In the following weeks, Street tries his best to give Chris her space. She makes progress and is allowed back on light duties, giving the team support from HQ and even allowed to train with them a little while later. She still seems to make it a point though to never be alone with him. Just a few days ago, she left her plate in the sink and just fled the kitchen when he walked in. Street can't help the hurt he feels every time that happens. But maybe today, this would actually help.
The past few days, he had pretty successfully ignored the hospital calling him at all hours of the day, but today they were persistent. During the ride this morning, he already had three missed calls and now an urgent message to call them back.
He had half expected his mother's voice coming out of the device, but it was some doctor.
"Street," he hears Chris from the doorway to the kitchen, "Come on, we gotta move. Tan found something," he sighs. Just business. He pushes his phone back into his pocket and jogs to catch up with Chris.
Just when he slows down next to her, his phone again starts going off. "Can't you just answer the damn thing and make this stop?" she comments on him pressing the ignore button. Street frowns and turns his head. How had she noticed?
"Who is calling you like a maniac?" yes, she definitely had noticed and sounded just a tad worried to him, but no, he couldn't let himself fall back again. And give in just to be disappointed again.
"It's nothing, just telemarketers," he shrugs and walks into the tech lab ignoring the stare of disbelief he knows Chris would have right now.
Around noon, he retreated into the armory. His phone had stopped ringing, but he had now three messages urging him to call back. Street pulls out his phone and starts listening to the newest one. His mind registers the same buzzwords again. Liver failure, testing, lifesaving.
His stomach turns while he frowns and resumes cleaning the rifle in front of him. It doesn't really help that he notices whose rifle he has on the table right at that moment. He wishes he could talk to her about all of this. Even if he knows she wouldn't understand what he is thinking about doing.
After he has finished the rifle, Street cleans up the armory and heads for the locker room. It's late afternoon, and maybe he can still reach someone at the hospital and arrange a meeting with the doctor. Because to him, visiting his mother is still an impossible feat. He is too scared she'd be able to suck him back in after all the hard work he put in to distance himself.
Street listens to the dial tone while walking out. Out of the corner of his eyes, he can see Chris and Tan train together. A small smile tugs on the corners of his lips, seeing Chris hit the pads Tan holds up. Even if he can't help her right now and has to keep his distance it feels good to know she has a friend to turn to.
Leaning against his bike outside, he listens to the doctor explaining his mother's situation. "I am going to have to think about it," he replies at the end and hangs up with a frown.
"Think about what?" he suddenly hears Tan's voice. "Nothing, just telemarketers," Street replies. "It's easier to say that and end the conversation," he continues, but Tan musters him as if he isn't buying the explanation at all.
"You know I got almost hit in the face today, so you might wanna change your story," Tan nods his head to the entrance, and when Street turns, he can see Chris leave with an interrupted wave. "You do realize she saw it was the hospital calling…" his friend adds, and Street falls back against his bike again.
"And she felt it was a good idea to tell you?" Street can't help the accusatory tone. He feels monitored.
"Nope, but she is worried about you. Is it your mom again? She really sick?" Tan shrugs it off.
"Turns out her liver is failing. They want me to come in and get tested," Street admits softly, swinging his helmet. "And you are thinking about it," Tan nods in understanding.
Tan's phone chimes with a message and Street takes the opportunity to climb on his bike and pull his helmet on, but before he can start the motor, Tan steps to him.
"Listen, I won't breathe a word of this to anyone, but if you need someone to talk to…"
"I just want to get this done. If I am not a match, this will all go away…" Street sighs and revs the motor before speeding off.
The cool air helps dim his swirling thoughts. Just then, in the parking lot, he realized he had already made a decision. He would get tested and, in all probability, even donate if he were a match. She was his mother, after all.
Another few days later, after their shift, Street is alone in the locker room, and the hospital calls again. This time, he is quick to answer their call.
He nods while listening to the nurse informing him about the preliminary test results. "We will need you to come in one more time to run the full panel and have you fill out the paperwork," she tells him when the door behind him opens. Street turns his head and can see Chris looking like a deer in the headlights. He refocuses on the phone call when the nurse asks, "Mr. Street did you hear me?"
"Yeah, I heard you. Can I call back tomorrow to schedule the appointment?"
After the nurse as affirmed that request and made a note, Street ended the call. Chris is still standing in front of the door, staring at him incredulously.
He lifts his eyes to hers and tilts his head, waiting for her to say what so obviously is going through her mind.
"What are you doing?" Chris lets out, and she sounds very concerned, and she takes a few steps forward.
"I don't know why you're asking me that. You've ignored me for weeks, we haven't exchanged more than a hello in forever, and now you feel like you're allowed to ask that?" he can't help the defensive tone he is taking.
"I am worried about you. If you're in trouble…" Chris fires back, and Street holds up his hand.
"Stop, I don't owe you an explanation. You made it clear we aren't friends, so just leave me alone. It's not your problem,"
Chris had turned on her heel and had been heading for the door, but at his last sentence, she whirls back around. "But it is my problem. You are my problem," her eyes are blazing, and Street is frozen in his spot. Seconds later, Chris clamps her hands over her mouth and rushes out of the room, leaving him to sink down onto the floor, trying to stop his thoughts from putting too much meaning on that small slip in her mask.
After a little while, Street had managed to get back up on his feet, and he made the plan in his head to try and talk to her tomorrow. Face to face. And explain.
But Chris seemed to have other plans. She went back to leaving the room if they were alone anywhere. And he knew her well enough by now not to just drop by her place. Chris would just not open the door.
And so it happened that time was running out on them talking.
His last shift before his surgery coincided with Chris's last shift, too, and therefore, Hondo called the team together.
"Huddle up, guys. I just wanna have a quick word with all of you," his boss starts, and Street can already feel Chris's annoyance. She had tried to find a spot away from him but was now standing right across the circle.
"I have some changes to announce for the coming weeks," Hondo begins and looks around. "Tan, you're with Rocker, while Deac has a go at the academy and Chris galivants around Germany with Luca."
Hondo pauses, and Street nods to Tan, who glances to his side where Chris is actually grinning and bumping her shoulder into Tan, who's joking. "And keep Luca from trying every food truck he finds!"
"I'll be stuck doing a lot of paperwork thanks to you guys," Hondo laughs a bit, but then all eyes seem to settle on Street. "Most of it is thanks to this one here. I hope your mom knows what she has in you," Hondo pats his shoulder, and Street glances at Chris. Her eyes betray her complete shock.
The group disperses after a few more moments and goodbyes all around. Street hangs back. Maybe Chris will give him a chance to explain now. After she hugs Tan goodbye, his friend lifts his hand to wave at him, and Chris nods once at Tan's questioning glance before turning to him.
"I don't know what to say…" Chris lets out when she is almost toe to toe with him. "I don't understand… why?"
In just a few words, Chris managed to put so much emotion that Street knows she is worried and confused, and foremost, absolutely not on board, but there is no other explanation as "I have to try to help her" that he can give.
To his surprise, Chris hugs him close and whispers, "She doesn't deserve you," before quickly retreating and walking away. Leaving behind a stunned, speechless man who still can't read her properly. He'd swear one day she actually feels the same, and just seconds later, he feels like Chris hates him. And this hug just now? He couldn't put a finger on it, but it somehow felt like a goodbye. Hopefully, not forever.