tramitem_log | Finding the errant cousin

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Finding the errant cousin

Who: Anthony and Alec (Closed) - NOW WITH OPEN SECTION (Visit Alec in Hospital)
What: Alec is drunk and wandering New York with a traitorous med alert bracelet letting his cousin know where he is. He is about to be found.
It goes poorly and Alec ends up being emergency transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where his heart is restarted and he is forced to stay for observation until Monday (May 18th)
When: Right after Alec's post, Evening of May 13th
Where: The subways of NYC
Rating/Warnings: One angry hurt drunk - anything could happen : Heart attack and Hospital mentions

Alec hadn't been at the hotel when Anthony arrived though the owner remembered having seen him... after being slipped fifty dollars and being threatened with motorcycle skid marks all over his lobby which was apparently the only room in the place he actually worried about being clean. Fortunately the med alert bracelet was still with Alec and still in pinging distance of the head office. Anthony chased that signal from one end of New York to the other until it occurred to him the only way his cousin could move that quickly was if he were on the subway.

Anthony's boot clicked against the concrete floor as he finally tracked the signal down to a certain station at the correct time for him to hop onto the train. He even managed to find the correct car before the whole train lurched forward and began its circuit around the city again.

"Wake up."

The soul of Alec's shoe was given a soft kick to aide in that request.

"What are you doing sleeping in the subway? Anyone could have found you down here."

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"Eh..."

He feigned to the right, trying not to let all the really good news out all at once.

"Not exactly. But, mum might have found out through a very complex international phone tree game."

Which means they knew. The whole family knew. Evelyn was like the gossip hub of the family wheel, always checking up on everyone and trying to keep the family informed on everything that happened. The Columbo of family drama.

"But on the bright side, I no longer have to pop for a couple of plane tickets to visit the family. I think they are all on their way here."

Well It wasn't surprising but--

"Ahh, for God's sake!" He dug the heel of one hand against his eye, the other still trapped by the IV and the heart monitor gave a worrying little beep. "I hate it. Why does the whole bloody family have to pack bags and-- and they'll talk to everyone. You know they will. No one will be safe."

He almost wished the attack had took him with it.

"Right. I'm moving to Jersey. Are you with me?"

"For Satan's sake..."

Crowley corrected before he realized he was actually still Anthony.

"It's a good thought, just," he sighed, "running away from it all. Not sure it would actually work out, and New Jersey?"

Anthony's nose wrinkled at the distasteful thought.

"L.A. or Vegas would be more fun. Atlanta. Lots goes on down there that nobody even knows about."

How he knew about the things no one knows about he didn't even think to question. It was just the way things were.

"I think mum's hopping the first red eye she can get. I'm not sure about your sister, we haven't actually spoken... I called her back but my phone died before she had been able to say more than a few choice words. I'll let you guess what those words were."

"Satan's I-- Ugh." He buried his face in the pillow and there were more alarming beeps from the monitor. "They're going to think you've gone round the bend. Aunt Evie is going to eviscerate me. Fuck.

He didn't even want to think about Ellie. He didn't want to think about any of this. It was like the bad dream just kept going.

"Whoa, whoa!"

Anthony held his hands out like one might soothe a startled colt.

"It'll be fine! I used to do plays back in school, I can just act like everything is normal. We show them everything is fine and no where near as bad as it is... and they'll all go home. It will be easy. We just have to work together and get our stories straight."

He rolled his head and gave Anthony a look.

"No. They will see through the lie and it will get them even more uneasy. You think Aunt Evie doesn't know when we're lying?" She always knew. "Do you think we'll be able to keep this up? No, we'll have to suck it up and tell them the truth. All of it."

He didn't even want to think about it.

"I am so bloody tired of it already..."

The look was met with an amount of calm that surprised himself. Mum was like a human lie detector. She always had been. It was like she had an innate sense that by touch or some strange psychic power allowed her to see into a person's mind and pull apart any lies told. Even half-truths, couldn't stand up to her mad skills.

Still it would be fine, wouldn't it??

"Look, don't worry. We'll think of something."

Maybe we can keep them so busy with plays and things that they never even have time to meddle. Anyway the plan was to think of something.

"How's the food...? You want me to bring you anything?"

"Nhg. We could say if they don't bugger off I'll likely drop off from it." Even now he could feel it kicking and took deep breaths, trying to get himself to calm down.

"Food is shit but it's fine. I'm not hungry." Not that Nurse Janesca ever cared about that, she just stood over him and threatened him with a sponge bath until he ate at least half his plate. He could respect that kind of power even if it annoyed him.

Monday. That told him more than if he had outright asked Alec how he was feeling. Monday implied it was very serious, though approximately the average for a heart-attack (he had looked it up to be prepared), and not just something the doctors felt could be kept for observation.

"You needn't apologize to me. I'm just glad you are alive." A rather large understatement. His hand hesitated en route to reaching for Alec's and he fell silent trying to navigate the possibility of a minefield of conversational topics.

Edited 2020-05-15 00:15 (UTC)

No. No hand holding. He moved his own away to rest on his stomach.

For a moment the silence filled the air and it was nice but with Fell being such an anxious presence he found himself wanting to fill it.

"Don't suppose you've brought a book to read."

"Yeah... It's probably all oatmeal and, what do Americans call it, Jello."

His smirk was wicked as he attempted to lighten the mood with a tease.

"Better you than me."

