Supernatural: If I could have just a taste of you (Jensen/Colin Ford AU) 10/?
Summary, disclaimer etc in chapter 1.
Kink: UNDERAGE (Colin is 15 in this fic)
<< Back to chapter 9
A/N: I posted this chapter on Ao3 and forgot to post here! *facepalm*
[Read more]Chapter 10
Chris shifts on the hard plastic chair in the waiting room, trying to get some feeling back in his ass cheeks. They took Jensen through the ominous looking double doors half an hour ago and no-one will tell him shit, because he’s not Jensen’s emergency contact or a family member. Why didn’t he lie and say they were brothers, or some damn thing?
He’s debating whether to get a coffee or not when the doors swing open and Jared comes running in. He spots Chris almost immediately and approaches with a worried look on his face.
“What’s going on?”
Chris shakes his head, “No idea, they won’t tell me a thing,” he points to a stern looking nurse behind the desk, “you’ll have to ask her. You’re listed on Jen’s insurance paperwork so they’ll only talk to you or his parents, and I didn’t want to worry them until we had more info.”
Jared nods, “Yeah, good call. Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
Chris watches as Jared approaches the desk and speaks to the nurse. After what Chris assumes is confirming Jensen’s details, medical history and such, Jared calls him over.
“This is Christian Kane, my partner’s…uh, Jensen’s best friend, you have my permission to discuss any details with him.”
The nurse nods and taps on her keyboard. Chris watches as his name appears on the screen, then he turns to Jared, “So what did they tell you?”
“Not much, he’s having tests,” before he can say more, a woman’s voice comes from behind them.
“Mr. Padalecki?”
Both men turn, “That’s me, how is he?” Jared replies.
“I’m Dr. Ferris, we spoke on the phone,” she holds her arm out towards the door she’s just come through, “if you’d like to step this way, I’ll fill you in.”
Chris follows Jared down a brightly lit corridor. There are rooms on either side of it, most with blinds drawn and each room gives off the sound of beeping monitors. Dr. Ferris stops about four feet away from a room at the far end and turns to face them.
“Before we go in, I should prepare you. Mr. Ackles is sleeping right now, which is the best thing for him.”
Chris’ stomach turns, prepare them for what? Jared voices that very thought before Chris can open his mouth.
Dr. Ferris gives them a reassuring smile, “It’s not as bad as it looks, the bandages on his head are just to keep the wound sterile.”
Chris puts a hand on Jared’s shoulder, “Dr.,” he says, “Jared wasn’t there when Jensen collapsed but I was. I think we should take a step back and fill him in.”
“Can I see him?” Jared interrupts, with tears in his eyes.
Chris feels a stab of hurt in his chest, “I’m not sure he’d want to see you right now, buddy.” He says, honestly. Jared nods, looking dejected and a tear slips down his cheek. Chris squeezes his shoulder, relieved when Jared doesn’t pull away. Chris is trying to keep the peace, not hurt Jared, and thankfully the younger man seems to understand that.
“OK,” Jared says with a sniff, “tell me everything.”
Dr. Ferris points to a room on the opposite side of the corridor, “Come on, we can sit down in here where it’s more private,” once they’re all seated, she continues, “Mr. Kane tells me that before Jensen collapsed he was displaying several symptoms but that under the circumstances, it was hard to notice at the time.”
Chris looks at Jared, pre-empting the question, “We were arguing. Jensen was upset, angry…very agitated. Now I think back on it, he was bright red in the face, sweating, he seemed to be having trouble breathing, he was going a little wobbly and he kept touching his face and head like he does when he gets one of those bad headaches, you know?”
Jared nods, knowing what Chris means. Jensen’s been getting headaches more and more often in the last six months or so, “What actually happened?” he asks, the worry clear in his voice.
“Well,” Dr. Ferris says, softly, “from what we can tell, Mr. Ackles experienced a severe panic attack, and collapsed. That’s not unusual for someone who’s been in a prolonged state of physical and emotional stress, the body can only take so much. His condition has been complicated by the head wound he sustained when he fell.”
“How bad is it?” he and Jared ask at the same time.
“We’ve done a full range of tests. We’ve checked his heart and apart from some mild arrhythmia which is consistent with his levels of stress, there’s no other issues, so we’re not concerned about there being an underlying cause. He’s had a CT scan to check for any complications from the bang to his head, and that’s all clear. He has a concussion, so we’re keeping him overnight for observation, especially as he’s consumed a large quantity of alcohol.”
