9. Skye

"So when are you going to ask Jenna out?" Skye asked. It was a couple of days later and he was sitting across from his friend at one of the high top tables at their go to bar. He watched with mirth as Nick choked on his beer and it dribbled down his chin, his eyes watering.

"What?" Nick croaked as he grabbed a napkin and wiped up the mess.

Skye chuckled. "You heard me. I've seen the way you look at her, man. The way you've been looking at her. For years. What's with you guys?"

Nick shook his head. "Hell, no. We aren't touching that with a ten foot pole until we talk about the obvious crush you have on a certain roommate of yours."

Skye's cheeks heated. Shit. He'd walked right into that one. "That's different," he said, twirling his straw around in his drink.

"Why?" Nick raised an eyebrow. "We're both crushing hard on our best friends. What's the difference?"

"Ha, so you admit it," Skye's gaze jerked up to meet Nick's as he pointed at his friend. "You do like her." He was beaming as Nick flushed brightly and his eyes widened.

"No, I…I mean, ah, fuck." He threw a french fry across the table, hitting Skye in the head.

Skye laughed. "Ask her out, man." He picked the fry up from his own plate where it had landed and plopped it into his mouth.

"I can't." Nick frowned, his broad shoulders slumped.

"Why not? At least your crush is an option. Mine is straight and in a relationship. I'm screwed."

Nick shook his head again. "She's out of my league, man, I can't expect her to date someone like me."

"What the hell does that mean?" Skye said, eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to date Nick. He was the whole package. Gorgeous, sweet, fun, thoughtful.

"Jenna's special. Smart and classy. I'm not like her. I'm messy, and scatterbrained, and I work at a goddamn hardware store. That's not her. She needs to be with a banker, or a lawyer or something. Someone who can provide her with everything she needs and wants, and who dresses in suits and ties and can take her to the theater and spoil her. I can't do that. I live in a one bedroom apartment and I'm still working on paying off my student debt. I got a degree that I don't use. She doesn't want to be saddled with that. Being friends with me is one thing, but dating me is something completely different."

Skye sighed and shook his head now. He knew Nick was wrong, that Jenna had feelings for their friend. He'd noticed for a while now how they flirted with each other, looked at each other when they thought no one noticed. But he didn't feel like it was his place to say so. Still it bothered him to hear Nick talk down about himself like that. Sure he'd gotten a degree he wasn't using, but he loved his job and he worked hard. And the only reason he'd gotten a degree in psychology in the first place was because that's what his parents had wanted him to do. He'd hated it, so when he'd graduated he'd gone a different route. And Skye had been proud of him for doing what he wanted, even if it meant letting his parents be disappointed. He'd worked his way up at the hardware store and was now the manager, and he was happy there. He wasn't rolling in the money, but he was doing well enough.

"Enough about me," Nick said, interrupting his thoughts. "You sure you and River aren't gonna happen? I've seen the way he looks at you too, you know?"

Skye just laughed. "I think you've had a little too much to drink, my friend."

River

It had been six weeks since the accident, and River was finally back at work. He'd gotten his car back as well, though he wasn't driving it yet, so Skye had become his chauffeur. It was getting cooler now in Indiana as fall gave way to winter and there was a chill in the air, though no snow covered the ground just yet.

River's ribs were doing better. He had more range of motion now, and was finally able to sleep in his own bed.

Most of all he was just thankful to be off of the couch and out of the house, back to doing what he loved. His ankle wasn't completely healed yet, but he could finally put weight on it, so the doctors had moved him from a cast to a boot, so he wasn't completely immobilized, and he was making slow, steady progress. He was able to do things for himself now, which meant no more asking Skye for help getting in and out of the tub, or drying off, or getting up off of the couch to go to the bathroom, or awkwardly trying to figure out how to dress himself and asking for Skye's help when he failed.

He was back at church and his weekly Bible study, thanks to Anna driving him back and forth, and, God, it felt good to be mostly him again.

Skye had taken him to additional doctor's appointments to check on his ribs and ankle and make sure that everything was healing properly over the last several weeks, and so far, so good. Hopefully in a few more weeks he'd be able to get the boot off, too, and then back to the things he really wanted to be doing again, like running, and rock climbing. He never did them with Skye because his roommate hated running and he was afraid of heights.

He smiled thinking of all the things that made him and Skye different, wondering how on earth they had ever become best friends. But he wouldn't trade it for the world. He loved Skye, more than anything. More than anyone. And just thinking that made his stomach do that weird flip thing again. Man, that was happening more and more lately whenever he thought about Skye. And he was smiling more and more whenever he thought about Skye, too. Even now he felt like he was missing him, which was ridiculous because they'd spent the entire weekend together. They lived together, for Pete's sake. What is going on? Maybe it's just because he was so good about taking care of me over the past few weeks.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out. It was Skye.