Anthony leaned closer to the bed, threading his fingers together as he grew serious again.

"But really, Alec, if you need anything... A magazine, change of clothes, or even just someone to yell at. I'm going to be there for you."

That was fair.

"Ah." He made a face, equal parts wince and guilt. "I didn't. I brought myself and--" And the flowers. "And that's all. A poor offering, as far as comfort is concerned--and you wouldn't like any of the books I have been keeping on hand right now anyway; they're all either terrible mysteries or art history and incredibly dry. I'd offer to get a magazine from the waiting room, but I suspect you'd enjoy that even less.

"I was rather distracted heading out today; I really just wanted to see you. If the feeling isn't mutual, I understand and I'll leave, but I just wanted to see you."

That was fair.

"Ah." He made a face, equal parts wince and guilt. "I didn't. I brought myself and--" And the flowers. "And that's all. A poor offering, as far as comfort is concerned--and you wouldn't like any of the books I have been keeping on hand right now anyway; they're all either terrible mysteries or art history and incredibly dry. I'd offer to get a magazine from the waiting room, but I suspect you'd enjoy that even less.

"I was rather distracted heading out today; I really just wanted to see you. If that isn't mutual, I understand and I'll leave, but I just wanted to see you."

"If I never see jello again it will be too soon." It all tastes like sterilized cardboard anyway. He looked at his cousin up and down. He knew what he wanted, but he also knew what Anthony needed.

"A change of clothes and some coffee. Sneak it past them if you have to." And he would. "And then go home and get some sleep. You look like shit."

He wondered what Fell assumed he liked. He didn't mind history or a murder mystery. They were interesting if stupid as hell. No point in bringing it up, though he did wonder how Fell felt about Agatha Christie. He wanted to tell him he almost admired Poirot and as a kid had wanted to be him. But it felt cheap somehow or manipulative so he kept it to himself.

"You don't have to go to trouble on my account." Though he knew what Fell might say to that, he was compelled to say it anyway. "How are you and Anthony?"

Alec's reading interests? History did seem like a decent bet, but not the history of art. Not military history, no definitely not that. Alec didn't seem like the type to enjoy books on politics or economics, despite or maybe because of his cynicism. Biography was out, too personal. True crime, perhaps. Certainly not self-help. Had he spent moments thinking about what Alec may enjoy with those funny reading glasses on and a cup of overly bitter coffee? Yes, yes, he may have.

But that hadn't quite been his preoccupation this time; he was used to apologizing for his particular interests with people outside of those communities, and feeling uncertain already with Alec, he was compelled to dismiss his own likes as silly or uninteresting.

"I wanted to be here. You are a trouble worth going to." As for the rest: the question was expected, something of an elephant in the room, and yet... "But I'm ...fine. Anthony sounds like he's worried himself sick. Said you'd been sleeping on the subway when he found you. ...Why weren't you at home? Why go to such great lengths?"

He snorted. Hardly. People invested overmuch with little return. He wished they'd stop.

"He worries too much. I was just heading out. Getting some fresh air." In an oblique way, skimming over the details which didn't matter. "Had too much to drink, that's all."

Aziraphale gave him a Look. "Fresh air. In the subway."

He shrugged. "The point is, it was nothing."

"You expect me to believe that?" he said softly. "Or are you just hoping I'm simply polite enough to let it go?"

"I'm saying I don't want to talk about it." Because what use would that be? "It doesn't matter. The point is, it's over."

A change of clothes, nod. He could pack Alec a small bag of essentials. He seemed to recall that hospitals usually asked the families to bring one of those in anyway so he would just be getting the jump on that. The coffee was dodgy as he doubted the caffeine would be allowed, but he knew a good decaf. But the sleep... this he grumbled about!

"Yeah sleep... I've been thinking about giving it up for lent."

Nevermind lent was long since over by now.

"Humans only need, oh about an hour a night right? Pretty sure demons would need even less... They say evil never sleeps."

"Ugh let go of the demon-- You can't actually believe-- I mean the connection was one thing but-- Anthony please tell me you're not taking that seriously." He was struggling to get up even with leaden limbs, trying to grab hat his cousin, getting tangled in the wires. It was one thing to hear it but another to take it so goddamned seriously!

Anthony stood up but only to close the gap between them so he could gently push his cousin's shoulders down onto the pillow before he ripped any wires free or fell out of bed, which in better times might have been funny... right now it only would have added to the terribleness of the week.

"Relax Alec, it's a joke."

Only once his cousin had settled did he reach into his shirt and pull out his golden cross necklace.

"See? This thing has been blessed more times than I have. If I were really a demon it would burn through me like anything! There's nothing to worry about."

He has a feeling it's not over yet. He has a feeling it's only a matter of time. He allows himself to be pushed back against the pillows but isn't happy. Oh, he can try to convince Anthony and do all he can to try to make him face reality, but he's seen already it would be fruitless-- and what if something else happened? What if he had a stronger memory? What if he could no longer believe in anything but what he wanted to?

"Fuck. I hate this. I hate this whole thing." He ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I don't trust it. I don't trust how long you'll keep believing you're not. I don't-- I don't want to lose you." But he had a feeling he would and there was nothing he could do. This imagined life was so much bigger. So much that Anthony could throw himself into and have-- anything he'd ever really wanted.

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Finding the errant cousin

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then we will have a "demon" and "angel" for both DT and MS

yes ROFL

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