So much for that one-update-per-week idea, hah! I really did try, but I got landed with a buttload of work from uni and I started a new job which has also taken up a good chunk of time. I'm sorry about that! I really do want to stick to the update-on-Thursdays idea though. I'll keep trying!
Also, 49 reviews! This is a big deal for me 8D (I'll be honest, I was rather hoping someone would pop up and make it 50 before I updated - just to have a nice clean milestone - but no suck luck. Still, 49 is pretty much the same thing!) - thank you all so much for your kind words, feedback and encouragement! It makes my day every time I see a new review, and you bet I wouldn't have gotten this far without your encouragement, so thank you so much!
Also - I arted. Warning, it's a little bit fluffy but I thought y'all would find it amusing. Remember to remove the dashes! (The ones on either side of the periods, that is, not the ones between the hey-look-i-made-a-thing part of the link. Also a space keeps appearing between 'e' and 'y' in 'hey' so remember to get rid of that too. And this is all too hard so y'know what, just PM me if the link doesn't work!) artisticmusings-.-tumblr-.-com/post/46837881148/he y-look-i-made-a-thing-i-was-just-doodling-and
Oh, and do check out my other one-shot story about Jack and Mother Nature if you'd like! I'd appreciate it if you took the time to have a look at it :)
Many thanks from me, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :D
The next day, when Jack woke and heard the now-familiar tapping and clicking of Sandy's fingers on the game controller, he decided to stay in bed. Even still in bed, he could feel his muscles aching and knew that getting up would only make them worse. His shoulders felt particularly tender.
Tooth was right. I pushed way too hard yesterday. Today's gonna be a world of hurt.
He smiled into his pillow. But it was worth it. And it turned out okay in the end.
He mused on the remainder of the day before. After they'd eaten and chatted – Rashmi had been particularly curious about when Jack would be back on the ice – the sweet-natured mother had left, taking both her daughters with her.
She'd pulled Jack into a warm hug by way of farewell. "I hope you heal up quickly, I'm looking forward to seeing you back on the ice," she'd said, smiling fondly. "Then I'll have a reason to watch the sports channel again!"
Baby had also wrapped her little arms around him in a tight squeeze by way of farewell, grinning happily at him before darting back to her mother.
Rashmi turned to Tooth. "Do you want to come with us, hon? You'd be leaving earlier, but it'd save you the walk home."
Tooth smiled and nodded, standing up. "Yeah, that sounds good, actually. Thanks, Mom." She turned to Jack, her smile turning apologetic. "I guess I'll see you two tomorrow, then," she said, bending to wrap her arms tightly around Jack.
Hugging Tooth no longer came as a shock to Jack anymore. It had grown wonderfully familiar, her tickling hair and minty scent and smallness a comfort, though he didn't think the frantic butterflies that fluttered in his stomach every time would go away soon. He hoped he wasn't gripping the knitted fabric of her sweater too tightly, the texture woolly-soft against his hands.
The hug did not last as long as it usually did, Tooth pulling away quickly. Her face was still apologetic, and she darted over to Sandy to give him a similarly quick hug.
"I'll see you two tomorrow!" she said, and the three females – woman, girl, child – had left the room.
Later, Jack's family had visited again. Emma had burst in with her usual impatience and barrelled into him, immediately exploding into chatter about school and friends and what Jack had been missing at home. His parents had slipped in soon after, sending him wry smiles by way of greeting, knowing they wouldn't get a word edgeways past their excited daughter.
And Jack had officially introduced Sandy.
"Mom, Dad, Emma – this is my roommate, Sandy," he'd said. "Sandy, these are my parents, and my little sister Emma."
"Good to officially meet you," Sandy had said, pulling off his headphones and beaming. "I believe I was... otherwise occupied, the last time you visited. Nice to be conscious this time around!"
Emma, curious as ever, had scrambled off Jack's bed to inspect Sandy. Her eyes widened at his arm.
"You know you shouldn't be using that at all," she said sternly, drawing a smirk from Sandy.
"Hush, Emma, don't be rude," Jack's mother scolded. "Sorry, Sandy, she wants to be a nurse – and, well, you know kids."
"It's quite alright," Sandy said, still smiling. "And you're quite right Emma, I shouldn't be using my bad arm at all. Back in the sling it goes." He set down the controller and slid his arm back into the sling around his neck. He waggled the fingers poking out of the cast, and Emma smiled.
