Breaking (Newtmas fanfic)

Chapter 17

She was right, Thomas didn't know he was allowed to visit, nor did he have very much confidence to try. Although when he was told where to go and when to come, he felt better about it. It must have been three weeks since they'd seen each other or even contacted each other. Even then, it was gaping over the fact he was racing and then the last thing they did was hug before he had to disappear in an ambulance.

Thomas had had to throw away the shirt he wore that day since blood wasn't an easy stain to get rid of, and his mum simply gave up after the third wash. The award ceremony had taken place after he left, simply having to leave him out, but people were waiting for him to be fit enough for a photo. Even a couple recruiters to try and make him an athlete, but Thomas knew he'd turn them down. Running was just a stress reliever, and clearly he had a lot of stress. Understandably.

The Centre seemed like a very sterile place, but homely at the same time. Being the same age as some of the others, the receptionist was confused to see him. "Are you a visitor?" She questioned, turning to her computer.

"Yeah, uh- to see Newt?" Is that what people said? Did he need his surname? Did he have one?

"Oh! You must be his friend. Newt's been looking forward to seeing you. I'll take you to his room, he should be having free time at the moment."

"Free time?"

"There is a strict timetable here, and it's only broken in special cases or if there is an incident. Since Newt is on the mend, he definitely has to stay to it if he wants to leave."

Thomas didn't have a clue of what the place was like, nobody had told him and the Internet hadn't been much help for once. Newt hadn't said a single word about the place in the short time they'd been around each other at school. Then again, Thomas had been avoiding him.

Speaking of, were they together? Neither had officially said it. Thomas avoided him, found him in a locker room, then hugged at the end of the race. Was Newt going to still hate him? Did he think he still hated Newt? Surely not, or he wouldn't be invited to visit.

They found him with his physio, trying to walk properly. It wasn't that he couldn't, but his legs were weak and needed to practice, and he was determined to do it before Thomas arrived to avoid looking so weak. "Newt, you really push yourself quite far don't you?" The receptionist smiled at him, making Newt jump and almost let go, physio there to stable him. "I brought your friend, he's here to visit for the day."

Thomas and Newt met each other's gaze, not speaking for a couple moments. "Hi, Tommy." Newt said, turning round to get his crutches.

"Hey.." Newt wanted to show Thomas around, because he needed to talk about what they were meant to be and because Thomas was probably extremely curious about what Newt had been up to all this time.

He lead Thomas out the room and went to his bedroom first to wear a different top. They were both quiet, not sure which topic of a million to bring up first. As Newt sat down and took off his top, Thomas thought of one. "Woah, is that the wound?"

Newt paused and tried to look at the one on his back. "It's half of it." Newt turned round on the bed to show Thomas the front, and looking down to make sure he hadn't done anything to it.

"So all of that will scar over? What happens to the stitches?"

"They dissolve under the skin." Thomas cringed and Newt put on the new top.

He wanted to take Thomas outside, so Newt asked for a wheelchair, despite feeling extremely embarrassed doing so in front of Thomas, but his arms ached from walking so crutches would be too much and falling over in front of him would only be worse.