It's late Tuesday night, Orange getting ready to turn the lights off and try to sleep. Hook is curled up next to him, eyes still bandaged protectively, breathing deeply. The pain medicine prescribed by his doctor had helped him sleep, which is a relief, though Orange wishes he could find rest as easily.

Orange's relieved he's not booked on Dynamite again this week, giving him a few more days to stay at home and help Hook out before Mrs. Senerchia takes over for a couple days when he has to fly out for Collision. He's just leaned over to kiss Hook goodnight when he hears a knock at the front door. He freezes and grimaces, looking at the clock. "Who the hell," he mumbles, grimacing.

Carefully getting out of bed, he heads to the front door and peers out of the peep hole, frowning. He thunks his head against the wood, sighing, before unlocking the door and staring out with an unimpressed look on his face.

Samoa Joe is standing in the hallway, a tired, frustrated look on his face. He searches Orange's expression for a moment before rolling his shoulders out, trying to smooth his expression out. "Were you asleep?" he asks, glancing at his watch really quickly. He winces, as if not realizing how late it actually is.

"Hook is, I was heading there," Orange says.

"Shit," he mumbles, rubbing at his face. "Alright. Look, I know this is a bad time, but I'm heading out for Dynamite tomorrow and I just... can I see him? For a minute?"

Orange wavers for a moment, not necessarily wanting company at this hour, but knowing that Hook wouldn't be thrilled to learn he just turned him away. "Yeah," he finally says, stepping aside.

Joe steps in and looks around for a few moments before following Orange down the hall. He keeps his thoughts to himself, peeking into the bedroom.

"He just took some pain meds," Orange mutters. "Try not to wake him."

Joe nods, Orange surprised by how quietly he walks as he makes his way into the bedroom and approaches where Hook is sprawled out. His face softens into a grim expression as he looks Hook over. He can't really see much of his face- what isn't bandaged is partially covered by a pillow Hook is hugging in his sleep.

"Fuck, kid," Joe mumbles, rubbing his face tiredly. "I know you thought at first I was just taunting you when I kept approaching you, but..." He casts a glance over the walls before turning his troubled gaze back onto Hook's face. "I was at a crossroads after I lost the world title, it's why I wasn't around for awhile, then I saw the same thing in you, so I came back sooner than I expected to. I really thought I could help. It feels like I just made things worse now." He sits down on the bed next to Hook and exhales heavily, head dipped down as he stares at his hands. "I don't know how tomorrow's going to go," he admits. "I know I told you before not to get too trapped in your head about Jericho, but... I get it now. I want to tear him apart tomorrow, but I know there's a chance he's going to pull some of his usual bullshit and I might not be able to. I should've been more patient with you, I just couldn't see it from your POV. I thought you were too focused on the wrong things, but now I see I was the one who underestimated him the entire time. I have to try to not fall into the same trap tomorrow."

He's speaking almost as quietly as he walked, and Orange can only just hear him from where he's standing on the other side of the bed. It's insightful in a way he hadn't expected from Joe, and makes him wonder just how concerned Joe actually is about the street fight tomorrow, late night doubts eating him so badly he'd had to come over to say all of this to Hook in person. Before he can think of anything to say, Hook shifts and mumbles in his sleep, rolling over towards Joe, Orange's focus turning back onto him.

Joe freezes, blinking repeatedly as Hook sighs, settling back down after a few moments, still clinging to his pillow. Joe looks up to find Orange watching him, and exhales. "I shouldn't have bothered you guys," he mumbles, getting to his feet. "My flight's early so I gotta go."

Orange nods and follows him to the door. "He'll be ok."

Joe pauses in the doorway and looks at him. "Yeah," he says. "Of course. I, uh. I'll call and check on him after the match."

"Sure." Orange isn't sure what else to say, just nods at him and closes the door behind him before heading back to bed. He clicks the light off and wraps an arm around Hook's waist, staring at the back of his head as he thinks about Joe, what he had to say to a sleeping Hook. It's a lot. He's not sure what to think about it all. Or the unusual hesitancy in Joe tonight.

He squeezes Hook a little tighter, closing his eyes. He hopes the street fight goes well.

-x

It does not. Joe starts off hot, but Jericho gets the upperhand, leaves Joe in the walls of Jericho for an entire commercial break, Hook's hand twitching as Orange tries to focus on Picture in Picture in case anything changes so he can tell Hook. They fight back and forth, eventually finding their way backstage, and... and. Well. Everything goes to hell then, Big Bill and Bryan Keith both getting involved. The last thing Orange expected was a forklift off to the side getting involved and he gapes at the TV as Jericho lifts Joe's prone form up on the pallet, driving him straight into a wall, Joe crumpled in the rubble.

"What happened?" Hook asks, voice shaking as he struggles to follow along, the commentary not helping him grasp it at all. "Orange, what the fuck happened?"

Orange mutes the TV and sits for a few moments in the sudden, shocking silence, before turning to Hook. "Jericho put Joe on a forklift and drove him into a wall. It... didn't look good, Hook."

Hook's jaw drops and not for the first time this week, Orange wishes he could see his eyes. "What the- what the fuck?" he breathes. Another week where Taz was blocked from commentary, and now this.