“You need bandages for a concussion?” Chris asks, confused.
“No,” she replies, “Mr. Ackles has a four inch laceration on his scalp which we’ve repaired with surgical staples, and that wound needs to be kept sterile and covered, that’s why there’s bandages.”
“So he’s going to be OK?” Jared asks, his voice quiet and strained.
Dr. Ferris nods, “We don’t foresee any reason why he shouldn’t be released tomorrow.
Both men breathe a sigh of relief. Chris can’t shake the feeling that he should’ve known something was wrong, even though rationally he knows that there was nothing he could’ve done. On the face of it, Jensen was totally riled up, but given everything that’s happened this weekend, it’s understandable.
Dr. Ferris continues speaking, “He’ll have to come back in seven to ten days to have the staples removed, and he’ll have a headache for a couple of days, but we’re confident he’ll be fine after that. We’re giving him pain relief now, and we can administer a mild sedative if he becomes anxious again. He’s going to have to take it easy from now on, though, he needs to reduce his stress levels or he’s at risk of more panic attacks. Next time he may be driving, so he should count himself lucky, today.”
“No stress, yeah, right” Chris says, quietly, more for his own benefit as he reflects on how Jensen’s current situation could in any way be more stressful…it doesn’t bear thinking about.
“You can see him now, if you want to,” Dr. Ferris says, “if you have any questions, ask a nurse to page me and I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks,” he and Jared both say.
Chris turns to Jared who has his head in his hands, now. “Are you gonna be OK to drive, Jay, or do you want me to give you a ride home?”
“I’ll be fine,” he sighs, “I should call Alan and Donna.”
“I can do it if you like,” Chris offers, trying to spare Jared any more upset. There’s no way that Jensen’s parents won’t know that something else is going on, and Chris figures the guy’s been through enough in the last day or so.
“It’s fine,” Jared says as he stands, “I’ll do it while I’m here, then I’ll head home. Thanks, man, I appreciate everything you’re doing. I take it he’s staying with you?”
Chris nods, there’s no point keeping it from him, “Yeah, for as long as he needs to. Are you gonna be OK?”
Jared smiles sadly, “Gotta be, man, no other choice.” He walks out of the room, straight back down the corridor. Chris sees him hesitate ever so slightly, as if deciding whether to see Jensen anyway, but then he leaves.
Chris stands and crosses the hall to Jensen’s room. He sits in the chair next to the bed and looks at his friend. The white bandage makes his friends skin look even paler, the dark circles under his eyes telling of how little sleep Jensen must’ve gotten over the last few weeks. Chris feels another stab of guilt that he didn’t notice how stressed Jensen was, but then again, until today he had no idea just what Jensen had been dealing with. No wonder the guy had a panic attack!
Jensen mumbles slightly in his sleep, unintelligible words that Chris is too tired to try and work out. He slips out of his jacket and covers his chest with it, getting as comfortable as possible. He’ll stay until Jensen wakes, then go home, there’s nothing more he can do for his friend at the moment.
§
Colin is sweating and breathless when he reaches the hospital, from the exertion of running, worry over whether it was Jensen in the ambulance, and what may have happened to him.
He stands outside, catching his breath a little before heading in. As soon as he’s inside, he’s hit with a fresh wave of panic, this time over the fact that he has no idea what he’s going to say once he gets to the desk. Hi there, I’m not sure but I think someone I know may have been brought in by ambulance, but I don’t really know because I’m the idiot who just ran twenty minutes over here instead of calling to find out, yeah, that’s bound to work, he thinks, mentally facepalming himself.
A dozen or so steps into the waiting area and he spots Jared sat on one of the crappy chairs. He’s on the phone, hunched almost double and rubbing his temple. Struck with a new panic, not wanting to be seen, Colin quickly sits in one of the chairs with his back to Jared. He grabs a magazine off the table and pretends to read, as he listens to Jared talking to who the teen assumes can only be Jensen’s parents.
His pulse races as he hears what’s happened, and eventually slows once he’s heard that Jensen will be fine. He’s flooded with relief and lets out a deep breath, closing his eyes and waiting for the throbbing in his head to subside.
He hears movement behind him and quickly pulls the magazine up to his face as Jared walks passed him, out of the door. He flings the magazine down, not caring whether it landed on the table or not, and practically runs to the information desk.
