21

Are you there God? It's me Richie Tozier

Richie spent the rest of the week mostly by himself in the hospital. Bill had an essay due that he needed to work on, and Stanley decided it best to give them both space while him and Bill were in the midst of working things out.

Richie was bored out of his mind, and he had a ton of work he needed to do for school. He had tried to fill up some of his time by sketching in his sketchbook, but it was hard to focus. 

But it didn't matter, because today Richie was going to get to leave. It had felt like an eternity that he was in this room. Just staring at the TV that only had 3 channels. 

Richie was given a boot to wear so he could still walk around a little. They also gave him crutches to use for the majority of the time he needed to heal. But it was official, he was being discharged and Bill and Stan were waiting for him with a taxi.

Richie hobbled at first using the crutches. He didn't quite have the upper body strength for the crutches yet, but he was able to move slowly with them at first.

Richie hobbled out of the automatic double doors of the hospital to see Bill leaning against the taxi, Stanley seemed to be already in the taxi. He smiled and waved through the window.

"C-come on Tozier. L-let's go home."

Richie smiled and grabbed Bill in a big hug, he had seen him just a couple of days earlier, but it had been a long time since they had all spent that much time away from each other. Bill pulled away from the hug first since the meter was running in the taxi and they needed to get home. They also needed to hurry out of the spot that the taxi had pulled up to, it was technically reserved for ambulances to pull into, much like when Richie was transported after the accident.

"Yeah we'd better go, I think I see an ambulance coming."

Bill opened the door and got in first, they hadn't been quick enough though, because the ambulance Richie had seen coming had to pull up directly behind the cab that was still waiting on Richie. Richie slid his crutched into the back of the cab setting them on the floor. Now he had to try and get into the taxi without looking like a clumsy idiot.

"Hey! Next time you order a cab, maybe tell them not to park in the Ambulance Only section." Richie turned his head to see who was yelling at him.

He was a little bit older now, but it was him. He had gotten out of the driver's seat of the ambulance while the other paramedics rushed an elderly gentleman into the hospital.

"I'm sorry." 

These were the only words that could come out of Richie's mouth as he locked eyes with Eddie Kaspbrak.

~~~

Richie finally got into the cab after having stared at Eddie Kaspbrak for far too many moments. Richie had genuinely not thought about Eddie in the longest time. Not since high school when he had broken his heart. 

Bill had looked out the back window and caught a glimpse of him. He had prayed that the two wouldn't run into each other. But something within the universe said fuck that. And decided to add a little chaos into Richie's mind.

"A-are you okay?" Bill asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm just tired. Want to go home."

The taxi pulled out of the parking lot, meaning Eddie was getting further and further away.

Bill nodded feeling his worry creep up on him. He turned his body, facing Stanley now. Stanley could see the worry in his eyes. Whatever they were going through had to be pushed aside for the moment. Stanley grabbed Bill's hand and rubbed his thumb against Bill's soft skin.