first, sliding in the dirt on her knees. “What the fuck just happened Boone?”

“I don’t know! He’s been weird all day, you know that, and he just started pukin’ and then he fainted!” Boone cries out, slapping Tyler’s face in an attempt to wake him up. “Come on T, wake up!”

“It’s our friend… yes… he collapsed after throwing up,” Dani says into her phone, clearly on the line with emergency services. Boone hadn’t even noticed her, his focus completely on his passed out friend. “Dex? Where are we exactly?”

Dexter gives her their exact position and Dani repeats it into the phone before hanging up. There’s a few seconds where none of the Wranglers know what to do but look at their leader lying in the dirt.

“Shit we gotta do something, the ambulance will be here in like thirty minutes,” Dani calls out, putting her phone in her pocket.

They shift Tyler carefully, Dexter holding his head in his lap. “He’s really warm guys, did he have a fever the whole time?” He points out, pressing the back of his hand to Tyler’s forehead.

“I’ll go get some water,” Lily calls out, running to the RV.

As they wait for the ambulance, Tyler wakes up once, in a complete daze and whimpering in pain, but he goes limp after a few minutes.

They let the paramedics take over immediately, trusting them with their friend. They get Tyler to wake up again by rubbing his sternum, but Boone can only helplessly watch as Tyler writhes in pain. This makes the paramedic pick up their pace even more.

Lily’s eyes flicker between Tyler’s pale face and the steady motion of their hands as they hook up IV lines and check his vitals. The tension in her chest tightens with each passing second.

“Is he gonna be okay?” she asks, her voice shaking just enough that the paramedic notices but doesn’t answer her question.

“Did he show any signs of abdominal pain throughout the day?” One of the paramedics asks as they roll Tyler onto a backboard.

“Uh, he didn’t say anything, but he kept pressing on his stomach while drivin’” Boone provides as an answer.

“Alright, who’s coming with him, we need to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible,” the paramedics asks, already pushing the stretcher towards the ambulance.

“Boone, ride with him,” Dexter steps in, pushing Boone towards the ambulance, knowing that his younger friend won’t be able to drive anyway.

Dani, Dexter and Lily watch the ambulance speed away with the sirens and lights on, feeling completely helpless.

“Fuck,” Lily says, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, her breath coming fast as the adrenaline truly hits her.

“What?” Dani asks, putting a hand on her friend’s lower back.

“We have to call Kate.”

Chapter Text

The first time her phone buzzes on her table, Kate doesn’t question it. It’s probably Tyler sending her a picture of the truck in a field, telling her how well the truck handles. There’s a few more buzzes, but Kate manages to keep speaking, trying to focus on the material she’s trying to explain instead.

But then it buzzes again, not the kind indicating a message, but the kind telling her she’s getting a call. Kate stops taking for a second, but then decides to keep going again. The person trying to reach her can leave a message if they want her to call back. She’ll look at it when the students take a break.

It’s when it rings for a second time that she gets a sinking feeling in her stomach. Something is wrong. Her phone is always on “Do not disturb” when she’s teaching and there are a limited amount of people who can reach her when it’s turned on.

“Hey, guys, I think we can take a break here. Come back in fifteen minutes alright?” Kate tells her student and if they find it weird that she’s stoping in the middle of a slide, they say nothing. Some students stand up, while other take their phones out.

Kate picks up her phone and the first notification she sees is a missed called from Lily. Something is terribly wrong. With a shaky thumb, she presses on the notification to call back.

It only rings one time before Lily picks up.

“Kate? Thank god you answered!” Lily sounds winded, like she might have even been crying before the phone rang.

“Lily, what’s wrong?” They weren’t chasing today, nothing should have happened. She hadn’t gotten any notifications about a tornado or seen anything on the radars that could have indicated that there was anything worth chasing. The team was simply driving the trucks around today, nothing dangerous that could result in an injury.

“It’s Tyler, Kate… he collapsed while we were checking out one of the trucks,” Lily informs her with a trembling voice.

“What?” Kate feels like she’s been punched in the gut, she never should have left the house this morning. She knew something was wrong with him, but she still left. She left him alone when he needed her to stay with him.

“Where is he?” Kate gasps, holding herself up with one hand on her desk.

“He’s in an ambulance. Boone went with him, we’re following close behind,” Lily tells her, but that doesn’t really make her feel better.

“Where are they taking him?” Kate is trying her best to not cry, especially standing in front of her class. Most students did go outside of the class for the break, but there are still a few sitting down and staring at her.

“Ascension St. John Hospital, close to Sapulpa,” Lily informs her. “We’re going to be there in about ten minutes.”

“Okay… I can be there in like an hour and a half probably,” Kate replies, trying to control her breathing. “I just need to get my things from my office and I’ll be on my way.” The campus isn’t exactly close to Sapulpa and she doesn’t want to get arrested speeding so she needs to be realistic about how long it’s going to take her to get there.

“I’ll call you if we get any news,” Lily tells her before hanging up.

Kate feels like a deer caught in headlights, standing in front of about a dozen students. She can’t really tell them why she’s leaving, not if she doesn’t want it to be on Twitter in the next ten minutes. It’s one of the downside of teaching a bunch of meteorology students, they all know who her husband is and a lot of them are fans of the Wranglers.

Kate feels like she’s hyperventilating, but the longer she takes to move the longer it will take for her to get to Tyler’s side. He might not have the time she need to get her shit together.

