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The worst part is he only hears about it from the television.
He doesn’t have any way for humans to contact him, because up until recently, he had no reason to need to be contacted. All of his life revolved around chasing the Road Runner, and if he needed anything else, he could just go into town to get it himself. Even with his newfound friendship with the Averys, he either came to their office when he was feeling up for some company, or they scheduled times to hang out where they would drive into the desert to pick him up. So Wile E. has never had any use for a cell phone and never thought he’d have a need for one. But not having a phone means there’s no real way of contacting him unless a human drove all the way out to the desert and happened to stumble across him one of the times he’s in his cave.
Which means he finds out from the television.
Big letters scrawl across the bottom of the screen as the news reporter talks: “Lawyers who took on ACME rushed to hospital after car accident. Could this be a result of foul play?”
Wile E. blinks at the screen disbelievingly, like if he does it enough, the image will rearrange itself to show something different. It doesn’t, and as the reporter continues to speak, a picture of Kevin and Paige appears on the screen. Static fills the coyote’s ears even as he turns the TV off, unable to stomach the harsh light of the disgusting news any longer. He’s torn between being distraught and pissed off but finally settles on downright antsy, unable to stomach the idea of not being at their side for a moment longer. Something deeply primal and protective wells inside him, rivaling that of the instinct to hunt the Road Runner.
He launches himself into motion and stakes a quick sign outside of his cave entrance. “Be back later.” The sign promises, in case it takes a while, and his feathery friend starts to wonder where he went. He darts down the cliffside before darting back up it again, planting a slightly smaller sign next to his first. “Blow up any ACME activity you see, would you?”
Even if the Road Runner can’t read, he would probably do that anyway.
The Road Runner took as kindly to that wretched corporation snooping around their territory as he did, which is to say, not all. Now they’ve taken to poking at other parts of Wile E.’s territory—his friends. Which… is something that the coyote is not going to think too hard about—considering his friends as something that he is as protective and possessive of as his territory. No, he shoves that revelation down to study later and heads towards civilization.
Wile E. runs and runs and runs and throws himself through the hospital’s front doors without any attempt to be discreet. The people milling around in the front entrance startle, shrinking back from him as he pants raggedly, trying to decide his best plan of action. He didn’t leave the TV on long enough to actually see which hospital they were at, and he doesn’t have a phone, so he can’t ask if the other lawyers at the firm know, and he didn’t want to waste time stopping by there first.
Something itches under his fur, and he stalks over to a directory on the wall, mapping out his best course for checking all the rooms. Someone bumps into him, and they jump back with a yelp at the fierce glare he gives them, face darkening and eyes shifting a predatory red. They give him a few more feet of clearance, and he turns back to the directory, evaluating it once more, ignoring the growing sounds of commotion and complaints in the background.
He’s about to dart off into the depths of the hospital when he feels someone invade his space once more, and he turns to face them with teeth bared, starting to get annoyed. Don’t stupid humans know to leave him alone?
“It’s going to take a lot more than that to scare me away.” The woman in front of him deadpans, and her non-reaction is enough to shift him out of his emotional haze. He stops with his threatening posture and instead stares at her curiously, eyeing her special clothes, which he’s never seen a human wear before.
“There we go. Now, I’d like to help you if I can, so it’s going to be a lot easier for both of us if you just tell me who you’re looking for.”
Oh, she must work here. A nurse, or something. Explains the odd clothes. He quickly scribbles out a sign, holding it up for her to see. “Kevin and Paige Avery.”
She nods. “Thought so. Come on, they’re up this way.”
He follows after her, heart beating eagerly but still keeping a cautious air about him, in case this human was trying to trick him. Normally he wouldn't give humans that much credit, but all of this stuff with ACME has him on edge.
“They’re doing fine, by the way.” The nurse says as he follows her up some stairs and around the twisting turns of the hallways. “Could’ve been a lot worse for a car accident like that.”
Wile E. is not sure if that’s supposed to be reassuring or not, because she doesn’t specify the extent of any injuries they actually received, so he’s left to wonder what humans consider “could’ve been worse.”