The next few minutes are a blur of nervousness as he puts all his effort into telling the most convincing lie he can think of - he’s here to see his ‘Uncle’ Jensen. He nods and smiles politely when the nurse says Jensen can only have one visitor at a time, desperately wanting to just run in and see Jensen for himself and make sure he’s really OK. She says a friend is with him, which must be Chris.
He sits back down in the waiting room, his stomach churning. Being so close to Jensen and yet so far away feels like his insides are being torn out, scrambled up and pushed back in again. He’s watching the double doors for any sign of Chris, so that as soon as he leaves, Colin can go in. He’s terrified that the nurse will tell Chris he’s there, but when he looks over, she seems to be too busy flirting with one of the doctors to take any notice of what’s going on around her.
He wrings his hands, nervously, pulling his sweat drenched t-shirt away from his skin. Now he just has to wait for his chance to see Jensen.
§
The first time Jensen wakes, he does it without even opening his eyes. They hurt too much and there’s a pain in his head in addition to the dull throb he’s had for months. He feels like he’s been hit by a truck…a very large truck. His body feels sore, aching and unusually heavy for some reason. He’s in that half-awake place where he’s not fully aware of his surroundings, but is aware of some things. Like the echoing of something beeping in the distance, a low buzzing like a fluorescent light and people talking in quiet tones somewhere far away. There’s something that feels tight on one of his fingers and he feels an itch on his chest like something’s sticking to it and pulling the hairs. He’s so tired, though, and he goes back to sleep quickly.
The second time, he does open his eyes because someone’s saying his name. There’s a woman stood next to him with a clipboard, scribbling something down. He blinks slowly, trying to place his surroundings through the heaviness he feels. As things start to come into focus, he realises it’s a hospital. He looks down and sees that he’s wearing a gown, and is attached to all kinds of wires. He starts to sit up and the woman - a nurse, he realises - is telling him to lie still, that’s he’s going to be fine and that he should go back to sleep. He doesn’t want to lie still, he wants to know what the fuck is going on, but his eyes feel as heavy as the rest of him and although he wants to fight it, he feels himself going back to sleep.
§
Chris fidgets in the uncomfortable chair. His ass and lower back have long since gone numb, and he’s in caffeine withdrawal. He looks at Jensen’s sleeping form, and wills him to wake up. He knows it won’t do any good but he’s concerned that his friend had almost surfaced twice in the last hour but never quite made it to full alertness. He knows, rationally, that his friend is going to be fine - physically at least - but he still wants to hear Jensen’s voice.
Footsteps grabs his attention and he looks up to find Dr. Ferris approaching, “Hey Doc, how’s it looking?” he asks.
She checks the monitors and his chart, “He’s doing well, he obviously needs the rest,” she smiles reassuringly, “try not to worry, he’ll wake up when he’s ready.”
Chris breathes a sigh of relief, it’s good to hear the confirmation, “Is there anything we can do in the meantime?”
“Not for Mr. Ackles, no,” she raises and eyebrow, “you look like you could use a coffee, though.”
“Yeah,” Chris says, wearily and scrubs his hands over his face. He’s feeling the effects of the booze as well as his own stress, and he really could use the pick me up,” I’ll head out and get one.”
His legs feel heavy as he heads to the waiting room, fishing change out of his pocket as he goes. He glances around the room, briefly, but is too focussed on getting caffeine to take any real notice of his surroundings. He doubles up on coffee to save coming back out and makes his way back to Jensen’s bedside.
He’s about half way down his first coffee when Jensen’s breathing changes. Chris’ heart speeds up and he stands, putting his coffee on the side and moving forward to grip Jensen’s hand. Jensen’s eyes flicker before slowly opening blinking to focus before they finally settle on Chris.
“It’s about damn time,” Chris says, attempting to sound annoyed but he’s too relieved to pull it off. He presses the call button while Jensen licks his lips, then brings the cup of ice chips his friend’s mouth, holding it steady while Jen takes a few sips.
“I smell coffee,” Jensen croaks, “I hope it’s for me.”
Chris laughs and squeezes Jensen’s hand, “If I’d known that’s all it took to wake you up, I’d have got ‘em to put it in your IV.”
Dr. Ferris enters the room, smiling when she sees Jensen and helps him sit, “Hello Mr. Ackles, it’s nice to finally see you awake. How are you feeling?”
