"Did you hear that both Mac and TRO were hospitalized?" asked Sapple, setting down a box of clothes.
Sapple was currently helping Yel move into his new house, his weekend was free of work (for once) and he found there wasn't much else for him to do, seeing as Sam wasn't the best of company. He figured he might as well lend a hand and do something productive, so after much convincing and assurances he didn't mind, here he was helping Yel box up his room.
"Wait, really?" Yel asked with a worried tone, "What happened?" he questioned, abandoning his task and turning to face Sapple, hands still clutching clothes hangers. The fact two of his students had been injured without his knowing greatly worried him, he truly cared for their well being and even the idea of them being seriously injured was unacceptable.
"Yeah, apparently Mac was just being stupid as usual and ate a mushroom, I don't really know what TRO could have done though. Just just sent me a quick text saying she wouldn't be able to make it to our study meetup today because she was worried about them. That's actually what freed up my schedule," Sapple informed, glancing at Yel and noticing he was clearly more relaxed about this, he quickly attempted to comfort him. "It can't be that bad though, Just treats TRO as if they were a child, she'd have the college on lockdown if it was more than a scratch, so why worry?"
Yel nodded his agreement quietly, but was having a lot harder time paying attention to his work, so after tripping twice and dropping a box on his foot he asked, "What hospital are they at? Not to go visit the, I just want to make sure they're at a nice hospital and-"
Sapple cut him off, "They're both at the one on Elm's street, it's fine that you're worried, but try not to let it ruin your day, okay man?" Sapple reassured him.
Yel gave him only an offhand reply of "Yeah," mentally mapping out the way to the hospital as he packed. He was very clearly thinking, eyes looking past Sapple instead of at him, but he let it be.
The two continued like this until around midday, agreeing that it was much too hot and they had already accomplished enough. Once Yel was sure Sapple was back at the dorms he unlocked and started up his car.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mac woke up to a white ceiling and bright lights shining in his eyes, his face scrunching up and eyes squinting as he sat up in the bed. It was all very white, and it made him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable.
"Mac! You're awake!" Lucy shouted, obviously surprised. She was seated on a bench pressed against the wall, scrolling through something on her phone.
"What gave it away?" He asked dryly. His voice sounded weird and scratchy, probably because he'd been asleep for too long. "What happened?" He asked, shifting into a more comfortable position to face her.
"You ate a random mushroom like an idiot, idiot. The nurse said you'll need a checkup once you wake up and then you'll be released. You'll feel a bit queasy but you'll be fine," She informed him. "You owe me 5 bucks by the way, I had to pay for the gas," She told him, entirely serious.
Mac stuck his tongue out at her, but she just rolled her eyes and went out of the room to get a nurse.
[Meanwhile...]
TRO woke up slowly, not registering where they were nor what had happened for a couple minutes before sitting up abruptly when the pain in their arm pulsed. They calmed slightly once they realized they were in a hospital. TRO scanned their surroundings and found nobody in the room, before the door slammed open and Sam rushed in, clearly worried.
"Oh my god TRO I was so worried, when Just said she wasn't holding the study meetup I rushed over here. How are you feeling? Does it hurt?" Sam burst out, talking much too fast for someone who had just woken up to understand.
"I'm fine, I think, I don't know why I passed out, I guess I just wasn't expecting it," TRO reassured him. Seeing his disapproving face they continued, "It hurts a little bit, but really, it's nothing," they shook their head.
Sam crossed his arms.
"It hurts like fucking hell dude oh my god, how am I supposed to write an essay like this?" They groaned, covering their face with their hands before realizing that was a bad idea and leaning back into the pillow. "And that's such a stupid way for it to happen too!"
Sam's face immediately softened, "It's not stupid, what happened is what happened. The nurse said it's gonna take some time to heal but luckily it wasn't deep enough for stitches. They're gonna replace your bandages and send you home, and I'm sure Just will help you during classes," he relayed to them.
He was doing his best to be comforting, but TRO was still worried, and for good reason. However when the nurse came in to replace their bandages, they didn't complain. Sam was good company and listening to him talk while the nurse did her work calmed their nerves.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saying Mac felt queasy was the understatement of the century. His stomach felt like it's insides were being blended together and dragged out with a scalpel, then mashed right in front of him on a cutting board, and his head felt like cotton left unpicked too long in a summer drought.
Lauren was currently driving him to Emma's house, who apparently had some medicine to help settle his stomach, but the car ride was only making it worse.
"How much longer?" He groaned, leaning against the car window. The road was bumpy and hurt his head, but he was already in too much pain to care.
"We're almost there, just hold out for a few more minutes," Lauren responded. It had been "A few more minutes" for what felt like an hour now, and his pain was sharp and unfading, so when he finally saw Emma's house he cried tears of pure and utter joy.