“Can you tell the rest of the class that they are dismissed? There’s a family emergency and I need to go,” Kate tells the students in the front row, trying to be as vague as possible.

“Yeah sure, Doctor Carter,” one of the students reply with a wary eye. “Is everything alright?”

“Of course, it’s a family matter. I’ll email everyone the class notes when I can.”

With that Kate grabs her bag and hurries up to her office to grab the rest of her things. One of her colleagues tries to talk to her, but Kate’s only focus is on getting on the road as quickly as possible.

***

Kate bursts through the emergency room doors, her breath coming fast, chest tight with panic. The drive had been hell, imagining all the different scenarios in her head. She didn’t get any news on her phone either, no calls either and while she considered calling her mother, she felt like it would just send her into a bigger spiral of panic.

Kate’s eyes dart across the waiting area, scanning the sea of unfamiliar faces as she looks for her friends. Dani and Dexter are sitting in plastic chairs in the corner of the waiting room while Lily and Boone are frantically pacing the length of the aisle of chairs.

“Where is he?” Kate pleads, her shaking hands gripping Lily’s forearm.

“They took him to surgery the moment we arrived,” Boone tells her, looking like he has aged a decade since she saw him yesterday. “They won’t tell us much since we’re not family, but they think his appendix burst.”

“Okay, I’ll go see the nurses station, I’ll be right back,” Kate utters, the information rattling around in her brain.

"Hello, I'm looking for information about my husband. He was brought in by ambulance not too long ago," Kate says as she approaches the nurses' station. "His name is Tyler Carter-Owens.”

One of the nurses barely looks up. “Relation?"

"I'm his wife," Kate replies, already reaching for her driver's permit. “I should be in his file.”

The nurse’s eyes snap up at that, taking Kate’s ID and looks at her computer screen for a moment. “Just let me check… Alright, he’s currently in surgery, but I don’t have anymore information than that. Doctor Richards is performing the surgery. I’ll make sure to note down that you’re here. As soon as he’s out of surgery someone will come speak with you and get you up to date.”

“Thank you for the information, I’ll be right in the corner with the rest of my family,” Kate tells the nurse before walking back to the rest of the crew. She wished she had more information, but she knows how these things can go.

"I don't have any more details," she tells her expectant friends, grateful that they had kept her a chair. She practically collapses onto the uncomfortable plastic chair, hunching forward until her head rests between her knees.

Dexter’s hand on her lower back comforts her for a moment, but the sob that she had been holding in since Lily called her finally comes out. It tears through her body, unable to be held in anymore.

Kate allows herself a moment of weakness, the stress of not knowing how Tyler is painfully reminding her of how helpless she is to help the ones she loves the most.

“Did you call your mother?” Dexter asks her in a kind voice, rubbing her lower back. Kate shakes her heard in denial, unable to get a single word out. “That’s okay, I’ll call Cathy for you.”

Dex stands up, letting Dani throw her arm over Kate’s shoulder. “Ty’s gonna be alright, he’s survived worse than this,” Dani tells her and while Kate knows she’s right, it still feels like all she has right now is hope.

“He was sick last night and I could tell he was hurting this morning and I still left,” Kate whimpers once she manages to get her breathing back in control.

“And I’m sure he almost pushed you out of the house,” Dani counters accurately. “Don’t blame yourself for this. You know how he gets when he wants to do something.”

“I know, I just feel like this could have been avoidable,” Kate insists.

“If Tyler had just told us he was feeling like crap then we could have helped him too,” Lily jumps in, pushing the idea that it really wasn’t Kate’s fault.

With her emotions almost back in control Kate settled back in her chair, as much as she could considering the plastic furniture was clearly made to discourage people from lingering.

Cathy arrives about an hour after Tyler’s been in surgery, wrapping Kate in a tight hug and murmuring words of encouragement in her daughter’s ear. She then opens her bag and hands everyone the sandwiches she made them before leaving.

Everyone tries to eat a little, but Kate can’t even unwrap her sandwich. Cathy manages to make her drink some of the can of soda she had brought. It’s all Kate can manage to stomach at the moment and no one can blame her for it.

A nurse comes to get Kate after she’s been sitting in the waiting room for a little over two hours.

“Kate Carter-Owens?” A nurse asks into the room, standing close to the doors and holding a clipboard.

Kate stands up immediately, swaying on her feet for a moment, but her mother puts a hand on her lower back, helping her stay upright.

“That’s me,” Kate calls out, her voice cracking slightly. “Is he okay?” She doesn’t really know anything about ruptures appendixes and she had given Dexter her phone so she couldn’t google it and scare herself half to death while waiting.

“The surgery went as well as we could have hoped,” the nurse continues. “His appendix had ruptured, and there was a significant infection, but the doctors were able to clean the area and stabilize him. He’s still under anesthesia, but he’s in recovery now.”

Kate nods quickly, relieved that Tyler is okay. He’s fine, he’s made it out of surgery just fine. Her hands are still trembling, but she feels a lot more confident than she had mere minutes ago. “Can I see him?”

The nurse’s smile softens. “Yes. He’s still groggy, but you can sit with him while he wakes up. He can only have one visitor at a time.”

“You go ahead Kate, take your phone so you can update us,” Dexter speaks up for everyone, handing Kate her phone.

"See? Everything will be okay," Cathy says gently, rubbing Kate’s arm gently.

