A Lifetime to Struggle

Bones.

"My fucking nose is broken!" Brian sighed in anger. We stood together at the front desk of the hospital, him holding a bloody cloth over his nose.
An hour after the fight went down, Brian couldn't handle the pain any longer. He came running down the stairs, quickly calling a truce with Matt, while telling me how much pain he was in.
Somehow, Brian managed to drag me along to the hospital with him. I guess i felt bad when I saw him in pain like that.
"I understand sir, but you're going to have to wait just like the rest of these people." The lady at the desk explained, struggling to keep her voice from raising at Brian.
Since the moment we stepped up to the desk, Brian has been repeating the same thing over and over again. 'My nose is broken! My nose is broken!' as though she couldn't see that.
Before Brian could explain his situation once more, I cut in for him.
"What he means is, his nose is seriously broken. It's been an hour since he realized he should probably see a doctor, which you should know, only makes it worse. And as much as he's being a dick about it, he'd really appreciate it if you could give us an emergency pass onto the next available doctor. As it looks, everyone else in this place has a cold, or a cough of some sort, which can clearly wait as the doctor will take about two seconds to pop his nose back."
The lady looked at me, her expression unreadable. A part of me hoped she'd listen to me, and get us the next doctor. But another part of me hoped she'd just wave us away, so Brian could sit through a few more hours of pain.
But I quickly dismissed that thought from my mind, knowing how wrong it was.
The lady sighed, but nodded. "Okay. Fine. Just fill this form out for me, and bring it back."
She placed a clip board in front of us, and dropped a pen on top.
"Thank you so much." I said, grabbing the pen and board before walking towards the chairs, Brian following behind me.
I sat down in one of the many blue plastic chairs, as did Brian. He began groaning, and hissing at the pain.
"Let me do that. You don't know--"
"Shut up Bri. I know exactly what i'm doing." I mumbled, while filling out the first bit. Thing such as his name, date of birth, allergies and so on.
"Don't forget to mention the bee-"
"Yes Brian, I know. allergic to bee's, deathly afraid of them." I sighed, already having filled out the rest of the form.
Brian stared at me, watching as I finished the sheet.
"You really know everything about me." He said.
I nodded. "To bad I can't say the same for you." I got up, and handed the clip board back to the lady at the front desk, and sat back down next to Brian.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"It means, that you don't know as much about me as I do about you." I replied, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.
"That's a bunch of bullshit." Brian scoffed. "I know more about you then anyone else in the house."
I let out a ridiculous snort, before a fit of laughter.
"Riiight." I replied, rolling my eyes.
" I do!" He argued, clearly becoming a bit stressed.
I sighed deeply and shook my head, not wanting this conversation to escalate. I had a weird feeling it would though.
"Wanna bet? Ask me a question." Brian said, turning his body to face mine.
"Can you just please not do this?" I asked.
"Ask!" Brian growled.
I sighed, and slowly turned my head to him. "Favorite food."
"Taco's, just like Matt." He replied, so sure of himself.
"Full name."
"Harmony Alexandria Sanders."
"What was my favorite toy as a little girl?" I asked, knowing this was a harder question.
Brian took a few moments to think it over. "I don't remember you having one."
"Right. What's my favorite color?"
Brian laughed. "That's easy. Orange."
I smiled to myself, and shook my head. "Orange?" I asked
He nodded, a full smile appearing on his damaged face.
"I hate orange Brian."
The smile on his face faded almost instantly.
"But you eat oranges all the time, I thought it was your--"
"Yeah I like the taste of oranges. Not the color." I cut in, feeling a bit bad inside. How could he not know the simplest question of them all?
Brian pressed the cloth to his nose again.
" I knew that." He replied.
"Sure you knew." I closed my eyes again.
"Mr. and Mrs. Haner." My eye's flickered open, to see a nurse in blue scrubs standing by the front desk.
I looked over at Brian, who laughed. " They wouldn't let you come with me if we didn't have some sort of relation.." He stated.
I sighed, the both of us getting up and following the nurse to the small space with a hospital bed.
"The doctor will be here in just a moment." She said before closing the small curtain around us.
