Battle Wounds: Solangelo Soulmate AU

THIRTY-FOUR

He groans and just tightens his grip on me, then yells in pain when he bends his arm into his IV. Someone had unhooked it from the drips while we were asleep so it had allowed him to wrap his arm around my body. That did wake him up though, because then he jerked his head up. He looks around at everyone staring at him quizzically.

I slowly start to peel myself from his hold and he pouts a bit but doesn't say anything. I move around to the other side to help him off the bed and into the wheelchair.

"I can walk on my own you know," he complains.

"It's just precautionary," the doctor explains.

Nico gets in the wheelchair and a nurse pops the foot rests up.

"Do you want Will to come with you? He can't be in the room while the scan is being done but he can come behind the glass so you'll be able to see him," the doctor, whom I still haven't learned his name, asks.

Nico nods quickly. "Yes please."

"Alright, if you will follow us," the nurse says as she undoes the break and starts to push Nico out of the room.

"Will," Mom said grabbing my arm as we start to walk by. "I need to talk to you."

"Can it wait?" I ask. "I was gonna go with Nico."

"I'd rather just get this out of the way now," she waves the nurses off to go without me.

Nico turns back to glare at me, looking extremely offended.

"I've been able to hold them off from contacting his father so far, but there asking a lot of questions about why," Mom said.

When she doesn't continue I inquire. "So you want me to warn Nico or something?"

"Well possibly, but I need to know what I should tell them about why he's living with us."

I shrug. "Maybe just for now say it was better for him or something?"

"I've already said that," she informs me. "I keep just saying him and his dad don't get along and it wasn't a healthy environment for him to live in. I want to tell them the truth."

I open and close my mouth a few times before I can find the words. "Honestly, I've been thinking the same thing. His dad needs to be punished for what he did to Nico."

"I know Nicos going to be upset, but I wanted to ask you what you thought," she said putting a hand on my shoulder. "I think we're doing the right thing. We should have done this awhile ago."

"I know," I admit. "I'm gonna go tell Walker, I think that's a good place to start."

"I agree," Mom said.

I go back in the room with Walker and he looks confused as to why I'm coming back alone so soon.

"Mom wanted to talk to me instead," I explain.

"Ah okay, what about?" he asks.

"Well that's why I came back in here," I say pulling a chair up across from him. "It's about Nico."

"Please don't tell me your moms kicking him out or something?"

"No no!" I say quickly. "It's not like he has anywhere else to go, so even if she wanted to she wouldn't."

"Well he could go back to his dads," Walker grimaced. "I don't think he'd be happy about that though."

"He couldn't go back to his dads," I say firmly. "Not unless he wants his dad to beat him half to death."

Walkers eyebrows furrow. "Beat him?"

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. We had Nico move in with us because his father was an abusive drunk who blamed Nico for his mother and sisters death and beat him for it."

Walker looks at a loss for words. "I knew something was going on there," he says rubbing his face with his hands. "I should have looked into it more, but Nico promised me. God damnit why did I believe him?"

"Nico didn't want to have to go through all the shit with CPS," I explain. "That's the only reason it took me this long to report it. The idea terrifies him, and he's gonna be so pissed at me for telling you but I know it's the right thing to do."

"Yes, it is," Walker states firmly. "I knew something was up the first time the kid walked into my office with a cut lip and claimed he fell."

"So what are you going to do about it?" I ask, chewing my lip nervously.

"I'm gonna go call the station and file a report, but I'm not gonna bring it up to Nico until this whole seizure and suicide thing calms down. He doesn't need this on his plate right now. I'm gonna go talk to the front desk people to make sure they do not contact his father, tell them not to say anything about it to Nico when he comes back in here."

He than walks out and starts talking to the front desk people leaving me to sit in silence anxiously.

Nico comes back in about 20 minutes later and shoots me a death glare.

"I hate you," he said.

"Love you too," I smile at him.

"You abandoned me."

"I had to talk to my mom!" I say defensively.

"I'm more important!" he argues.

The nurse looks between the two of us like she is trying to decide rather or not she should intervene.
Nico gets up and slumps back into the uncomfortable hospital bed pouting at me. I get up and push him over so I can sit next to him and even though he's trying to act mad at me he immediately wraps his arms around me for comfort.

"What did you see on the scans?" I ask the doctor as he walks in with my mom and a clipboard.

He grimaces a bit, "Not a whole lot, but there is definitely damage to the frontal cortex of your brain."

"The what?" Nico asks.

I put my hand on front of his head, "Here."

"Oh, front," he blushes a bit in embarrassment and I chuckle.

"The frontal cortex is where your brain controls emotions and memory and important things like that, so with the damage I believe it gets over stimulated in stressful situations causing you to have mini seizures. It's really nothing to be to frightened about, but still something we will need to be keeping an eye on."

"So the seizures aren't too serious?" I clarify.

"No they are not," he confirms. "But I want to stress that continued drug use could make them a more pertinent issue in your life."

"Yes sir," Nico says, looking down at the blanket on the bed.

I grab his hand and rub circles on his knuckles gently. "It'll be okay, we have each other," I say quietly, trying to make sure he knows he's not alone.

He smiles at me, "I know."