by TJ Klune
Nick wanted to lay his head on the table and shut his eyes for a little bit, but he didn’t know if that was the best idea. He needed to make it through the day, and he’d sleep easier tonight. He didn’t know what day it was. Thursday? Friday? Regardless, he wasn’t going to school. They’d see how things went over the weekend, but it wasn’t the most important thing. Sure, Dad would probably have a fit when he woke up and found out that Nick had skipped more than a few days, but Nick would deal with it then. Gladly, even. Hell, if Dad wanted to ground him for longer, that was fine.
He rubbed a hand over his face. He had to get his priorities in order.
His dad was a few floors above him, resting as comfortably as he could.
That was number one.
After that was Seth. And Owen.
It was disturbing, all that he hadn’t noticed. The way they sniped at each other, veiled threats that made little sense at the time without context. Now, though? Now he could see them for what they were.
He was troubled by just how much had been said right in front of him. What had Seth told him?
It’s lonely. That’s the one thing you don’t expect. How lonely it is. Because you can’t tell anyone about it. You can’t tell your family because they wouldn’t understand. You can’t tell your friends because they could become targets, and you don’t want them to get hurt. So you keep on going by yourself, hoping one day it will get better, and the only thing that’s in your head is why you started to begin with. Why you put on that stupid costume in the first place. The promise you made to yourself. And some days, that’s almost not enough.
It had been a confession, and Nick had brushed it away. He’d been so focused on his own desire to be something more that he hadn’t heard what Seth was trying to tell him. Maybe he wouldn’t have been able to understand exactly what Seth was saying, but he hadn’t even tried.
His response had been to tell Seth they needed to write fanfiction together.
“Crap,” Nick muttered. “Crap, crap, crap. I’m a terrible best friend. And apparently the comedic relief and/or young adult love interest, but I’ll have to deal with that part later.”
“What was that?” Mary asked, coming back to the table.
Nick groaned. “I hate dawning realizations. They’re so…”
“Accurate?”
“Yes,” he said fiercely. “And it’s so blatantly obvious what I should’ve—”
The doors to the cafeteria slammed open. A harried nurse burst in, turning her head wildly from side to side. Nick recognized her. She’d been with Becky when he’d arrived at the hospital. Renee.
Her gaze fixed on Nick.
She started jogging toward them.
No. No, no, nonono—
“Hey,” she said, sounding breathless. “Nick. I’m so glad I found you. Becky told me you’d be here.”
Nick stood, skin thrumming. “Is it my dad?” he choked out. “Is he okay?”
She smiled. “He’s awake.”
* * *
Nick wasn’t allowed in the room for a long time. He paced back and forth in the waiting area, ranting and raving about his rights, telling Mary he was going to call the police and have everyone in the hospital arrested for barring him from his father. Mary smiled sagely and reminded him that the last time he’d interacted with the police, he’d been nearly naked and handcuffed.
Which, of course, set Nick off all over again about his rights. He decided loudly that he was going to consider filing a lawsuit, then immediately apologized, saying he would never do that because Cap might be out of a job.
Mary snorted. “I don’t think you’d have to worry about that. In fact, go ahead. I can’t wait to see what comes out during discovery.”
They had to make sure Dad was breathing okay, and if his brains were scrambled or not. Those weren’t the technical terms used, but Nick was pretty sure that was what they’d meant. He wondered if his dad would have amnesia and would even remember having a son. Nick decided that life wasn’t a telenovela, and he should consider being optimistic.
The problem with trying for optimism, especially when one is a teenager, is that it’s rather difficult to do in a hospital when one is not allowed to go into the room. Renee had told him that if Dad was doing well, they’d try to remove the tube from his throat. Nick had asked if it would be like pulling out Excalibur, only with more saliva and a potential for vomit. It was then she’d told him he couldn’t go in right away, and he figured he was being discriminated against.