Kate grabs her things and follows the nurse through the doors leading towards the recovery rooms.

“We placed him in a private recovery room considering there is a risk of infection,” the nurse explains as they walk.

“Thank you,” Kate replies, unsure of what is the proper thing to say in this situation.

“You know, he did wake up for a moment and the only thing he said was your name,” the nurse offers her with a sweet smile.

“Yeah that does sound like my husband,” Kate sobs, feeling a mix of relief and frustration that Tyler let things get this bad.

The nurse stops walking when they reach a door. “He doesn’t look great but that’s alright, he’s just been through a major surgery and he’s going to get his colour back,” the nurse explains and Kate nods. “You’ll have a nurse come in to check in on his status every few minutes as he wakes up. When he does, you just have to press the call button and someone will come check up on you. The doctor might swing by to explain things to you later, but he was just pulled into another surgery. Do you have any questions?”

“No, it’s alright, I just want to see him,” Kate replies quickly.

With that, the nurse motions Kate to go ahead and enter the recovery room.

Chapter Text

Kate steps into the hospital room, her breath catching the moment she sees Tyler. The nurse had warned her, but somehow, she didn’t think it would be this bad.

Tyler looks small in the bed, swallowed up by stark white hospital sheets and the steady hum of machines around him. His skin is pale, almost grey, a sharp contrast to his usual perpetual tan from being outside all the time. A nasal cannula rests just below his nose, the slow rise and fall of his chest the only sign that he’s even alive.

Kate’s never seen him like this, not in the four years they’ve been together. Sure, he’s gotten the man-flu a couple of times, but it doesn’t compare to this. She doesn’t think anything could compare to how he looks.

His right arm lies limp at his side, an IV taped to the crook of his elbow, clear fluid dripping steadily from the bag above. Wires snake out from under his hospital gown, connected to monitors that beep in time with his heartbeat, too slow, too weak in her opinion even though she has no medical knowledge.

A thick bandage covers his lower abdomen, the sheets tucked low on his hips.

Kate swallows hard, her eyes burning. She won’t cry in front of him, she refuses to. He might be unconscious for now, but she needs to be strong for him. He’s always been so solid, so steady and always there for her to fall back on. He’s the man that ran through a field on his bad leg, bleeding through his jeans just to get to her. He’s the man that shielded her with his body while the hid in the pool from the tornado.

Yet, he looks like a strong breeze could knock him over.

His lips part slightly, his head tilting just a fraction as if he’s trying to stir, but it’s clear he’s still lost in the haze of anesthesia and exhaustion. She takes a careful step forward, hesitant, afraid that she’ll disturb his peace or something.

“Tyler?” Her voice is barely above a whisper, but it still feels too loud. She doesn’t want to hurt him.

She gets no response from him, not even a twitch. Just the beeping of the monitors and the quiet hum of the IV pump.

Kate exhales shakily and sinks into the chair beside the bed, reaching for his hand. His fingers are warm but lax in her grip, his palm damp with sweat. She holds on anyway, brushing her thumb gently over his knuckles.

“I’m here, okay? It’s me honey,” she murmurs, more for herself than for him. “I’ve got you. I’m not leaving you okay?”

For a moment, Tyler’s fingers twitch in her hand, but when she looks at his eyes, they remain closed.

And then she waits.

***

Kate waits for an hour, holding Tyler’s hand as nurses come in to check in, giving her quick sympathetic smiles before leaving again. The doctor does eventually come to see her, giving her a proper rundown of everything that had happened and Kate tries to remember everything, but the doctor reassures her that once Tyler is awake, they’ll go everything over with the nurses again.

Kate is staring at the white wall in front of her when Tyler’s finger twitch in her hand. Her eyes snap to his face, staying as still as a statue as she waits to see if he’s actually waking up. The heart monitor detects a little spike in his heart beat, nothing that worries Kate, but does indicate he might be really gaining consciousness.

Then, Tyler takes a slow inhale, deeper than before. His brow furrows slightly, like he’s trying to swim up through the heavy fog of anesthesia, but struggling break through. His head shifts, his lips parting as his breath hitches.

“Tyler? Honey, can you try opening your eyes for me?” Kate asks, keeping her grip on his hand while reaching for the call button. “It’s Kate, I just need you to look at me for a second,” she pleads.

His eyelids flutter, squeezing shut for a moment. Kate can tell he’s trying to open them for her, that he hears her pleading and it makes her want to cry. “That’s it Tyler,” she encourages him, squeezing his hand

He moves his head a little again, his eyelids shifting before sluggishly dragging open. Tyler’s eyes are unfocused at first, glassy and slow to track the room. His gaze moves past the ceiling, past the machines, before finally landing on her.

Kate swallows down her cries and takes a deep breath, forcing herself to smile for his sake. “Hey there cowboy,” she greets him sweetly.

Tyler blinks again, confusion knitting his brow. His lips barely move as he rasps out, “Kate?” His voice is weak, rough, barely more than breath.

Kate feels like she can breathe again as her name slips past her husband’s lips. What little control she had over herself completely vanishes and she feels the tears sliding down her cheeks before she can stop them. There’s relief for sure, but also concern as Tyler comes to himself.

“I’m here Tyler, you’re okay,” she says out loud the words she had been whispering to herself for the past hour. She brushes his sweaty hair off his forehead and even in his weakened state, he leans towards her touch for a second.

