29. Pounding Headache (Alt 3)
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“Hopefully this second crew should be here shortly and we can get you both off to hospital. Have you got someone to come and be with the kids?”
"Kit and Bug are seventeen."
“I’m sure it would be nice for them to have someone with them?”
"I don't know if anyone replied." He was starting to get more than a little tired of the situation, the nausea still there and the pain creeping in.
“Do you want us to call someone?”
"Maybe, yeah."
“How’s that pain? Do you want something?”
Harrison struggled to pay attention to the paramedic, rubbing his face with a groan. "Wait, what? I didn't get that."
“Painkillers?”
"For me?"
“Yeah, for you. If you’ve got pain.”
He dropped his head to his hands. "Yeah, a bit."
“I’ll get you something for that, then.”
As the paramedic busied himself sorting drugs, Harrison turned to Alfie. "Bug? Can…can you call Grandad Steve? Or one of your uncles?"
Alfie nodded. “Yeah, I’ll call them.” He said softly.
"Thanks, Bug." He forced a watery smile. "You're doing amazing."
“Are you gonna be okay?” He asked, unable to help himself.
"Me?" His heart broke, and he stretched a hand out. "Ah, Bug, come here."
“You look like shit.” He mumbled, reaching for his Dad’s hand.
He squeezed it tight. "I'm okay, I promise. I've just got a headache, just a little bit of blood. I'm always, always, not very well for a bit after I hit my head, but then I'm better the next day. I'm even better from a few minutes ago."
While it wasn’t a lie, it wasn’t entirely the truth. The nausea had subsided, but the pain was overwhelming. He forced himself to give Alfie a smile, trying to make it seem okay.
“Still, though. Can we go with you?”
"Do you not want to stay here? Someone will come be with you."
“I don’t want to leave you.”
"You know I'll be okay." He promised. "I'll ask, yeah? You should be okay to."
He hesitated then. “Levi.”
"Mm?"
“Can he come? Or should we stay with him?” Alfie didn’t know what to do, too used to his Dads taking control. But now both of them weren’t well, and he wasn’t sure how to cope.
"What does he want to do?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
Harrison sighed, doing his best to not snap. It wasn’t Alfie's fault, and he could see his son was stressed and worried about them, but the pounding headache that had settled was testing his patience.
"Go speak to Leaf, call your grandad, and then come back." He said.
The second crew arrived as Alfie headed through to the kitchen, and Harrison couldn't help the groan. The extra people just added to the noise and activity, and couldn't be arsed to deal with it. He didn't bother raising his head as the first paramedic crouched by him again, wordlessly holding his arm out for the medication.
"There you go, give that a moment to work, okay?"
His noise in agreement was more of a groan than a hum, his eyes closed as he rested his head back in his hands.
Alfie was glad to get away from the noise for a minute, as the second crew arrived and started to fuss. It was overwhelming and all just too much. He didn’t know where his little brother was, or his twin, but he gripped the kitchen counter, tears suddenly springing to his eyes. He pulled out his phone, dialling for Steve. He’d help, he always did.
Steve answered quickly, his heart breaking. "Alfie? I'm on my way, I'm not going to be long."
“Grandpa Steve?” He whimpered, trying so desperately to stop the tears.
"Hey, it's okay. You're okay. I know it's scary. You're being so brave, though."
“I don’t know what to do. I-I want to go with them but I don’t know about Kieran and Levi and everything and what if I’m not allowed to go, or they make me leave in hospital, and what if they’re not okay and they ask me questions and…” He trailed off, totally overwhelmed.
"It's okay. Where's Hars? Is he taking to the ambulance now? Why don’t you ask him when he's free? See what he thinks, hmm?"
He sniffed. “I can’t. He’s… he’s hurt too, they’re both not well. They called a second ambulance.”
Steve took a second, of course his son wouldn't make things easy. "What did he do?"
“I… I don’t know, he said he fell? Hit the kitchen c-cabinets and hit his head. He’s been sick, and it’s bleeding everywhere, and there’s paramedics with him too and I don’t know what to do, because I dont want to leave him but I don’t want to leave Kieran and Levi if they don’t want to come and I don’t want them to see me like this, not Levi.”
"Bug, take a breath. It's okay." Steve soothed. "Harrison has always been sick when he hits his head, he always has been. And head injuries, however small, bleed a lot. You split your head open when you were younger, and it looked like you'd tipped a bottle of juice on the floor. I know it's scary, you're being so brave. So, so brave."
“I don’t know what to do.”
"Just take a moment, take a deep breath, breathe it all out. You're being so brave, Alfie. You're doing really well."
Alfie forced a deep breath, fighting against the sobbing, and managed to get a little bit of control. “Sorry.”
"Don't apologise, you're okay."
“I… I don’t know what to do.”
"You don't need to do anything, you're okay."
“But I do.”
