Don't You Dare || Richie Tozier

Fix You

it was addison's last day in the hospital.  she would be allowed to leave in an hour, when her mom came back.  the girl hadn't uttered a word since the diagnosis, her mom did all the talking in the meetings, and richie hadn't visited since their argument the day before.  the pasty hospital lunch sat in front of her, untouched.  she suddenly pushed her tray off the bed and got up, causing it to hit the ground.  she dragged her iv behind her and left the room.  the girl took a quarter she saw lying on the counter and began to call someone.  she dialed a familiar number and heard a girl's voice.

"hello?" it asked.

"richie," addison spoke," where's richie?"

"probably at a friends house," the voice said and then quickly hung up.  addison quickly put the phone on the hook in frustration and thought.  after a few minutes, she dialed another number and waited for him to answer.

"hello," the voice said.

"stanley," the girl said quickly.

"oh hi, addison! what's u-"

"stanley, is richie there?" she asked.

"what?"

"is richie with you?" she asked, again.

"no, he's not here," he said.

"okay, thanks.  see you later," she said and then hung up.  addison angrily walked back to her room and waited impatiently for her mom to come and take her home.

richie's body ached with every step he took.  he slowly walked home crying the whole way there.  eventually, he pulled up into his driveway and collapsed into the grass.

addison's mom eventually came back and they left the hospital in silence.  they pulled up to their house and addison got of the car and got on her bike.

"where are you going?" her mom said as she quickly got out of the car.  the girl ignored her and started to roll down their driveway.

"addison!" her mom yelled as she rode down the street and disappeared.  the girl knew that she should have gone back, but she couldn't handle her right now.  her mom's worrying.  

the girl rode into town in search of richie.  she checked the arcade, the five and dime, the diner.  she checked everywhere.  addison became even more worried.  she rode back to the suburbs, towards the boy's house.  the girl could see his house getting closer and as she pulled up to his house, she saw his bike on the empty driveway.  it took her a few seconds before she saw him.  

"richie!" she screamed, jumping off her bike.  addison ran towards the bloody boy and knelt by his side.  she cradled his head in her lap as gently as possible.

"richie! richie, please be okay," she begged.  his eyes were shut but suddenly his arm moved.

"addi..." he whispered.

"i'm here, richie," she started.  "your going to be okay." she repeated this over and over.  his eyes slowly opened and he spoke again.

"i'm sorry," he said.  the girl was stunned.  his eyes closed again and she panicked.

"richie! richie look at me! this is not your fault! your going to be okay!" she kept saying.

richie opened his eyes again and slowly began to sit up.

"no, no, no, no, no! don't do that," she started.  he didn't listen.  after he had sat up, he slowly started to stand, addison helped him.  she carried most of his weight as they slowly walked to his front door.  she tried to open the door but it was locked.

"my pocket," he started.  addison reached into his pockets until she found the key and opened the door.  the two stumbled into the house and addison laid richie on the couch.  she ran to the kitchen and grabbed a big bowl of water, a towel, ice, and aspirin.  she ran back towards the boy and dipped the towel in the water.  the girl carefully cleaned the blood from his face and then cleaned the cuts on his knees.   he lied still the whole time, trying not to wince in pain.  she was wiping his arms when she saw something was wrong.  his shoulder was dislocated.

"richie," she said to get his attention.  he looked at her.

"yeah?" he asked.

"this is going to hurt," she told him.  before he could react, she popped his shoulder back into place, sending a loud cracking noise through the room.  he screamed squeezed her arm, trying not to pass out.

"i'm sorry! i'm really sorry, richie," she tried to calm him down.

when addison was done cleaning his cuts, she put all the supplies away, except for the aspirin and ice (which she left with him), and grabbed a glass of water.  the girl gave him two and took two for her chest pain.  she looked at the poor boy as he swallowed the small, red pills.  he had two black eyes and his right cheek was all cut up.  he had a fat lip which was also split and bruises all over his body from being punched and kicked.

"richie, i am so sorry.  i made your leave and- and if i hadn-" she was cut off by him.

"this is not your fault," he said," this is no one's fault but bowers."  the boy sat up and held her hand.  "we're going to get through this."

a tear fell onto the polished hardwood floor as addison started to cry.  he held her, even though it hurt, because she needed him.

"you can tell me, addi," he comforted.  she wiped her tears away and looked at him.

"i... i have cancer." 

song of the chapter: fix you by coldplay