Tyler shifts slightly, but the second he moves, his face contorts, a sharp inhale escaping through gritted teeth. His whole body tenses, his hand squeezing hers weakly.

“Hey, hey, easy Tyler,” Kate soothes, her free hand pressing lightly against his arm, unsure where to touch him without hurting him more. “Don’t move too much, okay? You just got out of surgery.”

His jaw tightens, his breathing shallow. He doesn’t respond right away, just lies there, his chest rising and falling unevenly.

“Take it easy Mr. Carter-Owens.” The nurse's voice is soft but clear, but still makes Kate jump a little. She hadn’t noticed anyone come into the room. "You’re in the hospital. You just came out of surgery.”

Tyler blinks, sluggish and still disoriented. His eyes don’t leave Kate’s face and it hurts her to see the confusion written across his face.

"Take it easy," the nurse soothes, stepping closer. "You’ve been under anesthesia, so you might feel a little groggy. Can you hear me okay?”

Tyler swallows, his gaze finally shifting to the nurse and forces himself into slowly nodding.

"Good. You had an emergency appendectomy," she continues. "Your appendix ruptured and we had to remove it. The surgery went well, but there was some infection. We’re keeping a close eye on you.”

Tyler shifts slightly, but the second he moves, pain flares hot and sharp across his abdomen. His breath hitches and Kate panics, giving the nurse a scared look.

"Try not to move too much," the nurse repeats Kate’s warning, pressing a button on his IV pump. "I just gave you some more pain medication and it should help in a few minutes.”

Tyler’s eyes flutter shut again and before Kate has the time to panic, the nurse puts a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s just the pain medication, he’ll come around again in a few. He’s alright.”

“Okay, thank you,” Kate swallows down her panic, sitting back down next to Tyler. “Can I have a washcloth when you have some time? I just want to clean his face a little.”

“Sure, I’ll just go inform the doctor he woke up for a moment and I’ll be right back,” the nurse agrees, checking Tyler’s vitals one last time before leaving the room.

***

This time, it only takes about twenty minutes before Tyler opens his eyes again. Kate has had the time to send a general message in the group chat, updating everyone on Tyler’s status. She still needs to call Maggie, but she wants to wait until she’s more certain of how Tyler is doing before calling since she knows his aunt will drive down to them the moment she learns something happened to her nephew.

“Kate,” Tyler calls out, his voice much steadier than before, but still rough.

“There you are,” Kate says, cupping his cheek. “How are you?”

“Water?”

“Just let me call the nurse,” Kate says and Tyler nods slowly. The nurse comes back and checks on Tyler’s vitals, asking him quick questions about his pain. She then asks him if he wants more pain medication and his answer makes Kate want to cry again.

“Want to stay with her,” he manages to say, his voice reminding Kate of his request.

“Can he have water? He asked me for some,” Kate directs her question to the nurse.

"I can bring you some ice chips for now,” the nurse says. "We need to make sure your stomach can handle fluids before you drink anything.”

A few minutes later, the nurse hands Kate a cup of ice and a spoon, telling her how to go slowly and press the call button if Tyler can’t stomach it.

Once they are alone, Kate gently spoons the ice chips into Tyler’s mouth, her hands careful and steady. The cold touches his lips, and he winces slightly at first, the sensation too sharp in his groggy state. Kate watches as his expression shifts from concerned to appeased as the ice melts in his mouth and the water trickles down his throat.

“When are we?” Tyler finally manages to ask, making Kate stop her movement for a second. His voice already sounds a little better.

“Just a little past six. It’s the same day, but you were in surgery for a while,” Kate informs him.

“Have you eaten?” Tyler asks, because of course he is. “You should eat.”

“You worry about yourself mister,” she quips back, before spooning more ice into his mouth. “I’ll eat later, my mom brought me some food.”

“Wranglers?”

“Still in the waiting room,” she replies. “I told them to go home and that I would update them, but they wanted to stick around until you woke up again.”

“I’m sorry,” Tyler tells her, but Kate shakes her head.

“You can apologize later and to the team too, you scared the shit outta them,” Kate says, putting the cup of ice down. Tyler looks sad for a moment and she can’t handle that right now. “Also you need to apologize to me, I think they cut into your beautiful adonis belt, you know how much I love it.”

Tyler’s eyes flicker, the faintest ghost of a smile tugging at his lips for a second, before shifting back to a frown.

“Do you need more pain meds?” Kate asks immediately, reaching for the call button again.

“No, I want to stay awake,” Tyler responds quickly.

“You should rest, your body is still fighting the infection,” Kate insists, but won’t force him to take any medication if he doesn’t want to. Seeing his green eyes clear up is also helping her calm down, so maybe she’s agreeing for her own sake a little.

Tyler is quiet for a few minutes, shifting in bed a little as if he is trying to find a more comfortable position, but his body isn’t allowing him to. Kate holds her tongue, knowing that even if she tells him to stop moving, he won’t.

If today has confirmed anything, it’s that Tyler is stubborn.

Eventually, he finds a position that doesn’t seem to bother him as much and Kate tucks his thin blanket around his legs again.

“Are you going to eat?” Tyler asks again, breaking the silence that had settled.

Kate rolls her eyes, but still reaches for the backpack her mom had given her and makes a show of pulling out the sandwich. Tyler smiles as Kate takes a bite of it and even though there’s no scientific proof that seeing Kate eat can make him feel better, it does.