It took close to two hours before Renee came back for him. By that time, he’d damn near worn a groove in the carpet. His head had started to hurt worse, but Mary had brought his medication with her, and he’d been able to catch it before it went too far. Weirdly, a generic painting had fallen off the wall during hour one, making everyone jump. Five minutes later, the TV hanging in the corner had gone on the fritz, refusing to turn back on to the home renovation show that had been playing.
But Nick forgot about all of it when he saw Renee.
He stopped, hands shaking.
She beckoned him with a finger.
Somehow, he got his legs to work, wobbly though they were.
Mary followed him and took his hand when they approached Renee.
“The doctor will come in and fill in the blanks for you a little later, but it looks all right for now. We need to continue to monitor for potential pneumothorax. And he’s going to be sore for a little while, in his chest and throat. It’s best if you don’t let him talk too much for the next few days, though with the way he was demanding you be let into the room, I don’t know how successful that’ll be. Maybe help him keep it to a minimum?”
Nick blinked, sure he’d misheard. “Me? He wanted me? He remembers who I am? He doesn’t have amnesia?”
“Oh, boy. No, Nick. He doesn’t have amnesia. His memory is a little spotty about what happened, but that’s it.” She shook her head. “He told us if we didn’t let you in the room in the next five minutes, he was calling for his chief to arrest us all.”
Nick gaped at her. “Then why are we standing here? Do you want to go to jail? Because my dad will make you!”
“They’re obviously related,” Renee told Mary.
“You don’t know the half of it. Nick, why don’t you go ahead. I’ll follow in a moment. I should call Rodney back. Let him know the good news.”
Nick barely heard her. He grabbed Renee by the arm and was tugging her toward the elevators, asking her if Dad could go home today (no), if he was allowed to eat a cheeseburger if Nick brought him one (no), and if he still had a catheter bag attached to him (yes—which, so gross).
* * *
He held her arm almost the entire way, only letting go as they approached the open door to his dad’s room. Nick heard a hoarse voice rasping something he couldn’t make out. Becky responded. “He’s on his way, Mr. Bell. If you try and get up again, I will restrain you to the bed, so help me god. Stop talking.”
There was a grunted response, but it was all Nick needed to hear. He stumbled into the room right as his dad turned his head toward him.
Nick thought himself a little brave. Sometimes, he could be smart. He didn’t always make the best decisions. He tried to be a good person. He didn’t always succeed, even though he tried his best.
But it had been a strange last few days, and once upon a time, Before had changed to After in the blink of an eye.
He knew how close it had come again.
So when Nicholas Bell burst into tears, there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.
He was tired and still a little unsure if this wasn’t some dream.
So yes, he cried as his father held out a hand toward him.
Nick went. Of course he did.
And when a strong arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him close, he collapsed.
“It’s okay, Nicky,” his father whispered into his hair. “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”
* * *
It laste
d far longer than Nick would care to admit. Just when he thought he’d gotten a hold on it, off he’d go all over again, Dad rubbing a hand on his back. He tried to apologize for the tears and snot he’d gotten on Dad’s hospital gown, but the words were incoherent as he sobbed.
Eventually, he subsided into weak hiccups, face hot and swollen as he pulled away to wipe at his eyes.
Dad was pale as he watched Nick reach for a Kleenex next to the bed to blow his nose. At some point, Becky and Renee had left them alone. Nick was relieved they hadn’t witnessed him breaking. He’d have to thank them later.
“Sorry,” Nick muttered, throwing one Kleenex away before grabbing another.
“Don’t worry about it,” Dad said, each word sounding scraped and raw.
“You’re not supposed to talk.”
Dad frowned. “I’ll damn well do as I please, so don’t you—”
“I will call the doctor in here right now, don’t think I won’t—”
“I am the parent here, not you—” But then Dad grimaced like he was in pain, and Nick was sure he was about to relapse into a coma and would forget him right now, the amnesia rolling over him like a gigantic wave, and Nick would be a stranger—
“Breathe, kid,” Dad said. “Chest hurts. Busted ribs. That’s all it is.”
