The Bleeding Rose

Recovery

He felt...warm. Warm and even a little itchy. He flexed his fingers, curling his hands into a blanket that was draped over him. 

...He flexed his fingers!

Riddles eyes shot open, his hand flying up to his face so fast he almost smacked himself. Almost.  He turned his hand around, wiggling his fingers to check that he was really doing it. And not just phantom feelings. But he was! He wasn't a puppet. Fear dropped onto his chest like a weight. If he wasn't a puppet, where was he. Was Lyndsy here? Was she coming for him. He bolted forward so he was sitting up, the blanket that had been tucked up around his chin cascading down to his lap. Regretting his movements as his stomach shot out with knives of pain. He grimaced, buckling in on himself. 

He frantically looked around. It.. it was a hospital room. He was in the hospital. 

Something dropped besides him, the object clattering onto the ground noisily. Riddle looked over, a shocked Cater staring right back at him.

"Riddle" Cater breathed, his shoulders slumping in relief. Riddle looked down, seeing that the object that had been dropped was Caters phone. 

"Ca-"

The wind was knocked out of Riddle as Cater slammed into him. His arms flying out and wrapping Riddle in a hug. Cater having to physically hold himself back from crushing Riddle in his hug. 

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh" Cater pushed Riddle out to get a look at him. Riddle still reeling to process what was happening. Cater just smiled, a healthy, not forced smile. Collapsing back forward as he once more trapped Riddle in his arms. Riddle winced, but otherwise graciously accepted his fate. Sinking into the hug. He brought his arms up to return the favor, taking notice of the IV jabbed into his elbow. 

Trey jolted forward from where he had fallen asleep in his chair. Looking rather bewildered at all the clatter Cater was making. 

"Cater would you please, refrain from making so much noise!" Trey mumbled sleepily, pressing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose from where they had slipped down his face. 

"Trey" Cater said very pointedly, Trey lifting his head to snap back at Caters attitude, the words dying in his mouth. "Riddle" Trey kicked his feet down from where they had been propped up. His shoes clunking against the floor as he too joined in on the bone crushing hug. They just sat there for what felt like ages holding each other. But, Riddle wasn't going to complain.

Cater pulled away first, then Trey. Letting Riddle regain his breath. 

"Is your leg ok?" Riddle wheezed, nodding a head towards Caters left leg. It was trapped in a basic white cast. Treys name written on it with a big black marker. 

"My leg? Seriously! Who cares about my leg"

"I do"

"Yeah well, to ease your worries, it's all wrapped in a cast. So that's as good as its going to get for now. But more importantly, you've been out for the count for like, two days! We were so worried. Everyone else woke up only a day or so after-" Cater rambled out, Trey coughing to interrupt him. It was so painfully obvious that he was trying to get Cater to shut up before he brought up something Riddle wasn't ready to talk about yet. 

"You good Trey? Need some water?" Cater questioned with genuine concern. 

"No, I'm good"

"Oh, ok yeah. Anyways, wanna sign my cast Riddle?"

Trey chuckled as he hid over the growing anxiety to Riddles mental and physical condition. Riddle has just woken up after being held captive somewhere for over a week. So far, he seemed fine. But Cater knew not to mention it. Just act as if nothing's wrong, or Riddle will see them freaking out, and in turn begin to freak out himself.