"Yeah, that's right! And that way it'll heal way faster!"
"Of course, I should have known! Thank you for sorting me out, Emma."
"That's okay!"
Jack's mother chuckled and sat down. "I get the impression that those two are gonna get along well," she said softly. "Poor Sandy won't be able to play his video games as long as she's around, though."
Jack's father also took a seat, smirking. "Oh, look at them. At this rate, I don't think he'll mind too badly."
Emma seemed enraptured with the small golden-haired boy, and in turn, Sandy looked delighted at the attention she paid to him. Jack smiled. At the very least, he was glad it didn't feel awkward.
His mother reached out a hand to ruffle his hair. "And how's my boy?" she asked. "We don't seem to get much of a chance to talk to you when we visit!"
"I'm alright," Jack said. "Me and Sandy get on well, and the nurses are nice. I started rehab yesterday, so it's good to be moving again."
"How did it go? I wish we'd been able to be there," Jack's father said. A small frown line had appeared between his eyes. Jack wished he wouldn't feel guilty – his parents worked full-time, they wouldn't have been able to come. He knew that, and he didn't blame them. But his parents wore apologetic expressions all the same.
"It was good," Jack replied. "Mainly just basic upper-body stuff, they didn't want me doing anything that might strain my leg. Eddy was there, and.. one of the volunteers. A nice girl, Tooth. She knows Sandy, and visits him a lot, and.. I think we've become friends."
His mother smiled. "Oh? What's she like?"
"Well, she's really friendly. Bubbly and talks a lot. She wears lots of bright colours. And she always brings food – her mom's Indian, so she brings a lot of curry. I think you'd like her."
"She's my best friend and she's awesome!" Sandy called out from across the room. Jack's parents chuckled.
"In that case, I hope we get to meet her soon," Jack's father said, a twinkle appearing in his eye. "She sounds lovely."
"What's 'Bioshock'?" Jack heard Emma ask. He saw his parents wince.
"On that note, I think it's time we got home," his mother said with a wry smile. "Come on, Emma, time to go! Stop badgering Sandy."
She pulled her son into a quick hug, planting a kiss on his forehead. "You take care, hon. We'll see you soon."
"Until next time, kiddo," his father said as she pulled away, also giving him a hug. "You take care, alright? And don't go too crazy with the rehab. I know you, son, I know you wanna get back in shape, but you've got to take it easy, alright?"
Jack smiled into his father's shirt. His parents knew him too well. "Okay," he said. "See you soon."
"Bye, Jack!" Emma said, bounding back into Jack's lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, missing the little bundle of dark hair and worried brown eyes already.
"You take care, alright? And don't stress over that English test," he said, ruffling her hair.
She wrinkled her nose. "I won't," she said. "I'll try not to."
"You do that, kiddo. Take care. See you soon, alright?"
"Okay. See you soon!"
There were no tears this time, not like the first time; Emma seemed to have adjusted. This time, she smiled as she was shepherded out the door, big brown eyes looking ever back, searching for Jack's until the door fell shut and she disappeared.
As the door closed, Jack found that he didn't know if he felt glad or unhappy that she hadn't been upset.
"You've got a really sweet family," Sandy had said, a small smile on his face. There was something uncharacteristically wistful about it. Jack remembered that he hadn't ever seen Sandy's parents visit, and felt horribly awkward.
"Thanks," he said. He wasn't sure what else to say.
Sandy caught his eye and raised his eyebrows in a friendly gesture, before slipping his arm out of his sling to pick up the game controller. Within moments, he was absorbed into the game, small pink tongue poking out of his lips in an expression of intent concentration.
As he came to the end of the memory, Jack cracked open his eyes slightly to glance at the clock. It was late morning, nearly eleven. Guess I might as well get up, he decided. No use sleeping the day away.
Sandy looked over as Jack crawled out of bed, wincing with every painful movement. The smaller boy grimaced. "You alright there?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Jack said through gritted teeth. Wow, he had pushed it too hard the day before. Even sitting up was painful – the action had sent spikes of pain lancing through his abs and pecs, and his shoulders throbbed.
Let alone reaching for his crutches and hobbling to the bathroom. It was worse than the day before, especially since his pecs were particularly strained. The tender muscles screamed at the touch of the crutches. Oh man. If only Tooth was here right now.
"You sure you don't want any help? Maybe I could ask the nurses for a heat pack for later?"
