Years Will Go By

Leg Surgery (Part 1)

Summary:
Cove finds out in one of the worst ways that his best friend needs surgery. He panics and tries to leave in he middle of school. He later gets to visit Riley in the hospital after the surgery.

Notes:
Riley uses he/him pronouns here, Cove is 9 and Riley is 8 (so after step 1).

Warning(s): Panic attack, hospitals, surgery (nothing graphic but it mentioned multiple times)

Word Count: 1497

School sucks! That was Cove's new opinion of the day! Now why, or how, did he come to this conclusion at only 9 years old and in the 3rd grade? Especially since he was usually okay with school, even a new school. As long as he had his neighbor, and friend, Riley— oh... right. Riley didn't show up to school. That would do it....

For whatever reason, on this Thursday, only Lizzie was dropped off from the Adams household. Cove waited almost until the bell rang for Riley. He hoped maybe he had missed him being dropped off, or maybe Riley was having an off morning and would arrive right before school started? Nope, and now he was sitting in class with the terrible knowledge his best friend wasn't there. To Cove's credit, he did try to focus on class, but without knowing WHY Riley wasn't here, he just couldn't.

Time passed so slowly. It was like life knew he had things to do and questions to ask (that didn't pertain to school). Before lunch, he did try to ask the teacher if she knew why Riley wasn't at school. Yet she seemed hesitant to answer him; eventually tell him to ask his dad or Riley's parents later. That she couldn't reasonably disclose that information and the likes. It was frustrating beyond measure for Cove. He'd now have to ask Lizzie at lunch.

Thankfully, lunchtime did come— he'd begun to wonder if it'd ever come— and he started looking around the cafeteria. It all felt louder in the big crowded room. Without Riley... Cove suddenly felt unsure how to navigate the area. Clutching his lunch box in hand, Cove wandered through the crowd looking for the familiar orange of Lizzie's hair. He remembered, generally, which table she and her friends ate at. Sometimes he and Riley ate with them— mostly when Riley wanted to.

At least some luck was on his side as he saw Lizzie's orange ponytail at that exact table. She chatted around with her friends, not really eating at the moment. With a small sense of relief, Cove rushed over ready to, hopefully, get the answers he needed (deserved). "Lizzie!" He called out once close enough. She looked towards him, confused.

"Oh, Cove." That was the extent of her "greeting" towards her neighbor. She wasn't really inclined to invite him to eat at her table, not without Riley and even then the two always agreed with each other and not her! It was annoying!

"Where's Riley?" Like usual, his question was blunt and straight to the point. He was in no mood to even try to be anything but blunt. He wanted answers.

"Oh! At the hospital," Lizzie said without much care. "Mommy dropped him and Mom off before driving me to school."

"At the hospital! Why?! Is he okay?!" His voice was laced with panic at hearing his friend was in the hospital rather than at school. Riley hadn't mentioned an appointment and he should be a school by now if it was just shots. Unless they were doing what his dad sometimes did; his dad would call Cove out of school for the whole day, even for shots. Then he and his dad would get a treat afterwards, therefore he didn't go to school that whole day. Still Riley's parents had never done that— as far as Cove was aware.

"Uh-huh," Lizzie nodded while eating her sandwich. "Mommy said Riley has to have... sur– surje–" Lizzie paused as she rehearsed the word in her head. "–sur-ger-y... Surgery!" She said louder and prouder now that she got the word right.

Cove almost dropped his lunch box, only to grip it tighter before running towards the cafeteria doors. He ignored the shout of his name from Lizzie and the complaints from a few people he lightly bumped into. He needed out, out of this too big room and out of this school. He wanted Riley; to know he was okay. Why did he need surgery?!

Once in the hallway, Cove frantically looked around trying to recall the direction to the school entrance. He started running again, absolutely breaking a few rules, but why should he care? His panicking limited his hearing and reasoning; only hearing the loud thoughts in his head and the pounding of his fastly beating heart. Cove's version blurred the longer he ran— tears unsurprisingly falling from his eyes.

Abruptly, his running can to a stop as he ran into something— or someone. As arms wrapped around the crying boy, Cove wiggled and flared about; shouting too to be let go. He had to get to Riley, he just had to! But the more he fought and whined, the more exhausted he became in his fogged up brain.

While he didn't pass out, Cove's body went limp and the adult, his teacher, holding him, easily held and picked him up. His tears continued to fall... he wanted his friend, he wanted Riley. Riley was supposed to be there, always. Yet, he was in the hospital getting a scary procedure and Cove still didn't know why.

At some point, Cove noticed he was lying on a bench; distantly, he heard talking, but he could make out the word... not that he cared what was going on around him. His cheeks were caked with dried tears and his head felt like it was spinning, even from his laying down position. Looking for any better explanation for this terrible day, Cove wished for it all to be a dream; a nightmare. Anything but reality. Much like what he wished months ago when he first moved to Sunset Bird.

His body jumped at a loud frantic knock on the door. He curled further into himself as he saw someone walk over to the door. His eyes closed tight as he didn't move from the spot on the bench; even as he heard his name mentioned. Breathing hitched and his eye snapped openly only when someone touched his shoulder.

"Hey, bud..." His dad? Why was he here? "I'm sorry– We– we meant to tell you before now. Guess this is what we get for hoping Riley would inform you on his own."

"You knew?!" Cove's voice raised in more panic and his eyes stung with the feeling of more tears threatening to fill. Trying, and failing, to push his dad away from him, Cove hiccupped through his crying.

"Yeah... yeah I knew. His moms told me a while ago and stupidly we encouraged Riley to explain why he would be in the hospital.... Clearly, and fairly, he didn't and we forgot to inform you before today." His dad spoke softly and rubbed Cove's arm and shoulder, trying to sooth his son even just a little bit. "Cove, please listen to me for a moment, even if this is the only time you fully listen to me today. Riley is going to be okay."

A hiccup came from Cove again before he responded, "Really? H-he is alright?" He sounded so hesitant.

"Yes, the surgery isn't for anything uh bad–? You know how Riley's right leg has been in more pain than usual?"

Cove did recall Riley telling him about that. It had affected their play often, so they had to take more breaks or play sitting down. "Y-yeah," Cove tried to wipe his tears while his dad watched him for a moment, sitting in front of the bench.

"Well, the surgery is hopefully going to help with that and a few other things. If he doesn't get the surgery now, he'll have to get it later and the pain could be worse by then," His dad stopped talking for a few; checking for Cove's reaction. "He won't be in school until probably Monday if everything goes according to plan."

"So he won't be here tomorrow either..." Cove pouted at the thought.

"No, but over the weekend, as long as Riley's up for it, his moms have already said you can visit him in the hospital. You can make sure your friend is alright, bud," His dad said with a hopeful smile. Cove quickly nodded, his friend was okay. "Great, then how about we get out of here and get... does ice cream work for you?"

"B-but what about the rest of school?" Don't go thinking he wanted to go back to class, he absolutely did not want that.

"I mean if you want to go–"

"No!" Cove interrupted a little too loud. His dad chuckled a bit at his sudden outburst.

"Right, that's what I thought. Come on, let's go." Cove sat up and grabbed his stuff and his dad thanked someone else in the room. The day was far from great, but Cove was reassured that his best friend was good. And he would get to see him in a few days. Plus, he gets to have ice cream and skip the rest of school. Though really Cove could wait until he could see Riley again.