Years Will Go By

Leg Surgery (Part 2)

Summary:
Cove visits Riley in the hospital and two hang out and make fun out of what they have available.

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

Warning(s): Hospitals, surgery (nothing graphic but it mentioned multiple times

Word Count: 989

Clinks of dishes could be heard as the Holden household ate breakfast in otherwise silence. Though there was also the sound of Cove wiggling in his seat. He couldn't (and wouldn't) sit still on that Saturday morning.

Today Cove gets to go visit Riley in the hospital! From what his dad told him- he made sure to keep Cove in the loop from then on- the surgery went really well. Riley was officially on the way to recovery and agreed to Cove visiting. His dad even told him how Riley asked if Cove could visit! It made the young boy rather happy. Riley wanted him there.

"Excited sport?" His dad asks while taking away the dishes. Cove nods and rushes to his room to get his backpack. He packed it yesterday after school, with stuff he and Riley could do in the hospital. Plus stuff he found at the beach that he wants to show Riley. He makes sure he has everything before zipping it up. Cove walks out and leans on the side of the counter while waiting for his dad to finish washing the dishes.

His dad finishes up the cleaning and grabs the keys, not without messing with Cove's hair (much to his son's protest). "Into the car bud!" Cliff chuckled as Cove ran out the door.

The drive started out silent, besides Cove's fidgeting in the back. He was excited and couldn't contain it. "Dad?" Cove broke the silence to ask something on his mind.

"Yeah Cove?" His dad briefly looked up at the mirror to see Cove in the back seat.

"Is Riley's scar going to be bigger now?" Maybe that wasn't a question he was supposed to ask as he saw his dad hesitate for a few seconds.

"I'd imagine it would be, the original scar was from when he had surgery as a baby, I believe," Cliff answered.

"Yeah, Riley told me." Cove smiled to himself at remembering Riley answered his questions. He lost himself in thought for the rest of the drive.

~~~

Cove looks over the counter as his dad talked to the woman to get Riley's room number (and that there wouldn't be problems with non-family members visiting). Cove rocks back and forth in impatience, he just wants to see his friend already.

"Alright, come on bud," Cliff said while putting a hand on Cove's back to easily lead the way. Cove's sudden smile didn't go unnoticed.

His dad knocked on the room door and waited for an answer. Thankfully it wasn't a long wait as Riley's mommy opened the door and welcomed the two in. The room was small, but Cove didn't care, he didn't even care about the bored, upset Lizzie in the corner chair. He only cared about his friend in the hospital bed, smiling at him.

"Cove!" Riley exclaims and waves. Cove rushes out of his dad's hand and over to the side of the bed. He got up on the bed when Riley patted it; silently welcoming Cove up. Riley cautiously reaches over to hug his friend, which Cove welcomes easily. "I'm glad you're here!"

"Me too!" Cove agreed with a bright smile. His friend was indeed okay and in one piece.

"Want to see my bandages?" Riley barely asks before uncovering the gray blanket from his right leg. "See, it is green... like your hair!" Neither kid acknowledged Riley's mommy's awwing from where she and the other adults watched.

"It is," Cove said with a stunned face. "Guess we were back to no swimming, huh?" He seemed sad, but Cove knew he wouldn't want to swim much without Riley. Riley stayed with him when he couldn't swim and so he was going to the same.

"Huh, yeah- I didn't think about that.... Oh! Cove I have to use the crutches too! They are kind of weird." Riley points over to the pair of small crutches leaning against the wall. "Mommy says I won't be able to run for a while.... Not that I was a good runner anyways." The mood dropped so much that even Lizzie looked up from her bored spot.

"We don't need to run to have fun though- Ah and I can help you walk if needed!" Cove meant it too, he wanted to help. He knew how much it sucked to be inhibited by a healing injury.

"That's my boy!" Cliff was filled with pride at how kind his son was.

Cove ignores his dad and starts to pull out the shells he wanted to show Riley. "I brought things we can do today and some pretty shells I found on the beach yesterday.... This one really sparkles in the light! -".

The two continued to talk and play, Lizzie even joining in; even if she didn't get along with Cove. She wasn't going to stay out of play because of him. The parents watched and talked off to the side; as much as the small room would allow.

"He's such a good kid, they all are," Cliff whispers as he sees Cove be so careful around Riley's leg. Even making sure Lizzie didn't get so caught up in the game, all to protect the healing leg.

"They really are," 'Lani places a hand over her heart at the sight.

"Riley was so excited when we said he could invite Cove to see him in the hospital. That he didn't have to wait until Sunday to see his friend," Pam relays to Cliff a small laugh. "He couldn't wait!"

"Those two are going to be friends for life," Cliff concludes and 'Lani nods in agreement.

"True, I wouldn't doubt it. They are trouble together though," Pam commented. No one could disagree with that, but no one directly said that it was a bad thing. Because at the end of the day it wasn't the worst type of trouble, at very least the two would always have each other. Even through trouble.