Tyler falls asleep again even though he tries to fight for a few minutes. Kate uses that opportunity to go to the washroom for a moment and tells the nurse she’s just going to go see the rest of their family to update them in case Tyler wakes up again and looks for her.

“How is he?” Boone asks as soon as Kate walks into the waiting area. The text messages were nice, but Boone clearly needed to hear her say it.

“He just had a really good period of staying awake,” Kate starts, hearing everyone sigh in relief. “He’s in pain, I can tell, but he’s managing it pretty good. The nurses are constantly checking in on him because he’s still fighting the infection a little, but I feel like he keeps getting better.”

“Do they know how long he’ll be in the recovery room?” Dexter asks.

“I need to get more info from the doctor, but he’s in surgery again so we have to wait a little. I’m going to spend the night with him, but I’m pretty sure he wants you guys to go get some rest” Kate concludes.

“We don’t want to leave you alone Kate,” Lily argues.

“It’s okay really, once we get moved to a room where he can have more visitors, I’ll tell y’all,” Kate insists.

“Katie’s right. You should all go home, get some rest and then we’ll see in the morning how Tyler is,” Cathy steps in, supporting her daughter. “I’m going to swing by your place and pack a bag for both Tyler and you. Do you want anything specific?”

“Just some sweatpants and a hoodie for me and Tyler maybe? Clean underwear obviously.”

“Do you need anything else? Charging cables?”

“I have my work bag so I have everything already,” Kate tells her mother. “Thank you everyone for sticking around, I’m sure Tyler really appreciates it. He’d want y’all to sleep on a comfortable bed alright?”

The team finally agrees to leave for the night, Boone telling Kate that he’ll drop of Tyler’s truck home before going home himself. Cathy will drop him by his place after gathering the overnight bags.

When Kate gets back to the room, Tyler is still asleep, the heart monitor still beeping at a steady rhythm. She sits back in her chair, grabs her laptop from her bag and settles herself down. Once her computer is open, she takes Tyler’s hand in hers again, her fingers sliding down his wrist until she can feel his pulse under her fingertips.

Tonight is going to be a long one.

Chapter Text

Tyler wakes up in the middle of the night with a gasp, blindly reaching for Kate. Thankfully, Kate was just resting her eyes and the moment he wakes she’s right there to reassure him.

“Hey it’s okay. I’m right here. Do you need anything?” Kate coos, squeezing his hand. Tyler calms down at the sound of her voice, his eyes falling on Kate’s face. “You’re okay, you’re in the hospital remember?”

Tyler nods slowly then, blinking a couple of times, before letting out a deep breath. The tension in his body eases slightly as Kate kisses his forehead. He’s still warm to the touch, his skin clammy even though she’s been cleaning him with the washcloth every few hours.

The nurses tell her it’s alright and that his condition is getting better, but Kate still thinks he looks too pale. They give him some more pain medication to ease his discomfort before moving them out of the recovery area to a private hospital room considering he is now stable. It’s more private and Kate’s chair is a lot more comfortable, but more importantly it means that Tyler can have visitors in the morning if he feels up to it.

Kate’s been reading her students papers out loud to Tyler, he likes to help her grade them anyway, finding their thoughts on the weather fun. Sometimes, he’s asleep and other times he’s conscious and reacts to some of the things she says. It makes her happy to see him smile a bit or frown with her as she reads something that doesn’t make too much sense.

A soft knock at the door cuts her off. A new nurse steps in, clipboard in hand, offering a small smile when she sees him. "Good morning, Mr. Carter-Owens. How are you feeling?"

“Not too bad,” Tyler rasps, his voice still a bit rough from being intubated. He’s only been allowed to have ice since surgery, but it only helped a little. “I feel like I’ve been stabbed.”

The nurse steps closer, snapping on a pair of gloves. “That’s weirdly normal. The worst is over, though. I need to check your incision, alright?”

Tyler nods, shifting slightly. Even that small movement sends a sharp tug of pain through his lower abdomen, like someone’s actively twisting a knife deep in his core. He exhales hard through his nose.

“Can I do something?” Kate asks, hating to see Tyler in pain again.

“Easy, just hold his hand," the nurse warns gently. "Your abdominal muscles do a lot more work than you realize. The more still you can stay for now, the better you will feel."

Tyler nods, silently telling the nurse that she can keep doing her examination of him.

She lifts the hospital gown, exposing the angry red incision running along his lower right abdomen, cutting through the firm line of his Adonis belt. Kate had been joking earlier about his Adonis belt, but apparently she was right.

The incision is swollen and bruised, a stark contrast against the paleness of Tyler’s skin. A row of staples glints under the fluorescent light, holding everything together.

Tyler keeps his expression neutral, but Kate’s sharp intake of breath doesn’t go unnoticed. For a moment, she’s back to all those years ago when she had seen her own scar on her leg for the first time. She hates hospitals, hates that Tyler’s hurt and they have to stay here so he can be taken care of, but she knows that there will be a time where she can have her breakdown.

Tyler seems to notice her drifting off and tugs on her hand slightly. He gives her an inquiring look, but she shakes her head.

The nurse starts her exam, pressing lightly around the incision. Even the softest touch sends a sharp, radiating pain through his core, and his body tenses instinctively. His fingers tighten around Kate’s.

"Still tender," the nurse notes, her voice calm.

Tyler huffs out a breath. "You could say that.”

