"Ian" Lip knocked on the bathroom door. "You okay, you've been in there for a long time?" Lip added knocking again.
"Yeah... Fine, I'm coming now" Ian said turning the shower off, wrapping his freckly body up in a towel.
Ian appeared from behind the door, Lip stood in the hallway following him to the bedroom. "You taken your meds yet?" Lip asked.
"Yes"
"Have you eaten?" Lip said going through his mental checklist of everything he had to go through, he did this every morning before he gave Ian the go ahead to leave, it had almost become a routine each day and Lip had become the new mother hen of the Gallagher clan.
The Gallagher house was a lot quieter these days especially now that Debbie had moved out and Fiona was hardly ever home, it was just the three boys and Liam that Lip had to worry about.
Ian rolled his eyes. "Yes"
"Good, you heading to the hospital soon then?" Lip asked knowing the answer would be yes. Ian had gone every morning this week, Mickey was brought round yesterday, and Ian was nervous knowing the more conscious he became the sooner he would be going back to prison.
"Yeah, I heard them talking about moving him in the next week, he only woke up yesterday for fuck's sake, and he was barely with it" Ian sighed taking a seat on his bed, Lip stood in the doorway leaning against the frame.
"I've seen you and Mickey go through a lot of shit you know, if you can get through all of that, you can get through this I promise" Lip smiled.
"Thanks, Lip... really" Ian smiled back.
"Any thoughts on how you're going to get him out?" Lip queried passing Ian a clean shirt.
Ian put on the shirt, throwing on some jeans and towel drying his hair a little "I don't even plan on letting him leave the hospital" Ian replied.
"You're going to kidnap Mickey?" a muffled voice came from under the bed covers... Carl.
Lip laughed, "You can't kidnap something that's already yours," Lip said, making Ian smile.
Carl unravelled himself from the bed sheets, making an appearance, bed hair and all. "How are you going to get him past the cops?" Carl asked glancing at the alarm clock for the time.
"I don't know yet, I haven't thought that far ahead, but as soon as he's well enough, I'm taking him and we'll go to Mexico or something," Ian said the atmosphere becoming more serious now.
"E, you realise how much of a Monica move that sounds like right?" Lip implied sitting now.
"I'm not Monica, and I've been taking my meds okay, I'm fine" Ian retorted looking over a Carl for support who remained silent not wanting to provoke any fights or arguments.
"Ian you can't just take him from the hospital, he's seriously injured, I mean he just had brain surgery for christ sakes" Lip protested seeing right through Ian's silly illusion that everything was going to be okay.
"Jesus Lip you're meant to be on my side" Ian cried getting angry with his brother's, Lip in particular.
"Sides! Jesus Ian, there aren't any fucking sides, just yours, and I'm on it... I am, but surely you can see how ridiculous your plan is? What are you going to do just walk him out of the hospital? Cops will be everywhere the minute they realise he's missing, that's even if you make it out of the hospital, not to mention if you get caught, you'll end up doing time as well, that means bye bye to your EMT job, what are you going to become a janitor again or suck people off for five bucks?" Lip spat the last part knowing he was being too harsh, but he just wanted to make Ian see sense.
"Fuck you" Ian snapped back.
"Ian I'm just trying to help you"
"I don't want your fucking help... get the fuck out... Now Lip" Ian fired back again. Lip left taking the high road, he knew how short tempered both he and Ian were and if he didn't leave when things got heated, they both probably would have ended up on the floor in a fist fight, and its not like Carl would be strong enough to pull the boys off each other.
Ian sat on his bed for few moments taking a sip of the water on his bedside cabinet, he grabbed his phone from the side checking to see if he had any new messages, just a few from Sue and Trevor... he was still ignoring him and I think Trevor was starting to get the idea, his messages were becoming less and less frequent.
"I'll help you, whatever you need" Carl spoke up, hoping down from the top bunk.
Ian looked up his eyes glossy with hope. "Really?" Ian asked shocked, earlier he had taken Carl's silence as a gesture that he was agreeing with Lip.
"Thank's Carl, I think we have a few more days yet, but I would like to try and move him as soon as he's well enough" Ian thought trying to think of how Carl would fit into his plan.
