Things "Best Friends" Do

{2} Dr. K Get's Sent Home

Eddie rides along with the rest of the Losers gang, the fall air feeling good on their damp skin and clothes. Eddie is surprised Richie went home instead of coming to the quarry with the rest of them after he was done at the school, But hopefully Eddie will get to see him tomorrow when they go to the clubhouse.

"Ben, what? you already have homework?" Eddie's thoughts are interrupted by Beverly's astonished tone.
"Uh yeah." Ben laughs, his black 'NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!' shirt fluttering. "I'm in advanced History and we already have to read the first chapter. It's 23 frickin' pages, but I don't mind- you guys know I love history."
"Well goddamn smarty." Beverly winks.
"Ok ok enough with the love fest!" Eddie fake gags. Beverly and Ben's relationship is new as of this school year and they're pretty cute together. Eddie kinda feels bad for Bill though- but he seems happy for them.

"Oh whatever Eddie!" Stan's smile, straight and as white as snow, flashes and he laughs bending over his handlebars. "I bet when you get a bo-girlfriend you'll be just as bad!"
"B-bad?" Bill questions, "I-I th-think It's c-c-cute!" Everyone laughs. "What I'm s-s-se-serious." Bill chuckles, his straw-like hair bouncing up and down to the rhythm of his pedaling.
"I'm so glad I don't have to be around y'all at school." Mike chuckles. The Loser's Club continue to squabble over different things like, "Who's the best Jedi?" Where Eddie replies, "Obviously it's Obi One!" The Loser's argue over this until they come to the "Hell Hill" as they call it.

The Losers' bikes bump and crash over the rutts and rocks of the hill, "God this is a fucking killer!" Eddie wheezes.
"Yeah." Ben pants, "I always have hated the ride back."
"A-at least we're h-having fun all together." Bill stammers.
"We're missing Rich what do you mean?" Beverly jokes, her necklace swaying.
"Yeah too bad-" Mike covers his eyes from the lowering sun, "Wait guys is that?"
"Richie?!" Eddie abandons his bike running up to the top of the hill. He hears clattering behind him indicating the others aren't far behind.
They all sprint to what appears to be normal-looking-Richie. Eddie gasps, "What the hell happened to you?"
Richie squints and smiles, "I was wondering when you guys would show up."

Eddie's mouth hangs open taking in the scene, Richie's shirt is ripped at the bottom hem and one sleeve is gone, sticky blood covers the front of his shirt like a lion's mouth after a hunt. He has a huge yellow purplish black bruise covering almost the whole right side of his face starting at his jaw. The bloody teenager also has slightly blue hand prints on his neck looking like someone had fingerpainted his neck after dipping their hands in blue. His hair is tangled more than usual and intertwined with gravel and little sticks, his face is pale besides his heated cheeks, making his faint freckles stand out. Eddie's heart races, his breathing quickens. Oh my GOD what the fuck. Eddie steps forward, his trembling hand on his mouth. "Richie what..." Eddie bites his lip, he hates seeing his... best friend like this; all roughed up and dirty and bleeding on the fucking ground. All because of Henry fucking Bower's. Im gonna fucking KILL Henry. Eddie promises.

"Oh my GOD!" Beverly covers her mouth with her hand, "What happened honey?" Beverly frowns thinking of Ben over the summer.
Richie spits, "Bowers happened."
"Are you okay?" Stan asks, him and Bill helping Richie up. Richie winces, holding his stomach, he looks like he's about to vomit. Mike quickly picks Richie's bike up for him and fixes the handles.

Richie shrugs, "Sure I am." No you're not you fag. "Shut up." Richie whispers, his heart races: Can his friends know what he's thinking? Are they that close that they can tell by just a flick of a wrist or a twitch of an eye?
"Wh-what?" Bill asks, concerned, he re-adjusts his grip on Richie and Richie thanks him, unsteadily sliding out of his and Stan's soft hold.
"Nothing sorry." Richie tries covering his bleeding stomach, his shirt now slightly dripping from the movement. But Eddie notices.
"Rich!" Eddie grabs Richies arm and uncovers the now red shirt, "Did he cut you?" Eddie's eyes go wide, "What in the living hell!" Eddie feels sick, he can't even look at Richie without wanting to kill Bowers.
Richie shrugs again, getting a skeptical glance from Stan. "It's okay I'll clean it when I get home-" The Losers club gathers around him, Stan looks him up and down, his eyebrows going up when he sees the neck bruises.
"No, we're not letting you do that. You probably don't even know how to dress a wound properly," Beverly remarks, "Dr. Kaspbrak is here! Right Eddie?"
"Right." Eddie breathes hard, feeling the verge of an asthma attack, but he chokes it down. "Ok. Um, I need some space, and can you lay him down right here?" Eddie is already getting bandages and rubbing alcohol out of his fanny pack.
Richie steps away from Eddie, "Guys seriously I'm fine-"
"No you're not!" Ben says, "I know how you feel. Just saying. And you look worse than when it happened to me." And that's saying something, Ben had had a large gash twice during the horrifying events over last summer, once from Bowers, once from Pennywise. Stan helps Richie sit and Eddie kneels down in front of him, putting rubbing alcohol on a cloth.
"No Eddie don't, I'm okay!" Richie tugs the bottom of his shirt down before any of his friends can get a glance of what it says. Richie leaps up, swaying from slight blood loss and sitting in the sun for 40 plus minutes. He sees stars and holds back nausea.
Eddie steadys him, "I don't get what the big deal is? Seriously though, if you don't dress that right you're gonna get an infection." He drops the rubbing alcohol and bandages to keep Richie up, This feels good... Eddie pushes the thought out of his head, Bad circumstances for a thing like this but at least you're touching! SHUT UP EDDIE! He feels like hitting himself with a bat over and over. Richie looks down at the small boy and slightly smiles, such irony... Richie thinks.

