Work Text:
Current height: he wasn’t sure. She’d always been tall, but the last few times he’d seen her, he swore she’d started to shrink a bit. He scribbled 5’9.
Current weight: did it matter?! Too thin, if you asked him.
Gary Nelson sighed and glared at the indifferent A&E receptionist. It wasn’t her fault she’d given him this maddening busywork; it was a job to her. He knew that, but it didn’t change the reality of his situation: for Gary, this felt like the beginning of the end. Technically it was just a broken arm and he was probably overreacting.
Still, the statistic kept playing in his head that falls were more likely to be fatal for the elderly, and this was his mother’s second in a year. He hated leaving her alone, had always wanted to just stay after those six months she’d taken him and Finn in. But his mum refused. “Finn’s just a lad, he doesn’t want to live with an old lady and watch Coronation Street! And you’ll be fine again, you know that.”
They had been fine, and it was easier to say leaving was right when Mum was just beginning to move out of middle-age, still gardening and spending weekends with her friends at the rec center. He’d known she’d been more isolated lately, apt to spend most days in the house, but what could he do? She refused to leave the memories of Dad, and Gary understood a few things about wanting to hold onto memories. So he’d left her be, and now here they were in A&E after it’d taken the postal carrier to realize something was off.
I’m a shitty son, Gary thought. He wasn’t prepared for this, the gradual decline, the slow unspooling of what was left of his mother’s life. An urgent cry broke his thoughts.
“Hurry! Please!” A frantic blonde woman was speeding to keep up with the nurses wheeling the patient in front of her. Gary craned his neck, seeing a young girl, probably about his son’s age, being pushed in, blood blotting the sheet atop her.
Car accident? he wondered. It was one of his fears since Finn had recently started driving. He was embarrassed to admit he’d driven by college and the pubs the first few weeks after Finn got his license, just to check all was okay.
“Nooo, no,” the girl whined, as the doors opened to the rest of the department. “I don’t want to, leave me alone.” Gary tried not to look at who he assumed was the mother as she slumped in a nearby chair. He wanted to console her, it was so damn hard being a parent, but he couldn’t very well reach out to a stranger like that. There was no way he’d be able to just sit and wait for news on a bloodied, crying Finn.
Something about seeing the young girl shook him; not just because of Finn, but it was a stark reminder people leave this world all the time. He was mourning his mum too early, with 45 years of memories, while somewhere back there was a teenager fighting for her life. He hoped she’d be alright, already planning to hug his son tighter tonight, if he’d allow it.
“Mr. Nelson?” Gary nodded to the nurse approaching him. “Your mother is doing well now, you can come back. We’ll go over everything with you.”
As they walked down the hall, he heard the agitated voice “It hurts! Oh, my god, it hurts.”
“We know, Rae. We’re here to help you,” a nurse responded. “Tell me what hurts most.”
The girl laughed, and the bitterness made Gary’s stomach twist. “Honestly? That I fucked up, I’m here. I really can’t ever get it right. What hurts? It all hurts,” and the girl began to weep. The curtain opened and a nurse walked out as they went by. He saw Rae only a brief moment, face puffy with tears, and eyes distressingly blank.
Poor girl, he thought, as he stepped into his mother’s room. That was no accident.
“Gary, what are you doing here?” Mum protested. “Rushed here for nothing. They patched me up, I’m just fine!” And so she was, technically. But nothing felt fine at all.
———————-
“I’m really sorry,” the dark-haired girl mumbled. “Can you take Rae home, Dad?” Finn asked. Gary could, but he was going to have a talk with Finn when he got back. He was glad his son had friends, after all that had happened lately.
Finn’s mood had lightened considerably, and Gary appreciated people being there for his sensitive son. But two girls in his room with the door closed was seriously pushing it. He didn’t recognize the slimmer one, but couldn’t quite place Rae.
“You feeling alright?” he asked Rae as they drove off. “I could put on some more music, since you’re missing out.” The girl just nodded, then swallowed hard. “Mr. Nelson, please don’t tell Finn. Please.”
“What, that you’re sick?” Gary was confused. “Yeah,”’Rae whispered. “That I’m sick,” and it hit him where he’d seen her. He stared straight ahead for a long moment. “I won’t. That’s yours,” he promised. “But you might want to. When you’re ready.” Rae just shrugged, staring down at the floorboards, and Gary turned the radio louder.
————————-
“Looks like you had a good time at the wedding!” Gary said with a laugh. “How much did they serve ya, grinning like a fool. I oughta call Rae’s mum.”
“No!” Finn shouted. “Don’t say anything to her!”
“About what, exactly, since you won’t even tell me?” Gary could see something had happened.
“I mean, it went alright,” Finn explained. “Got out of there before the Macarena.” He grinned, a sudden cockiness overtaking him. “And Rae and I are, you know. We are,” Finn beamed.
“You finally told her, huh? And what did she say”
“She said she didn’t believe me. But I don’t care if she doesn’t believe me, I told her that.”
Gary winced. Maybe not the most elegant of ways to profess your love, but Finn was just a boy. He’d learn. “You know, Finn. I think Rae’s had to carry some things.”
Finn nodded. “She said, at the wedding. Bad stuff.” He blushed. “I wanna be the good stuff,” and Gary knew Finn meant it as much as any teenager could.
“Just..be gentle, Finn. Let her set the pace, ok? I mean it. Now you want a sandwich?” Gary clapped Finn on the back as he headed to the kitchen.
Finn knew his dad was right. Rae had always been the one in charge anyway, so witty, he just tried to keep up. He didn’t really understand how the girl he knew (he loved) with such a force in her could ever have been anything like what was in her speech. But it was her story, not his to pry out.
She could say when she was ready, or not ever say. As long as she was happy and he was near, they’d get through it. Showing Rae she was loved would be easy, wouldn’t it? He was damn sure going to try. After he took a few paracetamol before the hangover kicked in.