Sandy had put down the controller and slid out of bed, and Jack could see him padding towards him. The boy put a hand on his arm, but he was shorter than Tooth – he couldn't help Jack walk. The expression on Sandy's face was uncharacteristically sympathetic.
Jack smiled at him. "A heat pack might be good, actually," he admitted. "I'll be okay for now, though. Thanks, Sandy."
"No problem, I'll ask the nurse for one. Man, you really overdid it, Jack."
"I know, I know."
"Remember what Tooth said about having a warm shower. To help your muscles."
"I remember, Nurse Sandy."
"Oh, excuse me for being a decent human being!" Sandy made a face, and Jack laughed.
"Seriously though, thanks," Jack said, once his laughter had subsided. "And I'll be okay. Just a heatpack will be fine. Or two."
"One for each shoulder, hah!" Sandy smirked. "Okay, I'll go ask the nurse now. Have a nice shower, loverboy."
Sandy skipped out of the room before Jack could reply. He stared at the door as it swung shut. "Loverboy? Of all nicknames, really?" he asked nobody in particular, shaking his head as he limped his way into the bathroom.
Sandy, however, was true to his word. As Jack limped out of the bathroom, showered and clean but still sore, the imp-faced boy held up three steaming wheat packs. "Am I an awesome roomie, or am I an awesome roomie?" he declared as Jack hobbled back to bed. "Now quick, grab these, they're burning my hands!"
Jack smiled and took them from Sandy's outstretched hands. "Thanks, man," he said, throwing one over each shoulder, and the third one around his neck. The relief was immediate – heat seeped through his shirt, burning his skin but soothing the muscles beneath. He leant back with a sigh, careful not to disturb the packs. "Wow, that's good. I owe you one, Sandy."
"You owe me a lot, loverboy," Sandy said, winking and picking up his controller.
"Wh-what do you even mean by that?!" Jack exclaimed, annoyed by the cryptic nature of the comment and the stupid nickname. Sandy smiled and adjusted the headphones over his ears. "Sandy? Hey! Sandy!"
"What was that?" Sandy called, his voice mockingly loud. "Can't hear you above this game, loverboy! The sound effects are amazing!"
Jack sighed in exasperation and shuffled down into the pillows. Okay, so Sandy could be a good roommate. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from being an almighty pain at times.
The door opened. Jack jumped, heart suddenly thudding, expecting to see Tooth's familiar head of turquoise tufts popping through the door. But the head that poked out was not Tooth's – it was Jess's.
"Sandy?" she called, but Sandy was engrossed in his game. She looked pleadingly at Jack.
Jack nodded, and hopped out of bed to reach over and tug off Sandy's headphones. The boy let out a cry of protest. "Jack, no, I'm not explaining the nickname –" He noticed Jess, and stared, confused.
"You've got visitors," Jess said, a smile spreading over her face. "I thought I'd give you some warning before they came in!"
"Visitors?" Sandy repeated, and the emotions that flashed across his face seemed out of place on his features. Jack had never seen the boy, usually so self-assured and confident, look so very anxious, and the unfamiliar expression unsettled him.
His eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. His forehead was creased between his golden eyebrows.
Sandy looked almost afraid.
"Yes," Jess said, blue eyes wide in a fixed smile. She was usually cheerful, but her expression seemed to be begging Sandy to cheer up. "Your parents! They're really looking forward to seeing you, hun. I think they've been quite worried."
"I'm sure they have," Sandy whispered – Jack barely heard it.
Jess must have missed it, for she beamed and backed out of the doorway. "I'll give you a moment, they'll be in soon. Jack, can I have a word?"
Jack didn't know why Jess wanted to talk to him, but he didn't think he wanted to be in the room when Sandy's parents walked in. Unlike with his family and Sandy, he felt pretty sure that with him in the room, it'd just be awkward. He nodded and hastily grabbed his crutches, hobbling across the room. As he reached the door, he turned to glance at Sandy.
Sandy still looked shell-shocked. Jack tried to smile at him. He grinned widely, though he wasn't entirely sure of himself.
"It'll be fine, Sandy," he said. "I hope I get to meet them later. Tell them I said hi, okay?"
Sandy smiled back. It was half-hearted, but it was still a smile. "Sure thing, loverboy. See you soon."
Jess gave him a funny look as Jack closed the door behind him. "Loverboy..?" she queried, and Jack shook his head.
