Stand by me

X-Rays and Lost Things

We pulled up at the A&E and Yuuko helped me and Viktor out of the car. I leaned on Viktor's shoulder and he wrapped his arm around my waist. The nurse behind the front desk gasped,

"Oh my god, you're Yuuri Katsuki. What happened?"

"I tripped on the ice, there's something up with my leg." She took down my information and we sat down in the waiting area. Viktor grabbed some tissues and a cup of water from the cooler and started washing the dried blood from around my nose and mouth.

I caught a couple of people watching us and I started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Luckily, a doctor appeared from behind a set of double doors and called me through.

"I have to go watch the girls, Takeshi's swamped trying to clean up the rink but if you can't get a taxi just call me ok."

"Alright Yuuko, thanks."

We followed the doctor through to his office and he started looking over me.

"Right Mr. Katsuki, your nose is fine, just a bit of swelling and bruises. Your ankle however is a bit more worrying." He said,

"See Yuuri, we told you."

"We're going to take you through for an x-ray just to make sure. So if you wait here I'll go get a wheelchair." He ignored Viktor's comment and left to find a wheelchair.

"You don't think it's broken, do you Viktor?" I asked him,

"Hopefully not." He brushed some hair out of my face and winced, "there's already a huge bruise across your nose." He lightly ran his hand down my jaw.

"If it is broken, don't tell my mom we were skating. Please."

"Why?"

"She worries too much already."

The doctor opened the door and motioned for me to sit. Viktor helped me over and grabbed my skates.

"You'll need to take off your jacket and any jewellery before you go in." I handed my ring and coat to Victor before the doctor wheeled me through to the x-ray room.

"It's a good job you kept his skates on Mr. Nikiforov, he's snapped a bone in his foot. It's not too bad though so you just need an aircast boot and some crutches." The doctor came through with a clipboard and a nurse following him carrying a big boot. Once they'd strapped me up they told me when to come back, I was given a pair of crutches and we were free to go.

Viktor called a cab and gave me back my jacket and ring. The ring dug into my skin when I leaned on the crutches so I slipped it into my jacket pocket for now. The cab arrived quite quickly so luckily we didn't have to stand out in the dark for too long. We shuffled into the back seat told the driver where to go.

Viktor scooted into the middle seat and sighed.

"What?" I ask,

"So many bad things have been happening."

"What do you mean?"

"First Yurio's grandfather gets sick, then Chris and Pichit's flight was cancelled, now you break your foot. Too many bad things in the space of two days."

"It's not that bad Viktor, have some faith." I smiled at him and rested my head on his shoulder, he sighed again and put his head on mine.

The stars had come out from behind the clouds and filled the sky. I stared at them through the windscreen and just zoned out. Listening to the soft thrum of the engine and Viktor's breathing.

"Yuuri, we're here." Viktor squeezed my shoulder. I hadn't realised that I'd fallen asleep. Viktor helped me out of the car and handed me my crutches before paying the driver. We slowly walked into the hot spring and of course my mom was there making a fuss.

"Yuuri are you alright? Your foot isn't broken is it? Oh look at your face-"

"He's fine Mrs. Katsuki he's just fractured a bone in his foot. Nothing to worry about." Viktor waved his hands and started to cover for me. He told her how I had tripped on the stairs outside the rink and that Yuuko took us to the hospital. So technically it wasn't all a lie. It was pretty late so she made us some dinner.

"You boys must be starving." She said. She's always feeding people.

When I got up to my room and Viktor was finally convinced that I can fare on my own I sat down on my bed and started rummaging in my pockets for my ring. It wasn't there. I pulled my jacket off and shook it frantically hoping it would fall out.

"No. no, no, no. Where is it?" I started digging in my pants pockets but it wasn't there either. I grabbed my crutches and limped down the hall to Viktor's room, tears forming in my eyes.

I knocked on the door,

"Viktor?" I whispered, "are you in there?"

The door opened slowly and there was Viktor, tired eyed already and wrapped in a bathrobe.

"Yuuri, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I've lost my ring. It must've fallen out of my pocket somewhere between the hospital and getting back here." The tears started to fall.

"Yuuri don't cry. It's fine, we'll find it." He lead me in and we sat on the bed. I took my glasses off and sobbed. Viktor grabbed my hands and crouched in front of me.

"Look, Yuuri. We'll get your ring back. Hopefully someone found it and took it to lost and found. If not, we can get a replacement."

"But then we wouldn't have our rings." I sniffed. He pulled me into a hug and I wrapped my arms around him.

The first thing he did was phoned the taxi company. He gave them the time the taxi arrived and where we were. They said they'd check the car and call back if they find anything. Then he tried the A&E but it was backed up.

I cried into Viktor's shoulder while he held my hand, rubbing little circles on the back with his thumb. Waiting for the phone to ring and feeling incredibly guilty.