Page 66 of Pippin & Nacho

“Fuck…”

“Hey, Nach. How are you feeling? It seems like you’re hurting a lot, judging by your facial expression.”

Alpha? I tried to blink my eyes open again, and he came into view. Alpha looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes.

“Wha-what happened?”

“Some prickhead hit you with his car and ran. The police tracked him down and arrested him. Thank fuck, there were cameras nearby that caught the entire thing.”

“S-someone… hit me?”

“Yeah, he ran a red light and tried to stop, but the road was wet. He hit you pretty hard, too. You went flying before you landed. Your new board is broken. I’m sorry. We’ll get you a new one.” Alpha rested his hand on my forearm. “Fortunately, there were witnesses who called 9-1-1 and rushed you to the hospital. Someone on staff reached out to our chat group using your phone.”

The pain and loss of my board were quickly forgotten when I remembered why I was even out there. “Sam?”

“He’s at home.”

“He… came back?”

The relief flooded me so much that I quit hurting for a second before the tears spilled.

Sam came back.

“Yeah, he’s back at your place worried sick for you. I’m sorry, but he won’t step a foot inside here. I understand why, but… no one else understands since we can’t tell them. They’re not happy with him right now, especially knowing how close you two are.”

“It’s not his fault.”

“I know, but they don’t understand that.”

“Poor Sam. Please tell them something simple, and that he can’t help it. I don’t want them upset with him. He’s under enough stress, and I’m sure he’d love to be here if he could.”

Alpha nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been trying to talk some sense into them. They’ll come around.”

Despite knowing why Sam couldn’t step into a hospital, it still hurt. I really needed him right now, to hold his hand and tell him how grateful I was that he hadn’t left me. Did that mean he forgave me?

“Can… I text him?”

“I’ll text him. No phones for you for a while. You’ve got a nasty concussion.”

“He’s going to freak out if he doesn’t hear from me. Even if he’s afraid to step foot inside a hospital, he’s going to worry about me.”

Alpha’s smile was kind and patient. “I’ve been keeping tabs on him and letting him know what’s going on. He knows you’re okay and why you can’t reach out.” He chuckled as he patted my hand. “Look at you. You’ve been seriously injured, and all you can do is worry about Pippin. I think it’s high time you start worrying about you, too.”

Between the worries, fears Sam would leave me, the pain… The tears spilled freely now, and I had to choke back a sob. “He was so angry with me that I told you. I didn’t lie and told him the truth, but he felt so betrayed, and I don’t blame him one bit.”

Alpha sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, grabbing some tissues and dabbing my face and nose. “Look, I get why he’d feel hurt. But he needs help, Nate. You can’t keep taking this all on your own. If it was only ADHD, that’s one thing, but he’s got past trauma, anxiety, probably PTSD, memory loss, and phobias. That’s more than any one person can handle who’s not a professional. No doubt he needs some medication. That’s not something you can take on. I know you love him, and you tried, but it’s non-sustainable emotionally and psychologically. Love doesn’t fix everything. Admittedly, Sam did a great job masking it all. I never noticed beyond his neurodivergence, and I don’t think anyone else has either. I’m sure he could do that, thanks to you, but you two can’t do this forever.”

I shifted again in bed, wincing and groaning at the pain. Fuck, so much pain. “I know, but I tried. He won’t listen. Besides, now that I’m in the hospital… this shit is going to cost more than I make in a year, then to pay for therapy, too? If we could find a free group therapy like what Stix and Stone have, that would be great, but Sam won’t do it.”

“You worry about you. I’ll help with medical bills. I can’t take it all on, but I’ll take most of the burden off of you.”

“I just started on some insurance for work. Maybe they can help… Fuck, what about work?”

“They’re going to have to deal. Stix will talk to them. As for therapy, there are lots of therapists who are just starting their private practice and will work pro bono to build their business. I’ll help you find someone. Seriously, right now, you worry about you. Your body needs time to recover.”

What was it like to focus on only me? I’d been helping Sam for years and years. He was as dependent on me as I was on him. “I’ll try.”

“All of us… your family is going to help you through this and take care of you. They’re all going to chip in. You’ll need to be off your feet for weeks with the concussion. You’ve also got a broken leg, a dislocated shoulder, and a sprained wrist. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t have it worse or internal injuries. However, the concussion is serious shit, Nacho. You don’t mess around with the head, so you’re going to be bedridden for a few weeks at least.”

---