Broken String

XXX

Todd has walked down the stairs, he's said to pick up the wheelchair from the boot of the car, but to be honest it's more because he knows that Brett must be on his way home. And he needs to talk to him, urgently, ideally somewhere where Eddy can't hear.
"Bro!"
God, it's a relief to see him walking up on the street with his telltale slouchy gait, the shape of a violin on his back visible from ages away. Brett will know what to do.
"Hey. All good?" he says as he half-jogs towards him. His deep, dark eyes regard him soberly.
"No." Todd says quickly. "It really isn't. I came in and found him on the fucking toilet."
He doesn't tell him that Eddy was naked, and in tears. He's guessing that's not something their friend wants shared.
"What? Why?"
"He couldn't get up. I didn't know whether I should like call an ambulance or something, so I just put him on the couch."
"Fuck." Brett says. Look, his face is all deadpan and shit, like always, but Todd knows him well enough to see the cracks, that let out the worry he's feeling. "He couldn't get up?"
"Nope. He'd been there for a while, too. Look... I don't think we can leave him alone anymore. I feel like crap that he was in that situation. He's not told his mum yet, by the way."
"I know. I think he's still hoping it'll just go away in the next couple days."
Todd shakes his head and blinks quickly.
"Yeah. I don't think it is."
"I don't think so either."
"But what the hell do we do then? What if..."
"I know, Todd." Brett interrupts. "It's what's kept me up all night. Look, I don't know either right now. But let's make a schedule?"
"Yeah."
He waits for a second to see if Brett says anything else, but he doesn't. Look, apart from the fact that they're not sleeping together those two are as good as married. He knows very well that Brett must be hurting.
"You okay, bro?" he asks him gently.
Brett looks straight at him, then at the door to their building.
"Not particularly, no." he says, grimaces and steps past him before Todd can read his eyes.
Yeah. Fuck.
"Imma grab that wheelchair you got. Okay?" he asks. 
Brett half turns around. 
"Yeah. That's probably a good idea, although I don't know if he'll want to use it. I'm glad they finally got around to fixing the lift. Or we'd be carrying him down the stairs."
Todd grins wryly.
"Silver linings, hey?"

----------

Eddy's heart jumps when Brett walks in the door, and he has to stop himself from jumping up and throwing his arms around him. Instead he manages a smile that he hopes is normal enough.
Finally. Brett's here. Finally. 
"Hey." he says as if it's any day. 
"Hey. I hear it didn't go well."
"Um. Yeah." he says. Shit. What did Todd tell him? Everything?
"I kinda got stuck." he admits.
"I'm so sorry, Eddy, that I left."
Eddy's eyes open wide at Brett's bleak tone. His eyes are wide, and so weary. Wait. He's feeling guilty?
"Don't... Jesus, Brett. You're not responsible for my well-being. You've done so much for me. Please."
Brett nods and lets it go. Outwardly, at least. Eddy knows him too well. 
"Imma have to call my mum." he says, instead of saying the thing he really wants to say.
Which is God, I'm so glad you're here. He's pretty sure that won't be a sentiment Brett is particularly looking for. 
"Yeah. I'm sorry you have to do that, Eddy." his best friend says kindly. 
"She's going to freak out."
Brett nods. "Want me to sit with you?"
And look. Eddy wants to say no, I've got this. But who's he kidding by this point? He knows he could do with the support.
"Yeah. If that's okay." 
"Of course."

Look, now that his housemates are back, Ian being the last one in, it's all looking up a lot in Eddy's world. Brett helps him to his bedroom while Todd makes dinner, and sits with him while he fills in his mum on the phone in careful words, making sure she knows what's going on without sending her into a panic.
Not that it really works, of course. Then he calls Lily, and Brett takes him back to the living room. And it almost feels normal, after a while. Bantering with his friends it's easy to forget about pain, GP's, getting stuck on a toilet and his friend having to rescue his naked arse.
It's still reasonably early when Brett helps him back to his room and helps him to take his clothes off without putting weight on his leg. 
"Brett?" he says in a small voice as he carefully pulls his pyjama shirt over his head. Brett is almost at the door.
"Yeah?"
"Um. Can you stay with me for a bit?"
Brett halts for a millisecond, door knob already in his hand, then he smiles a small, wistful smile.
"Absolutely. Of course. Just give me two seconds."