When You're Broken On The Ground

Chapter 48

Trigger Warnings: hospitals, being shot, 

Word Count: 1229

"Is Dee okay?" Patton asks as soon as Remus steps out of the room. His knee keeps bouncing, which normally Logan would stop and talk to him about or do an breathing exercise, but Logan's not here, no one is. No one knows besides Patton and Remus right now.

"The doc says he'll live," Remus mutters, dropping into the seat next to Patton.

"But will he-" Patton cuts himself off, not wanting to actually say those words. Will he walk again?

"They- they don't know," Remus bites out, fingers playing some violent game among themselves. Patton winces at the scratch marks. "They don't even know if he's going to wake up."

"What?!" Patton feels nothing over his actions, even if he can sense others staring at him and his outburst. "Remus he has to wake up!"

"They said his body went into shock, forced him into a coma, but they're not sure if he'll come too."

"When," Patton corrects, numbness washing over him, the implication not lost on him. He's not dumb, he knows Remus is implying the doctors don't know if he'll ever wake up. "We need to tell the others." He doesn't want them to see Dee like this, doesn't want to throw this stress onto them, but they deserve to know.

"I know." Patton's heart sinks. Remus always sounds bursting with energy, that's how he's always been, but now he just sounds dead, as if all his energy is gone.

~~~

"Hey Snakey," Remus greets, sitting down on Janus' bed, minding his elevated leg and injured shoulder.

It's been a week since Janus was shot, two days since he got the call from Honor, and a day since he had to tell his family what happened. He would have told them sooner, but Janus was getting emergency treatment in Greece, then when he was stable, he got moved to Sweden. That's where he's been staying for the past week. Patton had flown over as soon as Remus told him where to go, after Janus was moved to Sweden. They called the family from their hotel room, telling them what happened. They should be flying here right now, actually.

"I miss you," he says, watching Janus' heart monitor steadily beep. "I know it's only been, fuck, I think it's been a week and a half? Yeah, a week and a half since you left. I know every time you leave you could die but not like this, it's not supposed to be like this. You don't get to propose to me, don't get to plan our wedding, and leave me without marrying me. No way, you committed so you have to go all the way, you have to marry me because I didn't spend all this time in this sucky life just to lose you too." Remus wipes the tears away harshly, eyes staying trained to his fiancé's face. "For fucks sake Janus, I need you alive and awake! Someone has to knock some sense into your handler and I can't meet her so it's gonna have to be you!"

Remus sits there for a while after that, just listening to the heart monitor and watching his snakey. It's just the same thing, a rise and fall of Janus' chest as he breathes, a constant slow beep from the monitor. But the beeping picks up, slowly, but it's there, as if Janus was slowly waking up. Remus holds his breath, waiting as Janus' breathing picks up as his heart beat increases, until his eyes flutter open.

"Janus!" Remus yells, not knowing what else to do. Does he call a nurse? Should he call Patton??

"If anyone other than you kissed me, I will throw up," Janus mutters.

And suddenly everything's okay now. Because that's his snakey, sarcastic as ever. "Sorry babe but your lips belong to me so no, no one kissed you," Remus replies. "How you feelin'?"

"Like I've been shot," Janus deapans, wincing as he shifts slightly. "What happened?"

"You were shot." Janus glares at him. "What? It's the truth!"

"I mean what happened after that? What are my injures? And how much time has it been since then?"

"Okay first, your team's alive and fine. The mission was completed and you got five months of actual radio silence, finally. Secondly, you got shot once in the shoulder and twice in the leg, you kinda went into-"

"-a coma from shock," Janus finishes with a sigh. "That would be why you have three days worth of bags under your eyes. I do hope I've healed at least somewhat then?"

"It's been about a week J," Remus says. "But sure, you're not at risk of dying anymore."

"Oh good, I'm allergic to metal in my body."

Remus nods, eyes wet. "Yeah I bet."

Janus' expression softens. "Darling?"

"Yeah Double D?"

"C'mhere."

Remus carefully leans down and hugs Janus, who can only hug him back with one arm so it's more like Remus is laying on top of him. "Love you," he mumbles.

"Love you too."

~~~

"JANUS!!!!!" Roman, Emile, and Thomas scream, running into the room and launching themselves at Janus. He winces, but neither landed on his injuries so he untenses slightly. Thomas notices though and squeezes his hand before hugging Remus, probably whispering some reassurances or something.

"Sup bitch?" Virgil says, walking into the room with Remy behind him.

"Hey babes."

"Hello Janus and Remus," Logan greets.

"Get the fuck off me right now," Janus growls at Roman and Emile, who are hugging him now while Thomas continues to hug Remus, who's hugging him back.

"Don't give up Lying King!" Roman pleads, overly dramatic as he does when playing it up. "Fight! You must marry my brother before you die, I beg of you! He will be heartbroken without you!"

"You're a bitch," Virgil cuts in, pulling Roman back and standing next to Janus' bed in his place. "I am not dealing with a sad Remus so you better plan on living longer or else I'm going down to hell to personally bring you back." That's genuinely really sweet of Virgil. But he's not replying with something sweet.

"Aww Virgil, you trying to warm my cold heart?" Janus snaps back, fluttering his eyes at Virgil. He knows Virgil honestly cares about him, but bickering as always been their way of getting along.

"Nah Remus does all that work for me," Virgil snickers. "But seriously dude, don't you dare die on me. We have a gang, you can't mess up the gang."

"Fair enough," he replies.

"A gang?!" Patton shrieks, bursting in. "What the heckity heck is going on in here?!"

"Nothing!" Janus and Virgil say, lying through their teeth.

"Anyway," Emile says, changing the conversation, "Virgil's right Dee, we need you."

"You're family!" Thomas adds. "We need you alive because we love you."

"Of course your injures were out of your control so all I can say is that you would be greatly missed if you died and we are here for you if you need anything." Logan adjusts his glasses, trying to hide the tears Janus can see in his eyes.

"What he said," Remy says, gesturing at Logan with his Starbucks. "We love you and all that mushy stuff."

"Well trust me, I don't plan on getting shot more," Janus says, looking at everyone.