Hercules looked at Sally and smiled. "It looks good on you." He said.
"What does?" Sally asked. "Warm clothes?"
"The engagement ring." Hercules took her hand and kissed it.
"Hercules! This isn't the seventeenth century!" Sally giggled.
"If it was, my parents probably wouldn't have given me the name Hercules." He deadpanned.
"Unless you were Greek."
"I'm not Greek though. I'm Irish." Hercules shrugged. "So..."
Hercules and Sally were interrupted by Hercules' phone ringing. Or rather, a cow mooing. That was his ringtone.
"Couldn't choose a better one, could you?" Sally raised an eyebrow.
"Just be grateful it's not an air raid siren." Hercules took his phone out of his pocket. He didn't recognise the number. "You'd think it was real when Trump's our president." He answered it anyway and pressed it to his ear. "Hercules Mulligan."
Sally watched as Hercules' expression changed. His eyes widened and he looked concerned. He checked his watch.
"Angelica, calm down!" Hercules paused. "Really? Hospital?" He asked. Sally bit her lip. "Oh my god. I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you." He hung up.
"Who's in the hospital?" Sally asked. "Alex?"
"John." Hercules asked.
"What the hell happened?" Sally asked.
"I don't know. We'll find out when we get there. But it must be bad if Angelica called me." Hercules said.
"You don't think he's been shot, do you?" Sally asked.
"I sincerely hope not." Hercules said. "I can't deal with another coma. Alex's already wiped me out emotionally."
At the hospital, Eliza and Angelica were already there, pacing and waiting for Hercules and Sally.
"What happened?" Hercules asked.
"John was hit by a car." Eliza blurted out.
"What?!" Hercules was surprised, to say the least. "Holy crap. Is he okay?"
"We don't know." Eliza said.
Peggy was with Alex at the rehab place. Alex was sitting in his wheelchair-the one the Schuylers got him at Christmas, which was smaller and fitted him better. Peggy simply sat in a regular, plastic chair. Someone had to stay with him until they knew what was going on with John.
One thing that Peggy noticed though, was that Alex was going through one of his... Happy times. She couldn't exactly describe it as anything else. But Alex was ridiculously happy, constantly smiling and felt as if he could do anything. But these times never lasted. Anxiety and depression soon followed. And it'd come a lot sooner if she told him about John. It'd spoil his birthday too. Instead, she noticed the purple FitBit on his wrist.
"Where'd you get that?" She asked.
"Lin-Manuel Miranda and his wife sent it to me." Alex replied.
Peggy nodded. "Huh. I didn't think you were being serious about the whole Lin-Manuel Miranda thing. I thought it was a joke or something."
"It was a joke, Peggy." Alex said.
"Oh." Peggy nodded. "Then where'd you get it?"
"Christopher Jackson." Alex replied.
"Really?" Peggy asked.
"No, I got it from George and Martha Washington. They're the best professors I ever had." Alex said.
"I should have figured you were joking there-that's the guy who looks like George Washington!" Peggy blurted out. "Yeah, Christopher Jackson played Benny in In the Heights! Looks like Washington! I'm so glad I'm not the only person who noticed that."
"Peggy, I think it's time to drop that I look like Lin-Manuel Miranda." Alex said. "I'm not him."
"No, because Lin-Manuel Miranda doesn't have a genetic disease." Peggy said.
"Low blow, Peggy."
"Well you're acting so immature-"
"I'm not the one saying I look like a random dude!" Alex hissed. "Lafayette looks like Daveed Diggs too. And my god does Eliza look like Philippa Soo. Same with Angelica and Renee Elize Goldsberry, you and Jasmine Cephas Jones, John with Anthony Ramos, Hercules with Oak-"
"Who are they?" Peggy asked.
"Actors. All from the Mercy musical. I have a lot of spare time." Alex replied.
"Do Jefferson and James and Maria look like anyone?"
"Maria looks like you, James looks like Herc but much, much smaller and Jefferson... Looks a bit Laf, actually."
"Actors, Alex."
"No."
"What about Theo and Martha and Aaron?"
"Aaron looks exactly like one of the actors in the Mercy musical. I can't remember his name. But it's like exactly."
"Like you and Lin-Manuel Miranda?"
"Yeah. Like me and Lin-Manuel Miranda." Alex said with a bored sigh.
"John's in the hospital-he was hit by a car." Peggy blurted out.
Alex's jaw dropped open.
"Did you catch Obama's farewell address last night?" John Jay asked James Madison as he passed.
"I did. He made some very good points on race relations." James replied.
"Excellent, actually." John said. "I can use them for my-'
"Black Lives Matter club. I know." James said. "I guessed. So where are you going?"
"Class." John replied. "Then I have to prepare for tomorrow's BLM meeting."
"Would I be allowed?" James asked.
"If you believe that black lives matter, then of course." John said. "I'd never accept Jefferson though."
"Who's in the meetings?" James asked.
"Well, there's me, John Laurens, Alexander Hamilton, Sally Hemings and a few others, but that's who you'd know."
"Why wouldn't you accept Thomas?"
"Because he's a dick and I don't like him treating everyone like his personal slaves."
"He doesn't do that if you get to know him." James said.
"Yeah, I'm not taking any chances." John said. "So it's just easier for me to outright say no to him."
"But he's black."
"So am I and so are you." John pointed out. "Your point is...?"
"Alex and John Laurens are both Hispanic." James said. "They wouldn't understand what BLM is-"
"Trust me." John said. "They understand. And technically, Alex is Caribbean and John is Hispanic, but whatever."
"But-"
"If you want to join, you're welcome. But just don't... I don't want Jefferson in my club, causing trouble like I know he always does. I mean, I know he saved Alex's life, but seriously, how much trouble has he caused before that?"
"Alex is usually the one to cause trouble."
"The only trouble I ever heard Alex causing was him trying to bite Jefferson's ear off on St Patrick's Day." John said.
"Yeah, everyone heard about that." James said with a sigh.
"Thomas Jefferson is not welcome in my Black Lives Matter club." John said. "That is the end of this matter."
A/N: Happy Alexander Hamilton's Birthday!
Will John be okay?
Will Lin-Manuel Miranda make a cameo appearance?
Will anyone go into a coma?
Will there be more angst than necessary?
The answer to these questions and many more will be answered soon.
Five last points:
1) Alex has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder: Neurofibromatosis Type II, which causes benign brain tumours, hearing loss, balance issues and benign tumours in the body.
2) Alex has undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder, much like his historical counterpart is thought to have had.
3) Jefferson has undiagnosed Asperger Syndrome, again, like his historical counterpart is thought to have had.
4) It's now been 62 days and I still feel like crap.
5) Yes We Did