Jensen starts fiddling with the wires on his IV and Chris slaps his hand away, earning him a glare from the younger man, “Like I’ve been chewed up by something big and angry and spat back out again. What happened and when can I get outta here?”
Chris sighs, “Typical! You just woke up, man,” he pauses as Jensen starts pulling at the bandage on his head, and slaps his friend’s arm.
“Ow, lemme alone, Kane!” he mumbles before looking at the doctor.
“You’re staying overnight, Mr. Ackles, we want to keep an eye on you. You had quite a bump to the head so we need to be safe.”
Chris sits again, “So that means lie back down and rest, the talking can wait,” he winces as Jensen’s face pales and Chris assumes he’s remembered their last talk, “don’t stress out, son, that’s what put you in here.” Jensen swallows but doesn’t break eye contact so Chris continues, “We both got worked up, we’ll sort it out when you get home, OK?” he says, patting the back of Jensen’s hand.
Jensen doesn’t look convinced but nods, anyway, “Do I get my coffee now?”
§
After Chris leaves, Jensen waits for the painkillers to start easing the throb in his head. He can feel the other drugs they gave him starting to make his limbs heavy and is relaxing into it when there’s a tap at the door. He looks over to see the nurse approaching with a smile on her face, “There’s someone outside that would like to see you if you’re feeling up to it?”
Jensen frowns, Chris is supposed to have left, but before he can ask who it is he hears footsteps and looks over to see Colin standing behind the nurse. He looks terrified, worried and relieved all at once. Jensen’s heartbeat soars and he starts to panic again, “Colin, what are you…?” he’s cut off by six feet of teenager clinging to his chest.
“Your nephew’s been here since you were admitted but I’m afraid I can only give you five minutes or I’ll be in trouble.”
“Thank you,” Colin says, before Jensen can speak, not looking at the nurse as she leaves the room.
Jensen manages to get his heavy limbs to co-operate enough to stop the teen from crushing him, “What the hell, Colin?” he almost squeaks.
“I had to see you, Jen, I was so worried,” he says, his voice breaking and tears running down his cheeks.
It makes Jensen’s head pound more and he feels a stab in his chest. He automatically brings his arms up around Colin and holds him, threading his hand through the teen’s hair, “I’m OK,” he whispers. He knows he should send Colin away but Jensen’s so tired and Colin feels so good in his arms. It seems like the most natural thing in the world when he places a kiss on Colin’s forehead, and then on his lips when the teen lifts his face.
Colin holds on tighter and lets out a noise that’s a cross between a sob, a whimper and a laugh, “I knew it was just a matter of time before I got you into bed,” Jensen tries to swat him but he’s floating towards sleep, a small smile on his face. A whispered, “I love you, Jensen” makes its way through the fog of drugs and sends warmth spread through his chest.
“Time’s up,” he hears, vaguely, and is disappointed when Colin’s body leaves his. He feels cold, empty and alone. Just before he finally succumbs to sleep, he vows that he’ll never be without Colin again, no matter what.
§
Colin turns his phone on with a feeling of dread. His mom had called three times while he was in the waiting room, and sent seven texts, all demanding to know where he is and what’s going on. All he could think about was Jensen, his mom would be a distraction and he needed to be on alert for Chris leaving, so he’d shut his phone off.
He’s busy watching notifications popping up on-screen so doesn’t notice the figure approaching him until he smacks into them, “Shit, I’m sorry,” he says, scrambling on the floor to pick up his phone. He lifts his head and is met with a face so furious that he reflexively steps back, “M-m-mom?” he’s shocked into stuttering.
Carol is glaring at him and is red in the face. Colin doesn’t ever recall seeing her so angry, even after his dad left. He gulps, trying to push down the rising panic as his heart feels like it’s trying to escape through his ribcage, failing miserably when he looks passed her to see Chris standing there.
The teen winces as Carol grips him hard by the upper arm, and with a strength he didn’t know she possessed, drags him towards the car. As they pass Chris, Colin tries through his panic to decipher the look on his face, but the older man won’t meet his eyes. A cold sense of dread spreads through Colin’s body, making him want to vomit, but he manages not to…for now.
“Mom,” he say, trying to sound calm, “what are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Carol snaps, pushing him towards the passenger side door, “you and I need to have a serious talk, young man.”
