Sam was always getting hurt. It was a common occurrence, ever since he was young. He wouldn't say he was particularly clumsy, he just somehow managed to attract dangerous situations, and then he'd come hobbling out of them wounded. During trips and videos; it was always him that came out of it with new scratches or bruises or broken body parts. Sam didn't know why, but it worried him.
One of the first times Sam got hurt during a video was way back in 2016, when he'd been exploring an abandoned insane asylum for the Sam and Colby channel. He'd been hiding upstairs from Colby and their friend who they were exploring with; when he was suddenly being slammed into the wall with force, feeling the sudden burning sensation in his leg; which he was sure was now bleeding. He'd screamed; his chest aching from how hard he'd hit it. As he scrambled to his feet he heard the calls of colby as the brunette had come running.
"Colby!" Sam called back; and sure enough, his best friend appeared in the doorway. Sam had clutched at his hair, tears welling in his eyes as his side throbbed.
"No, no what happened!" Colby had asked him, his hand trying to catch ahold of Sam but the blonde was frantically shifting from foot to foot. Sam had shouted for the brunette to turn the camera off, and then fled from the room; running down the stairs, out the door; and as far away from the building as possible.
"Dude, we're out! Slow down!" their friend yelled. But Sam didn't stop running until he was safely next to their car, and the building was just a daunting shadow in the background. He'd told them both what had happened; tears leaking down his face. He'd shown the cut on his leg, but left out the bit about his chest. He'd deal with that when they got home.
That night, the duo had made their way back to their apartment; and Sam curled up on the sofa as soon as he got in, his hand discreetly cradling his chest.
"You okay dude?" Colby asked softly, handing Sam a glass of water. Sam hummed in response, smiling at the brunette as he took the water; sipping it slowly.
"Yeah, it's just a small cut," Sam whispered, placing the water on the floor beside the sofa. He wanted to tell colby about the aching pain in his chest; but he held back. He'd say something later, when he'd calmed down.
The first time he saw his chest was when he went to shower that night; and as he pulled his t-shirt off his eyes has traveled to the patterns of blue and black plastered on his side. He'd winced, looking in the mirror, before opening the bathroom door.
"Hey Colbs!" The blonde called, sucking in a breath when he saw the brunette getting a snack from the fridge.
"Yup," Colby replied, his back to sam.
"Um... you know.. back at the asylum.."
"Yeah," Colby hummed, turning around but not looking at his friend.
"I think I... when I hit the wall..."
Colbys head shot up at that, and that's when he finally took in the bruising littering Sams side.
"Sam... dude!" Colby gasped, stepping closer to the blonde. His gentle hands hovered over the bruises, his fingers pressing down on some places.
"Sam- you could have broken- oh my god, why didn't you tell me!" Colby lectured, pulling his hands back when Sam winced.
"I didn't think it was that bad," Sam reasoned, as Colby walked to the freezer, pulling out a ice pack and giving it to the blonde.
"Put that on it. Jesus Christ- sam you need to say something when you're hurt, dude," Colby sighed, as Sam gently pressed the ice to the bruises.
"I-sorry.." Sam whispered, leaning against the counter.
Colby had forgiven him, of course. He'd taken Sam to the doctors the next day, and they found out he had broken a few ribs, but they'd heal. He left the hospital with pain meds and a promise to never lie to colby again.
They'd been in New Zealand, the next time; for a TFIL trip. They'd decided to go sand dune surfing; and it'd been all fun and games until Sam had rolled off his surfboard while it was racing down the sand dune, and his head had smacked into Corey. He'd led on the sandy floor, clutching the back of his head.
"Sams down!" Corey yelled, but there was a jokey tone in his voice. Sam wasn't laughing. Colby came running down the sand dune, camera in hand.
"Are you okay?" He asked, as Corey's joking smile fell away. The blonde propped himself up on his hands and knees, spiting out some sand that had made its way into his mouth.
"Seriously this isn't good," Corey panicked, as Sam bent over, throwing an arm over his eyes and one round the back of his head; which was throbbing angrily.
"Damn dude.." Colby muttered. Sam stayed on the floor as Corey continued to panic.
"What did you smack it on?" Colby asked gently, his voice much calmer than Corey's.
"Corey.." Sam mumbled, wincing as he tried to sit up. Colby turned the camera off, kneeling down next to Sam.
"Do you think you can stand?" Colby asked, as Corey ran off to get Elton.
"Mhm," Sam whined, letting his brave face fall slightly, now that it was just him and Colby. Colby had seen Sam at his worst; so being vulnerable around him was never an issue to Sam.
"Here, take my hand," Colby said, standing up and hauling Sam up with him. Colby stood behind the blonde, his soft hands searching through Sams hair gently for any sign of an injury.
"No blood, so that's good," Colby announced, just as Corey arrived back with Elton.
"You alright dude?" Elton asked, one of the body boards under his arm.
"Yeah, yeah I'll be alright," Sam muttered.
"It's easing down now anyway."
And it was. After 10 minutes, Sam was fine; running back up the sand dune to body board down again. He had a nasty lump on the back of his head and it hurt when he pressed down on it; but he was fine. He was lucky.
