Word Count: 619
Easter Egg: Polka Dot Egg, Day: 21. Pool
Back And Forth
Sammy swam, back and forth up and down the length of the pool. He kept his breathing even, his thoughts only on his form, on the water moving as he sliced through it. He'd found the swimming pool by mistake, riding around King Falls and the surrounding areas late at night before he had to be at the station.
When he was younger, swimming had been his outlet, his place to be that wasn't home, with his cruel father and his absent mother. When he was in college, it was a place to have fun, him and Jack and Lily having races that Sammy won without even trying.
Now it was somewhere to be where he could just be. Where he could do something he was good at, where he could spend an hour just not thinking about the many and varied ways he'd failed over the last few years.
Even Ben didn't know, though he often wrinkled his nose when Sammy arrived at the station, the faint scent of chlorine clinging to him despite the thorough shower he always had afterwards.
It was the only place he could feel like himself these days.
…
Sammy didn't go swimming for a long time after his failed attempt at joining Jack in Perdition Wood.
For a long time, he didn't do anything.
…
"Where were you?"
Sammy blinked when Ben appeared at his open car door, chewing on his bottom lip, his hair a mess like he'd been running his hands through it.
"I… why do you look so stressed? What's wrong?"
"Where were you?" Ben asked again, his pitch a little higher. "Because I called you when you weren't in your bedroom, and you didn't answer, and you didn't call me back and Troy hadn't seen you and Emily hadn't seen you and—"
"Ben, calm down," Sammy said, climbing out of his car. He hugged his shorter friend. "I'm sorry for worrying you, I guess I didn't think about how you'd feel if you couldn't find me."
"Where were you?" This time the question was mumbled into Sammy's hoodie.
"I was swimming, that's all. It… it helps."
…
Jack was home.
Sammy should be at the hospital with him, where Lily was, where Ben and Emily likely still were. Sammy had been there a lot, before Jack woke up. In fact, it had been bad timing that he hadn't been in the room when Jack opened his eyes; he'd gone to get more of the shitty coffee from the machine two corridors away.
He'd come back to find Ben in the corridor, beaming, rambling about Jack being awake.
The coffee had slipped from Sammy's hand, spilling onto the floor in a steaming mess that he didn't even register.
And then Sammy had left the hospital and climbed into his car.
And now he was swimming, when he should be at the hospital, holding his fiance's hand and telling him everything would be okay.
He surfaced, putting a hand on the edge of the pool to steady himself in the water as he gave his muscles a moment to relax.
"You're good."
Sammy startled and then looked up to see Ben sitting in the stands right beside where Sammy had stopped.
"Ben—"
"I get it. Jack's okay. He said he understands, and to come when you're ready."
"I shouldn't have—"
"After the last few days, I'm not surprised you needed a minute. And if this is what helps you, then this is where you should be. We all understand, Sammy. Even Lily."
Sammy chuckled despite himself.
"Are you done?"
"I… yeah. Yeah, I'm done. I… I want to see Jack."
Ben smiled. "Come on then. Let's go see your man."