Work Text:
“I am willing to bet that Flynn here will be a real heartthrob in college.”
Marie wore a smirk that spread across her face as she got up from the table to grab another piece of pizza. She grabbed an extra slice for Hank before returning to her seat, passing it over to him.
“C’mon, Marie,” Hank interjected. “Kid’s got at least two girls on the side by now. Right?” He chuckled with a wink targeted at Walter Jr. as Skyler rolled her eyes, a faint smirk playing on her lips.
“He better not. I raised him better than that.”
“I’m just kidding. Jesus, with you two for parents, I don’t know how he’d be able to get away with it.” Hank glanced over at the bar counter before lowering his gaze to his brother-in-law. “Walt, buddy… You mind passing over the dipping sticks?”
Walt cleared his throat. “…Hm? Oh, yes. Of course.” He twisted around to reach the bag of dipping sticks on the counter, slightly tipping his chair back in order to grab them before passing them to Hank.
His mind was once again the furthest it could be from what was going on at the dinner table, though this was the most normal it had felt in quite some time. Perhaps he should relish it. Skyler seemed in an okay mood. He didn’t have to worry about returning to the lab until Thursday.
Everything was fine.
“They have the best dipping sticks. And the—the garlic sauce.” Walter Jr. grabbed for the bag after Hank as Marie made a face of disgust.
“The garlic sauce is all yours. I won’t argue with that.”
There was a faint knocking sound and the table had fallen silent. Had it not been for that, Walt would have thought he was just hearing things. Hank and Marie exchanged glances while Skyler was staring directly at him. Walt pushed up his sleeve in order to read his watch. Seven o’clock at night.
“Were you guys expecting anyone?” Marie questioned.
“I’ll get it.” Walter Jr. made a grab for his crutches but Walt scooted his chair out from the table and jumped up to his feet.
“Just stay put. Probably just some… solicitor or something…” Walt muttered as he placed a hand on his son’s shoulder to ease him back down in his seat.
As soon as Walt had started heading for the door, chatter had started back up amongst the family. Walt sighed, almost thankful for the excuse to get out of the uncomfortable situation, growing more uncomfortable by the minute. Hank and Marie just the same as ever, unsuspecting to what was truly going on. Just the same as Junior. It was exhausting.
Walt cracked the door open to take a peek outside at his guest. He half expected to see Mike or someone else he really had no desire to see, someone who didn’t know their boundaries when it came to work. But instead he found nothing.
Brow furrowed, Walt opened the door further, cautiously, and poked his head around the corner. What he found half fit what he expected to find—someone who didn’t know their boundaries when it came to work. But this wasn’t quite what he had in mind.
“Jesse,” Walt hissed his name, taking a quick side glance over at the table before stepping outside and pulling the door shut behind him. He recognized the slightly oversized hoodie and baggy jeans immediately, Jesse’s back turned toward him as he was leaning against the wall. “What the hell do you think you are doing here?”
Jesse slowly turned around to face him and Walt’s narrowed eyes had widened at the sight. He was covered in blood—his own blood, or so it seemed. His lip was split and he was shaking, one hand holding his side while the other wiped at his nose.
“Was this… was this Gus?” Walt whispered the man’s name. He immediately sensed a sort of fear wash over him, that he needed to get Skyler and the kids out of there.
“No, man…” Jesse clenched his eyes shut before blinking them back open again and staring back at Walt. They appeared bloodshot. “It’s just these guys… they—“
Once Walt realized this had nothing to do with Gus, the anger returned. He kept his voice down, “Why did you come here? This is my house, in case you forgot!”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “Duh. Like I didn’t already know that.”
“What do you expect me to do? I can’t just let you in, Jesse. My family is home. My brother-in-law and his wife are here.”
“Jesus…” Jesse groaned, leaning back against the wall. He suddenly seemed pale in what little lighting there was from the street lamps illuminating up the driveway. Walt could make out a sheen layer of sweat coating Jesse’s forehead mixing with a little bit of blood from a good sized gash just above his left eye. And he noticed his partner’s breathing seemed off. More quick and shallow than usual.
Walt gingerly reached out and grabbed Jesse’s right arm, pulling it away from his body and exposing his hand he had buried underneath his open hoodie. He blinked, trying to allow his mind to register just what he was seeing. The red. The blood.
“…Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” Walt was in shock at the revelation, pulling Jesse’s hoodie open further to see that his shirt was drenched and stained a deep red where his hand had been.
Jesse furrowed his brow as though he were trying to contemplate a response. He slid his hand back over the wound and hissed in pain. “I—I don’t know. It’s just… your house was closer…”
“Do I look like I’m equipped to take this on?” Walt placed a steadying grip on Jesse’s shoulder as he slightly wobbled. Jesus, what was he getting himself into?
“Walt?—who is it? Is everything okay?” Skyler’s voice resounded from the other side of the door.
“Everything’s fine!” Walt called back, eyeing the door handle. It hadn’t budged. So far he was okay. As long as Skyler didn’t open the door and find a bleeding Jesse Pinkman on their doorstep.
He needed a story.
Walt made sure Jesse was stable against the wall before walking back inside. He found that everyone was still crowded around the kitchen table, Holly in Skyler’s arms, and all of their eyes drawn to him.
“I, uh… I forgot to pick up my prescription earlier today and it just occurred to me. I should probably go get that real quick.” Walt grabbed his vehicle keys in his pocket and jabbed a thumb toward the front door.
“The pharmacy closes at eight.” Skyler raised an eyebrow, already detecting the lie.
“Right, right. I’ll just be fast. Plenty of time to get there.” Walt forced a smile and turned to leave. “I’ll be right back.”
Walt ducked out of the door and slung an arm around Jesse to keep him on his feet. He walked him over to the Aztek and assisted him into the passenger seat, buckling him in before walking around and getting behind the wheel.
“How on earth did you even drive?” Walt mumbled, mostly to himself. Adrenaline. Adrenaline and whatever he was high on this time. Most likely their product.
He got the vehicle started and onto the road. Half way there he chanced a glance over at Jesse, his silence unsettling. His head was slightly lolled to the side but his hand still covered the wound in his side. He appeared unconscious.
“Jesse?”
“…What?”
“’What’?” Walt huffed. “How about ‘what happened’?”
“This bitch just, like… straight up shanked me.”
Walt shook his head. Maybe it was better not to ask. If he wasn’t so worked up about Jesse coming to his house, with the impeccably worst timing ever, he would have been more frightened for the younger man’s current state. But seeing as Jesse was still conscious and talking, Walt assumed he was still doing okay.
Regardless, Walt’s foot pressed down a little harder on the gas pedal than necessary, slowly beginning to exceed the speed limit. The hospital was next on the agenda.