-Collide-

~2~

Connor hissed in pain as soon as the rubbing alcohol made contact with his cut up skin. The paramedic tending to him apologized quickly as they covered said cut with gaze tape.

"Is there anywhere else that hurts?" The paramedic asked him calmly.

"My ribs kinda hurt," he answered.

"How tolerable is the pain?"

"It isn't like.. super bad. It's kinda tender."

"Do you mind if I feel it? I'd need to put my hand under your shirt," they told him.

Connor took a deep breath before nodding. He lifted his shirt up a bit and tensed up a little when he felt the paramedic's cold hands touch his rib cage.

They moved their hand away afterwards. "Everything feels fine, you just need to ice it for a few days, but come back if the pain hasn't stopped by then. Now, did you mind telling me how this happened?"

Connor was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. If he admitted that he purposely crashed his car, he'd be put under suicide watch, and be stuck at the hospital for a few days, which would force him to eat that horrible hospital food. So, he decided to lie, and hoped the nurse wouldn't catch on.

"I uh, I crashed my car. I saw a car pull out in front of me and I swerved out and into the tree," Connor lied, fidgeting.

The paramedic simply nodded. "Why are you out at three thirty in the morning?"

"I couldn't sleep and I needed to think," Connor answered truthfully. Driving did help clear his head.

They nodded again. "Did you catch the driver's license plate?"

Connor shook his head, lying again. "It was too dark to."

The paramedic went to write this down. "Well, once we arrive at the hospital, we'll call your parents, okay?"

"Can't I stay with him?" Connor looked at Evan, who was trying not to pass out.

The paramedic hesitated, before sighing. "Fine, but when your parents come, you have to leave, okay?"

Connor supposed that'd be the fairest thing he'd get. Besides, the paramedic was probably being lenient with him as it was, and he didn't want to test his luck. So, Connor just nodded.

The paramedic went back to Evan, checking in on him. They had already given him local anesthesia before they left, and apparently Evan's arm needed to be pushed back into place (which definitely didn't sound pleasant).

Connor looked over at him. "Hey Evan, the anesthesia working yet?"

"K-kinda..." Evan moved his head back to look at him. "It still hurts, t-though.."

"And how's your head?" Connor asked.

"Still hurts a lot. The para-paramedic thinks it's a c-concussion," Evan groaned after he was done saying that.

Connor made a face, "I thought so too, but if it's not a bad one then you just need to rest for a few days."

"I'm gonna have to- r-resign from my apprenticeship..." Evan stated gloomily, glancing at his arm.

"At least you weren't getting paid to begin with," Connor shrugged loosely, trying to make Evan smile.

"But I- I still l-liked it. Loved it, actually..." Evan let out a disappointed sigh.

"Well when you're feeling better, you can go back and walk around," Connor offered.

Evan made a small smile. "That's true. Yeah.."