Finding the errant cousin

[serpentinthegarden]

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."

Comments

[scotch_egg]

After a moment he puts a handover the ipad and guides it down.

"It does matter." He looked into Anthony's face. "Tell me." He wanted to know, and also the impression of Fell was a bit unnerving.

[serpentinthegarden]

It wasn't Fell, it was a brave white knight here to defend the kingdom! In Anthony's head he had a white horse to ride in on because that sounded more romantic than the grey donkey the story said he actually owned.

"Don't we already have enough to worry about? Forget it. I thought kids might be nice, it's not going to happen, its... probably for the best. I would make a terrible father."

He frowned at the iPad.

"Just being good at stupid voices isn't enough."

[scotch_egg]

"I don't think anyone knows how to just be a parent. It takes work like anything else." He wasn't, though sometimes it felt like he was. Maybe watching eighth graders day in and day out.

"You do your best and you do it with love and I can't imagine anyone more suited than you." Because for all that could be said about Anthony, he did everything wholeheartedly. "I don't see why it's not going to happen, either. Not if you want it. There are plenty of options out there. Adoption. Surrogacy. Fostering. Don't give up on something you want before you've even tried."

[serpentinthegarden]

"It's no where near as simple as all that... you know it isn't."

There was the brand newness of his relationship with Fell... maybe he didn't even like kids, guilt over the way he had handled things with Grace, the absolutely pathetic way he had been looking after everyone who was important to him, and to top it off all the business with the Bureau and his being a 'demon'. Demons really shouldn't have kids, whether it meant they would turn out evil or if it would put them into the sights of this slippery agency. They could be in danger either way.

"Forget about it. It's not like this could have worked out differently. As soon as I saw Fell again I knew that."

[scotch_egg]

He sighed and laid back on the bed, hands over his stomach.

"You two have the same bloody mind." He wondered if they'd be attracted to each other without the damn bureau. "It's like you're determined not to be happy. Or are afraid of it." He understood the last part. Far too well.

"You're going to live a long life, Anthony, and have plenty of opportunities. Don't give up before you've even started."

[serpentinthegarden]

Did they have the same bloody mind? That brought a twitter of intangibly warm feeling up from where ever it had been resting leaving him with a faint blush like a silly kid with their first crush.

The rest... well, that was more like striking a match over a pile of dry leaves.

"It sounds strange to hear something like that from you, some one who has given up on life."

Was there anyway else to interpret the now infamous in his mind subway incident? Alec could have called nine eleven himself, at any time he could have reached out for help, instead it felt more like he was waiting to die in those dark tunnels.

"Just because you are sick that doesn't mean you have to give up on everything."

[scotch_egg]

He shrugged. It wasn't because he was sick, such as it was, that was only a symptom of the problem.

Anyway.

"This isn't about me."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Of course it's about you. I wouldn't be here now making up silly Princess voices if it weren't for you."

He stopped just short of saying it. Alec had always been gruff, intense, and not quite inclined to enjoy the squishier side of his cousin. I love you and want you to be happy too, might have proven too much.

[scotch_egg]

It wasn't like he asked you to. The only reason he was here at all was because Anthony couldn't let go of anything.

"I'm fine. I'll be out of here on Monday and everything will be back to normal. Stop worrying so much."

[serpentinthegarden]

He's not letting go of his irritating cousin!

"Stop saying that. Nothing is normal and it's not going to magically become normal by Monday. Everything is going to be new, different..."

Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. New could be as exciting as it was currently worrying.

"We need to help each other get through it. It needs to be a two way street from now on."

[scotch_egg]

"Ngh." Help each other through it. It sounded like the inspirational speech at the end of some cheesy movie. He didn't want everything to change. Things had been going just fine before and changing was what got them into this idiotic thing to begin with.

"There's no helping each other. I'm the one bloody incapacitated here." And he would be what he didn't want to be, a burden, someone to nanny and look after, worthless except for being taken care of.

"You'll have enough on your plate without having to look after me." On the other hand. "But Aunt Evie will have both our balls if you don't." Ugh.

Family.

[serpentinthegarden]

That sentiment was felt. Things had been quiet and safe before all this nonsense had happened but... one couldn't stay in a safe protected little bubble forever.

"You looked after me that time I jumped out of a tree and broke my arm. This is the same thing only you don't have a cast to write rude words on."