Hey, angel, I'm here. You ready?

River flushed at the endearment from his friend. Skye had been calling him that for years, and he'd always liked it. It lifted his spirits and made him feel special, but it had never made him react this way before. Be out in a sec, he replied. Just finishing up with a patient.They're on ice. When they finish I'll be done for the day.

You doing okay?

Mostly. My ribs and ankle are both a little sore but other than that I'm fine. I could use some ice of my own though.

I'll take care of you when we get home and you can rest, okay? I want you to heal.

Thanks. See you in a bit,River didn't even realize he had a huge smile spread across his face until he tucked his phone back in his pocket and his cheeks were a little sore.

However, he did notice the pain that made him hiss when he stood up. And it wasn't coming from his ankle this time, or his ribs. It was coming from his tailbone. You've got to be kidding me. Now my ass is hurting too? Then he remembered back to when Dr. Rosemary had shown him the x-ray at the hospital when he'd had his accident. Crap. Seriously, I can't get over one thing before something else starts?

Maybe it was just a one time thing. Maybe it was just the way he stood up, or maybe he'd been sitting down for too long. Maybe it was the chair. He knew in all practicality that it wasn't any of those things, because he had seen the x-ray. He knew his tailbone was dislocated. But why was it waiting until now to cause him problems? Well, if it's just when I stand up after sitting down on a hard chair for a while, I'll manage.

But it wasn't. Over the next couple of weeks the pain only intensified. Hard surfaces were the worst, and the longer he sat the more pain he was in when he stood–like someone was stabbing him in the rear end with a knife. It didn't last long, but it was uncomfortable to say the least.

Eventually it got to the point where no matter where he sat, no matter how cushioned the seat was, the pain was just as bad when he stood, and he had to keep himself from wincing.

After a month had gone by, it was to the point where it hurt to sit at all.

Skye

"Hey, did you get the text from Jenna?" Skye asked, walking out of his room and into the kitchen.

"Um, yeah, I don't think I can make it," River replied. He was standing at the bar shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Why not? You have plans?" River hesitated but then shook his head.

"Okay, why don't you want to come? You never miss out on game night."

"I just don't feel up to it," River told him, and Skye eyed his friend. He'd been acting off lately and Skye didn"t get it. He'd gotten his boot off last week and everything with his ankle was going well. His ribs were better. But he'd been avoiding going to church again and had opted to view it online instead. He'd been missing Bible study after only being back two times. He was being weird.

"Wanna tell me why?"

"Not really," River retorted, shoveling in another mouthful of food. Skye glared at him and he glared right back.

"Seriously, what the hell is going on with you?" Skye asked. "Now that you can finally get out and do stuff you don't want to? Come on, Riv, we want you there."

"Fuck off, Skye," River almost snarled, slamming his fork down on his plate. Skye's eyes widened in shock, his face heating. River had never spoken to him like that. And he couldn't remember him ever using the F bomb. He tolerated it when Skye used it but it just wasn't him. What the hell was going on? He was pissed, that much was obvious, but Skye didn't have any idea why. Did he do something wrong?

"Riv?" he asked as calmly as he could manage, "is everything okay?"

He was shocked to see a tear slide down River's cheek, his demeanor changing in an instant as a look of devastation washed over his features. He pushed his plate aside and rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm sorry," he said, sniffling. "I'm just at the end of myself. I didn't mean to be a jerk. My butt's been killing me for weeks now and I don't know what to do."

"What?" Skye replied, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it hurts to sit. And it hurts to stand back up. Sitting in the car, sitting on the couch, at the table, these stupid bar stools are the worst."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"I just did."

Skye held in a groan and scrubbed a hand over his face. "The doctor said this might happen. Did you call the orthopedist they referred you to? This is because of the dislocated tailbone thing, right?"

River sighed and looked up. "I think so, and no I didn't call anyone. I guess I just kept hoping it would go away. But it's not, Skye. It's getting worse. It hurts like hell." His voice was filled with dismay as he wiped away his tears.

"Have you iced it?" Skye asked, feeling like that maybe was a weird thing to ask about his best friend's ass.

"Yeah, it helps while I'm icing it, but that's it. As soon as I'm done it's hurting again. And it hurts like the dickens to stand back up when I'm done."

"Don't they sell seat cushions for people with sciatica and stuff? Maybe something like that would help."

