"Oh my God, you have blood on you- are you okay? Are you hurt? It's a good thing we're at a-" Maggie rambled. Went put his hands on her shoulders.
"I'm fine." He told her. "It's not my blood."
"Oh, God, did you kill him? Oh God you did." She covered her mouth.
"Maggie, calm down, baby." He squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. "I didn't kill him, but I wanted to. He just has a badly bloody broken nose that squirted on me."
"Gross." Eddie gagged
The group then silently made their way to the waiting room on the fifth floor- also the ICU floor, where, according to the others, there were recliners and couches- albeit not the most comfortable.
"What did the doctor say?" Stan demanded upon seeing them. Bill put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried.
"She told me that there's a, uh, a hole in Richie's diaphragm and that his stomach is moving up through that hole and into his chest."
"That's not good." Ben muttered.
"It's a serious, risky surgery." Went said, sitting with Maggie on one of the couches. "They're most likely gonna send him to ICU afterwards."
"Richie's strong enough to make it through this, isn't he?" Stan asked. Went ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"I'd like to think so. After all the things that boys gone through, he better beat this or I'm gonna beat his ass."
Hours later, it was nearing four in the morning. Richie's been in surgery for nearly eight hours now. Stan managed to convince Bill to go home around the seventh hour because he knew Georgie would be disappointed if Bill wasn't there to open their gifts.
"I'm coming back with breakfast as soon as I'm done. Let me know if you find out anything." He'd said. He didn't want to leave but he knew Richie would probably bitch slap him for not being with Georgie on Christmas day.
(3:57 AM) Bill: Stan I'm not going to sleep
(3:57) Bill: it's literally impossible for me to do that right now
(3:58) Stan: Please try, Bill. Believe me it's hard to sleep for me too, and not just because this chair is uncomfortable. I'll let you know as soon as the doctor comes out.
(4:01) Bill: fine, but i highly doubt i'll be sleeping. Love you.
(4:01) Stan: I love you too.
Almost everyone was asleep when a nurse came out around four thirty. Went was awake- the only one awake, so when he saw the nurse, he gently shook Maggie's shoulder.
"Hm?" She sat up and rubbed at her eyes, then saw the nurse and jumped up. "How is he?" She asked immediately.
"They're finishing closing him up now." The nurse said. "There were a few complications but he's stable now. The doctor will tell you everything once she comes out. An hour at the earliest." She told them. "I do know, though, that your son is one strong young man and I very much believe he'll make a full recovery." Maggie gave her a small smile and the nurse left. They waited a couple minutes and decided to wake everyone up and let them know.
"Hey- hey kids!" Went called softly. Eddie and Stan woke up almost immediately, being very light sleepers, and the others followed, though it took a couple tries to get Bev up, who was a heavy sleeper. Much like Richie was.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, looking at everyone. Her friends shrugged and they looked to the Toziers.
"They're closing him up now. A nurse just came a few minutes ago and said it would be another hour or so and the doctor will come out. I guess because there's a recovery period or something." Went explained.
"Did the nurse say how he did?" Stan asked. "Is he a hundred percent okay or?"
"He just had his guts hanging out of him on a operating table, he's not one hundred percent, Stan." Eddie huffed.
"Shut up, you know what I mean."
"She said there were a few complications but that he's stable now. She said he's strong and that she thinks he'll make a full recovery." Maggie told them. Stan took his phone out and texted Bill quickly.
"Do you think we'll be able to see him tonight?" Bev asked.
"I doubt it, if he's going to ICU. Your mom and I might- Oh." Went chuckled a little at that and Bev grinned. "We might be able to see him for a few minutes."
"We better be able to see him." Maggie huffed.
"Are you okay, Mrs. Tozier?" Stan asked. "I mean, I know you're not because of all this but… you seem different."
"I'm fine, Sweetie, just worried is all."
"I've noticed something different about you though, before this. You kinda look different."
"I am changing, Stan." She chuckled softly. She glanced at Went who shrugged. "We uh, we do have some good news but we want to tell Richie first, and let him tell you."
"What about me?" Bev wiggled her eyebrows. She was still worried out the ass but now that she knew the surgery was over and that he was stable, she felt a little better.
"We might tell you both together." Went chuckled. "We've yet to figure out how."
"We were gonna tell him today, be one of his presents." Maggie teared up a little. "He loves Christmas and he can't even celebrate it because of that stupid little shithead that was dropped on his head too many times." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "That child needs some serious help."
"Richie said that he's seen him torturing small animals, like rabbits and stuff." Mike said.
"How in the hell has he seen that?" Went asked, eyes wide.
"He said he made a wrong turn one night on the way home and saw him. I think he might have got it on video too."
"Didn't he say he had proof that it was Bowers who did it?" Bev asked.
"I think he did." Went said, making a face. "When he can we need to see if he'll show us. I don't want to get on his phone when he can't give permission."
"Is that the lawyer you respecting your privacy or the parent?" Eddie asked. "Because either way- at least someone's parents respect them."
"Both." Went said and Eddie gave him a thumbs up.
"Mr. and Mrs. Tozier." Dr. Alleyne snuck up on them and they jumped, looking at her. It's been an hour and a half since the nurse had come by. She sat in an empty chair, where Bill had been sitting before he left, and put her hands together. "When I tell you that your son is strong and a fighting boy, I mean it. Surgery like that is very complicated and very risky- there were a few setbacks. Two, actually. Richie flat lined twice during the surgery. The first time was half way into it, the second time was about an hour before we finished."
"Oh my God." Maggie covered her mouth.