“You can’t forget me!” Nick said wildly. “You have to fight the amnesia.” He reached out and took Dad’s face in his hands, squeezing gingerly. “I’m your son. Nick. Say it. Nnnnnnniiiiick.”
Dad rolled his eyes. “Like I could ever forget you.”
That made Nick’s heart stumble in his chest. He thought he was going to cry again, but since he’d done it twice in as many days, he decided it was probably best if he tried to be a man for a little while. Then he thought that was sexist, so he allowed another tear to spill onto his cheek. Nick was—and always would be—invested in dismantling the patriarchy. Tumblr had taught him that.
“I am pretty hard to forget,” he managed to say.
“How are you?”
“If I tell you, will you stop talking? For all we know, you’re ruining your vocal cords right now and they’ll be damaged beyond repair. You sound like you’ve smoked fifty packs a day for twenty years.”
Dad opened his mouth to argue but sighed instead. He nodded.
And because Nick believed in rewarding good behavior, he said, “Thank you. That’s very good of you. And to answer your question, I’m terrible. My dad decided to let a building fall on top of him, and I might have feelings for my best friend, even though he’s a liar and a fat mouth, and I think I once made out with someone who turned out to be the biggest douche, and it appears that three quarters of my friends have been lying to me about some pretty big things.” He paused, considering. Then, “Also, I haven’t taken a shower since … yesterday morning? Or maybe the day before. I don’t know what day it is. But my pits are pretty rank, and I’ve been wearing the same underwear for a length of time that’s definitely unsanitary.”
Dad stared at him.
Nick said, “So, how are you?”
Dad started to answer.
Nick glared at him.
Dad closed his mouth.
Nick loved him very much.
* * *
A doctor came in later, speaking in medical terms that Nick couldn’t Google because he was technically still grounded and the internet on his phone was blocked. They thought Nick’s dad was going to be fine, but they were still going to run some more tests to make sure. Dad tried to argue, especially when he found out he wasn’t going to be going home for a few days, but eventually, agreed to start with a CT scan and go from there. He only agreed after Nick had threatened to leave him there and make Dad a ward of the state, but still. Nick would take grudging victories any day of the week.
The doctor said the best thing was rest, and that he should sleep. Nick panicked briefly, sure that was a terrible idea, because people with concussions weren’t supposed to sleep. The doctor, oblivious to who Nick actually was, said rather sardonically that maybe Nick should allow him to be a doctor and make decisions when it came to the care of his patient.
Dad whispered hoarsely that it probably wasn’t the best thing to say.
Nick was well aware of his lack of a medical degree. But he had read many, many fics about people getting head injuries and not being allowed to sleep, and he trusted them far more than he did this stranger who seemed to consider Nick a nuisance more than anything else. Becky—who had apparently been on her way home after working nearly twenty-four hours—managed to stop Nick mid-rant (in which he was threatening to have the doctor’s license revoked, the hack) and she reminded him that doctors, while not exactly the most empathetic of individuals, tended to know what they were talking about.
Nick was of the mind that Becky had betrayed the Hippocratic oath.
She told him that was only for doctors, but that she wanted nothing but the best for him and his dad.
Nick got a little weepy again.
Becky hugged him.
Nick told her to go home, and she looked like she’d been hit by a truck.
Dad was asleep by the time he’d turned back around, a small smile on his face.
* * *
He was sitting with Mary in the waiting room when Cap arrived, looking a little worse for wear. Dad was getting his scans done. He’d been grumpy about being woken up, and that made Nick feel better. Especially when, with a scowl on his face, he’d reassured Nick he remembered who his son was.
Cap kissed his wife, then said, “Stand up, Nick.”
Nick did. Cap was the chief, after all.
Cap hugged him.
Nick hugged him back.
