muses_w_remotes | 13.2. The Wonder Years quote
13.2. “I guess sometimes the ground can shift between your feet. Sometimes your footing slips. You stumble. And sometimes you grab what's close to you and hold on as tight as you can.”
| The Wonder Years
Co-written with cameronpreston | Follows THIS
The flight had been terrible and Pat had never been so glad to get off a plane in his life. It had always been Lachlan's domain to hate flying and get airsick, but the turbulence on route just made Pat's already shattered nerves panic him ten-fold. Aiden had gotten them first class seats, but even that didn't help. It was a miracle he made it through without completely breaking down. They were met at the airport by Pat older brother, William, who drove them to the hospital where Mr and Mrs Preston were. The commentary from Bill on the drive explained that Cameron had fractured the kneecap of his left knee, dislocated his shoulder and had a bad concussion. He had also continuously asked for Pat the whole time he was in the ER, which just left Pat feeling confused and upset even more. Not to mention distressed that he hadn't been able to reach England before that point. By the time they reached the hospital, however, the emergency surgery to try and repair the knee was over and they were waiting for Cameron to be transferred from Recovery to the Surgical ward. Pat was a Surgical and Anaesthesia nurse, so he knew the procedure. It didn't help dilute the worry and fear, though. If anything, it just made it worse.
Cameron came to pretty quickly considering, which wasn't always a good thing post-op. Aiden had gone to the bathroom, so Pat was alone when he finally saw his brother's eyes starting to open groggily. His hand was already clutched around one of Cameron's, but he sat forward a little closer. "Hey..." he said softly, keeping his voice hushed. "It's okay, Cam. You're feeling like crap, I know, but it's okay. Just try and wake slowly, buddy. It's just like a hangover, only worse. Try and stay as still as you can. Your head's going to be real sore right now."
And it was. It was the first thing Cameron realised beyond Pat's voice. His head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice and he gave a slight, pained moan. He had a haze of fuzzy recollections ticking over in the back of his brain, but nothing was really linking together or making sense. "Pat," he said hoarsely. He got his eyes open just a little more, enough to see Pat sitting beside him and rush of relieved air escaped him shakily. If Pat was there, it meant he wasn't dead, even if he didn't feel too far off it right now. "I got hurt... the game..."
"Shhh," Pat directed gently, rubbing his hand over Cameron's fingers. Cameron's face was pale and sick-looking, though his cheeks were flushed. "You got hurt, buddy. You've just had surgery, so you need to take it easy for a wee bit. Just relax and let yourself wake up slowly. You hit your head and you've got concussion. You'll be in pain and you might start to feel sick. You just say if you do." He didn't want Cameron to focus on the game or what the injury might mean just yet. He wouldn't be clear enough in his mind to be able to process it rationally and the last thing he needed was to freak out post-surgery and impede his recovery.
As the anaesthetic started to wear off more and more, Cameron did, indeed, start to become aware of a sharp pain pulsing all the way through him. His head was only the start of it. It veered down to his shoulder and his back to his leg. He sucked in a small breath when his awareness had more clarity. This was worse than a hangover. Much, much worse. "It hurts," he gasped out, his fingers tightening around Pat's. But then he frowned just slightly at his brother, watching him with a heavy-lidded gaze. "Pat... w-why are you here? I was... I was awful to you. I don't... you..."
Pat shook his head. "No, Cam. No. You think I would stay away if you were hurt? It doesn't matter anymore. You just need to rest and concentrate on getting better. I am here and I'm not leaving until you're discharged," he promised, still holding Cameron's hand protectively.
"It matters," Cameron said, his voice strained as he became more and more aware of the pain. He gritted his teeth but kept a hold of Pat's hand like a lifeline to try and not scream out from it. He wet his lips and swallowed. "I'm glad you married Aiden," he managed to get out, holding his brother's gaze. "And I'm sorry I hurt you. Sometimes I wish... I wish you weren't so... kind and caring... and would just deck me to knock some sense into me..." he added, but it was getting harder and harder to talk.
Pat stood up to check Cameron's IV and realised the dosage of painkillers was low. He stumbled dizzily himself and by now he couldn't tell if his MS was flaring up or it was Cameron's pain he was feeling. At this point, he just didn't particular care either. Cameron was the priority. His eyes were damp with tears as he brushed Cameron's hair back and leaned over to hug him gently. He didn't want to even think how his brother was going to take the blow of learning he was incapacitated for the rest of the season. It also wasn't the time to talk about the fight or his marriage to Aiden or anything. Cameron could hardly speak through the pain and it was breaking Pat's heart. "I'm going to try and get you something for the pain, buddy. But they might put you to sleep again, okay? It'll be better to sleep through it at first. When you wake up, you'll feel a wee bit better, I promise," he said tearfully and hit the call button for the nurses. "Then we can talk about anything you want."
"No, Pat... I... I need you to know, I-" Cameron mumbled groggily. He just wanted Pat to know. It was important. He just couldn't remember what he wanted him to know.
