In Waves | ✔️

70 | cake

"Rob!" I race over to his bed, throwing my arms around him before I can stop myself, which immediately makes him flinch in pain. "Oh god, sorry!"

"All good," he groans, his face scrunching as he drags himself to sit up.

I adjust his pillows and gently help him, taking note of his strained breath as he moves. "I took the first flight back as soon as I heard what happened. I'm just so relieved you're..." My voice catches in my throat, tears catching in my eyes. "You're okay. And I'm so sorry for what I said before I left. I was just angry; I didn't mean it."

"Yeah you did," he says dimly, his eyes meeting mine. "But it's fine. You were angry because I was being as asshole. I'm sorry, too."

He smiles a faint smile that doesn't look like anything special on the outside, one that anyone could see and think that's all it is, but the significance it holds is immeasurable. And I know I'm the only one who can recognize something this subtly sincere in my brother, and I know we'll be okay.

"Roberto!" I turn and see Mom rushing in, Derek following behind. I move aside as she makes the mistake of hugging him too hard like I did, but she doesn't let go until Derek has to pry her off so Rob can breathe.

"Morning." Our fussing is interrupted when a clean-cut doctor in a white coat walks in, his demeanor somehow upbeat and serious at the same time.

"Dr. Lang." Mom now hurries to him with me and Derek following suit. "Have you examined him yet?"

He shakes his head. "Nurse Miller told me he's just woken up. How're you feeling, Rob?"

"Like I was hit by a car. How do you think I'm feeling, doc?"

Dr. Lang lowers his voice to us. "Perfectly normal for patients to feel some hostility when medication wears off."

"He's always like that," I mutter.

"Oh. Well, I suppose that's a good sign, then. Now let's see where we're at."

The doctor starts his examination, flashing a light in Rob's eyes, tapping on his abdomen, checking his surgical incisions, listening to his chest through a stethoscope. And then he's moving down to Rob's legs, and I can almost hear all of us collectively hold our breath. Without even asking him to try move his foot first, Dr. Lang takes out a little needle and pricks his big toe.

Rob's leg automatically jerks back. "Ow! What gives?"

Surprise washes over Dr. Lang's face. "You felt that."

"Yes I felt that. Jesus." Rob glowers, glancing at us and doing a double take. "Wow, I'm glad my pain brings my family so much joy."

I walk over and crouch down to his level, blinking through happy tears. "We thought you were going to be paralyzed, you idiot."

His eyes turn into saucers. "What? Seriously?" I nod, and he quickly wiggles his toes, lifting his unbroken leg and thumping it down in relief.

"You're an incredibly lucky young man, Rob." Dr. Lang gives his leg cast a pat. "With some time and patience and physical therapy, you should make a full recovery."

〰️〰️〰️

After we've all spent time savoring in Rob's recovery news, Mom convinces me to go home and get some much needed sleep in my bed, not a hospital chair. I reluctantly leave, passing by Lizzy and Tyler going in to see Nate. With proper visiting hours now open, I expect it's going to be difficult to get Rob or Nate alone again.

At home I unpack the suitcase I'd taken to New York, thinking about how pointless the effort I took to pack it seems now. I was there for such a short time that I barely got to wear anything. I stand in a steaming shower, letting the water burn my scalp, washing my straightened hair into its usual waves. I think about Matt's enthralled expression when I got in the shower with him, and then I think about his expression when I told him I was leaving. How he didn't hide his annoyance, like Rob and Nate getting into an accident was a personal offense against him.