Better Sorry than Safe

27.

"Your pupils are looking good..." 

The first aid lady clicked her light off, and Sem rubbed his eyes to get rid of the dots in his vision with one hand. The other was occupied pressing an ice pack against his head.

"Great, so can I go now? I know what happened, I know where I am. I know my name and all that shit. Come on, I was only out for like a second."

The nurse gave him a deadpan, utterly unimpressed stare. Her frizzy mane of hair danced on her shoulders as she shook her head. "Maybe it was just a second, but you did black out. You took a few hard hits."

Sem snorted. "Yeah, tell me about it."

He was well aware of having taken a beating. The lingering dull pain in his stomach was a constant reminder, and so was the throbbing in his jaw especially when he spoke, and the headache.

He'd been able to walk to the first aid post though, somehow, supported by the coach. Trainer Ralph had also appeared out of nowhere, bellowing at the other guys to back off and let Sem through. That was the last he heard and saw from them.

"So," the nurse lady held out a pamphlet. Sem automatically took it. With a quick glance, he established it was a set of instructions on aftercare of head injuries.

"You may seem fine now," the lady said, "But we can't spot internal bleedings right away. So you're going to promise me you'll rest, have someone with you for the next 24 hours, and immediately go to the hospital if you experience nausea or other alarming changes. Are we clear?"

She was all business, with her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face. Firm and authoritative, but in a gentle kind of way. She clearly had to cope with stubborn, injured athletes all the time. Sem didn't envy her.

"Yeah I'll take care," he finally agreed. "And my parents will be around to check on me at home after six, honest."

At least he had a valid reason to tell his mom she couldn't scream at him, with his head and all. Gotta take the small victories in life.

The nurse narrowed her eyes, scrutinising him. Apparently she decided to believe him, because her expression softened. "Alright then. Let's make a deal Sem. We wait for your coach to come back, or someone else, to take you home. Then you can go."

"No need to wait. We're already here!"

Blake made his entry, grinning somewhat inappropriately for a first aid post. "Hi!"

"Hey." Sem nodded in greeting. He'd expected Blake to step by sooner or later given what happened. He said we, though, not I.

"...Hey Sem."

Sem's eyes opened wide. "Con?"

He jerked upright, stifling a wince at the jolt of pain that shot through his abdomen at the sudden movement, as Connor came walking through the door after Blake.

Connor's wrinkled brow was in sharp contrast with Blake's ever cheerful expression, but it still made heat radiate through Sem's chest, spreading to his limbs. Connor came to see him. He was worried enough to do so. He had to still care on some level.

Sem shifted on the bed, locking his hands together to force stillness, although he couldn't force his heart to do the same.

"Hey," he finally replied, and the corners of Connor's mouth curled up into a careful, slight smile. Sem felt a flush creep up his cheeks as they stared at each other.

"So, you're like still in one piece right? No more brain damage?" Blake asked, making Sem tear his eyes off of Connor to turn to him.

Nonchalantly leaning against the wall, Blake looked just as comfortable standing between two recent and awkward ex-boyfriends as he did sitting at home on the couch. Honestly, Sem was starting to wonder if there was anything that made the guy uncomfortable.