Chapter 11 https://ficforthought.livejournal.com/3614.html
Kink: UNDERAGE (Colin is 15 in this fic)
<< Back to chapter 9
A/N: I posted this chapter on Ao3 and forgot to post here! *facepalm*
[Read more]Chapter 10
Chris shifts on the hard plastic chair in the waiting room, trying to get some feeling back in his ass cheeks. They took Jensen through the ominous looking double doors half an hour ago and no-one will tell him shit, because he’s not Jensen’s emergency contact or a family member. Why didn’t he lie and say they were brothers, or some damn thing?
He’s debating whether to get a coffee or not when the doors swing open and Jared comes running in. He spots Chris almost immediately and approaches with a worried look on his face.
“What’s going on?”
Chris shakes his head, “No idea, they won’t tell me a thing,” he points to a stern looking nurse behind the desk, “you’ll have to ask her. You’re listed on Jen’s insurance paperwork so they’ll only talk to you or his parents, and I didn’t want to worry them until we had more info.”
Jared nods, “Yeah, good call. Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
Chris watches as Jared approaches the desk and speaks to the nurse. After what Chris assumes is confirming Jensen’s details, medical history and such, Jared calls him over.
“This is Christian Kane, my partner’s…uh, Jensen’s best friend, you have my permission to discuss any details with him.”
The nurse nods and taps on her keyboard. Chris watches as his name appears on the screen, then he turns to Jared, “So what did they tell you?”
“Not much, he’s having tests,” before he can say more, a woman’s voice comes from behind them.
“Mr. Padalecki?”
Both men turn, “That’s me, how is he?” Jared replies.
“I’m Dr. Ferris, we spoke on the phone,” she holds her arm out towards the door she’s just come through, “if you’d like to step this way, I’ll fill you in.”
Chris follows Jared down a brightly lit corridor. There are rooms on either side of it, most with blinds drawn and each room gives off the sound of beeping monitors. Dr. Ferris stops about four feet away from a room at the far end and turns to face them.
“Before we go in, I should prepare you. Mr. Ackles is sleeping right now, which is the best thing for him.”
Chris’ stomach turns, prepare them for what? Jared voices that very thought before Chris can open his mouth.
Dr. Ferris gives them a reassuring smile, “It’s not as bad as it looks, the bandages on his head are just to keep the wound sterile.”
Chris puts a hand on Jared’s shoulder, “Dr.,” he says, “Jared wasn’t there when Jensen collapsed but I was. I think we should take a step back and fill him in.”
“Can I see him?” Jared interrupts, with tears in his eyes.
Chris feels a stab of hurt in his chest, “I’m not sure he’d want to see you right now, buddy.” He says, honestly. Jared nods, looking dejected and a tear slips down his cheek. Chris squeezes his shoulder, relieved when Jared doesn’t pull away. Chris is trying to keep the peace, not hurt Jared, and thankfully the younger man seems to understand that.
“OK,” Jared says with a sniff, “tell me everything.”
Dr. Ferris points to a room on the opposite side of the corridor, “Come on, we can sit down in here where it’s more private,” once they’re all seated, she continues, “Mr. Kane tells me that before Jensen collapsed he was displaying several symptoms but that under the circumstances, it was hard to notice at the time.”
Chris looks at Jared, pre-empting the question, “We were arguing. Jensen was upset, angry…very agitated. Now I think back on it, he was bright red in the face, sweating, he seemed to be having trouble breathing, he was going a little wobbly and he kept touching his face and head like he does when he gets one of those bad headaches, you know?”
Jared nods, knowing what Chris means. Jensen’s been getting headaches more and more often in the last six months or so, “What actually happened?” he asks, the worry clear in his voice.
“Well,” Dr. Ferris says, softly, “from what we can tell, Mr. Ackles experienced a severe panic attack, and collapsed. That’s not unusual for someone who’s been in a prolonged state of physical and emotional stress, the body can only take so much. His condition has been complicated by the head wound he sustained when he fell.”
“How bad is it?” he and Jared ask at the same time.
“We’ve done a full range of tests. We’ve checked his heart and apart from some mild arrhythmia which is consistent with his levels of stress, there’s no other issues, so we’re not concerned about there being an underlying cause. He’s had a CT scan to check for any complications from the bang to his head, and that’s all clear. He has a concussion, so we’re keeping him overnight for observation, especially as he’s consumed a large quantity of alcohol.”
