Song #5: "I Don't Want to Live Without You" by Foreigner
Ryan glanced at his watch. This hospital appointment really wasn't a good idea. The only reason he'd gone is because his sister insisted that he needed to see someone about his leg. He'd managed to cover up a large graze on his thigh that had occured the last shootout. The pain throughout his leg was unbearable and Serena had done all she could as a paramedic. Things could get worse if he didn't get it treated.
He took the day off, made up a reason to avoid questioning as to why. Ryan didn't want to seen as incapable. He wanted to work. Getting forced onto medical leave would be the end of his career. And medical bills were expensive. Serena had gone with him however he seemed distracted considering that it was Eric's birthday and he wasn't there. Sure, he had sent a voicemail but it didn't really have the same meaning as physically wishing him feliz cumpliaños face to face.
"His older sister lightly tapped his shoulder. "Ry, what's up? I know it's not just your leg. You've been like this for a while now."
"I- well, it's my friend Eric's birthday."
Serena smiled. "Yeah, Delko right? He's your partner?"
"Was," Ryan corrected. "We don't really work cases together anymore. I was going to invite him to dinner.. until I remembered that there's about fifty other people that want his time on his birthday."
The older Wolfe knew that he liked Eric. He could tell by the way he talked about the Latino, that he thought highly of him. Even though he'd assaulted, insulted, frustrated and embarrassed him. She remembered every time he came to her about his problems at work. He couldn't go to their parents and didn't feel comfortable going into it with Uncle Ron. Which was understandable, half the time the guy doesn't know what's going on. Ryan unfortunately got the OCD strain like him.
She told him that the best thing to do would be to be honest. But Ryan refused the idea. Being open about his feelings wasn't who he was. Not in the slightest. Hell, he didn't even think he was into guys. Yet Eric had somehow charmed him in a way he couldn't shake off.
"Bryan Frederick Jonathan Wolfe, you listen to me.. stop lying to yourself. Find out what's wrong with your leg, get those crutches and go see him after shift." Serena proclaimed quietly.
Ryan laughed. He didn't know what was more embarrassing, her using his full name or the fact they were having this talk around other people. Serena just hoped he'd acknowledge her advice. Though the conversation was cut short when Ryan was called up for his appointment. The youngest CSI placed his hand on his sister as he pulled himself off his chair.
She allowed him to steady himself onto her and together they went with the doctor to the examination room.
The results hadn't been pleasant to hear. Ryan had sprained his ankle, but was relieved he didn't break it. Broken bones take longer to heal by a long shot. Ryan would know. He's broken his collar bone, arm and the same ankle before. None by accident. All caused by other people. A bully caused him to fall off his bike and break his collar bone, he broke his arm in a swimming incident and got tripped up on slate tiling. Not one event a sight worth looking at.
As for the gunshot wound, it'd scarred the muscle which caused pain for him in his thigh. Would've been a different story if the bullet had ripped through his leg. Didn't mean it didn't hurt. He just got lucky that his black pants didn't show the blood stain.
"Because of the muscle strain, you're gonna need to either be put in a wheelchair or be on crutches. Your leg is weak and if the muscles tense too much, you could collapse." The doctor said, handing him the paperwork.
Ryan rolled his eyes. More paperwork? Seriously?
"Freddy just fill it out. You want to recover, don't you?" Serena said, annoyed with his hesitation.
Ryan unsurely filled it out, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hide his injury any longer. The crutches or the wheelchair. A wheelchair would draw more attention and he didn't want to look like he couldn't do things. Crutches were a better option, as long as he didn't assault anyone with them.
He didn't exactly like being called by his middle name though Serena called him that so much that he didn't even register it anymore.
/
After his doctor's appointment, Ryan left the hospital on crutches. He didn't approve of the doctors saying he shouldn't walk. It pissed him off. But as long as he got better, that wasn't what he needed to focus on. He gave Eric's present to Serena as she said that she would drop it off for him. Ryan threw his crutches in the backseat, said goodbye to his sister and drove away. Explaining what happened would be an interesting lie to make up when he went to work the next day.
Not reporting an on-the-job injury was against protocol. He swore never to do so, but sometimes promises had to be broken..
Delko would be hurt that he'd lied about how he was. And why he said he would get a ride back to the lab. Because he didn't want to admit that he got hurt in the event of Eric getting distracted during a shootout. That meant it would put his friend in a worse position. Part of Ryan wondered if Eric actually knew why he wasn't at work. He thought he'd hidden the limp well.
Ryan felt drowsy when he got back to his condo, laying his crutches against the couch. He didn't remember what he'd done the night before since he ended up staying at his sister's house. It all came back when he saw what he'd done whilst drunk. A picture of him and Eric in a photo frame was on the floor, shattered with the glass all over the floor. He felt like reaching for the phone and going to apologise to the Latino for whatever he'd said that night. He imagined it was bad from how angry he was. But he didn't even bother to get his phone out of his pocket. Didn't have the guts to.
He heard his alarm clock in the distance, beeping loudly from his bedroom which awoke him from his deep slumber a few hours later.
His watch read 1:45pm. Ryan sighed to himself. He doubted he was going to get any more sleep. This is the way he lived. On caffeine and workloads that kept him active all hours of the day.
"You have one unread voice message from E. Delko."
Ryan jumped, immediately regretting it as his ankle was already bad enough. He swore countless times before the spike of pain settled down. The young CSI, restless in regard to his own fear, picked up his phone and pressed play to hear the voicemail. Hearing Eric's voice would make him feel better. Even if it was an angry voicemail. He wasn't sure he wanted to talk face to face yet. This would be good enough.
"Hey Wolfe, I just wanted to say thank you for the birthday present.. and an entire piece of paper with Spanish verses on it. I had no idea that something could mean so much to me," He heard a sigh, and a song started playing for intermission from the recording. Interesting song.
Whilst wrapping Eric's present, a personalised collection of Eric's favourite songs on one CD, he had been writing down the lyrics to a song he was translating for someone he was teaching guitar to. Ryan supposed he must've gotten tired and forgot that's where he put it. Delko was fluent, so of course he'd be able to read it..
".. thank you for this. I'll remember it next time you decide to leave me in the locker room showers with no clothes on."
'Now that was a classy prank.' Ryan mused, chuckling to himself. Maybe he'd overthought this. When he saw Eric, he would know they're okay.
Now I don't want to live without you
I don't want to live without you
I could never be without you
Be without your love
I don't want to live without you
Live without your love
Live without your love
You see I'm lost without your love
A/N: I think I almost wrote a very long oneshot.. saving that for later! But the story can be considered continued from 4.