Lauren let him lean on her while they walked up to the entrance, and the small relief was a kindness he could not name. They reached the door and Mac pushed the doorbell, hearing the ringing sound echo out from inside. However the person who opened the door was not someone either of them had expected.
"Sam?!?" Both Mac and Lauren exclaimed in unison, with faces of equal incredulity. Out of anyone to open the door, they would never have thought it to be Sam.
"That's my name," He responded, entirely deadpan. "Come in, Emma is in the kitchen," He said, opening the door wider and stepping to the side.
The two friends, though still mildly surprised, entered the building. Same lead them to the kitchen where Emma was currently fussing over what looked like a cake recipe.
Sam cleared his throat, and Emma turned to the three of them, Mac shifting his weight onto Lauren once more.
"Oh, they're already here? That's disappointing, I wanted this to be finished before you got here," Emma frowned, gesturing towards the oven and a bowl of way too much powdered sugar. The British woman had a thing for baking, especially for guests. "I guess it's alright though, Mac wouldn't want any anyway. The medicine cabinet is in the bathroom, be a dear and get it for me Sam?" She requested politely, Sam already turning and heading to the mentioned location.
"Thank you for your help Emma, it's really generous of you," Lauren said politely. Mac gave her a thumbs up.
"It's no problem, why don't you two go sit in the living room while I do this? Sam will be back in a minute," Emma gestured them back down the hall. Lauren nodded and practically dragged Mac down the hall to the left. The room was mostly average, a couch, coffee table, bookshelves and TV, however there was something in the corner of the room that caught her eye. A small table with a framed picture of a man wearing a blue shirt with white clout goggles over his eyes, surrounded by what seemed like a shrine of oddities and the words "Gogy" in big blue letters. Not wanting to question what she assumed to be some obscure religion she ushered Mac to the center of the room, where he proceeded to flop onto the couch, Lauren giving him a disapproving glance.
"Sometimes I question how you made it to adulthood," She mentioned sarcastically. Mac smirked.
"I couldn't have done it without you segsy," Mac responded. Lauren shoved him over, causing him to curl up in pain. "Whatever, fuck you too man."
Lauren rolled her eyes, turning to see Sam enter the room with a bottle of pills and a cup of water. He set the glass down on the table and opened up the bottle, "You take two at every meal, if you take more and die I'll be laughing at your funeral," he informed them, taking out two and placing the bottle on the table.
While placing the bottle down Sam nudged the glass, causing it to tip over sideways. "Oops, guess you'll have to take them dry, let me get a towel." He said, looking Mac straight in the eyes with a barely hidden grin.
As Sam walked out of the room Mac stared morosely at the pills, considering his options, and deciding to go for it. At least the pain would be gone, why worry?
Mac grabbed the pills and chucked them in his mouth like he was on his deathbed and they were the only things that could save him. They tasted disgusting but he swallowed them anyway and wallowed in self pity while he waited for the pain to fade.
Soon enough Sam came back with a towel and, upon seeing the pills were gone, smiled widely as he dried up the water.
"We should probably leave," Lauren said, now extremely annoyed. She may act like she hates Mac all the time, but he was one of her closest friends, and seeing Sam push him around like this pissed her off. "We have some stuff to get to," She lied.
"Too bad, make sure you at least take some cake with you or Emma will be upset," Sam responded. He could clearly tell she was lying, but it only seemed to make him more confident.
As if on cue, Emma entered the room, "Hey Sam, your cape is done drying, do you want me to iron it?" she asked. Sam shook his head.
"I'm fine doing it myself, how is the cake going? The recipe I sent you is pretty difficult."
As the two discussed baking and oven temperatures, Lauren found herself questioning what Emma meant by cape. It seemed like a very strange thing to mention, but then again Sam was just strange in general.
Lauren was pulled out of her thoughts by an oven beeping. "That's the cake! I'll be back in a minute, Sam would you come with me?"
As the two were left alone again, the still pained Mac wisely said, "Man Sam is an asshole," and Lauren just laughed and nodded. She wasn't too perturbed by Sam, Emma seemed to keep him in check pretty well, so why worry?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Snapple, tired from helping Yel all day and then drawing for hours, laid back in his chair and let out an audible groan. Lucky for him Sam had been mostly quiet when he got back before leaving to do something, he had no idea what and he didn't have the mind to care.
Exhausted as he was, Snapple didn't notice the footsteps coming up to his door until moments before it had opened. Turning to greet his roommate, he opened his mouth to welcome him and began gaping at Sam instead.
Sam was wearing a white dress shirt and black dress pants, a red cape lined with gold hung off his back and a golden crown sat comfortably in his dyed pink hair.
Snapple could have done a million things in that moment, but the choice he made was to throw his pen violently into his face with an accentuated "OH MY FUCKING GOD" as he stormed out of the room.
It was a reasonable decision.