“You need bandages for a concussion?” Chris asks, confused.
“No,” she replies, “Mr. Ackles has a four inch laceration on his scalp which we’ve repaired with surgical staples, and that wound needs to be kept sterile and covered, that’s why there’s bandages.”
“So he’s going to be OK?” Jared asks, his voice quiet and strained.
Dr. Ferris nods, “We don’t foresee any reason why he shouldn’t be released tomorrow.
Both men breathe a sigh of relief. Chris can’t shake the feeling that he should’ve known something was wrong, even though rationally he knows that there was nothing he could’ve done. On the face of it, Jensen was totally riled up, but given everything that’s happened this weekend, it’s understandable.
Dr. Ferris continues speaking, “He’ll have to come back in seven to ten days to have the staples removed, and he’ll have a headache for a couple of days, but we’re confident he’ll be fine after that. We’re giving him pain relief now, and we can administer a mild sedative if he becomes anxious again. He’s going to have to take it easy from now on, though, he needs to reduce his stress levels or he’s at risk of more panic attacks. Next time he may be driving, so he should count himself lucky, today.”
“No stress, yeah, right” Chris says, quietly, more for his own benefit as he reflects on how Jensen’s current situation could in any way be more stressful…it doesn’t bear thinking about.
“You can see him now, if you want to,” Dr. Ferris says, “if you have any questions, ask a nurse to page me and I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”
“Thanks,” he and Jared both say.
Chris turns to Jared who has his head in his hands, now. “Are you gonna be OK to drive, Jay, or do you want me to give you a ride home?”
“I’ll be fine,” he sighs, “I should call Alan and Donna.”
“I can do it if you like,” Chris offers, trying to spare Jared any more upset. There’s no way that Jensen’s parents won’t know that something else is going on, and Chris figures the guy’s been through enough in the last day or so.
“It’s fine,” Jared says as he stands, “I’ll do it while I’m here, then I’ll head home. Thanks, man, I appreciate everything you’re doing. I take it he’s staying with you?”
Chris nods, there’s no point keeping it from him, “Yeah, for as long as he needs to. Are you gonna be OK?”
Jared smiles sadly, “Gotta be, man, no other choice.” He walks out of the room, straight back down the corridor. Chris sees him hesitate ever so slightly, as if deciding whether to see Jensen anyway, but then he leaves.
Chris stands and crosses the hall to Jensen’s room. He sits in the chair next to the bed and looks at his friend. The white bandage makes his friends skin look even paler, the dark circles under his eyes telling of how little sleep Jensen must’ve gotten over the last few weeks. Chris feels another stab of guilt that he didn’t notice how stressed Jensen was, but then again, until today he had no idea just what Jensen had been dealing with. No wonder the guy had a panic attack!
Jensen mumbles slightly in his sleep, unintelligible words that Chris is too tired to try and work out. He slips out of his jacket and covers his chest with it, getting as comfortable as possible. He’ll stay until Jensen wakes, then go home, there’s nothing more he can do for his friend at the moment.
§
Colin is sweating and breathless when he reaches the hospital, from the exertion of running, worry over whether it was Jensen in the ambulance, and what may have happened to him.
He stands outside, catching his breath a little before heading in. As soon as he’s inside, he’s hit with a fresh wave of panic, this time over the fact that he has no idea what he’s going to say once he gets to the desk. Hi there, I’m not sure but I think someone I know may have been brought in by ambulance, but I don’t really know because I’m the idiot who just ran twenty minutes over here instead of calling to find out, yeah, that’s bound to work, he thinks, mentally facepalming himself.
A dozen or so steps into the waiting area and he spots Jared sat on one of the crappy chairs. He’s on the phone, hunched almost double and rubbing his temple. Struck with a new panic, not wanting to be seen, Colin quickly sits in one of the chairs with his back to Jared. He grabs a magazine off the table and pretends to read, as he listens to Jared talking to who the teen assumes can only be Jensen’s parents.
His pulse races as he hears what’s happened, and eventually slows once he’s heard that Jensen will be fine. He’s flooded with relief and lets out a deep breath, closing his eyes and waiting for the throbbing in his head to subside.
He hears movement behind him and quickly pulls the magazine up to his face as Jared walks passed him, out of the door. He flings the magazine down, not caring whether it landed on the table or not, and practically runs to the information desk.