Pat squeezed Cameron's hand. "I do know, Cam. I know now," he assured him with a faint smile. "I love you too."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,042
| The Wonder Years
Co-written with cameronpreston | Follows THIS
The flight had been terrible and Pat had never been so glad to get off a plane in his life. It had always been Lachlan's domain to hate flying and get airsick, but the turbulence on route just made Pat's already shattered nerves panic him ten-fold. Aiden had gotten them first class seats, but even that didn't help. It was a miracle he made it through without completely breaking down. They were met at the airport by Pat older brother, William, who drove them to the hospital where Mr and Mrs Preston were. The commentary from Bill on the drive explained that Cameron had fractured the kneecap of his left knee, dislocated his shoulder and had a bad concussion. He had also continuously asked for Pat the whole time he was in the ER, which just left Pat feeling confused and upset even more. Not to mention distressed that he hadn't been able to reach England before that point. By the time they reached the hospital, however, the emergency surgery to try and repair the knee was over and they were waiting for Cameron to be transferred from Recovery to the Surgical ward. Pat was a Surgical and Anaesthesia nurse, so he knew the procedure. It didn't help dilute the worry and fear, though. If anything, it just made it worse.
Cameron came to pretty quickly considering, which wasn't always a good thing post-op. Aiden had gone to the bathroom, so Pat was alone when he finally saw his brother's eyes starting to open groggily. His hand was already clutched around one of Cameron's, but he sat forward a little closer. "Hey..." he said softly, keeping his voice hushed. "It's okay, Cam. You're feeling like crap, I know, but it's okay. Just try and wake slowly, buddy. It's just like a hangover, only worse. Try and stay as still as you can. Your head's going to be real sore right now."
And it was. It was the first thing Cameron realised beyond Pat's voice. His head felt like it was being squeezed in a vice and he gave a slight, pained moan. He had a haze of fuzzy recollections ticking over in the back of his brain, but nothing was really linking together or making sense. "Pat," he said hoarsely. He got his eyes open just a little more, enough to see Pat sitting beside him and rush of relieved air escaped him shakily. If Pat was there, it meant he wasn't dead, even if he didn't feel too far off it right now. "I got hurt... the game..."
"Shhh," Pat directed gently, rubbing his hand over Cameron's fingers. Cameron's face was pale and sick-looking, though his cheeks were flushed. "You got hurt, buddy. You've just had surgery, so you need to take it easy for a wee bit. Just relax and let yourself wake up slowly. You hit your head and you've got concussion. You'll be in pain and you might start to feel sick. You just say if you do." He didn't want Cameron to focus on the game or what the injury might mean just yet. He wouldn't be clear enough in his mind to be able to process it rationally and the last thing he needed was to freak out post-surgery and impede his recovery.
As the anaesthetic started to wear off more and more, Cameron did, indeed, start to become aware of a sharp pain pulsing all the way through him. His head was only the start of it. It veered down to his shoulder and his back to his leg. He sucked in a small breath when his awareness had more clarity. This was worse than a hangover. Much, much worse. "It hurts," he gasped out, his fingers tightening around Pat's. But then he frowned just slightly at his brother, watching him with a heavy-lidded gaze. "Pat... w-why are you here? I was... I was awful to you. I don't... you..."
Pat shook his head. "No, Cam. No. You think I would stay away if you were hurt? It doesn't matter anymore. You just need to rest and concentrate on getting better. I am here and I'm not leaving until you're discharged," he promised, still holding Cameron's hand protectively.
"It matters," Cameron said, his voice strained as he became more and more aware of the pain. He gritted his teeth but kept a hold of Pat's hand like a lifeline to try and not scream out from it. He wet his lips and swallowed. "I'm glad you married Aiden," he managed to get out, holding his brother's gaze. "And I'm sorry I hurt you. Sometimes I wish... I wish you weren't so... kind and caring... and would just deck me to knock some sense into me..." he added, but it was getting harder and harder to talk.
Pat stood up to check Cameron's IV and realised the dosage of painkillers was low. He stumbled dizzily himself and by now he couldn't tell if his MS was flaring up or it was Cameron's pain he was feeling. At this point, he just didn't particular care either. Cameron was the priority. His eyes were damp with tears as he brushed Cameron's hair back and leaned over to hug him gently. He didn't want to even think how his brother was going to take the blow of learning he was incapacitated for the rest of the season. It also wasn't the time to talk about the fight or his marriage to Aiden or anything. Cameron could hardly speak through the pain and it was breaking Pat's heart. "I'm going to try and get you something for the pain, buddy. But they might put you to sleep again, okay? It'll be better to sleep through it at first. When you wake up, you'll feel a wee bit better, I promise," he said tearfully and hit the call button for the nurses. "Then we can talk about anything you want."
"No, Pat... I... I need you to know, I-" Cameron mumbled groggily. He just wanted Pat to know. It was important. He just couldn't remember what he wanted him to know.
Pat squeezed Cameron's hand. "I do know, Cam. I know now," he assured him with a faint smile. "I love you too."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 1,042