Chapter Text
Graham:
“Graham.”
A voice spoke softly, rippling through the darkness. For what seemed like an eternity, it had been black. An abyss. Graham was drifting in and out of the darkness now, barely on the edge of sleep.
“Graham, it’s time to wake up.”
The voice whispered again. Something inside his mind stirred, and ever slowly, light began to fill his vision. With a soft groan, Graham began to wake up, his eyes fluttering open heavily. Above him, his surroundings became clearer. A bright light burned at his eyes and he blinked rapidly, groaning. His body had been numb before, but the pain quickly came crashing back, leaving him sore and tense.
“Wake up, Graham,” The voice said again. “It’s okay.”
He recognized that voice. It was Sergeant Grant.
Slowly and painfully, Graham turned his head, finally resting his eyes on the police officer by his bed. From what he could see with his vision still blurry, she was smiling.
“What… What happened?” Graham mumbled, his throat burning.
He had no idea how long it had been since… since…
The collapse. The last thing he remembered was the firefighters clearing away the rubble he had been pinned behind. The rest was black.
“You saved a man’s life, Graham.” She scooted forward in her chair. Her voice was calm. “Do you remember that?”
Graham nodded slowly. He did remember. The dryer, the explosion, the rebar. He did save Donnie’s life, but not before making it worse by constantly upsetting him.
“Is he okay?” Graham asked cautiously, looking down at the IV that was sticking out from the back of his hand.
“Oh, he’s doing just fine,” Sergeant Grant smiled, waving the air with her hand. “How are you doing, Graham?”
“Okay, I guess? Mostly just… in a bit of pain, but I'm fine. Thanks to you guys.” Graham smiled weakly.
“Well, I’m glad to hear it. You’ve been through quite a bit this last week, haven’t you?” The Sergeant rested a warm hand on Graham’s shoulder.
“I guess. I’m sorry I’ve been such a bother, Sergeant Grant. I know you’re probably super sick of me by now.” Graham looked away. Maybe it was the painkillers or maybe it was something else, but all of a sudden he was feeling very down.
“Would I be sitting in this chair if I was sick of you, Graham?” She laughed, in almost an accusatory way. “And it’s Athena to you. We’re way past ‘Sergeant’ now.”
“I guess so,” Graham nodded knowing full well he’d forget to call her that the next time. He paused before looking back at her and asking, “How long have I been here?”
“Just about two days,” Athena leaned back in her chair. “That’s not too bad, Graham. You’ve been recovering pretty well for someone in your condition.” Her smile eased his worry, but not by too much. It seemed she was way too used to having friends recover in the hospital by the way she was handling it.
Two days. To him, that seemed like a lifetime. Two days that he just spent sleeping while the world passed him by. As he thought, Graham took a second to look around the bleak hospital room, taking in all the tubes and machines and scattered beeps. It was quiet. Was it always this… still when people woke up? Or did they have parades of people waiting to greet them when they finally opened their eyes? How many people had visited him while he was asleep? There were a few gifts on his bedside table, backed by a few colorful balloons, but still only one person. As far as he was concerned, he had been alone this whole time, which led Graham to rack his brain for anyone who would even want to visit him.
Did his parents ever come?
Graham looked back to Athena, face already feeling hot. She looked back at him and smiled. Her kind eyes were a stark contrast to the usual disappointed look she gave Graham while having to deal with his antics- which, in his defense, were totally justifiable. Now, though, she just looked happy that he was okay. But it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t his mom. She hadn’t had a huge falling out with him. So he broke the silence anyway, though his brain was highly against it.
“Ser- Um, Athena?” Graham croaked, licking his lips and pressing them against each other.
“Yes, Graham?” She asked politely, scooting her seat slightly closer to his bed.
“Did, um, did…” He was ashamed to ask. “Did my parents ever visit?”
Her silence and the way she stared at him so intently gave Graham his answer. Of course. Of course they hadn’t come. Eventually, Athena shook her head and looked down at the floor, confirming his fears.
“Oh. Okay.”
Graham tried to keep his chin up. Tried to keep his eyes dry. Tried to seem like the news didn’t bother him. Because it didn’t… right? His parents never cared about him anyway. Why should they start now? It worked for a second, but when Athen laid a hand on his shoulder and tried to explain, everything began to fall apart.
“Graham,” Athena tried, “Maybe they weren’t able to come just yet. Maybe they just-“
His chin was quivering. He couldn't stop it. His eyes were watering. He couldn't stop it.
“Oh, honey,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry.”
Athena leaned over, softly wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. And he didn’t stop her. As she soothed him, soft and sweet, he let himself crumble, sobbing into her shoulder. He had never cried in front of anyone before. Even as a child, he kept it to himself. Maybe nothing had ever deserved his tears before. But now, in that stupid, bleak hospital, he cried. He cried a lot. He just clung onto her, bunching her soft knitted sweater in his hands like a baby. Through it all, Athena just sat there, rubbing his back in slow, warm movements.
His parents weren’t coming. They didn’t care. Whether he was alive or dead, they didn’t care about him.