"Exactly, you're hurt why don't you let him help you?" Stan asks. His thumbs are hooked in his khaki belt loops and he raises an eyebrow waiting for the question to be answered.
"I-It's not that It's-" Richie softly tugs himself out of Eddie's grip.
"Wh-what is it th-then?" Bill challenges.
"I-" Richie starts, stepping away from Eddie and pushing up his glasses.
"Just wanna go home?" Eddie crosses his arms, "Just let me tend to your wounds Rich! You can even do the British guy!" Richie shakes his head and looks down, picking a rock off the ground and tossing it into the street.
"Richie we just want to help," Beverly reaches out and touches his arm, "We-"
Richie jerks away at her touch, "I'm sorry I- I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." Richie grabs his bike and starts walking away with it, the wheels squeaking slightly.
"Wait Rich!" Mike says, "At least let us ride you to your house?"
"Yeah c'mon Rich." Ben agrees.
"That's okay. Thanks guys... bye." Richie hops on his bike and pedals away letting the tears run as he drives home.

Eddie groans, pushing his hands through his usual combed hair and turning towards his friends: "Does anyone know what the fuck just happened?"
Beverly shakes her head, fiddling with the strap of her overalls. Stan grimaces and slightly nods to himself- no one noticed.
"No." Mike sighs, "He seemed super upset though." He kicks a rock and softly smiles, it reminds him of the rock fight where they became friends. What simple times... Besides the whole Pennywise thing there was never anything like this...
"Y-yeah and n-now we don't even kn-know what Bowers really d-d-did." Bill crosses his arms, thinking.
Ben frowns, "What do you think he did? I've never known Richie to get that upset."
"Yeah... " Eddie crosses his arms and paces, "Bev?" she looks up. "Has he said anything to you? He trusts you."
Beverly shakes her head.
"H-how long do you th-thi-think he w-was out h-here?" Bill asks.
Stan glances at Eddie, "I have no idea. But do any of you know why he was so... oversensitive?"
"I mean... " Eddie sighs and pulls down his red shorts that are riding up. "He never really shares his feelings that much. Maybe because something like this happened... he just let it all come out because he has an excuse? I don't have a clue..." Eddie's watch beeps.
Well why'd you feel that way when you saw Richie laying there on the side of the road? Eddie gulps, What do you mean Eddie, you didn't feel anything other than love for your FRIEND. He loosens a button on his shirt. Stan raises his eyebrows and puffs a stream of warm air from his mouth, rolling his eyes.
He's your friend. Your friend. Your cru-FRIEND! Eddie gags.
"Woah!" Ben leaps away from Eddie, "Dude, what's up?"
Eddie shivers despite the heat. He can't like Richie like that. He just can't that's... gross, Richie's his friend- his best friend. Not his crush or lover or boyfriend just a Friend, with a capital F to emphasize the point.
Beverly pats him on the back, "Eddie? Are you okay?" Eddie laughs on the inside, Okay? Now that's a good question that I wish I could answer...
He takes a puff from his inhaler, "Fine."
Stan gives him a sympathetic look and Bill says, "W-was It th-that bad?"
Eddie looks up, his hands on his knees, "What?"
"Th-the cuts. Were they th-that g-g-gross?"
"Oh, yeah..." Eddie takes a deep breath, clutching the infamous inhaler in his hand.
Mike puts a hand on Eddie's shoulder, "You good man?"
Eddie shuts his brown eyes tight, "Yeah I just- I don't feel very good."
Beverly frowns, "What do you mean?"
"I just- think I'm gonna go home..." Eddie stands up, taking one last puff from his inhaler, "I'm sorry guys... see you tomorrow." Eddie waves goodbye, running down the hill to fetch his bike.
When Eddie's bike disapears Beverly turns to her friends, "What the fuck."
Mike shrugs, "Like he said, he didn't feel good. Probably sick from the quarry water or the heat... I hope he's alright." Ben nods in agreement.
"I don't think so... " Stan mutters to himself, he thinks he has a pretty good idea of what's going on.

Eddie walks himself home, a spoke from his bike poking his calf, different scenarios running through his brain.
Bower's must've said something super rude to make Richie become so defensive like that... His parents maybe? "No." Eddie says aloud. Richie never gets defensive about his father not caring about the teen and his mother being... distant. He doesn't have a reason to. Eddie breathes in and out, making sure his inhaler is zipped up in his fanny pack as he walks.
He jogs past the Neibolt house, shivering and glancing at the door.
"We killed It... We killed it... " He tells himself. Eddie swears he sees the leper in the doorway but he shakes his head and continues at a slow jog.
When he gets home Eddie sets his bike in the garage, making sure he doesn't have any of Richie's blood on his hands before heading inside.
Eddie stays up late that night thinking about what Henry might've said.

- A/N: I really need to learn to make these chapters longer, jeez.-