Ice Cream Adrenaline

7

The couch was warm. Nick wasn't. He was an abyss, an empty, cold, depressed abyss. It was almost three AM. He couldn't sleep. Paul and Bob were cuddled together on the opposite couch, blankets wrapped around themselves and hot chocolate on the coffee table in front of them. Nick hadn't drank any hot chocolate yet. Even the thought of putting anything in his mouth made him feel like throwing up. Nick McCarthy wasn't good around needles, which are essentially what the IV was. Luckily, the humidifier mask gave him an excuse. He wasn't forced to take it off, at least, not until he was stable and sufficiently warm.

Why can't Alex be here? He would be able to make me feel better. He would cuddle with me, and pet my hair, and... He wouldn't apologize. Alex is creepy. He isn't cute. He hasn't apologized. That's not okay. You do not want him here. You need to keep running.

Nick then sighed, looking at the bumps in the blanket that were his legs. Still paralyzed. He focused on trying to move them, but it didn't work. He couldn't even feel his legs, and if Alex wanted to drag him back home to the UK, he was pretty much defenseless.

Nick was much too uncomfortable to sleep. He would do something about it, but he could really only use one of his arms anyway, because one was being stabbed by the IV and he didn't want to be involved in that. Nick wanted to be nowhere near himself.

You are in space, just like Alex told you those millions of times. It's cold, dark, and empty. Kind of like you.

Nick smiled at his own reassuring thought. He wanted to go home, just not with Alex.

•••

The forest wasn't nearly as welcoming and friendly as Klav and Val's cabin.

Nick's so lucky. He's probably drinking hot chocolate and watching movies right now.

Alex didn't know that Nick was drowning in about every feeling but regret.

No one had any regret.

It was like all of this needed to happen. Alex needed to make out with a popular girl, Nick needed to run away, Luca needed friends, Bob needed an actual friend, Paul needed a boyfriend, and Klav and Val needed someone to take care of.

There was no regret. Everyone had become friends through some spiderweb of adventures.

Alex sighed and turned back towards civilization. He had a plan.

•••

Nick had finally managed to sleep, and woke up at 9:30 AM. Bob and Paul were still cuddling, Klav brought Nicki Minaj inside, and Val was making pancakes. Specifically, he was making chocolate chip pancakes. Nick smiled, although he was far too weak, and even more self conscious, to ask for any. He would just wait until Val asked him concernedly about if he was hungry, or if he needed anything.

A few minutes later, Valentin actually did ask. Nick shrugged and said maybe, but Valentin brought pancakes and hot chocolate over anyway.

"Feeling better, kid?" Klav asked warmly. Nicki Minaj placed a giant, furry paw on Nick's chest.

"Hah, yeah." Nick lied, pushing Nicki Minaj's paw away.

"Alright. Please make sure you're all rested up... We don't want anything else happening to you." Klav sighed.

Nick laid completely still for a moment before trying to sit up. His feeble attempt didn't work. Bob and Paul exchanged a worried look. Bob knew that Nick wasn't healing fast, and he was sure that Paul was catching on. If he didn't heal faster, Alex would surely find them.