“It’s going to be okay, Graham. It’s only been a few days,” Athena said softly, pulling back from him. “There’s still time for them to come. To change their minds.” She took his hands, cradling them gently in hers.
Graham only nodded, his throat too tight with tears to say much of anything. He bit down on his lips, careful to keep the rest of his emotions inside.
They sat in silence for a long time.
After about an hour, Athena stood up, gathering her things.
“Well, Graham, I hope it’s okay with you, but I should probably get going. I’ve gotten behind on some paperwork and-”
“Athena,” Graham stopped her. She looked up at him, startled. “It’s okay. You don’t have to put your whole life on pause for me. I’ll be okay.”
Athena stood there for a second, clearly thinking very hard about something. Her dark eyes scanned him intensely, but it wasn’t long before a smile broke across her face.
“I know you will be, Graham. How about I come back first thing tomorrow?” She offered.
“Tomorrow’s great,” he smiled back, fiddling with the thin tube in his wrist. “I’m not going anywhere, so…”
With a small laugh, Athena said her goodbye’s before heading out the door, leaving Graham’s room even quieter than before.
Great.
Throughout the day, Graham wasn’t totally alone. Different nurses, doctors, and a few journalists came by. Some to check on him, some to explain his upcoming physical therapy, and the rest (the journalists), came mainly to get the scoop on the building collapse. Naturally, Graham explained the situation, focusing on his pursuit for justice. They seemed to really like that angle. One woman in particular, Josie, dove deep into his story until another nurse came by and asked her to leave. He hadn’t minded the company, really, but the woman’s constant questions had eventually begun to wear him out.
“We’ll talk again soon, okay, Mr. Quay?” Josie smiled as she gathered her things, pad and pen still in hand. “Your story really is very interesting and I’d love to hear more about this ‘Cop Cart’ endeavor.”
Oh great, that again. He was hoping to forget about that.
“Yeah, for sure.” Graham cleared his throat. “But-but I’m, um, I’m retired now, so…”
“That’s alright,” Josie laughed, though Graham didn’t think it was that funny. “I look forward to talking to you again, Mr. Quay.”
And with that, she headed out the door, along with the rest of Graham’s company for the day.
Alone again.
Ravi:
Ravi never liked to get emotionally attached to anyone he saved on the job. It was typically a messy business and more often than not, dangerous. He’d seen it go south for too many of his friends. You can’t save everyone. Those famous words swam around in Ravi’s head, haunting images of the night in the lab plaguing his thoughts. He’d lost Bobby. He’d let his one rule slide and dearly paid for it. He loved Bobby just the same as the next firefighter. But he still hadn’t saved him. Instead, he just passed out, taking up Bobby’s precious last moments.
It had been a month now. Unfortunately, any thoughts of moving on were far from the top of his list. Ravi sighed, untying his boots in the locker room. It had been a long shift. Not exactly a hard one, but just long. Keeping his personal struggles separate from his job was getting harder. It was hot in that room; the sweat clung to the back of his neck like a looming fog, damp and humid. Ravi just had to get away. He couldn’t take much more of the Buck and Eddie banter, and with Chimney as the new captain and therefore now very busy, Ravi felt sort of alone. Which, usually, was normal for him to feel like the outsider in the 118, but ever since he had come back, it felt different. Like he was part of the team but only just. A part of it. Not the whole like everyone else was. This only bothered him every so often, but when it did, he was left thinking hard for hours. And this of course only spiraled once he was home, all alone in that big house of his. He felt unworthy of feeling sad. Guilty. Lost. He felt like he was stealing the mourning time that rightfully belonged to everyone else.
“Hey, Rav. What are you still doing here?” A voice asked from behind Ravi, startling him.
Turning with his boot in hand, he saw Buck leaning on the doorframe, holding his backpack and keys. Feeling ashamed, Ravi set his shoe down, scratching his neck awkwardly.
“Guess I just zoned out while getting ready,” He laughed quietly. “I’m on my way out now.”
“No need to rush, man,” Buck smiled, slinging his pack over his shoulder. “I’ll walk you out when you’re ready.”
Ravi mumbled a quick thank you before shoving his shoes on, barely getting his heels in before he jumped up. Don’t give him any ideas. One tear shed and it’s Therapist-Buck for the next week. So Ravi did his best to keep quiet, only laughing when Buck made a joke about ‘the state of the economy’. The two sauntered out of the dark firehouse, silent but content. While saving people always felt nice, going home was always an amazing feeling for Ravi. There was something about getting in his favorite sweats and cozying up to Love Island that felt almost therapeutic for him. Better than any ‘counseling’ he could get from Buck or anyone else.
“So what were you still hangin’ around here for?” Buck asked, his eyes tilted up at the starry sky.
“Just thinking, I guess,” Ravi shrugged. That wasn’t entirely false. “And I didn’t have anywhere to be, so I guess I just wasn't in a rush.”
Buck nodded at that, probably very aware of how Ravi felt.
“What were you doing here?” Ravi flipped the conversation onto Buck, internally smirking as he watched his friend’s face go red.