"Couldn't you have said I was your sister?" I asked.
He nodded. "I thought of that after."
Brian sat of the bed, taking the cloth of his nose. He examined the blood, and whistled.
"Nicely done Matt." He said as is Matt was there with us.
"What even happened?" I asked.
Brian shrugged, indicating he didn't know. Just like Matt.
"That's helpful." I sighed.
"I try." Brian replied, just before the doctor walked in.
"Hi Brian, i'm doctor Lydon. I hear you have a broken nose, so we'll just pop that back quickly, and give you a few pain killers." Doctor Lydon smiled at the both of us.
"Alright, i'm not going to lie, this is going to hurt a bit." Doctor Lydon pushed his coat sleeves up just a bit. He lightly places his hands on Brian's nose. Brian winced a bit, and Lydon laughed.
"Don't worry, i'm not going to do it just yet." Brian relaxed, wincing every two seconds though.
"You're lucky your wife brought you in when she did."
I let out a small laugh. Wife. Please. Like that would ever happen. Brian can't handle a relationship for more then a month. Seeing him get married would be the end of the world.
"Yeah. She's pretty smart." Brian nodded, smiling to himself.
"Alright, I'm about to pop it back. Would you like your wife to hold your hand?" Lydon asked.
Brian smirked playfully. "Yeah, i'd like that. Honey, can you hold my hand for me?"
I shot him a 'You-fucking-dick-' look. My jaw clenched, as I walked over to him, and grabbed his hand in mine, forcing a sweet smile to him.
"No problem, baby." I replied.
"Okay, one." The doctor grasped Brian's nose in his fingers."
"Two.." His grip tightened.
"Three" And with that, Lydon snapped Brian's bone back into it's proper position.
"FUCKING HELL!" Brian scream, his hand squeezing mine so tight, I couldn't help but let out my own cry of pain.
"All done!" Lydon said, laughing a bit. "Here" He handed Brian the half bloody cloth for his nose that was bleeding once more.
"It'll hurt for the night but just take a few of these," Lydon said giving me a four small blue pills." And you should feel fine tomorrow. I'll warn you though those pills make you really drowsy."
Brian smiled. " I like drowsy."
I rolled my eyes, and put the pills in my pocket. "Thank you so much." I said to Lydon.
"No problem." Brian- who's hand was still tightly gripped on mine- Thanked Lydon, and quickly left the small hospital space.
"Fucking gonna punch Matt in the face and break his fucking nose. See if he likes it." Brian mumbled.
I don't think Brian really realized my hand was still attached to his.
"Brian," I started.
"I can't believe you let him do that!" He exclaimed.
"Bri," I tried again.
"My nose was a pretty nice nose!"
He was right. It was a cute nose.
"Now it's all cracked and shit."
"Brian!" I exclaimed when we found ourselves outside the hospital.
He stopped and put all his attention on me.
"Yeah,you can let go off my hand anytime you want." I looked down at out hands.
His big hand, lanced through my, compared to his, tiny one. They seemed to fit so well together.
His grip was now tight, but not to tight. His calloused hand against my soft one.
"Oh yeah." He mumbled, slowly unlacing them.
My hand felt so bare. Cold. Unnatural.
"Let's get you home." I sighed.
"Give me those pills." Brian said, putting his hands in my sweater pockets before I could even say no.
"Really? You wanna be drowsy?" I asked.
"Of course." Brian scoffed. He threw the pills in his mouth and swallowed them.
"You're stupid." I found my car, just up ahead.
"Better thing's happen when you're stupid." Brian smiled.

"Matt, can you help me please?" I called out, shoving a very drowsy Brian through the front door.
Matt slowly came down the stairs, asking me with his eye's what the hell was Brian doing.
"The doctor gave him some pain killers for his nose." I sighed. "They were pretty strong."
Matt took over Brian for me and brought him into the living room, laying him down on the couch.
"You okay buddy?" He asked.
Brian stared at Matt, and smiled a huge, white, perfect smile.
"I'm so happy right now." He replied.
"Good, i'm glad you're happy." Matt sighed.
"Harmony and I were pretending to be married." Brian laughed. "It was so funny. She held my hand while i had my nose go POP!"
I felt my cheeks warm up.
"Harmony Haner." Brian said. "Isn't that such a nice name?"
Matt looked over at me, and i shrugged. "It's pretty hardcore..."
Matt shook his head. "Just stay there for tonight okay pal?" He said to Brian.
Matt walked up to me, stared me straight in the eyes, before continuing on upstairs.
"Harmony Alexandria Haner." Brian said quietly, before smiling to himself.

♠ ♠ ♠

Longer because i missed a day.
Likey. No likey?