"What about a distraction, or a decoy?" Carl questioned.
"You mean like you taking Mickey's place?" Ian thought.
"I was thinking more like streaking naked through the I.C.U getting the cops attention" Carl suggested with a smirk, his long hair falling into his eyes.
Ian couldn't help but laugh, some of the things that came out of his brother's mouth. "Um no, I don't think you'd get into military school with a criminal record" Ian laughed.
"I already have one" Carl laughed back.
"I think you'd be better off taking Mickey's place, so when they look back they will at least see a body in the bed, and by they time they realise it's not him, we should be far enough away to keep ahead of the cops" Ian explained, using his hands as figurines to try and explain what would happen.
"Right but how would I get past the cops, without them realising it's me?" Carl asked, actually having a valid point for once.
"I'd have to bring you through in a wheelchair or something, I don't know yet, well, figure it out okay?" Ian said standing and fist bumping his brother. Carl smiled part of him enjoyed this, he always liked breaking the rules, he loved the adrenaline rush.
"See you later," Carl said as Ian walked out the door and downstairs. Lip and Ian exchanged awkward looks as Ian left for the hospital, making sure he took his meds with him, he didn't want any reason for him and Lip to have to swap conversations again.
He couldn't see past the fact that Lip wasn't on his side and he wasn't willing to help or fight for what he loved and what he believed in.
"See you later then?" Lip spoke attempting to cut through some of the tension.
Ian clenched his jaw not wanting to respond. "I'll be home when I'm home," he said through gritted teeth closing the door with more force than usual to create a noticeable bang, just in case Lip wasn't sure that he was pissed.
Ian arrived at the hospital just in time for visiting hours to start as he had done for the past 5 days. "Morning" He smiled at the receptionist and then at the nurse that buzzed him through. She smiled back.
Ian entered Mickey's room and was surprised at how responsive he looked, his skin was still black and blue but healing, he was sat up in bed, smiling like he had been waiting for Ian to arrive, because he had.
"E" He greeted trying to prop himself up more in bed, wincing at the pain it caused.
"Mick, hey.. Jesus, how are you feeling?" Ian asked shocked he wasn't expecting him to be this alert so soon, this meant he was running out of time to find a way to get him out of the hospital, without them both being shot down by cops and being sent to prison.
Maybe prison wouldn't be so bad, at least they would be together right? Ian thought, quickly shaking his head, is that what it had come to?
"I'm better now that your here" Mickey winced trying to hide his pain for Ian, but Ian wasn't stupid and he knew Mickey better than anyone, he could hear the hurt in his voice.
"I was so fucking worried about you...I thought you'd be pissed...you know that I brought you here" Ian bowed his head feeling overwhelmed. It was so much easier to talk to Mickey when he was unconscious and couldn't respond.
"Ian look at me" Mickey soothed trying to reach for Ian's hand.
Ian looked in Mickey's direction taking his hand in his so Mickey didn't have to struggle.
"I'm not pissed, I knew you wouldn't let me die, but t-thank you for t-trying" Mickey bit down, pain washing over him as he tried to move closer to the red head.
"Shh Mick just take it easy" Ian soothed diverting his eyes to the heart monitor that Mickey had set off trying to reposition himself.
A few moments passed, this was the first proper conversation he and Mickey had had since he'd gotten out of prison.
"I'm not pissed..."
"You already said that" Ian furrowed his eyes with worry, Mickey was repeating himself, maybe his brain was bleeding again.
"No let me finish, I'm not pissed about the hospital, I'm mad you gave up on us..."
"M-mick" Ian fought back tears trying to divert is eyes, he was trying to look anywhere and avoid eye contact at all costs.
"Just tell me why? Why you stopped coming to see me, not even a call to let me know you were okay, I thought something fucking happened to you" Mickey slurred a little, his vision blurry from straining himself.
Ian tried to speak, but all the thoughts that formed in his brain couldn't send the signal to develop into words. "I-I'm sorry" he managed to say.