Hook is close to the edge, Orange can tell, gripping his hands and squeezing them. "Here, I dialed your dad, he's in town, maybe he can find something out."

Hook grasps the phone as Orange puts it in his hand and waits as it rings. Orange sits and holds his free hand, listening to Hook's side of the conversation, which is short as Taz promises to try to find something out and Hook hangs up to allow him to do so. They sit quietly for awhile, then Orange looks up to watch Joe getting stretchered out to an ambulance. He doesn't unmute it, but turns to look at Hook, rubbing his knuckles. "Hook, they just showed Joe getting taken to a hospital in an ambulance."

Hook sits for a minute, then curses vehemently under his breath. "How did he look?"

Orange exhales. "He wasn't moving, I think he was unconscious."

"Fuck," Hook mumbles, his head dropping forward. "Fuck, this is all my fault. What am I supposed to do, just sit here-"

Orange wraps an arm around him and pulls him in, hugging him tightly. "Taz will call soon. Just try to hold on, Hook," he murmurs into his hair.

"I hate this. I hate this so much." He trembles in Orange's arms, burying his face into Orange's shoulder.

"I know." He continues to hold him, rocking him back and forth in what he hopes is a comforting motion, until the phone chirps. "Hang on." He finds it where it'd dipped in the couch cushions and answers it as soon as he sees Taz's name. "Taz?"

"I'm at the hospital," Taz says. "Got in contact with Cabana, he told me where the ambulance was going. They're not tellin' me much, but they haven't kicked me out yet so I'm hopin' they'll let me in to see him before visiting hours end." He pauses. "How's Hook?"

"Not great," Orange admits. "He's right here. When you know more..."

"I'll call back, yeah," Taz says. "Joe's a tough bastard, it'll take more than this to keep him down." There's a muffled voice in the background and Taz says, "Hey, Joe's doctor's here now, I'll call back in a few."

"Ok," Orange says, the line going dead before he's almost finished speaking. He puts the phone aside and turns his focus back onto Hook, brushing his fingers through his hair. "It's going to be alright," he murmurs.

Hook shakes his head and presses back into Orange's warmth, exhaling shakily. "It's all my fault," he mumbles.

They're still sitting there when the phone goes off again and Orange answers. "Taz?"

"I'm in the room with him, they say he's been in and out of consciousness since arriving. They're going to run more tests soon, but told me I could sit with him until they come to take him."

Orange thinks quickly. "Can you put the phone up to him?"

Taz pauses. "Yeah, sure."

"Hook," Orange says. "Taz is with Joe, Joe's out of it but Taz's going to hold the phone so Joe can hear. Do you have anything you want to say?"

Hook sits for a minute, breathing heavily. "Hey, bro," he finally says, voice strained. "I, uh," he falters, lips trembling a little. "I don't know when, but I'm gonna..." He exhales, digging his fingers into his legs. "I'm gonna heal, and I'm going to come back, and I'm going to end this," he says, voice thick with anger. "I'm not gonna let him hurt or fuck with anyone else. I promise, bro. You just... uh, hang in there, alright?" He shakes his head. "I know you probably hate hospitals as much as I do, but let them take care of you. I'll talk to you soon."

He ducks his head, words dried up now, and Orange takes the phone back. "Taz?"

"Yeah, Orange," Taz says. "I'll keep track of how things are going with Joe til my flight home, but they're gonna kick me out soon. I'll call you guys in the morning with an update."

"Yeah, thanks," Orange says. "Talk to you then." He hangs up and turns towards Hook. "Hey, do you want to get ready for bed?"

"I guess," he mumbles, holding his hand out, palm up, as Orange laces their fingers together. "I think my bandages need changed again."

Orange nods. "I figured. Come on," he says, helping Hook to his feet. As Hook sways towards him, Orange wraps an arm around him and gives him a minute to regain his bearings.

"I'm sorry."

Orange frowns. "What for?"

"I know it's a hassle, having to change my bandages and shit. You have enough going on, you shouldn't have to deal with that too-"

Orange cradles his face, pressing his forehead carefully to Hook's. "Hook, if the roles were reversed, you'd do the same for me, right?"

Hook frowns. "Well, yeah, but-"

"No buts," Orange tells him. "Your parents, Joe, they'd all tell you the same thing. you're not a hassle. We care about you, and we want to help us. So just like you told Joe, you've got to let people help you."

"I hate when shit I say gets used against me," Hook mumbles, lips twitching up helplessly when Orange chuckles.

"C'mon, let's go, handsome. You need sleep, and so do I."

"Alright," Hook sighs, allowing himself to be led towards the bathroom, where Orange begins setting up the bandages and other necessary supplies.

Joe's words from the night before keep replaying in Orange's head and he glances over at Hook, mulling over how alike the two men are, which had probably been the cause of their issues in the past and have now bonded them so quickly. He shakes his head and begins to unwrap the old bandages, checking the wounds before carefully putting more ointment over them. "It's going to be ok," he murmurs, carefully wrapping the new bandages around his eyes.

"I hope so," Hook says, reaching out. Some of the tension leaves him as Orange meets him halfway and squeezes his hand, before guiding him away from the sink, towards their bedroom.

Orange suspects it's going to be something of a sleepless night for them both, waiting for an update on Joe's condition, but at least they're together.