"Honestly? I don't know either," he said, and Jess smirked. "That kid," she said, shaking her head.
Jack noticed a couple standing in front of the nurse's desk in the corridor. A middle-aged pair, a man and woman. The woman was tiny and round-figured, with bouncy golden hair streaked with silver, and her white-haired partner didn't stand much taller over her. They were both dressed in business clothes, the man in a dark suit, and the woman in a blazer and pencil skirt. The woman turned and caught Jack's eye. Her eyes were the colour of steel, and her gaze was severe. A line slashed her forehead between her brows in a permanent frown, and her lips were pressed together.
The man also turned, and Jack recognised the set of Sandy's features in the man's face. His eyes were the same amber colour as Sandy's, and they followed him with the same odd curiosity.
The woman softly muttered something, and the pair turned away.
"Are those..?" Jack began, and Jess nodded.
"I got you out of there because I think they probably need some private time with their son," she said apologetically. "Sorry, that's all it was. I mean, they haven't visited Sandy since he arrived, and I think it's just best if we leave them alone."
"No, I get that," Jack said, still staring at the backs of the couple. It baffled him that in some ways they resembled their son so strongly – the apple clearly didn't fall far from the tree – and yet they seemed so different from him. They were so somber, serious in their dark business suits. Not like their video-game playing son who cracked jokes and bounded around in a yellow nightgown.
He hoped it would go okay.
Jess still looked guilty at having dragged Jack out of the room for no reason. "Is there anything you can do while they're in there?" she asked. "Maybe go for a walk, or..? I'm so sorry, Jack, I didn't plan that out particularly well!"
"It's fine," Jack said, smiling at her. "I think I'll go for a walk, actually. A bit of exercise would be good. When do you think I should be getting back?"
Relief immediately swept over Jess's face. "Oh, that sounds good! I'll tell you what, come back in an hour and I'll let you know if it's safe to go back in. That okay?"
"That sounds perfect," Jack said. "Good luck with Sandy's parents, okay?"
"Thanks, I think I'll need it!" Jess giggled, the sound ending on a slightly hysterical note. "I hope your walk goes well."
"Thanks," Jack said, and with a last smile – Jess looked like she needed it – he hopped away. I'll just go back to that garden, easy. Chill there for a while. Shouldn't be a big deal.
He allowed the smile on his face to slide, relaxing his face. He didn't really feel like smiling – not after seeing Sandy's dour-faced parents. Poor kid. I just hope everything goes well in there.
He managed to find the garden again – it took a couple of wrong turns and backtracking, but he got there in the end. He began to smile again at the sight of the little shrubs and trees, the little wooden bench where Tooth had wrapped her scarf around his neck. Damn, I still need to give that back to her.
He sat on the bench with a sigh, setting the crutches on the ground by his feet. He'd forgotten to wear shoes again, and today really was cold. He stared down at his feet – or, rather, a foot next to a white cast with toes wriggling out the bottom.
It was cold, but he'd still rather be outside. The bracing air felt alive and invigorating in his lungs, not like the warm disinfected air of the hospital. It was nice to smell roses and grass instead of air freshener and chemical cleaners. Someone must have cut the grass recently, because the sharp green smell still hung in the air.
It felt like it had been eons since he'd last been outdoors, though it couldn't have been more than a couple of days ago. He wasn't used to being stuck indoors.
"Jack Ferguson! How did I know I'd find you out here?"
Jack turned to the door and felt his heart leap when he saw Tooth leaning out of the doorway, a wry grin on her face. Gosh, her teeth were white.
Her smile turned into a frown and she bounded out into the garden. "And you're not wearing shoes again! What did I tell you last time about hypothermia? Look at you!"
Jack smirked as she pulled off another scarf – this time it was blue – and knotted it around his neck. "Yes, Mom," he said, and she rolled her eyes.
She slid one arm out of her jacket and draped it around Jack as she sat beside him, so the jacket rested over both their shoulders. Jack automatically slid his arm around Tooth's shoulders, and his heart fluttered as she shuffled into his side. She fitted there quite nicely, he thought.
"You really should have brought a coat," she scolded him as the two huddled under her jacket. "Or shoes... or at least socks! Especially since we've been banished from the ward for the time being."
"Did you go in there?" Jack asked, and Tooth shook her head.
"The nurse stopped me," she said. "Jess, she told me Sandy's parents were visiting. She also said you'd gone for a walk, so I figured you might have come here – did you meet his parents?"
