Work Text:
10 Missed calls
“Oh that’s never good”
1 Missed call from Lena
“Lena...you know my work schedule…”
5 Missed calls from Lucio
“...oh no...”
4 Missed calls from Gabe
“Oh Shit”
It was bad enough Lucio never called her before, but Gabe? He NEVER called her, he loved texting and he preferred it thus the red flags were up and waving at this point. Thank God for speed dial, Amelie slumped back into her studio now empty for the day to take the call, it rang once.
“Amelie where the hell are you!?” he screamed, having trouble catching his breath as if he had been running.
“I was at work dumbass, where do you think-”
“You need to come to the hospital right now”
Her heart fell straight into her gut, “Wh...wh-”
“It’s Lena”
Fortunately she was at home with her roommates when it happened, just there to pick up some things when Lucio noticed she suddenly became pale and having trouble breathing. She laughed and waved them off as she clutched her chest just moments before suddenly passing out.
Amelie wasn’t a runner, even after doing short sprints around the block with Lena every other day she wasn’t particularly good at it but suddenly she was running to represent France for the Olympics, sprinting to the hospital as fast as her legs could carry her. She must have looked like a mess running into the lobby, wheezing terribly as she struggled to find her breath and find Gabe or Lucio.
“Where is she?!” she hissed, her eyes darting around the room to ask or in this case demand to see her girlfriend as Gabe was quick to meet her and grab her by the shoulders before she did something drastic, he recognized that desperate look in her eyes and redirecting her focus.
“Easy Ame they have her she going to be-”
“Let me see her!” she demanded, louder this time, earning the gazes of everyone in the lobby, hiding behind the front desk from the angry woman who clearly did not care about the hell she was to raise.
But Gabe’s grip tightened, holding her close to his chest, although mainly to keep her from running off but also...she was going to need it.
“Ame hey easy listen they have her ok?” his voice firm but softer.
Against her angry judgement she remained still, still breathing heavily from the run and adrenaline coursing through her veins. It took a long moment, for her lungs to return to a normal pace but in doing so she became hyper aware of how hard her own heart was pounding.
“She’s going to be fine. Ok?”
She wanted to believe him.
“...Ok…”
It was possibly the longest hour of her life, Lucio kept busy speaking with the nurses about the bill, which he laughed nervously and became paler as the conversation went on while Gabe struggled to stay awake, staying sitting for so long he couldn’t help but relax despite the dramatic situation. Amelie on the other hand was a wreck, her leg bouncing nervously, increasing in pace as a doctor or nurse would run by in the direction of the emergency room. Her fingers nervously flew across her phone, looking up anything and everything she needed to know. Or should have known.
There was no way she could have stopped it, or been there, logically she knew that. Yet as she poured through articles and information along her screen she felt her heart sink further and further into her gut.
“Amelie stop it”
Before she knew it the phone was gone, swiped out of her grasp by an impatient roommate.
“The fuck Gabe!?”
“This isn’t your fault”
“I should have been better, on her meds, on our diet, and i made her stop running for a few days to take a break and...”
Her words trailed away as a hand rested on her shoulders that seemed to slump over with each word, “Ame…”
Letting out a long sigh, she dropped her face in her hands.
“I’ve...never seen you like this before” there was a small smile in his voice as his hand gently rubbed her back.
“Were you this worried when I was in the hospital a few months back? Cuz if I recall correctly I woke up getting punched in the arm”
Amelie slowly dropped her hands from her face to glare at him for a moment, granted he was in a car accident that was completely his fault, got into a fight while his leg was broken. He deserved much more than a sucker punch to the shoulder.
Before she could relive the moment and give the man another bruise, a white coat approached them.
“Amelie?”
She was on her feet and dangerously close in seconds.
“Yes? Is Lena alright? Can I see her?”
The doctor stared at her for a moment, clutching the clipboard close to her chest as the woman appeared to be in the middle of deciding whether or not to attack the doctor or thank her.
“Well...it’s nice to have a face to match the voice. I’m Doctor Angela Zeigler we’ve spoken before”
The blonde woman smiled sweetly despite how Amelie suddenly straightened up, the first and last time they spoke was in regards to whether or not Lena would have a heart attack if she had sex. It was as awkward as you would expect it to be.
“Ah...y-yes we have...nice to meet you Doctor…”
“To answer your questions, yes she’s fine, awake and waiting for you” she smiled, nodding towards the hallway.
“I’ll hang back ok Ame? Tell Speedy I’m going to kick her ass when she gets out si?” he winked, patting her on the back before gently pushing her forward.
She rolled her eyes and but for the first time in an hour smiled back.
Gabe stood back for a moment, taking slow steps backwards keeping a close eye on her ensuring she was going and didn’t notice him before he spun around and quickly met Lucio who had a pen in his hand a somber look on his face.
“Ay Amigo, what can you tell me about that bill you got there?”
