Chapter Text
He wakes up.
He wakes up and it’s…
It’s something…
When he wakes up, it’s cold.
Freezing.
Numb?
The last thing he remembers is being so tired, eyes barely open and stomach empty. He’d been musing on how useful it would be to hibernate through the winter, and maybe he could’ve potentially slightly dozed off. All he knows for sure is that it was his fault, his shitty car is upside down, and someone has definitely called an ambulance.
Fantastic fun for someone with no insurance or money.
The sound of sirens start to bleed through, the people around him telling him that help is on the way. They don’t know how ironic that is to him.
Not because he’d crashed his car, but because he’d crashed his only sort of home in a way that was bound to be unsalvagable. The help they’ve presumably called will have his home written off and crushed to pieces.
He’s officially homeless again.
Not really the most pressing issue right now though, Dennis thinks. Instead, he needs to figure out why the hell he’s so cold?
Classes had finished on time, but Dennis had headed straight to the library to make use of the meager heating while he crammed as much material into his head as possible. The rain had been gradually turning to snow, and the one jacket he owned was definitely not waterproof. Or warm. Free parking was only available outside of campus, and by the time he’d made it to the car from the library, he was soaked through from the unforgiving flakes.
How anyone could justify enjoying winter, he’d never be able to understand. He slammed the car door shut quickly, trying to avoid any of the awful weather from soaking into his seats.
An almost empty wallet had meant that he couldn’t afford the dryer at the laundromat, or the washers if he’d wanted to switch to his only other clean and warm outfit, so he’d resigned himself to drying off naturally. He threw his jacket into the backseat, knowing it wouldn’t help to keep it on, and cranked the car heater up as much as he could afford to. At least there was a roof over his head, no matter how small it was.
Finding a 24-hour gas station to park at for the night was his next goal. The one nearest to him had begun to get suspicious, watching him every time he’d fumble through small change to buy the cheapest granola bar. It wasn’t scrutiny he wanted tonight, not now that he was cold and wet and miserable. Instead, Dennis opted for the furthest one away, down the darkest road he’d seen since leaving Nebraska.
Driving down an unlit road in the snow was sure to be far from a wise decision, but wise decisions had escaped Dennis long ago.
He’d only been 5 minutes away, navigating the badly lit route with all the skill of a boy who learnt to drive a tractor through pitch black fields at 11, when his classic good luck kicked in. Visibility vaguely improved as street lights returned to the sides of the roads.
They did nothing to help him see the car travelling far too fast towards him.
At the very last second he reacted, jolting the wheel harshly, his car veering right just as the other car smashed into the side of him.
He was weightless for a breath and then…
Cold.
The sirens are louder now, not too far away but unable to rush in the weather. The roads must still be covered in snow. Dennis can’t be sure how long he’s been unconscious, but he’s started to recognise that he’s not even in the car anymore, instead lying prone in a pile of shattered glass. Snow has piled up around him, so probably a while. One of the people talking to him has the most grating voice, but he’s thankful for the company even if they are saying all of the wrong things.
It’s obviously not going to be okay, so he’d rather not be lied to.
Everything hurts in the vaguest way, numb but burning. He considers taking stock of his injuries, but he isn’t a doctor yet. Hell, he’s barely even opened his ridiculously expensive textbooks. Best to leave the diagnosing to the qualified.
Knees thump down next to him, and he winces internally at the thought of the glass.
“Hey buddy! We’re gonna get sorted as soon as we can!” An overly cheery paramedic fills his vision, poking insistently at his body. He tries to shake his head, but apparently he missed them fixing the collar around his neck.
“What’s your name kid?” The other paramedic asks. She seems sure of herself in a way that makes Dennis feel safe, though that could easily be the shock kicking in. It’s nice when people are competent. Dennis decides that this paramedic is his favourite.
For some reason, he still lies to her.
“Caleb.” He stutters out. He knows he’s slurring his words, and he’s stopped shivering. Dennis has been this cold before. Maybe that’s why he gives them his brother’s name.
The cheery paramedic smiles far too wide for the situation. Look, he gets enjoying your job, but this cannot be an appropriate level of joy for a car accident.
“Okay Caleb! I’m just gonna pop this little blanket over you, while my buddy over there slides a teeny needle into your hand. Little scratch!” She continues. Dennis feels the scratch, and the following rush of strange wrong through his veins.
They move him slowly, obviously aware of the shards surrounding them. He still doesn’t know exactly what damage he’s done, but it’s totally out of his hands now. Cheery paramedic wraps him up, fixing what he knows is an oxygen mask onto his face as he’s wheeled away from his car.
“We’re taking you to Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre.” Her voice warbles, distorting gradually.
Dennis doesn’t even know where that is.
He hasn’t been in Pittsburgh too long, making it into town just before classes started up. He couldn’t apply for housing because his laptop gave the fuck up, and he missed the deadline for any assistance he might qualify for. It was easier to just turn up at the last minute.
Despite the future chaos he knows will occur, he can’t help but feel relieved at the thought of an actual bed to sleep in. Forget insurance, injury, real names.
“Caleb, try and stay awake for me bud! I know you’re real cozy but I’d rather see those eyes open!” Her tone doesn’t work. Dennis hasn’t been on the receiving end of much kindness, he doesn’t know how to respond to it.
What he does know, is how to tap out before things get bad.
He falls asleep thinking about pillows, and blankets, and the absence of cold.