She carefully then starts checking for any signs of infection, excessive redness, drainage, warmth, or unusual swelling. Tyler can feel the cool air hit the raw skin, but there’s no real relief for him.

"No drainage, which is good," she says, tilting her head slightly as she inspects the site. "Some swelling, but nothing out of the ordinary for a surgery like this." She presses slightly deeper, checking for any fluid buildup.

Tyler flinches hard, a curse slipping through clenched teeth. "Damn it.”

Kate’s grip tightens on his hand. "You okay?” She knows it has to be really hurting him, she know he has a high pain tolerance.

"Yeah," he mutters, blinking through the pain. "Just—" He exhales sharply. “I feel really fucking weak.”

The nurse continues speaking. "Completely understandable." She smooths down a fresh bandage, pressing it into place with gentle hands. "The main thing now is to keep the area dry and avoid sudden movements. No twisting, no lifting, no trying to sit up too fast. We’ll have you up and walking later today, but you’ll need help.”

Tyler exhales slowly. The thought of walking sounds impossible, but he doesn’t argue. He just lets his head sink deeper into the pillow, exhaustion already tugging at him again.

The nurse removes her gloves, tossing them in the trash. "You’re doing well, all things considered," she says. "I’ll check on you again in a few hours.”

“I’m sorry honey,” Kate tells him once they are alone.

“I got myself into this,” Tyler counters, refusing to be pitied when he made his own situation worse.

"Just try not to scare me like that again, okay?” Kate asks, kissing his hand.

“You know I won’t,” Tyler confirms, turning his hand so he could cup the side of her face. “At least not willingly.”

***

“He lives!” Boone jokes as he enters the hospital room carrying the most obnoxiously sized bouquet of flowers. Kate knows he’s covering his fear by making a joke. It’s early in the afternoon and Boone had been texting her every thirty minutes until Kate had finally just told him to come over.

“Boonie, my man,” Tyler greets his friend and Kate helps him sit up more in bed without hurting himself too much. “Flowers? For me? You shouldn’t have.”

“I thought you’d left us for a moment,” Boone said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He hands Kate the flowers and she sits back down in her chair.

“I know, I’m sorry. I really, really didn’t mean to scare you like that. Any of you. I thought I was just having some hard time digesting or somethin’,” Tyler tells his friend, truly meaning it.

“It’s alright Ty,” Boone patted Tyler’s ankle through the blankets. “The important thing is that you’re with us now.”

“You get my truck home?” Tyler asks, changing the subject.

Kate laughs to herself for a moment. Talking about trucks instead of talking about the fact that just yesterday, Boone was holding Tyler’s limp body on the side of dirt road. Typical men.

"I do need to talk business with you for a moment," Boone says, his tone turning serious.

“Don’t tell me I crashed the fucking truck,” Tyler whines. The memories are still a bit blurry in his mind. He doesn’t remember getting out of the truck at all, so there’s still a possibility of that having happened. Kate might not have told him just so his already low mood wouldn’t get even lower.

“No, you did puke on it, the front wheel specifically,” Boone tells him apologetically. “I washed it this morning, it’s parked in your driveway.”

“Thanks B,” Tyler says, relieved that his beloved truck is safe and sound back home. “So what’s wrong?”

“I might need a proof of life picture from you,” Boone hesitates.

“What do you mean proof of life, he’s right there,” Kate cuts in, not finding the joke funny at all. “I know you were really worried and I really appreciate that, but I don’t think now is the right time to be taking pictures.”

“I’m the farthest from camera ready at the moment Boone,” Tyler adds and if he could, he would card his hand through his hair, but his body still isn’t collaborating with him. He can’t even see himself, hasn’t seen his reflexion for over a day, but he knows he can’t look great.

“It’s not for me, though I’m pretty happy to see you talkin’,” Boone counters. “Someone posted a pic of us in the emergency room on the Wrangler reddit page.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Kate breathes out, angry. She never minded the YouTube thing, honestly she’s thankful for it because it’s probably the only reason why they’ll be able to pay for the hospital stay out of pocket, but she’s pissed at the moment. “How’d they even figure out it was Tyler?”

“Well, the both of you were missing on the picture and then someone, I’m assuming a student of yours made a comment that you cancelled the rest of class after getting a phone call,” Boone explains and Kate says nothing for a while. “I would have taken it down the moment it went up, but I didn’t think I would need to check reddit considering we weren't streaming.”

"It's fine, Boone," Tyler steps in. He’s not happy about it either, but this isn’t Boone’s fault. He’s even more pissed at whichever of Kate’s students thought it was a good idea to comment on the picture. "Can you give me my phone?”

"You are not posting a picture of yourself right now," Kate says firmly, leaving no room for argument.

“Baby-”

"No," she cuts him off. "You just got out of surgery. The last thing you need is to stress over this. I’m not letting you post a picture of yourself just because people are being nosy.”

Boone shifts uncomfortably but stays quiet, clearly not wanting to get in the middle of it. This isn’t his decision to take and whatever Tyler and Kate decide to do, he will back their decision completely.

“No, I’m going to post a pic of Boone,” Tyler says and both Kate and Boone look at him as if he’s gone crazy. “They’ll see it’s taken from the hospital bed and I’ll write a caption saying I’m alright. They’ll get what they sorta want and I get to keep my privacy. Well most of it.”

Boone looks at Kate and once again, she’s thankful for how much of a good friend he is. He’s letting her pick if it’s alright. Kate thinks it over for a few second and even she has to admit it’s a pretty good way of doing it.

