Side By Side

1

Warnings:
- None

Clay's POV

I laid on the couch while Sapnap talked to my parents. I wasn't focusing on his lips so I had no idea what he was telling them. All I knew was that I was dying from the pain right now and just started to process what happened the last few days.

I was deep in thought as someone tapped my shoulder. I looked up and saw Sapnap smile, holding up the notebook.

Do you want me to help you dress up into your normal clothes? And wash you because you haven't showered in ages.

I nodded slowly and looked up at my father. He smiled at me and started talking to me, articulating really well so I understood what he was saying.

'I'm going to carry you upstairs.'

I gave him a small nod and he carefully lifted me up, holding me under my neck and hips. It made me really aware that I didn't have legs anymore and I sniffed softly while he brought me upstairs with Sapnap.

My father laid me down on my bed and I looked around, remembering how I stood up at 4:30am for years and years to train for the army... now I laid on my bed without legs, an injured shoulder and no hearing anymore.

I started sobbing after my father left. Sapnap laid down next to me and rolled me to my side so I could look at him when he talked.

'It's okay,' he started. 'You're going to get prosthetic legs and you will be able to do anything again!'

I focused on his lips and then pouted from sadness. 'I really wanted this,' I mumbled, not knowing if I was talking clearly enough for him to understand.

'I know.' I kept looking at his lips as he continued. 'But you fought till the absolute last moment.'

I nodded slowly after processing what he said to me. I looked away, but he tapped my shoulder again so I looked back to his lips.

'I'm going to wash you and dress you up, okay?'

'Repeat?' I asked since I didn't understand what he said by looking at his lips. He repeated it but slower and I nodded.

He smiled and stood up, rolling me to my bag. He tapped my shoulder and bowed forwards so I could look at his lips again.

'Tell me whenever you get uncomfortable.'

I nodded again as he carefully took my uniform off. I looked down at my legs and felt a tear form in my eye. I blinked and the tear rolled down my face, dropping down onto my shirt.

Sapnap lifted himself up and knelt down next to the bed, grabbing my hand. 'Is it too difficult to see?' he asked as I looked down at his lips.

I shrugged. 'Y-yes.'

'I'm going to lay a blanket-' he started, grabbing a blanket as he held it up. 'Over your legs. Just close your eyes.'

'I don't know when you're talking or what you're saying to me when I close my eyes,' I whispered, hoping that he'd understand what I said because it took me so much effort to talk.

'That's okay,' he answered, running his fingers over my face to make me close my eyes. I closed them as he gently took off my shirt. Nothing happened for a while so I figured he might have walked away to get water, soap and a sponge.

I kept my eyes closed as Sapnap softly tapped my head. I opened my eyes, but he let me close them again after showing me the stuff he got. I nodded slowly and then felt him washing my chest as gently and carefully as he could.

I got really tired and felt happier now I finally got washed again. I didn't shower in months because there wasn't a shower anywhere near while we were fighting.

Sapnap was really careful as he washed my whole body, drying me off and dressing me up in my old and safe sweatpants to hide my legs for now and a hoodie.

Sapnap laid back down next to me and noticed I was really tired. He started running his hand through my hair and pulled me closer.

'Wash?' I whispered, looking at his lips again.

'It's okay, you're too weak and tired to do that,' he answered, smiling softly.

'I ask my father,' I mumbled.

'Can you repeat that?' he asked. I nodded slowly.

'I ask my father,' I repeated, hoping he'd understand me this time.

'I can try to wash myself.' Sapnap sat up slowly.

'I help?' I was exhausted from talking while I couldn't even hear myself. I had no idea if I was talking well and constantly looking at someone's lips to understand their words was really difficult.

'If I need help,' he answered with a soft smile.

~~~

Sapnap managed to wash himself alone and then laid with me again. I was actually very tired from the pain and even though I used to be so strong, I started crying out of nowhere.

Sapnap held me tightly and ran his fingertips through my hair to calm me down, but I couldn't anymore. I kept crying for hours while Sapnap tried to comfort me.

He called my parents after a while and my mother laid down on the other side of me. She lifted me up since I was pretty easy to carry now I didn't have legs anymore. She laid me down on her stomach and constantly pressed short kisses on my hair while she ran her hand over my back.

I had my eyes closed so I didn't know if anyone was talking to me, but I didn't care either. I just wanted to lay down with my mother while she rubbed my back and kissed my hair.

Normally I couldn't lay down with my mother because I used to be too heavy and tall. Now I was half of the weight I used to be and I was just very tiny...

I pushed the thoughts away for now and sighed softly as my mother wrapped both her arms around my waist, giving me a soft kiss on my cheek.

I wished I could hear her talk to me like she sometimes did when I was sad as a kid... but after laying like this for minutes, I still ended up falling asleep.

1066 words