"Not right now. Get yourself a glass of water and take a moment."
“But Dads…”
"They're being looked after, aren't they?" He said softly. "I'm only a few minutes away.
He sniffed again. “I guess.”
"Think what your Dads would say."
“He just said to call you.”
"So that I could do the thinking for you, so you didn't have to worry."
“I need to find Levi.”
"He'll be around."
“The house is so busy.”
"I know, it will be. They're just doing their job."
“I don’t like it.”
"I know, kiddo. I know. Is the front door unlocked?"
“Yeah.”
"Alright. Did you get your glass of water?"
“No.” He admitted.
"Get that for me, okay? I'm just pulling into the estate now."
“Okay.” He mumbled, reaching into the cupboard for a glass.
"Thank you."
He filled it with water, sniffing again and trying to stop the tears. “Sorry.”
"Don't apologise, Alfie. You're doing really well."
“Are you nearly here?”
"Just parking, kiddo."
“Okay.”
Steve didn't put the phone down until he was inside, calling through to the living room but heading straight for the kitchen. He pulled Alfie in for a hug, holding his grandson close.
Alfie wrapped his arms around him. “Thank you.” He mumbled.
"You're okay, you’re okay." He murmured. "You've been so brave."
“I should find Kieran and Levi.”
"I'll go get them, you stay here, hmm?"
“Okay.”
"I won't be long." He promised.
Alfie nodded, feeling infinitely guilty. It should be him helping, not Steve, but he felt rooted to the spot.
Steve headed upstairs, where he found Levi and Kieran. The older brother was comforting Levi, keeping him distracted. The relief was so obvious on his face as he saw Steve, dropping the tablet and rushing at his grandfather.
"Grandad!"
"Hey, Kit." He pulled him in for a hug, Levi quickly joining them. "And Levi, there we go. You two are okay."
Levi pulled back, moving to sit on his bed again. "Are dads really sick?"
Steve sighed. "Tai's doing a lot better, but he'll have to go in with having such a low. And Hars, the idiot, he's always been sick when he hits his head. He always has, always used to have my life with it. So he'll have to go and get checked, but it probably just looks worse than it is."
Kieran dropped his head. "Is Alfie okay? I'm sorry, I had to leave, I couldn't…it was just…I'm sorry, I -"
"Hey, it's okay." Steve's heart broke, and he reached to rub Kieran's back. "You don't need to apologise. He's just worried about you two. Obviously your dads are going to have to go in the ambulance, but do you want to go with them?"
Kieran paled. "In the ambulance?"
"No, no. You don't have to, you can come with me in the car."
He let out a shaky breath. "Okay."
"Could I go with dad?"
"I'm sure you'll be allowed, Leaf." Steve gave him a smile. "Right, I'm gonna go check on them, make sure they're behaving now, eh? Why don’t you two stay up here? Maybe grab your dads' hospital bags, just in case?"
"We can do that." Kieran nodded. "Thanks, grandad."
"You're welcome, Kit. Just give me a shout if you need anything, okay? I love you boys."
Happy they were okay enough upstairs, Steve returned downstairs. He popped his head back into the living room, taking a second as he finally noticed the state of the room.
"You've made an impressive mess, kid." He sighed. "You alright, Tai?"
Tai gave a shrug. "Been better. Think Hars is worse than me."
Harrison cracked an eye open in his direction. "Oh. Hi dad."
He walked over to Harrison's side. "How are you feeling?"
He learned into his arm on his shoulder. "Fucking shit. I feel like my head is going to explode. And they've even been nice and given me morphine."
"Not good, eh?" He winced as he caught sight of the lac the paramedic was cleaning. "You've done a pretty number there, what happened?"
Harrison didn't answer for a moment, all too aware Steve would see through his lies. "I hit my head on the counter."
"Was it your leg again?" Tai asked from across the room.
"Mm. Something like that."
"Harrison." Steve warned.
"Ooh, full name. I'm in trouble."
Tai snickered from the other sofa. "Uh oh."
"What happened, Hars?" He hated the thought, the worry that he might have been drinking, but Harrison knew better, was better. He knew that really.
"It wasn't his fault." He said quietly.
Tai frowned. "Who?"
Harrison closed his eyes. "You wouldn't let me help you, I asked to do your sugars and I was in the way."
"No." Tai was pale, the nausea overwhelming.
"Oh, Hars."
"You didn't mean it, I know you didn't." His voice wavered and he took a shaky breath. "You wanted past me, I guess. You…you shoved me pretty hard."
The room was silent. Harrison didn't dare to raise his head, couldn't bring himself to look at his husband. Tai, on the other hand, couldn't look away. He could feel the panic in his chest, and the monitor was quick to protest.
"Hars." His voice cracked, his emotion obvious. He didn't yet trust his legs to hold him up, but all he wanted was to hold his husband. "Hars, love, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have…I don’t… I'm sorry."
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