“Told you, didn’t I?” Cap said quietly. “Hardheaded, your dad. Wouldn’t let this take him away. He’s got too much waiting for him back at home.”
“You better give him desk duty for the foreseeable future,” Nick mumbled as Cap finally let him go.
“You got it, Nicky. Why are you out here?”
“Aaron’s getting scanned,” Mary said as Cap slumped into the chair next to her. He was in uniform, and he pulled his hat off his head, setting it in his lap. His mustache fluttered as he huffed out a breath. “Should be back shortly.”
“Good, good. Going to have some words, he and I.”
“Can I watch?” Nick asked.
“Sure.”
“Rodney.”
“Maybe not, Nick.”
Mary patted Nick on the hand when he muttered threats under his breath.
“The woman?” Cap asked.
“Seems to be okay,” Mary said, taking her husband’s hand in hers. “Baby’s fine too.”
Nick didn’t know what they were talking about. “What woman? Whose baby?”
Cap grunted. “The one your dad rescued before he got himself hurt. She’s here too.”
And Nick … didn’t know what to think about that. He knew she wasn’t to blame for what happened. She’d been looking for a place to stay. She hadn’t asked to be trapped in the middle of a battle between Extraordinaries who—
Extraordinaries who Nick now knew the identities of.
His mouth went dry.
It’d be easy, wouldn’t it? To tell Cap everything he knew. What he’d seen. What he’d done. All it would take would be opening his mouth and spilling everything and letting Cap handle it.
“Long day?” Mary asked, apparently unaware of the existential crisis happening right next to her.
“And night,” Cap muttered. “Those damn Extraordinaries. They’re getting worse. I don’t know what happened, but they caused a lot of damage to Burke Tower. Someone was after something, but I have no idea what. Simon Burke isn’t pleased.”
Nick wondered if it were possible to disappear into the floor. He tapped his foot against it. Solid as always.
Mary scoffed. “Simon Burke will get over it. It’s not as if he doesn’t have more money than god.”
Cap scrubbed a hand over his face.
“That’s what I said, but it didn’t go over very well. Apparently, some of the work they do is very hush-hush. I’m convinced he’s creating monsters in a laboratory somewhere for the government. Doesn’t help that his kid is missing and—” Cap sat up abruptly, eyes narrowing as he looked at Nick.
Nick looked for the exits. There were two. He could probably make it before Cap caught up with him. He was wily. Cap liked red meat and cigars. It’d be no contest.
“Don’t you know Owen Burke?”
“Like, biblically?” Nick asked, debating whether or not he would be considered a bad son for abandoning his father.
“What? No. I could have sworn that Aaron said you were friends.” Cap frowned.
Nick’s hands were very clammy. “Did he?”
“Yes,” Cap said slowly. “Apparently, he was in Burke Tower last night. Had a friend with him.”
“Huh,” Nick said. “How strange. Well. I wouldn’t know anything about that. I was at your house, safely tucked in bed like I was supposed to be.”
Mary coughed, the traitor.
“Except for when I snuck out and came to the hospital,” Nick amended. Later, he would have to remind Mary how it had been her idea not to tell Cap about that.
Cap wasn’t pleased. “You snuck out and did what?”
“He was worried about Aaron,” Mary said, and Nick forgave her a little. “Aaron’s nurse called me and told me where Nick was.”
“That right?” Cap said, still staring at Nick. “Is that all that happened, Nick?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you wouldn’t happen to know where Owen is, would you?”
Probably locked in battle with Pyro Storm, who happened to be the guy that Nick gave Skwinkles Salsagheti to. And since that would probably not go over very well, Nick said, “No, sir.” Because he knew the minds of cops made them suspicious about everything, he added, “I hope he’s okay. You really don’t know where he is?”
Nick was saved from saying anything more by the arrival of a cheerleader and a baby butch. Even though he was furious with one of them, he’d never been happier to see them in his life.