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"Poppy are you serious?" Viva gritted her teeth through the phone, seething. She reached over and honked the car horn from the passengers side, staring up into her shut window. Clay sat there tiredly and rubbed his temples. She'd been up early preparing everything for Branch to come home, and the central part of her plan wasn't picking up the phone.
The voicemail ended and Viva groaned. "Drive." she huffed, crossing her arms.
"You got it, boss lady." Clay pushed his sunglasses down to his nose and slammed the gas. The trip to the hospital was a bit awkward at first, mostly because Viva is insufferable when she's angry, but after so many years together, Clay learned to handle it.
"Can you believe she didn't pick up? I swear, if my feet weren't so sore from those heels I would've kicked down the door. I would!" Viva threw a tantrum in the passenger seat.
"I know." Clay nodded.
She stared at the bouquet of sunflowers and baby's breath at her feet, a few get well balloons floated aimlessly in the back seats.
"I also can't believe that Creek guy." she began to calm down.
"Me neither, I had no idea." Clay furrowed his eyebrows, taking a left. "What do you think happened to him? Like, jail?"
"I hope so." she pursed her lips. "After what he did to Branch, I hope he got life."
Clay grinned, he appreciated how much Viva cared for Branch. It was undeniable that there was still a sort of distance Branch kept between his brothers. Resentment from all those years alone had resurfaced. Though he'd only known Viva for some short months, he seemed closer to her than any of his brothers.
Viva was always two steps ahead when he was sick or upset and in need of a friend. The bond between Branch and Viva was something Clay knew deep down he'd never be able to replicate
He looked ahead and eventually pulled into the parking garage of the Pop City hospital. They nervously stood in the elevator, waiting for the slow rise to the lobby.
They entered a quiet, chilly, bleak hospital lobby. A tired woman sat at the reception desk and there were only two other visitors napping in the seats across.
"Good morning." Clay grinned.
The receptionist looked up slowly. "Name?" she smacked her gum.
"Clay. uh- Timberlake. Clay Timberlake. Here for Branch?" he cleared his throat, peering over at her keyboard invasively.
She smacked her gum. "And her?"
"Viva. Branch's sister." she bounced on her heels excitedly and clutched her hug time bracelet.
Ms. Receptionist sighed deeply, pressing a button on her desk phone.
"Family for Timberlake." she spoke in a monotone voice.
The pair sat anxiously in the uncomfortable seats until they were finally called up to enter by the enthusiastic receptionist. They skipped over and barged into his room, 223.
Branch glanced up from his colouring book and felt a wave of relief wash over him. A smile immediately plastered on his face as Viva ran up to his side and squeezed her very muscular arms over him. Clay piled on top of her into a big group bear hug.
It was filled with muffled, 'I'm so happy you're okay!'s ', and 'We missed you's!'.
Clay pulled away and grinned, taking Branch's face in his hands and pinching his little cheeks like a baby. "I'm so happy you're okay!" he squeaked. Branch flushed, embarrassed and gently pushed Clay's touch away only to be replaced by Viva's equally infantilising hands.
"I swear I'm gonna kill Creek for doing this to you, babe!" she frowned, staring at the cast over his nose. "I can't wait to get you out of here." she sighed, smiling.
Branch couldn't drop the grin on his face. "Thanks guys. where's Poppy?" he tried glancing outside the room to no avail. Clay sighed, about to speak before Viva exploded.
"J can't even-" she began before stopping herself. "She didn't pick up the phone! Sorry, Bear. But you'll see her when we take you home, kay?" Viva patted his cheek lovingly.
His expression dropped. "Oh. Yeah, I guess you're right." he nodded. The energy in the room seemed to shift.
Branch glanced down at the bouquet of flowers in his hands. "Thanks for doing all of this, guys." he cleared his throat.
Viva took a seat in the chair and Clay took in his brother's appearance. It was unsettling, to say the least. Branch looked tired and hurt in more ways than physical. Bottles of pills next to his bed, a patch on his wrist replacing the gaping hole where his IV went. After all that's happened he still kept a strong smile on his face.
Branch took notice. He knew the look of pity in his brother's eyes, it was inevitable.
"You're really strong, Branch." Clay ruffled Branch's soft hair.
Branch melted into his touch. he simply nodded, not wanting to get emotional. He stared at his brother before raising his arms like a little kid who wants a hug. Clay immediately took to his request and the two shared a tight embrace. Clay gently kissed the side of Branch's head and pat his back.
Viva pouted her lip, raising her hands against her chest.
"This is so cute!" she squealed, battling the tears tugging at her eyes. She sniffed, "Okay, I'm gonna get you signed out, I'll be right back guys!" she struggled to keep her composure.
Viva cleared her throat as she left and pulled out her phone. It rang for what seemed like forever.
She sighed and abandoned the idea of calling Poppy, there was no point. She started a small conversation with the receptionist and began to fill out a couple meaningless papers.
After what felt like a hundred signatures later, she was given the go to take Branch home.
"Thank you! Have a wonderful day." Viva smiled genuinely.
"You too." the receptionist cracked a grin.
Viva skipped inside the room to see Clay sat on Branch's bed retelling the entire dinner. Not forgetting to include all the nosey rich people prying into poppy the whole time. The two turned to look at the blonde who was trembling in excitement.
"Time to go home!" she squealed and waved around a little slip. The two brother's faces lit up and they did some silly dances before Clay pulled some clothes out of the bag he brought in with him.
He placed a grey sweatshirt with some dark pants onto the edge of the bed and grinned. "Get dressed, we'll be outside."
Branch nodded and once they left, began to feel the sweet relief of real clothing, and not paper scrubs. He'd finished getting dressed and hadn't even noticed the doctors left his phone right beside his bed. Those hours of boredom definitely could've been avoided.
He pulled out the camera and looked at himself. He did look rough. that nose cast wasn't a great look at all. Branch stopped himself from being distracted and focused on going home with his family.
He slipped out of his room with his medications in a plastic bag and glanced around to find Viva and Clay sitting outside his room.
-
Branch stuck his head out the window like a dog, taking in the air of the city. It was a beautiful day out, the sun was shining just right and the wind was sweet and crisp.
They made a stop for breakfast in a diner right outside the city and sat, ordering pancakes and eggs and everything they could ever want.
"So, what happened to Creek?" Branch asked suddenly. Viva and Clay shared wide darting glances with each other.
"Well... we don't know for sure." Clay began. "But we think he's in jail!" he nodded proudly.
Branch furrowed his eyebrows. "You think he's in jail? But weren't you there? You saw it happening?" he placed his fork full of scrambled eggs down onto his plate.
"You saw him get taken by the police didn't you?"
The two shared yet another glance. They both seemed to be speaking telepathically, making strange illegible noises to each other.
The two dug deep in their memories of last night and it seemed to be a blur. After Branch was taken by the ambulance, they all headed to the bar to calm down and completely forgot about Creek, who they knocked out with a server's tray.
Viva placed a hand in front of Clay's face, signalling him to stop.
"We didn't exactly see it happen..." she nervously kicked Clay's foot under the booth.
"I... it wasn't... we went to the bar after you got taken away because Poppy was really shaken up! I was just trying to calm her down, but we're just assuming Creek got taken away."
Branch threw his head back against the cushioned chair.
"Great."
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