crash// cole sprouse fan fiction

hours 25-30

Over the weekend, I came up with a new plan for Cole. He easily became frustrated when he was reminded of his modified abilities, but he was fine when he felt self-sufficient and independent. So I talked to my mom. She figured that Cole could try walking with crutches but that I had to bring the wheelchair along just in case he got tired or anything. 

With this information in mind, I was pretty eager to head into the hospital on Monday. I made sure I packed a pair of crutches in the car that morning when I left for the hospital. 

I was on a mission. I put the crutches vertically in the chair and held them up as I pushed the wheelchair into Cole's room. Not going to lie, I wanted a dramatic entrance. Sometimes I envisioned my life as a scene in a movie or an awesome short film, music video combo. 

This was one of those times. 

I burst into the room and stood at the foot of the bed with the wheelchair and crutches atop it in front of me. Blocking the television, I defiantly put my hands on my hips. "You don't get to snap at me. I get that it's a little rough being you right now, but I'm here and I'm doing the best I can. So I don't care how tired, or frustrated, or upset you are, don't ever yell at me again. Deal?"

Cole's eyes were wide in shock. I don't think he expected such a response from me. I think he thought of me as Nice Collins, Pushover Collins, What-Can-I-Do-For-You Collins. He clearly wasn't ready for Strong Collins, Fierce Collins, and Take-No-Prisoners Collins. I didn't even realize that I had held my breath as I waited for him to answer. This was the easiest thing in the world I could do to get my volunteer hours and the last thing I needed to was to get fired for being mean to a patient. The silence looming over us was a photograph used for blackmail. 

"Deal," my raven-haired companion finally spoke up. 

The deep breath I held in my chest finally escaped. 

He continued to nod as this look of concern and sincerity washed over his face. "Deal," he repeated with a soft expression that begged for forgiveness. 

I stared at him. Something washing over me at that moment. I'm not sure what it was, but it was glorious and terrifying at the same time. From this short period of time, I've known him I could tell that he worked hard to make sure he never showed his emotions. He was perpetually guarded. But, this was different. This time, his face showed it all-- as though I had just discovered his Achilles Heel. But what was it? I'm willing to be it probably that he isn't used to people talking to him like that. 

I blinked back to reality as Cole waved his hand back and forth in front of my face. "Collins?"

"Yeah, sorry," I started, trying to regain my composure. 

"So," Cole paused. "Are those gifts for me?" He nodded towards the chair once he had my attention. 

"Mhmm--," I started as I looked down at the spoils, "so we can go the courtyard. You said on Friday that you want to do things for yourself so I brought you crutches so you can at least go wherever you want but we have to at least take the wheelchair in case you get fatigued or something so I can bring you back." 

"Are you serious?" Cole wondered aloud as he brought a hand up to the back of his neck. 

I only nodded in response with a raised eyebrow. 

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. 

"Because," I started, unable to find the words. "I'm your Sitter and I like you." Cole's face lit up with a boyish grin when I said those words. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning and it was cute. I wish I could've taken a photo right at that moment. He smiled a bright, wide smile where his eyes creased in the corners. He opened his mouth to say something but I quickly cut him off. "Don't let it go to your head: you're going to forget we were even friends the second you walk out of here." 

Cole's face shifted but he tried to keep the smile. It wasn't a real, genuine smile. This one didn't start around the corner of his eyes. I put his camera bag into the chair and went over to help him onto the crutches. 

Cole wrapped one arm around my waist and the other around my neck as I helped him sit up in the bed. He shifted his weight forward and leaned completely on me. He smelled sterile, like a disinfectant because of the hospital soup. I wondered what he smiled like normally and if he had a fragrance he preferred.

As Cole leaned on me, I grabbed a crutch so he could transition from leaning on me to leaning on it. He was out of breath by the time we were done but smiling all the same. 

"We did it!" He breathed heavily. 

"Yeah, come on," I urged him as I held both of my arms around his waist to guide him across the room, before taking the chair and following him out 

We walked in synchronized, slow steps to the courtyard. He snapped photos of the green space as a whole, then some photos of individual flowers. At one point, he sat in the wheelchair and captured images of life on the opposite side of the windows surrounding him. I watched in marvel while finding ways to entertain myself while he had fun, be it plucking the petals of a flower or tracing the lines on the mosaic table. Occasionally, I'd call his attention to something, but I mostly watched from afar and stayed to myself. 

This was Cole getting some sense of normalcy and regaining pieces of himself.

All I did was sit.