Team Captain

Chapter 2

{James POV}

Today was the day.

Colin's surgery had been scheduled for weeks, and now, as Adam and I arrived at the hospital at exactly 5:27 a.m., it felt like the final countdown. The halls were quiet, save for the occasional footsteps of early morning staff. Colin got checked in, his usual banter subdued. By 8:00, they took him into the operating room. Then, the waiting began.

Adam sat next to me, his expression unreadable as he fiddled with the pocket watch he always carried—a relic from another time. It fit him, though. Adam wasn't just Colin's house manager, ensuring everything at the house ran smoothly; their relationship went way back, to when Colin was just a kid, 12 or 13, and Adam had been more of a mentor than an employee. Now, he was something in between family and friends.

"How long did Murphy say the surgery would take again?" Adam asked, flipping the watch open for what felt like the tenth time.

"About two hours," I replied, leaning back against the stiff hospital chair. "Should be done by 11."

Adam sighed, sliding the watch back into his pocket. "Time feels slower in these places."

"Yeah," I agreed, patting his shoulder. "But Murphy's overseeing the whole thing. He's in good hands."

Still, as the clock ticked closer to noon and Colin wasn't out yet, I could feel the restlessness creeping in. Even though I knew ACL surgery wasn't high risk, the longer we waited, the more the anxiety built.

"Hope he comes out soon," Adam murmured.

Almost as if on cue, the door swung open, and two nurses wheeled Colin's bed into the room, Dr. Murphy trailing behind them. Colin lay sprawled out, looking dazed and heavily medicated.

"Look who's back!" Murphy announced, trying to lighten the mood. "Adam and James, your welcoming committee."

"Heeeyyy!" Colin slurred, his words almost unrecognizable. His eyes were half-closed, and his face was flushed with that post-anesthesia haze. "Missed you guys."

Adam chuckled as he walked over. "How are you feeling, son?"

Colin grinned lazily, his speech thick and slow. "Feel... amazing. Whatever they gave me... good stuff."

---

A few days later, Colin was starting to get restless. He hated being stuck in one place for too long, and post-surgery recovery wasn't any different.

"James, let's go out," Colin groaned from the couch, where he'd been parked for hours. "My ass hurts from sitting here so long."

I glanced up from the kitchen, where I was sorting through the chaos that had become our lives post-op. "You sure? Last time you got in the car, you threw up all over the backseat."

He cringed, clearly remembering the ride back from the hospital. "No car ride this time. Let's just walk around the neighbourhood."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can barely make it to the bathroom with crutches. What makes you think you can handle a walk?"

"I'm not asking you to carry me, James," he shot back, shaking his head. "I'm saying, get the wheelchair."

I blinked at him, confused. "What wheelchair?"

"The one we bought! Remember?" Colin said as if I should have known all along. "The one we got when we got out of... you know, the ticket."

I stared at him for a second, trying to recall. Then it hit me. "Oh God. You mean the wheelchair from that time?"