Jack shook his own head. "No, I was kicked out before they came in. I saw them, though. Do you know them?"
Tooth nodded, biting her lip. "I've met them. They're not much like Sandy," she said. "His dad's an accountant and his mom's a lawyer, if that tells you anything. His dad's okay, but his mom, she's scary. She wins nearly all her cases and you can kinda see why. Sandy looks like them, you can tell he's their kid, but that's where the similarities end. They don't understand him very well, and sometimes I wonder if they even try to."
"And this is the first time they've visited."
Tooth sighed. "I don't think it's not for lack of caring," she said. "I mean.. they're not very good at showing it, but they care. But they're just so busy, all the time. I think his mom was in the middle of a big case when he had the accident, and she definitely wouldn't have been able to see him while she was dealing with that."
"So they're workaholics?"
"Kinda. So you can imagine it probably frustrates them that Sandy doesn't seem to have figured out what he wants to do yet. They want him to be successful like they are."
Jack frowned. "It still seems off that they couldn't have at least taken some time off work to see their son in hospital."
Tooth twisted her mouth. "Yeah," she agreed. "But some people... people have different priorities, you know? And for many people with families, their biggest priority is kids, and everything else is secondary to that. For other people, their priority is work, and everything – even their children – comes secondary to that. Sandy's parents are like that. It's not that they don't love Sandy, or care for him, it's just that... work is their priority."
"That's messed up."
"To you and me it is. But it's happening more and more, more parents are valuing their work over family. And to them it's not messed up, it's normal."
Jack let out a little huff – he still didn't think it was right. Tooth smiled and nudged him gently with her elbow. "Hey. Don't worry about it, okay? It'll be fine. They look scary, but they probably lost their cool and went all embarrassing and emotional as soon as they walked into the ward. They're probably fussing over Sandy right now. And you know what they say, better late than never!"
Jack sighed. "Okay, I'll take your word for it."
"Good." Tooth snuggled down and rested her head on Jack's shoulder. He felt his cheeks grow hot and suppressed a smile as her hair tickled his neck. "Gosh, it's so cold," she said.
He gave her a quick squeeze with his arm. "Oh, it's not too bad. It's not even winter yet, wait until the weather really kicks in!"
"Ugh, don't tell me. I hate the cold. You don't even seem to feel it!"
Jack smirked mischievously and shifted to place both hands on Tooth's cheeks. She shrieked and slapped them away. "Jack, stop! They're freezing!"
"You know what they say - cold hands, warm heart," Jack said teasingly as Tooth shivered and placed her own hands on her face.
"That was just mean," she said, pouting. "Ugh, your hands are so cold! What, do you soak them in ice water or something?"
"Only the finest ice water from the wilds of Siberia," Jack joked, waggling his fingers at her.
"So if cold hands means warm heart, what does warm hands mean?" Tooth asked, and rested her palms on Jack's cheeks. They radiated heat into his skin, despite the fact that his face already felt hot. He wondered if she could feel his cheeks burning.
"Warmer heart?" Jack suggested, and Tooth giggled.
She didn't take her hands away, letting them rest on his face, cupping his cheeks. They still seemed tiny to Jack. Gosh, she was so close. Jack's heart pounded and he swallowed. Tooth's eyes were huge, and her cheeks were pink again.
"Well, if it isn't Jack Frost! What an interesting surprise. Good to see you're obviously enjoying your stay in hospital."
Jack recognised the gloating drawl with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Tooth's hands darted away from his face and she leaned back, a look of startled alarm on her face.
He turned his head, and standing in front of the bench, wearing a long black coat and a smug smirk, was his fellow competitor and rival Cosmo Pitchiner. Better known by his stage name, Pitch Black.
"Good to see you too, Pitch," Jack said. His voice came out sharper than he'd expected. "What are you doing here?"
Pitch stood back, grinning widely in a way that reminded Jack strongly of a shark. "Visiting fans, volunteer charity work – what else would I be here for? Just doing my bit for the community. Not to mention it's great publicity. And I need all the publicity I can get, what with the Olympic tryouts coming up soon. Don't want the crowds to forget what name to chant when I walk with the Olympic team in the Opening Ceremony, do I?"
The words stabbed sharply into Jack's stomach, like knives. He heard Tooth utter a tiny squeak of indignation.
Don't take the bait. He's trying to wind you up. Don't lose your cool.