Besides his schedule had recently freed up considerably now that he no longer had a wedding to plan. With family flying in he only needed to worry about looking as sane as possible and maintaining the art show at the gardens.

"I could send you a card. Four letter words from one side to the other."

[scotch_egg]

A slight chuckle.

"I'll have to find a way to display that."

It was different back then too. First of all, he had to, and second of all, his parents were there. Still-- There was no way they could get around this for now. He massaged the bridge of his nose then looked at Anthony.

"Fine. Just until the Family is satisfied. Then everything goes back to normal. Agreed?"

[serpentinthegarden]

"Maybe I will gift you a card stand too."

To best display the very thoughtful gift. But only after mum left. Normal, was something elusive, something he didn't think they would see again but with mentally crossed fingers Anthony agreed to that.

"It's a plan. You get out on Monday but they were talking home nursing visits. No one wanted to bring that up to you but... you'd rather they were home cousin visits, right?"

[scotch_egg]

"Why are they talking to you?" It was his health. "No nurses. I've got better things to do than wait around for a nurse."

[serpentinthegarden]

"I'm family. They always talk to family."

Really like it was difficult getting information out of them when they looked so much alike. He hadn't even needed an ID to prove they were related, though some were still under the unfortunate misconception that they were brothers.

"Point is... where are you staying when you get out? You can't go back to your flat if the elevator is still out of order."

[scotch_egg]

"Hmph." That was all he had to say about that. He wouldn't be irritated at them for it because he understood and better they talk to Anthony than Ellie, God forbid.

"It'll be fine. I'll take the stairs slowly." Who knew when the lift would be fixed if at all.

[serpentinthegarden]

"You are supposed to exert yourself. That means no stairs at all, whether you take them slowly or not."

He had already floated the idea of staying at his place and been vetoed.

"Maybe a hotel or a rehab place, just until the elevator is fixed."

[scotch_egg]

"You--" worry too much, Alec wanted to say, but was starting to feel like a broken record at this point so changed midstream. "Not a rehab center. I'm not that pathetic. And I don't need anyone hovering over me wondering if I've taken my pills. Get enough of that here." He didn't want to stay at a hotel either. It felt really bloody impersonal and the sheets were always starchy. It was fine for one night but for two or three it would make him a little mad. He always valued privacy.

Still he supposed there was nothing for it.

"Fine. I'll be at a hotel til the end of the week then."

[serpentinthegarden]

"Good. I'll find you a nice one."

Not one of those rundown places with a bedbugs. It would be nice, not a crack house, but not as amazing as the Plaza. And in the meanwhile he would call and harass Alec's building manager until something was done about that. It was funny really, he had never really thought to harass anyone like that before but he was getting all sorts of diabolical ideas on how to go about doing that now.

"Hopefully not the same one mum picks..."

[scotch_egg]

"God... I hadn't thought of that..." He ran a hand over his face. "But I can pick my own hotel. I don't need you chasing after me." And he'd pay for it too. Granted he was probably on medical furlough at the moment and likely wouldn't be getting his contract renewed so it was going to be rough in the coming months-- but Anthony didn't need to know about that.

[serpentinthegarden]

"Better let me check then. If she is staying with Lilith there won't be a problem."

None of that paying for himself stuff was said out loud though and Anthony had planned on paying for it himself. The hotel was his idea and clearly wouldn't be handled by any kind of medical program. Least he could do for family.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I won't be chasing around after you if I know where you are. Besides, your phone is in my back pocket. I better do the hotel calls. I'll make sure the room is all pink."

[scotch_egg]

"No. I'm doing the hotel calls and I'm paying for it. You can take me there if you want even set me in the bloody bed." He wasn't really serious about the last part. "But you're not doing it for me."

[serpentinthegarden]

Damn Alec and his stubborn streak! It was likely the only thing keeping him alive but it made it bloody difficult to do anything to help the man!

"You want to do the calls? Fine! Day of your discharge I'll bring your cell back and run you out to any place you chose, even tuck you into bed with a new story."

Alec suggested it so like hell he's not going to lord that over him.

"But you might at least let me chip in some? I feel partially responsible for all this and even if I didn't, we are family."

[scotch_egg]

"No. None of it was your fault. Where do you even get an idea like that?" He didn't want Anthony paying for any of it. He would accept what help he needed to get the family off his back and put his cousin in a more peaceful frame of mind, but no more than that.