Trauma At Its Finest (Lip Gallagher X Male Reader)

Ch 89. What ifs

The day has finally arrived: Y/N's surgery.

And so, the family gathers to say their goodbyes before one of the men of the house heads off for the operation.

There they stand beside the hospital bed, where Y/N lies propped up against the raised backrest. He's already wearing a hospital gown, with an IV line inserted into his arm and monitoring equipment attached to track his vital signs. Besides the immediate family, Vlad and Mandy are there as well. Kevin is present too, having stayed a few extra days to support his little brother.

"We're going to miss you." Fred says as he hugs his father, with Alyosha quickly joining in.

"I know, but it'll only be a couple of hours." Y/N assures them with a smile. He makes sure to give each of the kids a reassuring look. "It'll be over before you know it."

"Your pa is right." Kev says, placing a hand on Maksim's and Kate's shoulders. "He's one tough son of a bitch. He'll be back without a scratch."

"That is technically not true." Lyn replies. "Since his heart is being operated on, his skin must be cut—"

"It's just a figure of speech." Vlad interrupts. "Don't take it so seriously."

At that moment, one of the doctors enters the room. "We're ready for surgery, Mr. Gallagher."

"Right." Y/N looks around at everyone. While some are acting like nothing major is happening, others are visibly nervous. None more so than Lip, who looks terrified despite trying to hide it. "See you all in a couple of hours. And try not to give your dad, your uncles, or Mandy too hard of a time."

He opens his arms. One by one, the children step forward to hug him. Once they're done, Kev, Vlad, and Mandy hug him as well.

Finally, it's Lip's turn. The blonde hasn't slept well in days. Before approaching, he carefully hands Jesse over to Kev. Then he wraps his arms around his husband.

Y/N is caught off guard by how tightly Lip is holding him.

Leaning close to his ear, Y/N whispers softly. "Don't wait here... Just go home and relax, okay?"

After a few seconds, Lip gives a small nod. "I promise..."

Reluctantly, they let go.

As everyone begins leaving the room, Y/N settles back against the bed, fully prepared for the surgery ahead. He watches his family head toward the door.

After stepping into the hallway, Lip turns back one last time. His eyes meet Y/N's. For a moment, he's terrified that this might be the last time he ever sees him.

Then the door closes. And with nothing left to do, Lip follows the others, hoping that everything will be alright.

-

Back home, everything seems like a normal day.

Kev is playing Mario Party with Alyosha, Maksim, and Fred. Mandy is in the kitchen, chatting with Kate while helping her with makeup. Lyn is doing her usual research, tinkering with some scrap machines. Vlad and Mikhail are talking about anything and everything, with the uncle holding Jesse in his arms.

That leaves Lip. With nothing to do but wait, and exhausted from days of stress, he heads upstairs to get some sleep.

Once inside the bedroom, he strips down to his boxers and sits on the edge of the bed. Opening the nightstand drawer, he finds an old friend waiting for him: the Xanax pills.