The next few minutes are a blur of nervousness as he puts all his effort into telling the most convincing lie he can think of - he’s here to see his ‘Uncle’ Jensen. He nods and smiles politely when the nurse says Jensen can only have one visitor at a time, desperately wanting to just run in and see Jensen for himself and make sure he’s really OK. She says a friend is with him, which must be Chris.
He sits back down in the waiting room, his stomach churning. Being so close to Jensen and yet so far away feels like his insides are being torn out, scrambled up and pushed back in again. He’s watching the double doors for any sign of Chris, so that as soon as he leaves, Colin can go in. He’s terrified that the nurse will tell Chris he’s there, but when he looks over, she seems to be too busy flirting with one of the doctors to take any notice of what’s going on around her.
He wrings his hands, nervously, pulling his sweat drenched t-shirt away from his skin. Now he just has to wait for his chance to see Jensen.
§
The first time Jensen wakes, he does it without even opening his eyes. They hurt too much and there’s a pain in his head in addition to the dull throb he’s had for months. He feels like he’s been hit by a truck…a very large truck. His body feels sore, aching and unusually heavy for some reason. He’s in that half-awake place where he’s not fully aware of his surroundings, but is aware of some things. Like the echoing of something beeping in the distance, a low buzzing like a fluorescent light and people talking in quiet tones somewhere far away. There’s something that feels tight on one of his fingers and he feels an itch on his chest like something’s sticking to it and pulling the hairs. He’s so tired, though, and he goes back to sleep quickly.
The second time, he does open his eyes because someone’s saying his name. There’s a woman stood next to him with a clipboard, scribbling something down. He blinks slowly, trying to place his surroundings through the heaviness he feels. As things start to come into focus, he realises it’s a hospital. He looks down and sees that he’s wearing a gown, and is attached to all kinds of wires. He starts to sit up and the woman - a nurse, he realises - is telling him to lie still, that’s he’s going to be fine and that he should go back to sleep. He doesn’t want to lie still, he wants to know what the fuck is going on, but his eyes feel as heavy as the rest of him and although he wants to fight it, he feels himself going back to sleep.
§
Chris fidgets in the uncomfortable chair. His ass and lower back have long since gone numb, and he’s in caffeine withdrawal. He looks at Jensen’s sleeping form, and wills him to wake up. He knows it won’t do any good but he’s concerned that his friend had almost surfaced twice in the last hour but never quite made it to full alertness. He knows, rationally, that his friend is going to be fine - physically at least - but he still wants to hear Jensen’s voice.
Footsteps grabs his attention and he looks up to find Dr. Ferris approaching, “Hey Doc, how’s it looking?” he asks.
She checks the monitors and his chart, “He’s doing well, he obviously needs the rest,” she smiles reassuringly, “try not to worry, he’ll wake up when he’s ready.”
Chris breathes a sigh of relief, it’s good to hear the confirmation, “Is there anything we can do in the meantime?”
“Not for Mr. Ackles, no,” she raises and eyebrow, “you look like you could use a coffee, though.”
“Yeah,” Chris says, wearily and scrubs his hands over his face. He’s feeling the effects of the booze as well as his own stress, and he really could use the pick me up,” I’ll head out and get one.”
His legs feel heavy as he heads to the waiting room, fishing change out of his pocket as he goes. He glances around the room, briefly, but is too focussed on getting caffeine to take any real notice of his surroundings. He doubles up on coffee to save coming back out and makes his way back to Jensen’s bedside.
He’s about half way down his first coffee when Jensen’s breathing changes. Chris’ heart speeds up and he stands, putting his coffee on the side and moving forward to grip Jensen’s hand. Jensen’s eyes flicker before slowly opening blinking to focus before they finally settle on Chris.
“It’s about damn time,” Chris says, attempting to sound annoyed but he’s too relieved to pull it off. He presses the call button while Jensen licks his lips, then brings the cup of ice chips his friend’s mouth, holding it steady while Jen takes a few sips.
“I smell coffee,” Jensen croaks, “I hope it’s for me.”
Chris laughs and squeezes Jensen’s hand, “If I’d known that’s all it took to wake you up, I’d have got ‘em to put it in your IV.”
Dr. Ferris enters the room, smiling when she sees Jensen and helps him sit, “Hello Mr. Ackles, it’s nice to finally see you awake. How are you feeling?”