Pitch's eyes widened in mock surprise and he placed his hands over his mouth dramatically. "Oh! What a silly slip of the tongue, I should have known that'd be a sore topic for you. My apologies, I suppose I should have been more sensitive." His eyes narrowed and he smirked. "But there's no need to feel too bad, my friend. I'll be sure to dedicate my gold-medal-winning performance to you."
He threw back his head and laughed.
Jack clenched his fists, struggling to control his fury. Pitch's smug expression was simply begging for his fist to knock it off the athlete's face.
However, it was not Jack who reacted.
Tooth bounded off the bench, jacket flying off her shoulders as she marched right up to Pitch, drawing herself up to her full diminutive height to release her rage.
"How dare you!" she screeched, right into Pitch's face. Pitch's smirk dropped to give way to genuine surprise. Jack couldn't see Tooth's face, but he could see her turquoise hair quivering with rage, her tiny hands balled into tight fists. She was livid.
"How dare you waltz in here, with your fancy jacket and hair and bullshit stories about helping people when you don't give two shits about anyone except yourself, just to show off and inflate your ego! Volunteering and meeting fans, what crap! We all know you just came here to make Jack feel shitty, don't think for a second I'm fooled! Well you know what, if Jack hadn't had his accident, there'd be no chance at the Olympics for you! You know, you're not nearly as good a skater as you think you are – I've seen you perform, and to be quite honest, Jack makes you look like a five-year-old with balance issues! There's no way the selectors would pick you for the Olympic team over Jack, and you know it! That's why you're here – you're happy he got injured, because it means you can have a shot at the big time! Well you know what, when Jack gets back on the ice, he'll be kicking your butt, and you won't be able to do a thing about it!"
Pitch's expression of surprise slowly gave way to one of fury. It wasn't difficult to guess what was going through his mind in that moment. She was insulting him, and worse, she was right. Pitch's ego was taking a battering from this tiny turquoise-haired girl. The anger that slid over the young man's face alarmed Jack. "Tooth," he hissed, but she was on a roll.
"Pompous jerk, you're a coward!" she continued shrilly. "Coming here and gloating when you know he can't do anything about it – would you have the guts if he didn't have a broken leg? You're pathetic!"
"Tooth!" Jack exclaimed, and she stopped, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. She didn't move, standing arms akimbo in front of Pitch, who towered over her with hands clenched into fists.
Oh god, what if he hits her? Jack scrabbled for his crutches and scrambled to his feet. To his dismay, the cold had aggravated his strained muscles and he found he couldn't settle on the crutches properly.
Pitch didn't hit Tooth, though for a moment his fist look raised to strike. "Don't flatter yourself," he snarled. "You want to talk about inflated egos, just look at the way you jumped to the conclusion that I'd be here for him. Not everything revolves around Jack Frost, you know. What was your name, little girl? Tooth? Interesting handle. You're cute, so I'll warn you now – you're going to regret this."
"Ooh, I'm scared," Tooth mocked. "You're a real boogeyman, aren't you?"
"You have no idea," Pitch growled, and swept away, striding through the door into the hospital.
Tooth didn't move, breathing hard. Her fists were still clenched.
"Tooth?" Jack asked. Tooth whirled around to face him.
"Christ, Jack, he's an asshole! How did you stand him?!" she exclaimed. "He was bad enough on t.v, I didn't think he could be worse in person!"
Jack couldn't help but smile. Her indignant expression was endlessly endearing. "Thanks, Tooth," he said, reaching out with one arm to pull her into a hug. She still frowned, but settled against him nonetheless.
"I appreciate it, but you shouldn't have aggravated him," Jack said. "He's not a nice guy."
"I don't care if I aggravated him, he started it!" Tooth exclaimed. "Waltzing up and showing off, the nerve of him! I wish I'd punched him."
"I'm glad you didn't," Jack said darkly. "You should have just let him go."
"No! No way was I gonna let him walk off all pompous and full of himself. He needed to be taken down a peg."
"He did, but Tooth, I'm not kidding when I say he's not a good guy to piss off."
"Do you think I care?" Tooth pulled away from him, staring at him with an affronted glare. "And stop lecturing me! I thought you'd appreciate it! I go to defend you, and this is the thanks I get?"
"I do appreciate it!" Jack exclaimed, but Tooth had already turned and was marching back into the hospital. He sighed and turned back to the bench to pick up her abandoned purple jacket, then began to follow her. His upper-body muscles protested sharply, and he winced with each step as he hobbled after her on his crutches.