"I guess I could try that. I'd feel ridiculous, though."

"Better than being in pain every time you sit down, isn't it?"

"Maybe," River moped.

Skye rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, searching for seat cushions for tailbone pain online, then showed River his screen. "There. Find one and try it."

River smirked at him and took the phone.

"If this doesn't help, or it gets worse, you're seeing a doctor," Skye stated, emphatically.

"Yes, Mom," River snarked back, not looking up from Skye's phone.

"So, game night?" Skye said, ignoring his friend. "You coming?"

River bit his lip. "I want to. But I don't know how to play a game if I can't sit down. Plus the car ride there. I just don't think I can. You can go, though. No reason you should miss out on a good time."

"Come on, Riv, they want to see both of us. We're not going to leave you here alone. We'll just explain what's going on and see if they can come here instead of meeting at Jenna's."

River handed Skye his phone back but hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Skye asked, fingers poised on his keypad.

"I don't know if I want to announce that my butt is bothering me. It sounds ridiculous for one thing, and it's embarrassing for another."

"Well what do you want to do? Lie to them?"

"No," he grumbled. "Why don't we just tell them I'm not up for going out?"

"Of course you can, if that's what you want. But don't you think they'll wonder what's going on eventually if you are never sitting when they are around or coming up with excuses for not being able to go anywhere? Do you plan to avoid them forever?"

River let out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "God, this is so frustrating."

"Look, I'll tell them," Skye said. He typed a message in the group chat and showed it to River.

Hey, so remember when River had his accident? When they did the x-rays they found that his tailbone was dislocated. Sounds kind of crazy and it wasn't bothering him at the time but now it's acting up and he's been in a lot of pain, especially when he sits, so any chance we can hang out here to avoid a car ride? He might need to lie down or stand for the majority of the evening

"Can I send it?" he asked. River nodded reluctantly, so he hit the send button. "It's going to be okay, Riv. They're our friends. They care about you."

A minute later both of their phones pinged with a text alert. River picked his up and read the message from Nick at the same time as Skye read his.

Ouch. That sucks. I'll bring the beer and chips

I'll bring the dessert Jenna responded a second later. I hope you get better soon, River. I'm sorry things have been so rough for you lately. Can't wait to see you! We'll play a game on the floor so you can lay down. It'll be fun ??

"See, what did I tell you?" Skye said, smacking him gently on the shoulder, and River smiled, too.

River

River found a small amount of relief when he sat at the kitchen table with the seat cushion, but he'd had to give up on sitting at the bar all together now. It was just too painful. The couch only worked if he put the seat cushion down and an ice pack on top of it, and that only lasted for as long as he could keep the ice pack on, which was about twenty minutes, so he'd taken to lying on the couch instead, which meant that it was pretty much the only place in the living room he could be. Bending over had become painful as well, and even walking sometimes. He hated it. He hated what this pain was doing to him, the person it was turning him into. He was exhausted, cranky, and getting angrier and angrier. After finally getting his boot off and feeling like life was getting back to normal again, he was having issues somewhere else.

He'd put off going to see the doctor still because he knew what they would recommend. More physical therapy. Well, he'd been doing physical therapy for his ankle and his tailbone on his own and while his ankle was improving, he couldn't say the same thing for his tailbone.

He didn't even realize how overwhelmed and upset he was until he felt tears sliding down his cheeks as he lay on the couch one evening while Skye made dinner.

Skye

"Hey, angel, you—" Skye started, but then stopped short when he turned and saw that his best friend was wiping tears from his eyes. His chest constricted as he walked over to where River was lying on the couch, and knelt down next to him. He didn't even think, just started running his fingers through River's hair, trying to soothe him. It felt so natural, so perfect. Like this was what his fingers were meant to do. They were meant to care for River, to keep River safe, to love River.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked gently.

"I'm just so angry," River replied. His chest heaved slightly as he wiped away more tears. "I feel like I've just traded one pain for another. I don't understand what's going on. I want my life back."

"I know, angel," Skye said as he moved his fingers to gently, very gently, stroke River's cheek. His roommate"s breath hitched and Skye didn't know if it was because of his touch, or because he'd been crying, but either way, River didn"t ask him to stop, or push him away. In fact, he seemed to relax, his breath slowing, his eyes closed.

Skye continued to stroke River's cheek softly, just below his ear. Pretty soon, River's chest was rising and falling gently, and though it was inevitable, he knew, the two dinosaurs that Skye had put in front of the ice wall were gone. And Skye wasn't even going to try and put them back.