“Okay, but after that, your phone is disappearing unless it’s to call Maggie again,” Kate reluctantly agrees, fishing around her bag until she finds Tyler’s phone and hands it to him. They had called his aunt this morning and made her promise to wait until they are back home before making the drive down to Oklahoma.

Tyler struggles a little to lift his arm to take the picture of Boone giving the camera a thumbs up. Once he’s done, he hands Kate his phone back and she gives him a puzzled look. “I don’t think I can type,” he tells her sheepishly.

“Tell me what you want to say then,” Kate says and even she has to admit that the picture of Boone is kinda genius. You can see Tyler’s arms with IV lines and the oxygen monitor on the tip of one of his fingers, but that’s it. It’s just enough to confirm Tyler’s okay, but not too much that their entire privacy is breached.

The message is short, just thanking everyone for their concern and that he’s okay, but also to respect their privacy and to not post pictures of them like this.

"We can do a full video when I feel better," Tyler tells Boone, though Kate can already see exhaustion creeping in. He can only stay awake for maybe an hour before needing to rest again.

Mid-sentence, just like Kate had predicted, Tyler drifts off, his head lolling slightly. Boone stiffens, eyes widening in alarm at his friend seemingly losing consciousness right in front of him.

"He does that, it's normal," Kate reassures him before he can panic. "The nurse told me.”

“He’s gonna be alright?” Boone looks worried for a moment.

“Yeah, it’s going to take probably two months before he’s back to normal, which leaves us another month before we leave for our trial week of chasing,” Kate continues to talk as she carefully moves Tyler’s head so it’s supported by his pillow better.

“You’re still going to chase?”

“Of course we are,” Kate insists, kissing Tyler’s forehead before sitting down. “We both love it too much and he’s not going to miss it. Clearly yesterday showed that even if he feels sick he will still be driving out. We have to be ready for this summer.”

“That’s our Tyler,” Boone agrees.

“He tries to stay awake you know? Tries to keep talking to me because he knows how much he scared me,” Kate tells their friend.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to scare you,” Boone says, patting her hand.

“I know, but he did.”

“He’ll make it up to you.”

“I know he will.”

***

Two days later, Tyler is discharged from the hospital. He’s on a strict recovery schedule so he can properly get back into shape. He has a diet to stick to and some bed rest, but the doctor is confident Tyler will make a full recovery and be back to normal in about two months just like they had planned.

When they arrive back home after their hospital stay, they aren’t surprised to see Maggie’s truck parked in the driveway next to Cathy’s one. They have help to settle Tyler back home, to help get him upstairs and into bed where he will remain for the next week apart from when he needs to go to the bathroom. The days are long but he feels better.

Chapter Text

Tyler is lounging on the couch with his computer, working away on some editing while Kate is at the university working. He’s not alone obviously, Maggie is still there to keep an eye on him. He’s a bit bored, but Boone keeps sending him videos to edit from their back log and pictures to colour grade.

It makes him feel useful at least, like he’s still contributing to the channel even though he’s been laying in bed for over a week. He’s still bored though, he wished he could record with the crew more videos and work on their podcast, but he’s already lucky enough that Kate let him have his computer.

Tyler loves Kate, he loves his wife more than anything in this world, but he’s starting to get why Kate gets annoyed at his overprotective tendencies.

Tyler’s pretty sure Kate only left because she knows he’s way too afraid to not listen to his aunt. “I think I’m gonna go for a little walk,” he says, closing his computer.

His aunt looks up from her knitting. “Nothing too intense and you stay close to the house.” Maggie stands up and comes over to him.

“Of course auntie,” Tyler agrees as he slowly gets himself up from the couch with her help. “I’ll just walk to the barn and sit there for a while. I won’t work on anything, I just need to have a change of scenery for a while.”

“Okay, but I’ll come check on you in twenty minutes if you aren’t back.”

Tyler grabs his hat, plops it on his head and puts on a light jacket as slowly as he can without hurting himself before going outside. He’s still has a bit of hard time regulating his body temperature, but the doctor reassured them that it was okay for now. He walks down the porch stairs carefully, holding onto the railing until he was sure his boots were properly on the ground. He walks slowly on his property, still very sore, but liking that he feels stronger every single time that he goes for a walk.

He turns around for a moment and tries to no roll his eyes when he spots his aunt by the window, looking at him with her arms crossed over her chest. He loves that he has people who love him and care about his health, but he still is able to walk by himself.

Tyler makes it to their barn, it takes him much longer than it usually would, but he doesn’t really mind. He unlocks the side door of the barn and steps inside.

He loves their barn, they have enough space to work on a truck, fix up their equipment and prepare the different things they need for their taming experiments. It’s also a great hang out spot for the crew to hang out and to film when they can’t do it outside.

Tyler sits on one of the work tables and takes a moment for himself. He hasn’t been this injured since his bull riding injury and this time, it’s actually entirely his fault. He shouldn’t have gotten into the car that morning, he had known that something was wrong with him, but he still went.

It was one thing to put himself in danger, but to scare Kate like he did? That was unacceptable. He hates himself for it and pains him more than his actual body does.

Tyler doesn’t really know how long he’s been sitting in the barn being angry at himself, but he’s eventually startled by the barn door opening.