“Here we are, Mr. Coyote," the nurse says. “Try not to cause any more trouble, will you?”
Wile E. looks at her as if to say “no promises” before pushing open the door to the hospital room, fearing the worst. Kevin lies half propped up on one of the hospital beds, and Paige has attempted to make herself comfortable on the couch against the wall.
“Wile E.?” She asks, obviously surprised to see him, and the coyote darts over to her as she starts to stand. She stops as Wile E. skids to a halt in front of her, checking her over frantically and sniffing for any lingering scent of blood or pain. “Ow, careful, Wile E.” She chastizes gently. “I’m fine, I promise.”
He pulls back some, satisfied that she doesn’t seem to be in immediate danger, but gives her an unimpressed look.
“I’m a little banged up, with some scrapes and bruises, but I’ll be okay with some rest. Uncle Kevin…” She swallows roughly as her eyes start to water. “Uncle Kevin has a concussion and a broken leg and maybe some bruised ribs, but he’ll be okay too. I think when he realized the car was going to crash, he angled it so he took the brunt of the damage, the asshole.” Wile E.’s ears perk up at her watery swear, and she laughs a little at his shock, even as a few tears drip down her face. “I’m really mad at him for that.” She admits quietly.
Wile E. nods in agreement, pulling Paige into a hug. He’s upset that Kevin willingly put himself at more risk but is glad that Paige isn’t more hurt. “He’ll be okay.” Wile E. reassures with one of his signs, and Paige pulls back, nodding and wiping at her eyes.
“Yeah, he’ll be fine.” She agrees, her voice a little stronger now. “He was awake earlier, but they gave him more pain medicine, so he fell back asleep. He might be up again in a few hours when they come to check on him.” She explains.
Wile E. leaves his “He’ll be okay” sign on the other end of the couch, stepping up to the bedside to evaluate his friend. He doesn’t look great, with a leg in a cast and various cuts and bruises across his body, but he trusts Paige when she says he’ll be fine with some time. He scampers back over to her side, curling up next to her and pressing himself against her. He doesn’t know if it’s to comfort her or himself, but she seems to appreciate it anyway.
“You know,” Paige says after a few moments. “The police looked at the car while we were getting checked over and told us that the brake lines were cut, which means the car couldn’t stop when it needed to.” She tells quietly, like she’s sharing something she’s not supposed to. Wile E. goes stiff at her side. “There’s no evidence of who did it, but I think it was ACME.” Paige continues, and Wile E. feels the rage from earlier build back up inside him like a ticking time bomb. “We’re supposed to go to court next week with some of the video evidence from Project Sisyphus, and now the date has been delayed, for obvious reasons. That’s a mighty fine coincidence that benefits ACME.”
Wile E. stands up very calmly and excuses himself to the small bathroom connected to the room, shutting the door behind him. He stares at his red face in the mirror, steam leaking from his ears, and takes one deep breath before allowing himself to explode. When he feels a little calmer again, he carefully steps around the mess of the bathroom and shuts the door behind him. Paige stares at him, torn between envy and amusement. “Feeling better?”
Wile E. holds up a sign. “@#$%!”
It makes Paige laugh a little, and Wile E. glances at his sign to see what he said. He stares at the sign with a deadpan glare and then holds up a different one. “Better.” This sign reads, and he nods, as if to show he agrees with it. He flips it around. “Probably best not to go into the bathroom, though.”
“I’ll be sure to let them know.” Paige agrees easily, patting the spot next to her. “Come on back over. No more ACME talk this time, I promise. I think we could both use some rest.”
Paige shifts, placing a pillow against the armrest and stretching her legs across the couch, feet bumping against the “He’ll be okay” sign. Wile E. curls up half next to her and half on top of her, careful to mind her injuries, and keeps an eye on the door as she wraps an arm around him.
They’re disturbed a few hours later by the doctor checking in on them as Paige had predicted, but Wile E. is off the couch and stationed protectively between Kevin and the door before she could move. She’s never heard him growl before.
