Disclaimer: I own nothing, especially John Denver's song "Take me Home" even though it is amazing!
Thank you my lovely readers who have continued to read and follow this even after all this time! This is completely redone so please reread the whole thing!
Chapter Ten
Xxx
Napping wasn't something Jed did very often, in fact he hadn't slept during the "day" since he'd caught pneumonia when he'd actually been alive.
Larry found the cowboy out on the balcony after things had settled down, boot covered feet propped up on the railing and chin tucked against his chest, hat low over his eyes as he snored softly.
The night guard let him be, heading back inside to finish fixing lunch. The others were more interested in food anyway, easier to let the cowboy sleep.
Jed slept for several hours, not even twitching as noises fluctuated in the apartment. The sky was darkening into late evening when Larry went to the balcony to gently shake the man's shoulder.
The cowboy snorted slightly, shifting just enough to see his friend before leaning further back in the chair.
"Couldn't a jus' lemme sleep?"
Larry chuckled, "You've been out here since this morning, c'mon inside Jed."
The cowboy sighed half-heartedly, making to pull his long legs down from the railing, forgetting that limbs trapped up like that can go numb. One foot slid down to the balcony floor, the other slipped in between the railing poles, dangling a little in the open air ten stories up.
Larry bit back a smirk as Jed hit the ground from his chair, cursing softly, the cowboy already pulling himself to his feet.
Heading back inside, Larry didn't think to let Jed know the railing was metal, not wood; it wouldn't bend under the pressure a human could exert.
The cowboy forgot his boot was stuck through the rails.
Xxx
Octavius had heard Jedidiah yell from anger, frustration, or just yell for the sake of being loud; but the roman had never heard the cowboy scream.
Not from getting knocked off things, poked, hit, or even when Kahmunrah had him trapped in the hourglass, Jed maintained his cool.
Pain was a whole other story.
Jed was outright howling by the time Teddy and Larry managed to help him to the couch, red faced and cursing up a storm as Ahkmenrah kept Nicky in his room and out of sight. The roman general holding Kahmunrah's door shut to keep him from breaking out.
Jed groaned deeply as Larry pressed an ice pack against his lower leg, the cold didn't help much at all to stop the pain from just moving to the couch and taking his boot off. Judging by his inability to put any weight on his leg but still move his foot with extreme pain. Jed probably sprained or fractured something in his ankle.
By the time the leg was elevated slightly and Jed calmed enough to see straight, a neighbor was already banging at Larry's door.
Cheryl Woods from down the hall.
"Mr. Daley? Lannon and I heard someone shouting and we wanted to make sure everything's ok."
Larry nodded, wincing in sympathy as Jed smothered a rather sharp cry as Teddy gently checked his ankle for damage, the night guard was panicked.
"Uh...yeah my...coworker slipped on my balcony...his leg is messed up...and...damn."
Cheryl smirked, "I've got a van in the parking garage and crutches in my closet, Lannon can stay here with your son if that's alright? Unless your other coworkers can manage."
Larry sighed in relief, "That would be great, my suburban only has a bench seat in the far back, not a good idea..."
The dirty blonde nodded, rushing back to her own apartment and returning with a set of crutches and another teen in tow.
"Lannon-Larry Daley, Larry this is Lannon, he's met Nick at the hockey rink, and volunteers at the museum." Cheryl said before stepping through the door and handing Larry his jacket from the hook.
Did Larry mention Cheryl worked for Dr. McPhee? The same lady the museum director would call for help on odd historical artifacts? She could handle panicking people…
Larry went through quick introductions for Jed and Teddy before calling Nick out and telling him Lannon would be keeping an eye on things and to not let "the new museum actor out until he perfects his part".
The crutches enabled Jed to get upright but the coordination to move wasn't there, Teddy and Larry supporting him while Cheryl worked doors and the elevator.
Lannon watched them leave silently, following Nick back into the apartment and shutting the door before the boy went and yelled at someone in the guest bedroom.
"Dad helps some of the museum's night actors on his nights off, they all come over for food and a break and all, the new guy doesn't quite get it yet."
"I do too! Now let me out of thith prithon!"
Lannon smothered a laugh at the guy's lisp, mimicking Nick's huge smirk before following him out to the kitchen wear there was a smoking toaster and burned soup.
Nick sighed, going to unplug the toaster while Lannon handled the hot stove and "ruined" tomato soup.
"My dad can't cook."
The older teen laughed, giving a smile to Octavius as he and Ahkmenrah came to the kitchen to watch.
"Hi, name's Lannon."
Nick turned, "Oh, that's...uh...well the museum "Octavius Gaius" and the "Pharaoh Ahkmenrah", I don't remember their real names but Dad never uses them anyway for practice."
The teen shrugged before taking out a fresh set of toaster made frozen garlic bread, spreading them out in a cake pan and pouring the tomato soup over them and adding cheese from the fridge.
"Let's see if we can salvage this shall we?"
Nick smiled, watching the teen expertly handle the stove and food, showing no signs of burning the meal.
"Want any help?"
"Nah, but...?"
"What?"
Lannon turned to glance over his shoulder at the living room, "Think your dad will mind if we shove part of that sectional against the other wall?"
"Why?"
"Well, your TV has a game hookup and my aunt sent me a...well I have no idea what game it is, for my birthday, might as well test it out with someone...and plus, that other friend of your dad's probably isn't going to want to move all over this apartment on crutches."
Nick grimaced but nodded, motioning for the other two 'exhibits' to help.
The next three hours went by easily, Lannon kept the three distracted after saving supper and his calm demeanor even allowed Kahmunrah to get food without going psycho.
Nick was in bed by ten, Octavius choosing to follow suit as well. Ahkmenrah stayed out in the living room with Lannon, the teen having gone back to Cheryl's apartment to grab his college school books, his high school allowed him to take online classes through their co-education system and he'd grabbed his textbooks in advance.
It was after midnight when Larry and the others got back, Lannon leaving and refusing to let Larry pay him, saying spending time away from Cheryl's creepy collection of voodoo statues she'd brought home from the museum to study was good enough for him
Teddy thanked Cheryl as she and Lannon left while Larry got Jed settled on the moved couch. Helping support the cowboy as much as possible as he was losing strength rapidly.
The brace as clunky and uncomfortable, providing full support for the sprained ankle that was just now starting to seriously swell. Jed didn't have to wear the brace all the time, but would have it for a couple weeks to allow him to move around, he'd be on crutches for a couple days.
The cowboy was asleep before he hit the pillows, leg elevated on the other end of the couch before he finally relaxed after several tense hours.
Larry wasn't surprised, Jed wasn't one to stop talking easily, let alone avoid asking questions, the six or so hours they'd been out of the apartment had been horrible, not counting his leg and then the hospital.
Ahk was down for the count on the other part of the sectional, curled up and head pillowed on his arm. Larry let him be before following Teddy to bed, the president returning to the office and Larry to his room.
At this rate the Tablet was going to keep these guys "human" they'd have either killed each other from frustration or get into a serious accident or something…
What else could go wrong?
Plus, what could actually go right?
Totally redid this story, please reread everything!