“There you are,” Kate walks into the barn and if it wasn’t for the smile on her face, he would have assumed that she was mad at him. “Maggie was about to come and get you but I just came back from work early so…”

“Good day at work?” Tyler asks as she walks towards him.

“Had to remind my students that I get that my husband is famous and all, but posting about us on reddit isn’t really cool,” Kate tells him. “But overall it was okay.”

“You’re famous too baby, don’t forget that,” Tyler points out with a laugh. Kate stands between his legs and he puts a hand on her hip. He wishes he could pick her up and put her in his lap like he usually does, but he knows that he would just hurt himself.

“I missed you today,” Kate admits, beating him to the words he was going to say. She brushes the tips of her finger on his eyebrow, the touch light enough that he barely feels it. She’s so careful with him since he’s been released from the hospital. She kisses him on the forehead, helps him wash himself, holds him when he has to walk downstairs.

But he misses her, misses his wife in a way he knows he can't have her for a while. And it’s his fault. All of it. So he won’t complain. Not even once.

“What’s wrong honey?” Kate asks and Tyler should have known she would notice.

“Kiss me?”

“What?”

“You haven’t really kissed me since that morning,” Tyler says even though he didn’t intend to. “Sorry-”

Kate cuts him off by pressing her lips to his, filling a void he hadn’t even realized was that deep. Tyler melts against her touch and even though it hurts him a little bit.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so scared of hurting you,” Kate says against his lips. “I should have talked to you.”

“It’s alright baby, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how bad I was feeling,” Tyler says, using the opportunity to kiss her again. “I ain’t broken, just bruised.”

“I know and it’s okay, just talk to me next time alright?” For the first time in days she hugs him, she truly wraps her arms around him and tucks her head under his chin.

Tyler kisses the top of her head and smiles, glad to have her exactly where she’s supposed to be, in his arms.

“You ready to go back inside?” Kate asks after a while. “Not to be a buzzkill or anything, but you really shouldn’t be standing up for so long.

“Good idea, I might need to lean on you a little,” Tyler confesses, but Kate doesn’t make him feel bad about it at all.

“Okay cowboy, put your arm around me,” Kate says and together they walk back inside. “We’ve got a little walk to take."

Maggie is waiting for them, Tyler’s pillows on the couch are already fluffed up, his blanket ready to be tucked around him once more.

***
A few months later, Tyler is standing in their walk-in closet, using the list on his phone to grab the clothes he needs. He’s wearing nothing but his boxer briefs, his scar on display. It’s still a bit pink and raised when he catches a glimpse of it in the mirror. He still has a bit of soreness from time to time, but overall he’s back to his former self.

They’re leaving for the chasing season tomorrow and he’s almost done with packing. He just has to close the house and then they’ll be on the road for weeks with the team.

“Ty? Have you seen my boots?” Kate voice’s is slightly muffled considering he’s in the closet and she’s in the office where they keep some of their gear, but Tyler hears her loud and clear.

“Which ones baby?” Tyler replies, trying to pick between which one of his two jean jackets to pack.

“The brown ones.”

Tyler wonders for a moment which of her brown boots she’s talking about considering he buys her so many and he could ask her to be more precise, but that be too easy. “I think they’re in the mudroom,” he calls out, guessing which pair she’s asking about.

He hears Kate walk downstairs and five minutes later, Kate pops into the closet. “You’re the best.” When Tyler turns around Kate is holding up her boots. “How much longer do you need?”

“I’m pretty much done with the clothes part of my packing,” Tyler tells her, folding this last flannel and putting it in his bag.

“Boone’s going to be here at ten right?” Kate asks, stripping out of her clothes and grabbing one of his shirts.

"Yep, we’re doing one last check on the camera gear, and then we’ll be all good to go," Tyler confirms, his gaze lingering on her as she pulls on his shirt. The fondness in his eyes is as strong as the first time she wore one of his shirts to bed.

“Then we can go to bed early,” Kate says excitedly, taking his hand and dragging him towards the bed. Tyler still has some stuff to pack, but that can wait for tomorrow morning. His wife needs him and he needs her too.

“Why’d you even put on the shirt if I’m going to have to take if off in a second?” Tyler laughs grabbing the hem of the shirt with his free hand.

“You like taking it off,” Kate shrugs, tugging on his hand.

“You ain’t wrong about that.”

Kate doesn’t hesitate anymore, not the way she did for a few weeks after the surgery. The soft touches had slowly morphed into what they were. After she had kissed him in the barn, it was like she knew he was truly okay and that they could move on.

She’d watched him these last few months, watched him become himself again. Once she had been sure that he moved with confidence, her overly cautious approach had eased away. The doctor giving him the go ahead to start exercising again had also helped.

Kate pushes him down on the bed and Tyler lets himself flop down, his body following with what his heart wants. He laughs when she runs her fingers along his ribs and it’s nice to be just them again. He doesn’t feel any pain when she gets on top of him and kisses him like they don’t need to breathe any air.

Later, when his shirt is on the floor and Kate is sprawled across his chest, Tyler lets himself get truly excited about the next few months.

“You know what baby? I think we’re going to have a really interesting chasing season this year.”

“Yeah? Why do you think that?” Kate asks, kissing his chest.

“I don’t know, just a feeling.”

“We’ll just have to see then,” Kate looks up at him for a moment, wondering what’s happening in his head. “But I think you’re right.”

It’ll be their fifth season chasing together, five years of doing what they love together and both of them can hardly wait to see what nature has in store for them.