“Wile E., it’s okay.” She tries to reassure, standing up and hurrying over to him. “He’s here to check on everything.”
Wile E. just holds an arm out, shifting slightly to keep her behind him as well.
“Who let this dog in here?” The doctor asks with an air of annoyance. “We have a strict no-pets-allowed policy in the hospital.”
Wile E. actually snaps his teeth at the doctor, aggravated by his assumptions and arrogance. Paige snaps out a cold, “He’s not a pet; he’s our friend.”
The doctor just stares at them for a moment before leaving once more. “I’m not dealing with this.” They hear as the door shuts behind him.
“What an asshole.” Paige remarks, and Wile E. huffs in agreement. “That was not who we had earlier.”
“I guess a guy can’t ever get any sleep with you around, huh, Wile E.?”
They both whirl around to see Kevin awake, smiling softly at them from the bed.
“You’re awake,” Paige states, needlessly in surprise. “How are you feeling?”
Wile E. darts closer, investigating Kevin once more.
“Oh, you know. The same. Head hurts, leg hurts, breathing hurts. The works.” He glances over at Wile E., who is trying to make himself an installment on Kevin’s bed. “What are you doing here? Besides making trouble, that is.”
Wile E. levels him a glare that could burn through toon metal and emphatically, but gently, pokes him in the forehead.
“Checking up on us, huh?” Kevin interprets. “Sorry to pull you away from your chase.”
Wile E. huffs, steam starting to come from his nose, and glances back towards Paige, holding his hand out for a sign. She seems to catch on to his meaning and picks one of their previous signs off the floor, handing it to him.
“@#$%!” he shoves in Kevin’s face, and the lawyer laughs a little before wincing, arms coming up to wrap around his chest.
“Ow, don’t make me laugh, ow.” He says, trying not to move too much.
Wile E. looks at him, as if to say he brought it upon himself.
“Yeah, we’ve been using that one a lot,” Paige says.
“Sorry for teasing," Kevin says sincerely, turning back to the coyote. “It is really nice to have you here, Wile E. Thanks for coming.”
Wile E. nods with a grin, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder.
“Now, are you actually going to let a doctor come take a look at me?” Kevin asks, and Wile E.’s emotions shift, scowling unhappily.
“If we can get a doctor who isn’t so rude,” Paige interjects. “They’ll probably let you stay on the bed as long as you’re not in their way.”
Wile E. looks up at her from where he’s trying to bury himself under some spare blankets at the foot of the bed, making a little place for him to be comfy while still having easy access to the door. He lets out an unhappy sound but relents when Kevin motions him closer.
“Come up here,” Kevin says, slowly shifting his body to one side, leaving a space for the coyote to fill. He lifts his arm, and Wile E. appears in the small space within a blink of an eye, becoming a streak of color as he moves quickly enough to not even touch the surface of the bed. Wile E. tucks himself carefully against his friend's side but seems light enough to not cause Kevin any pain, curling around his friend protectively.
“I’ll go see if I can find a doctor,” Paige says with a smile. Kevin lets his arm rest on top of Wile E., shifting to get more comfortable. Wile E. whines pitifully at her, obviously not wanting her to go, but she just gives him a reassuring smile. “I’ll be quick. I need you to watch over Uncle Kevin while I’m gone, okay?” She prompts, and he considers her with a frown for a moment before relenting. He taps his wrist where a watch would be, like telling her he’ll be waiting for her to get back.
“I have my phone right here, and she’ll text if she needs anything, right, Paige?" Kevin asks, snatching his phone off the side table and dropping it into the coyote’s hands. Wile E. stares at her imploringly.
“Right.” She reassures, and Wile E. sequesters the phone away somewhere she’s not sure her uncle will get back.
Finally willing to let her go—if not reluctantly—Wile E. turns his attention back to Kevin as Paige heads for the door, though she has no doubt he’s keeping track of her out of the corner of his eye. Kevin swats at the coyote lightly as he sniffs at his hair, looking for any more signs of injury before settling down for real.
Paige steps out of the room, shutting the door gently behind her. She has a feeling they won’t be moving for a very long time.