"Tooth, wait! Tooth! Tooth."
He ambled along as quickly as he could, ignoring the pain in his shoulders, and he started to catch up. Tooth just walked faster.
"Tooth, please!"
In his haste, he didn't notice his right crutch as it snagged on the corner of a janitor's trolley. He lurched forward as it dragged, and overbalanced. As he fell, he dimly remembered to land on his good side, and he hit the carpet hard, taking the trolley down with him.
The fall knocked the wind out of him, and the trolley crashed as it toppled over, sending bottles of cleaning fluid and disinfectant everywhere. Jack winced as a roll of paper bounced off his head. Wow. Way to make a spectacle, Jack.
Tooth whirled around at the crash, eyes widening. "Jack!" she yelped, running back and dropping to the carpet beside him. Jack felt the warmth of her arms as she lifted him into a sitting position. "Are you okay? Your leg!"
"My leg's fine," Jack said. He held out her jacket, and Tooth took it slowly, her mouth falling slightly open in a surprised gesture. "Sorry, I'll fix this all up..."
"No, I'm sorry," Tooth said. Her previously obstinate expression had now changed to a penitent one, her eyes huge as she chewed her lip anxiously. "Oh, Jack.. I'm an idiot."
"No you're not," Jack said, bopping his forehead gently against hers. "I really did appreciate it. The look on his face when you called Pitch a pompous jerk was priceless."
Tooth stifled a giggle. "Oh, but I should have listened... and running off was stupid. I forgot about your crutches."
"Tooth, it's fine. I'm okay. The only real victim in this situation is the janitor."
Tooth couldn't suppress her laughter this time. "I guess we'd better clean this up, huh?"
Fortunately, nothing had spilled, so it was a simple matter of lifting the trolley back up and putting everything back into it. Luckily they tidied it up before the janitor appeared.
Tooth helped Jack up, and picked up his crutches. She stared at him, still chewing her lip anxiously. "Thanks for picking up my jacket," she said ruefully. "I forgot all about it... thank you."
"It's fine," Jack said, smiling. He wished she wouldn't look so guilty. The expression on her face tugged at his heartstrings pitifully. He wanted her to smile again.
He tried to balance on his crutches again, but just resting the foam cushions under his arms made his muscles twinge painfully. He tried not to show the pain, but he must have winced, because Tooth took the crutch from under his left arm and slipped under his shoulder to support him.
"Your muscles still giving you grief?" she asked as they hobbled up the corridor.
Jack nodded. "You were right," he admitted. "They're worse today. Not much I can do about it, though."
Tooth shook her head, tutting. "And you went all the way to the gardens! Couldn't you have just sat in the nurse's station or something?"
"Chilling in the nurse's station? How boring! Be honest, you would have preferred to push yourself to go somewhere nice to relax for an hour, than sat like an office accessory in the nurse's station twiddling your thumbs."
"Okay, I see your point. Still, you've been pushing yourself way too hard lately. I feel like a CD stuck on repeat, the number of times I've said that!"
Jack laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll try to take it easier from now on, alright?"
Tooth smiled contentedly. "Alright. We still have a while to kill, do you want to go somewhere else?"
"Nah. I don't really want to run the risk of bumping into Pitch again. Why don't we just wait outside in the corridor?"
Tooth snorted. "And barely a minute ago you said you thought waiting in the nurse's station would be too boring!"
"That was when I knew I'd be waiting by myself. It'll be much less boring if I've got you to wait with me." Jack flashed a wide grin, and Tooth's cheeks coloured.
They passed the nurse's station just as Jess walked out. She stopped to gape at the pair. "Jack! Why aren't you using your crutches?" she exclaimed, looking ready to scold the teenager.
Jack grinned sheepishly, and Tooth quickly jumped to his defense. "He strained his shoulder muscles the day before doing exercises," she explained. "The crutches are just painful at the moment. But we're managing okay, I promise!"
Jess sighed and shook her head. "Well, I can trust you, Tooth," she said. "And Jack, what on earth kind of exercises were you doing that you hurt your muscles? Silly boy."
"Hey, at least you know I'm dedicated!" Jack piped up, and Jess smirked.
"Alright," she said. "Well, Sandy's parents are just about to leave, so I think it's safe for you to go back to your ward now. Then I don't have to worry about you hopping around without crutches!"