Lena was transferred to another room, by herself surrounded by computers and other medical equipment. The sight seemed to reach in and close around her chest.
For someone with such a loud personality she appeared to be so small in that hospital bed, hooked up to these machines all over her chest and arms.
“Lena? You have a visitor” Zeigler called out gently as she put aside her clipboard to check on her heart rate.
Amelie immediately rushed to her side, taking her hand in her own, her chest tightening as seconds passed and the hand remained limp in her grasp and there was yet to be a response.
But eventually fingers slowly closed around hers and with a soft breathy grunt her eyes struggled to open, even more so to focus and adjust.
“Hey I’m here” she called out, reaching out and stroking the messy bed head of brown spikes on the pillow. Lena blinked slowly, the dead weight of her head thumping to the side as she turned to face with with a lopsided smile.
“...h….hey love…” she mumbled weakly.
Amelie let out a long sigh of relief, she was safe, she was alive and here with her. Leaning in, she placed a long kiss over her forehead and cheek before thumping her head gently against hers.
“Lena….what the actual fuck”
It hurt to laugh but she did it anyway, letting out a strangled chuckle as her body slowly regained its strength, closing and tightening her grip around her hand in a comforting manner.
“J...just a...little heart attack….I’m fiiiine…”
Amelie was not amused, “...Are you...serious” she sighed, her eyes scanning her small form, ivs and monitors stuck to her body and an oxygen mask that seem to be recently removed from her face as it sat quietly beside her.
“She will make a full recovery” Doctor Zeigler, retrieving her clipboard and updating it accordingly, continued to smile sweetly though there was a hint of annoyance in her voice as she went on to say,”...assuming you take it easy on your need for fast food”
Amelie’s hand returned to cover her face in shame and she groaned,“God this is my fault”
“It was...worth it...” she laughed, or tried to, it turned into soft moans of pain.
“I wish to have her under observation for a few days, eight tops, three at the earliest. Just to make sure she’s ready to head out there. I have all the information you need about implementing a new diet and exercise routine. But until all that I recommend you rest”
“Can she-”
“She can stay for as long as she likes” Zeigler nodded, making a few notes on her clipboard as she began to walk back around, “After our last phone call I added her to your emergency contacts”
Lena really wanted to laugh, especially the way Amelie’s face dropped and looked anywhere but the smiling doctor, “Ha...awkward”
“Thank you...”
With a nod, Zeigler quietly left with the door closed behind her, allowing Amelie a moment to let out a lung full of air in a sigh.
“So…” Lena started, watching her pull up a chair beside her without once letting go of her hand,”How are you?”
She huffed, digging her elbows into the mattress, gently lifting her hand and peppering her knuckles with light kisses“God you scared the hell out of me”
“Sorry love, my ticker isn’t what it used to be”
In a snap, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I’m going to be on your ass when you’re out of here. You hear me? No more junk food and we’re getting a gym membership”
Lena slumped into her bed, groaning pathetically, “Oh God...tell me something else? Something good?”
Something good? She nearly lost the one thing that meant the world to her, she wanted to scold her something fierce for it but she could say a thing when those big hopeful brown eyes seemed to scan over her face, as if to purposely memorize every line and feature just in case. It was a close call.
Amelie sighed, shaking her head she placed a long kiss against her palm before mumbling against her skin, “I missed you”
“You paid for Lena’s hospital bill?”
Gabe glanced up from the couch, she had been at Lena’s side for hours, only returning to pack her things and make phone calls. She had no intention of leaving her alone any longer than she absolutely needed to.
He shrugged and returned his gaze to the tv.
“I did”
“Why?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“No. Lena nearly went into cardiac arrest when she remembered her Mother had cut her off from any financial assistance…” she paused, crossing her arms but not in an angry fashion just...genuine confusion, “It’s rather unlike you”
He laughed, shifting in his seat to lean over the arm of the couch, staring at his best friend and pointing an accusing finger at her, “Seeing you nearly throttle a doctor on behalf of someone else, is unlike you. Doing research, feeling guilt, feeling...in general so much for someone is unlike you”
Amelie huffed, her crossed arms tightening over her chest, was she blushing?
“But doing something different than the norm isn’t necessarily a bad thing is it?” he smiled, not a hint of tease or mockery in his voice.
Her shoulders relaxed, “Thank you Gabriel...Honestly, I don’t know what I could do or say”
He tapped his chin in thought for a moment,“You just promise me something aight?”
“Anything”
“I’ve never seen anyone else on this planet, make you this happy. Make you smile that much, or make you better…..like a better human being”
She scoffed, definitely blushing now.
“You take care of that girl” he demanded, and went right back to the novella.
Amelie shook her head, laughing as she turned on her heel to complete any unfinished business before she started living with Lena in the hospital for a few days. Gabe rolled his eyes, grabbing the remote and turning it up, grumbling under her breath about wanting to be the best man.