Jensen starts fiddling with the wires on his IV and Chris slaps his hand away, earning him a glare from the younger man, “Like I’ve been chewed up by something big and angry and spat back out again. What happened and when can I get outta here?”
Chris sighs, “Typical! You just woke up, man,” he pauses as Jensen starts pulling at the bandage on his head, and slaps his friend’s arm.
“Ow, lemme alone, Kane!” he mumbles before looking at the doctor.
“You’re staying overnight, Mr. Ackles, we want to keep an eye on you. You had quite a bump to the head so we need to be safe.”
Chris sits again, “So that means lie back down and rest, the talking can wait,” he winces as Jensen’s face pales and Chris assumes he’s remembered their last talk, “don’t stress out, son, that’s what put you in here.” Jensen swallows but doesn’t break eye contact so Chris continues, “We both got worked up, we’ll sort it out when you get home, OK?” he says, patting the back of Jensen’s hand.
Jensen doesn’t look convinced but nods, anyway, “Do I get my coffee now?”
§
After Chris leaves, Jensen waits for the painkillers to start easing the throb in his head. He can feel the other drugs they gave him starting to make his limbs heavy and is relaxing into it when there’s a tap at the door. He looks over to see the nurse approaching with a smile on her face, “There’s someone outside that would like to see you if you’re feeling up to it?”
Jensen frowns, Chris is supposed to have left, but before he can ask who it is he hears footsteps and looks over to see Colin standing behind the nurse. He looks terrified, worried and relieved all at once. Jensen’s heartbeat soars and he starts to panic again, “Colin, what are you…?” he’s cut off by six feet of teenager clinging to his chest.
“Your nephew’s been here since you were admitted but I’m afraid I can only give you five minutes or I’ll be in trouble.”
“Thank you,” Colin says, before Jensen can speak, not looking at the nurse as she leaves the room.
Jensen manages to get his heavy limbs to co-operate enough to stop the teen from crushing him, “What the hell, Colin?” he almost squeaks.
“I had to see you, Jen, I was so worried,” he says, his voice breaking and tears running down his cheeks.
It makes Jensen’s head pound more and he feels a stab in his chest. He automatically brings his arms up around Colin and holds him, threading his hand through the teen’s hair, “I’m OK,” he whispers. He knows he should send Colin away but Jensen’s so tired and Colin feels so good in his arms. It seems like the most natural thing in the world when he places a kiss on Colin’s forehead, and then on his lips when the teen lifts his face.
Colin holds on tighter and lets out a noise that’s a cross between a sob, a whimper and a laugh, “I knew it was just a matter of time before I got you into bed,” Jensen tries to swat him but he’s floating towards sleep, a small smile on his face. A whispered, “I love you, Jensen” makes its way through the fog of drugs and sends warmth spread through his chest.
“Time’s up,” he hears, vaguely, and is disappointed when Colin’s body leaves his. He feels cold, empty and alone. Just before he finally succumbs to sleep, he vows that he’ll never be without Colin again, no matter what.
§
Colin turns his phone on with a feeling of dread. His mom had called three times while he was in the waiting room, and sent seven texts, all demanding to know where he is and what’s going on. All he could think about was Jensen, his mom would be a distraction and he needed to be on alert for Chris leaving, so he’d shut his phone off.
He’s busy watching notifications popping up on-screen so doesn’t notice the figure approaching him until he smacks into them, “Shit, I’m sorry,” he says, scrambling on the floor to pick up his phone. He lifts his head and is met with a face so furious that he reflexively steps back, “M-m-mom?” he’s shocked into stuttering.
Carol is glaring at him and is red in the face. Colin doesn’t ever recall seeing her so angry, even after his dad left. He gulps, trying to push down the rising panic as his heart feels like it’s trying to escape through his ribcage, failing miserably when he looks passed her to see Chris standing there.
The teen winces as Carol grips him hard by the upper arm, and with a strength he didn’t know she possessed, drags him towards the car. As they pass Chris, Colin tries through his panic to decipher the look on his face, but the older man won’t meet his eyes. A cold sense of dread spreads through Colin’s body, making him want to vomit, but he manages not to…for now.
“Mom,” he say, trying to sound calm, “what are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” Carol snaps, pushing him towards the passenger side door, “you and I need to have a serious talk, young man.”
Chapter 11 https://ficforthought.livejournal.com/3614.html