For a second, Buck just looked around, tripping on his words. “Oh, uh, I-I was just… I was just cleaning up a bit.”
“You were just cleaning.” Ravi repeated, raising his eyebrow skeptically.
Buck was a terrible liar, as always.
“Well, yeah, I mean I just didn’t want the firehouse to be a mess when everyone got in tomorrow. We’ve all been stressed lately and a messy kitchen is the last thing everyone wants to worry about!” Buck was fighting for his life as they came to a stop in the parking lot.
“Yeah okay, Buckley, I know you weren’t cleaning,” Ravi laughed evilly. “But I hope you and Eddie had a nice time anyway.”
Ravi could only suppress a laugh as he stepped into his car, closing the door over Buck’s flustered protests. He simply waved and backed out of the parking lot, taking a mental picture of his friend’s horrified face. It was priceless.
Unfortunately, the drive home was not nearly as exciting as his conversation with Buck had been. Like most moments in Ravi’s life, it was quiet. He tried to fill it with little movements like tapping on the steering wheel, clicking his tongue against his teeth, and even the occasional whistle. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he was home. Ravi pulled into his large driveway, heaving a large sigh before pulling the keys out of the ignition and leaving with his pack strung over his sore shoulder. His house seemed to be doing okay, even after it had been left unattended for a few days during his seemingly endless shift.
The lawn could use a trim, and the fountain in his yard was a little more empty than usual, but other than that it seemed to be okay. Ravi scrubbed at his face as he walked through the front door, taking in the familiar scent of his home. Immediately, he was met with a large walkway, splitting off at the kitchen straight ahead, the living room to the left, and a winding staircase in between. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Ravi to question sometimes why he had as big a house as he did, but the answer was always the same: he had so much money from his rentals, but no one to spend it on but himself. So why wouldn’t he have a big house? Sure there were charities and donations, but it never quite fulfilled him like he wanted it to. So instead, he spent it on useless, meaningless things in hopes that one day he could gift them to a friend, or… someone more than that. Ravi sighed, trudging to the kitchen, ready to make another dinner to eat by himself. That was, until his phone started ringing. It was an unknown number, the apparent lack of a contact name or photo flashing across the screen.
“Hello?” Ravi asked, a little annoyed at the inconvenience.
“Hi, Ravi, it’s Athena!”
Ravi froze. He’d never really had a casual conversation with Athena over the phone, so he just assumed that something was wrong.
“Hello,” he answered cautiously. “Is… everything okay?”
“Oh, yes, of course,” she laughed warmly, instantly calming Ravi. “Sorry, I can see how you’d think that. But anyway, I have a question to ask you. More like a favor, if that’s alright.”
“Yeah, for sure, what’s up?” He asked, leaning against the counter.
“Do you remember the boy we helped during the building collapse? Graham?”
It took Ravi a second before he recalled the dull memories of the tan skin and dark curly hair.
“Yeah, yeah, the one with the rebar,” he nodded.
“Yes that’s him,” there was a slight pause in her voice. “In any case, seeing as his apartment is… out of the question and I remember Bobby telling me that you were a landlord…”
He knew where this was going.
“… Would it be possible for you to help him out in finding a place to stay?” She sounded like she really needed this- she definitely cared for Graham a lot.
Ravi looked down at his shows for a second, letting the line go quiet. A few thoughts ran through his head: “Was he really in the position to go through that whole process right now?” “Did he even have any open places?” But the thought that rang the loudest above all of them was: “I have to help him.”
So after another second of compilation, Ravi lifted his head, squared his shoulders, and gave a confident ‘yes’.
“Of course I’ll help,” he continued. “It might take me a couple days to go through all my properties and see what’s available, but I’ll try to be fast.”
“Ravi, thank you so much,” Athena exhaled. “You don’t know how helpful this is. For both of us.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he laughed. “Helping people’s my thing.”
They said their goodbyes, arranging to meet later to discuss details. After that, Ravi sat down with his meal, thinking it over. He didn't know Graham much. In fact, he didn't know him at all. He seemed nice enough, but Ravi did recall the others talking about some trouble he had caused earlier that month. Ravi shrugged it off- It's not like he had a perfectly clean slate, either. So instead, he grabbed his trusty binder, flipping through the sleeves of properties, all color-coded with sticky notes. Red for taken, yellow for on hold or being looked at, and green for open.
Shit. Ravi scrubbed his face as he stared down at the only property in the green section. It was probably his worst property. He still hadn't had it fixed from the last time he rented it out, which went horribly. Flashes of the tiring memories tied to that house swam in Ravi's brain. He slammed the book shut, along with his eyes. He couldn't give Graham that apartment. No way in hell. He racked his brain for some other solution, any solution. He didn't want to let Athena down by just saying no. Not only would that be bad for business, that would make him a bad friend. And Ravi was not a bad friend. After 30 minutes of back and forth with himself, he could only see one way to help Athena and Graham.
"Oh, God, what am I doing?" Ravi groaned, burying his face into his hands.
He was in no position to do this, but after all other options were considered...
Graham would have to stay with him.