"He's stable now and I feel like he'll be making a full recovery in the next few months." She said. Hearing that from the actual surgeon made them all feel a little better about things. "He is in ICU, will be for a week or two. He was having trouble breathing before the surgery- which was a collapsed lung that will heal on its own, but because of the trauma he's been through, he's on a ventilator, he still has a tube in his nose, and we put in a drainage tube to get the blood and other fluids out of his chest."
"When can we see him?" Maggie asked. "I need to see him."
"Visiting hours don't start until ten but… I'll take you and your husband to see him for a few minutes. Only you two now, though, I'm sorry." She said to everyone else, who literally looked ready to fight her. "Trust me, it's not gonna be a pretty sight. We had to restrain him and sedate him because when he woke up he freaked out- which is normal with this type of thing- and tried to take the IV's and tubes out."
"Restrain him… how?"
"There are soft- but strong- cuffs on all the beds that we used. Just for his hands, everything else he can move but I highly doubt he will be for a few days. Come on and I'll take you to see him." Went and Maggie stood up and gave the teens small smiles and followed the doctor. When they reached the door, she stopped with her hand on the doorknob.
"I'm gonna be completely honest here, this is gonna suck." She said. He won't be awake until some time later this morning, and when he is, he might freak out again, be in too much pain to freak out,or just be really upset."
"I want to be in here when you wake him up." Maggie said, matter of factly. "Maybe if he sees me he'll know it's okay." Dr. Alleyne nodded.
"Okay, I don't mean to scare you, but prepare yourselves." She opened the door and walked in, the worried parents following closely. Maggie felt as though she'd collapse right where she was standing if it weren't for Went. Dr. Alleyne wasn't kidding when she said he looked horrible. There were so many tubes and IV's- and upon closer inspection, his right hand was so swollen it looked like it might burst.
The parents studied their son, as much as they possibly could, and hated what they saw. Someone had pulled his hair out of his face with a scrunchie- revealing the bruises and cuts on his face, that were dark blue and purple now. The tube in his nose had a light red tint to what was coming out of his stomach- blood. They could see the rise and fall of his chest, thanks to the ventilator, and could see the chest tube doing it's job, the fluids steadily going through it. He was half way sitting up, and his long legs were bent with the bed.
"Oh, God." Maggie whispered. She slowly walked to her son, gently laying a hand on his left hand and holding it, swiping a few tiny strands that didn't stay in the scrunchie away from his eyes. Went took his other side but didn't grab his hand, instead putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, baby." She whispered. She knew he probably couldn't hear her, but it didn't stop her.
Went moved around to the foot of the bed next to the doctor, and unwillingly took a picture of his son. The two women looked at him.
"I want to prepare the kids before they see him in person." He explained. "And Bev texted me and asked me to since they couldn't come back." He took a deep breath and sent it without looking at the picture no more than he had to. The real thing was no better than the picture, though
"What's on his legs?" Maggie asked.
"They keep him from getting blood clots since he won't be getting up and walking anytime soon." She replied.
As the parents asked Dr. Alleyne question after question, the five Losers were crying their eyes out at the sight of their friend in that bed.
"I'm gonna kill him." Eddie cried. "That fucker doesn't deserve to live another day after all he's done."
"Tell me when, I'll help." Ben sniffed.
"We wouldn't make it any better." Stan said, silent tears running down his face. "Killing Bowers wouldn't fix Richie. Let him rot in prison."
"Went better make sure he doesn't see the light of day again." Bev hissed. "I swear if I ever see him again, I'm gonna rip off his-"
"No one needs to rip off anything unless it's Richie doing it himself." Went interrupted. "But believe me, after what that shit head did, he'll get more than a dick ripped off him in prison."
"Ew." Mike muttered.
"Did the doctor say anything else?" Eddie asked as the two sat down with them.
"He's gonna be sedated until some time in the morning." Maggie said.
"He has fifty staples in his stomach." Went said. "We didn't see the actual incision, but we saw the bandage. She said it was about eight inches long, starting at the top of his belly button and ending in the middle of his chest."
"God, I can hear him now." Eddie snorted. "He'll either complain about losing his flawless stomach and chest or he'll talk about a gnarly scar." He shook his head.
"Or talk about his dick." Bev chuckled.
"No." Went put a hand up and she snickered.
"Probably all of the above, knowing him." Stan said. "He'll be back and forth for months."
"Stan, have you let Bill know anything?" Maggie asked. He nodded.
"Yes ma'am. I hate to leave but I'm gonna go soon, go spend the day with him until we come back here."
"Yeah, Maggie and I talked about it on the way here, and as much as she wants to stay here, she needs to got home and try to get some rest, and eat. All of you do."
"But-"
"No, buts, Eddie. Richie will still be here when you get back, and he'll be fine. I'm gonna stay here."
"You kids need to spend time with your family today." Maggie said. Eddie scoffed.
"My mom hasn't even got a tree up. I have a small one in my room, though. The only presents under it is the one Richie got me- which I didn't get a chance to open yesterday- and ones I got the rest of you."
"We'll stop by your house and you can get them, take them over to Bill's. You can have Christmas with us." Stan told him. "And I'm telling you, not asking you."
"Bossy." Eddie muttered.
"Do you need me to bring you anything?" Maggie asked as they all got ready to leave. Went hugged her and pecked her on the lips.
"I'll be fine. If I get hungry or thirsty I have money."
"And if you get cold?"
"I'll ask for a heated blanket. Remember I almost froze to death when Rich was born?" She giggled a little and nodded. "They gave me one that night so I think I'll be able to get another one if I need it."
"Okay. Let me know if anything happens as soon as you find out."
"I will, now go home and get some rest. I'll let you know when visiting hours start up again." She nodded and kissed him again. "I love you."
"I love you too."