Mickey let out a loud sigh, a thin layer of sweat starting to bead together on his forehead. He had hoped there was something that had happened, just a reason or an explanation for why Ian did what he did. He wanted more than anything to just forget it and move on, but every day he spent locked up was just more time and space to think about it. To think about Ian.
Ian looked back at Mickey, he knew there was nothing he could do or say to make him feel better to make up for what he did. The worst part was Mickey didn't even know about Caleb or Trevor yet.
"Do you want some water?" Ian asked in an attempt to change the subject. Mickey nodded too exhausted to speak.
Ian poured a glass holding it to Mickey's lips and as he did, flashes of Mickey convulsing and choking on the fluid from his lungs came rushing back it made him flinch spilling some water over Mickey and the bedding.
"Fuck, shit I'm so sorry, " Ian fumbled wiping away the split water in a fluster. "Shit" He repeated still scrubbing at the bedding with some paper towels.
"Ian leave it" Mickey attempted to push Ian's hands away but he kept scrubbing at the sheets. "Ian!" Mickey said a little louder, snapping Ian out of his daze.
"Sorry"
"What just happened?" Mickey slurred.
"Nothing I'm fine" Ian looked up worried, he glanced at Mickey's monitor checking his vitals.
"E"
"Just I thought I lost you... I love you Mick"
Mickey smiled, he loved Ian too but couldn't bring himself to say the words. Ian knew Mickey loved him he didn't need him to say it but he wanted to hear it back.
Mickey coughed bringing Ian out of his thoughts. "You sure you're feeling okay, you don't look well," Ian said worriedly noticing even more sweat building up over Mickey's chest now. Ian hadn't realised the amount of effort and strain that it took just for Mickey to have a small conversation. Maybe trying to move him from the hospital wasn't a good idea?
"Fine, just tired, want to try and make the most of the big room and my own bed" Mickey said between breaths letting his eyes seal shut. Ian faked a smile trying to laugh at Mickey's joke but it made him feel sick to know how rough he must have had it in prison, there's no way he could let the person he loved go back there. If it was possible Ian would take Mickeys place in a heart beat.
He sat for a while before deciding to go get something to eat and drink that's if you could classify vending machine goodies as actual edible food.
Ian took his next dose of pills, swallowing them down with some hot coffee and another candy bar. He hated how spaced out they made him feel, and sometimes he struggled to even feel anything at all, but he knew he needed them, without them he was dangerous and he couldn't do that to Mickey, not again. This time it was his turn to take care of him.
Ian returned to Mickeys room a small smile crept across his face seeing how peaceful he looked. He resumed his position next to Mickey's bed taking his hand again. He gently rubbed his thumb across his tattooed knuckles, letting a few tears escape whilst Mickey was still unconscious.
Mickeys hand tightened in his, making Ian jolt to wipe away the fallen tears before Mickey could see. "Don't be going soft on me Gallagher" Mickey croaked tightening his grip again best he could.
"I don't know what your fucking talking about" Ian laughed smiling.
"Come here" Mickey directed letting Ian lean in as he barely had the energy to keep his eyes open.
Mickey let Ian get close until his mouth was resting against his ear. "I love you" Mickey whispered despite his best efforts to punish Ian, he didn't want to say it, but he felt like he had too. He didn't know if it was his head injury or the fact he'd missed Ian that much but he couldn't contain his feelings.
Ian let another tear fall, a happy tear. He gave Mickey a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Love you too, now get some rest" Ian cried back tears of worry now, he stroked back Mickey's hair letting the boy fall back into unconsciousness. How was he going to get Mickey out of here, how was he going to keep him safe?
A/N: So I really hope this chapter was okay and spelling mistakes weren't too bad, I know I say this everytime but I tried to edit best I could, but I can't always get every mistake. I'm not exactly sure how many more chapters I'm going to have in this story probably between 2-3 but I've also thought about the possibility of a second story after I've finished this one, that's if that's something you guys would want to see/read? Your input is greatly appreciated as always and thank you all for your patience, still working through some pretty bad health issues, but writing is the best distraction when I'm feeling up to it.
As always please review, if you could spare a few minutes, it actually means the world to me, some of you are so dedicated to this story and write the most amazing reviews, it makes me so happy you have no idea!