"Thanks, Jess. Do you know how it went?" Tooth asked.
Jess shrugged. "I haven't heard anything from the ward," she said. "I assume that's a good thing. But to be honest, I don't know. Sorry, Tooth."
"That's okay, and thank you!" Tooth said with a bright smile. "I guess we'll see you around."
"Sure thing, I'll see you two later," Jess said, beaming. She adjusted her clipboard and trotted away, blonde ponytail bouncing as she walked. She always seemed busy.
Tooth helped Jack limp to the door of the ward, and pushed open the door a crack. Soft voices could be heard as she slowly opened the door.
Three faces looked up as the pair entered the room, Jack still leaning heavily on Tooth. He tried to smile at the unfamiliar faces of Sandy's parents. His mother's gaze seemed almost accusing.
"Hi, Mrs Hawkins! Mr Hawkins!" Tooth called out with a cheery smile. "How are you two?"
"Hey, Tooth," Mr Hawkins said with a small smile. Mrs Hawkins nodded by way of greeting.
"Mom, Dad, that's my roommate, Jack," Sandy said. Jack strained to see Sandy – he was hard to see past the sitting figures of his parents, but from what Jack could see, he no longer looked anxious. His face was relaxed again.
"Hi, Mr and Mrs Hawkins," Jack said, levering himself onto his bed. Tooth quickly vaulted over to sit beside him.
"Hi, Jack, nice to meet you," Mr Hawkins said brightly. "Sandy was just telling us about you. We were sorry to hear about the accident."
"Nice to meet you too," Jack said. "And it's okay. I'll be back on the ice eventually."
"I suppose we'd better get going," Mrs Hawkins said. Where her husband was polite and amiable, Mrs Hawkins spoke in short, sharp sentences that were to the point.
Sandy nodded, and his face fell slightly. "Yeah, didn't you have a meeting later?" he asked.
Mrs Hawkins turned back to her son and nodded. "They're putting me straight on another case, and apparently it's another big one."
"And I really can't be gone from the office too long if I want a shot at that promotion," Mr Hawkins said apologetically. "Sorry, kiddo. We'd have loved to stay longer, we've missed you."
Sandy nodded. "This promotion means you'll be at work less, yeah?"
"That's right," Mr Hawkins said. "Which is why I want to get it. Less time at the office, more time with my boy! Who wouldn't jump at that chance?"
Sandy smiled. "That.. would be nice. I hope you get it."
"I hope I get it too, son. Then I can visit more. Hopefully your mom will be less busy with this case, so she can visit more too."
"I told Stuart, no more time-consuming cases until you're out of hospital. I feel bad enough that we had to leave so soon after you got here, you hadn't even woken up..."
"It's okay, Mom. Just get that case wrapped up, yeah?"
"I'll try." Mrs Hawkins moved from her chair and sat on the bed to wrap Sandy into a tight hug. Jack caught a glimpse of her face, and her expression was still severe, but there was something about the way her mouth turned downward at the corners that made him wonder if the fierce expression was hiding something else. Her eyes were very shiny. It reminded Jack of Eddy a bit.
Mrs Hawkins released Sandy, and Mr Hawkins leaned in to hug his son as well.
"See you later, Dad, Mom," Sandy said in a small voice as his parents stood to leave.
"We'll be back soon, we promise," Mr Hawkins said. "You take care now, alright? Give us a call if you need anything."
"Will do."
Sandy's parents walked out of the room slowly, reluctantly. Mr Hawkins waved awkwardly as the door shut behind the pair, leaving the ward in silence.
Sandy turned to face Jack and Tooth. Now that Jack could see him clearly, he saw that Sandy's eyes were oddly shiny too.
"How did it go?" Tooth asked, and Sandy smiled.
"It was good, actually," he said. "As you probably saw. They were super guilty about not visiting earlier. But you know what they're like. And.. yeah. It was nice to see them. How was your walk?"
"It was good," Tooth said, turning to smile at Jack. "We had an interesting time.. didn't we?"
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Bumping into old friends and such..."
Sandy raised an eyebrow. "Please explain what you're talking about before I assume what I'm about to assume, and I'm sure you two both know by now that you don't want hear what I'm about to assume."
Jack groaned. "Sandy, you're ridiculous."
Sandy grinned innocently, the gleam of mischief having finally returned to his amber eyes. "Less complaining and more explaining, loverboy."