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His hands were cut to pieces. Robby would be lucky if he hadn't damaged some nerves. Dana should take him to the hospital. But he'd hate their friends and colleagues seeing him in this state. Robby wasn't thinking straight. She needed to think for him. Dana had patched him up the best she could.
The glass under the floor crunched underneath her shoes, she wasn't sure if he had smashed things up out of anger or despair, only that either in the aftermath or before it, he'd called her. Robby had sounded strange, voice too high. Too happy. It had immediately set her on edge.
He hadn't been willing to tell her where he was at first. She had coaxed it out of him. An hour drive later, and she had walked into this carnage.
Now, he wasn't saying anything. Just staring at the wall like it could sort out all the problems of the world.
“This is going to hurt like hell when the shock wears off,” Dana said, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. If she could just keep him calm and not spook him, things would be okay. She could bring him back from whatever this was. Dana had done it before.
Dana hasn't slept. Robby had. She managed to get him to lie down and sleep a few hours before.
While he slept, she cleaned up the place, calling in sick. No one questioned it. Because never before had she ever called in sick unless she truly was. Even then, she had to be halfway to death's door to keep her at home.
As far as everyone was concerned, Robby was on sabbatical. Too busy to even text them how he was.
“Don't you have to get home to Benji?” Robby asked, leg shaking. Glaring the cup of coffee he wanted, but couldn't pick up without wincing in pain.
“No. He's gone to visit his mom for a week,” Dana replied through a yawn. “Even if he wasn't you'd be fucking insane to think there is any way on God's green earth that I am going to leave you alone.”
When he looked like he was going to open his mouth and protest he was fine Dana glared at him. Robby wasn't fine. He hadn't been for a while. This was just the cherry on a very fucked up pile of not fine. They'd known each other too long for him to try and pretend otherwise. In fact, she'd found it insulting that he had even thought about it.
“I don't need a babysitter,” Robby muttered under his breath. Dana had to fight the urge to grab him by the shoulder and start shaking sense into him. Because the thought of leaving him to his own devices made her feel sick with worry.
She had so many questions. Why didn't he go on his biking trip? Was he renting this place or house sitting for a friend? Had he meant to hurt himself or was it an accident?
Dana had cleaned Robby’s wounds, changed his bandages. Made him eat something. He looked paler and skinnier than when she saw him two weeks ago.
Some repeat of an old nineties show was on the TV, neither of them were really paying attention to it.
“We are going to need to go to the pharmacy and then get some groceries later,” Dana said, not looking at him. “Before you say no, you need the fresh air and I've won nearly every argument we've ever had.”
“Only because I let you win them,” Robby snorted, but he doesn't fight her on going out. She's grateful. Dana was tired, she was worried, she wanted to shower and a clean change of clothes.
She used his credit card to pay for everything. Groceries, new clothes because she hadn't brought any with her, stuff from the pharmacy. Robby had complained the entire time they were out. Barely touched the dinner she had made.
When she tried to get him to open up, he'd closed down. Dana hated seeing him like this. She hated that she had to hide his keys while she showered because she was terrified he'd bolt on that stupid bike of his.
He hadn't tried. Robby had just sat in the same spot she left him, tapping his foot. He'd been a lot more difficult to get to rest than he'd been the night before. They'd shared a bed many times before, when she settled so did he. Maybe because Dana had threatened to throw his beloved bike into a river if he didn't, helped a bit.
She wished he'd speak to her. If Dana could understand what was going inside his head then maybe she could fix it. Or at the very least understand how to help him, what he needed from her. And Robby did need her. Even if he'd never admit it or if she wouldn't voice it..
He could have called Jack or one of the very long line of flings, but he hadn't. He called her because subconsciously somewhere he knew she'd come. That whatever Robby needed Dana would give no hesitation.