Chapter Text
He didn’t know what happened exactly. One moment he was reaching for something in the storage while on the ladder, the next he was falling, and the next, a crunch.
Grace couldn’t move for a moment as panic shot through him. Then the pain made itself known, sharp and hot. It only got worse as his lungs heaved against the sudden pressure. Each breath was a wet gasp. He was vaguely aware of tapping claws on xenonite over the roaring in his ears.
“Grace! Grace what happen, question?! Grace was on ladder now on ground fast, Grace fall, question?!” Rocky screeched from his tunnels, his words barely understandable with emotion. All Grace could manage was a pathetic whimper-groan.
“Rocky get Simon, Simon help, Rocky can’t help-“ he was cut off as he disappeared through the hatch above. Tears wetted the ground at his head, each shudder of a sob sent intense pain through him.
It felt like an eternity before he could hear voices again, along with the sound of rushing footsteps.
“Ryland!! Oh my god what the fuck happened?!” Simon damn near wailed from the top of the ladder. He climbed down with surprising speed given his one arm, soon in Grace’s line of sight. Simon rolled him over, causing him to cry out. All the while the man above him murmured variations of “oh god oh god” and “fuck fuck fuck what the fuck”.
“Rocky hear grinding on arm and chest when Grace breathe!” Rocky was still frantic. Grace couldn’t see him but figured he was flailing around in his xenonite. The image would’ve made him laugh if it didn’t sound like he had broken bones from Rocky’s description.
Oh god he’d broken bones. Now a different image entered his mind. It was rudimentary, like the medical grade skeleton model in the biology classroom back at his school, but the bones on the model were broken where he was hurting.
And that was inside him. Oh god.
A wave of nausea swept through him at the realisation. All of a sudden there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air as his chest heaved in great gasps, trying to fill his lungs. He couldn’t hear anything anymore, not over the noise of his own body.
He could feel the scraping of bone on bone now. Grace sat up as quick as he could before vomiting over to the side, thankful he had the wherewithal to face away from Simon. This did not stop the panic still coursing through him. He blindly grasped around for Simon, for anything really. He found a hand and gripped it tight to the point of shaking.
The roaring in his ears subsided just enough to hear words somewhere to his left, though muffled. “Gonna pick you up now, it’s gonna hurt, baby I’m sorry.” Grace didn’t have any time to react before the hand was ripped from his and was scooping him up with surprising ease.
The pain tore through him like nothing he’d ever experienced. He cried out with pure anguish. His broken arm hung sickeningly limp over Simon’s back. He shouldn’t have opened his eyes. The sight had him dry heaving, making it harder to breathe. Then everything went dark.
“Ryland?! Ryland!! Are you with me? Stay with me, baby stay with me-“ a hand was on Grace’s face. Gentle but urgent as he came to with a gasp.
“There you are, it’s ok. Armando has to set the bones, I got you.” Simon turned his head away and into his chest. He barely registered his arm being picked up before more pain shot through him. A raw wail erupted from him in shock and agony.
“All done, all done-“ Simon’s deep timbre and some incoherent shrieking from Rocky pierced through the haze before a needle pinched through his neck and everything was dark again.
Images of skeleton models spun around behind his eyes for what felt like seconds before his eyes shot open to blinding light. His good arm flailed around, trying to find Simon. He was successful almost immediately as a hand grasped his once more.
“I’m here, I’m here, Ryland. Not going anywhere.” His voice was so smooth, like a calm tide pool despite the waves crashing around it. Then Grace thought about the broken bone inside him. Panic gripped his chest tight again, making breathing incredibly difficult.
“Oh god, I can- I can’t breathe- I ca- hel- help,” he managed between hyperventilations. Simon moved his hand to Grace’s back, guiding him to sit up. He felt his body being turned so his legs dangled off the side of the cot he found himself in.
Then he found himself buried in the warmth of Simon’s chest. Instinctively, he reached his arms around to grab at his back, though only succeeding with one arm as the other screamed out in pain from behind its cast. Grace’s breath only quickened at that. He could hear nothing but his own breathing.
“Shhhh, Ryland, I’m here. I’m here, baby I’m here. Focus on me, focus on my voice. Breathe. Breathe.” More words like a shining lighthouse in the storm. He grabbed at Simon’s shirt, letting the warmth bleed through to his clenched knuckles. Letting it soothe him and calm his erratic breathing.
Soon it died down to slower, deeper breaths. Simon pushed him back to look at him, his hand coming up to cradle his face. Grace looked up at him and as soon as his eyes met Simon’s, he broke completely. It started as a few shallow sobs that escalate to full blown shaking as he let it take him.
Tears streamed down his face as he tried to hide behind his one hand but to no avail. Simon pressed him back into his chest and rocked him gently. So gently. “I know, baby. I know, I’m here. I’m not leaving. I’d never leave you.”
As Grace’s erratic sobbing gave way to sporadic hiccuping, Simon guided him to lay back down on his good side. Then as soon as Grace began to mourn the loss of contact, it came back, as Simon got into the cot with him. He pulled the quilt over the both of them and wrapped his arm around Grace, pulling him close once more.
Before he knew it, Grace was asleep. Lulled by sweet caresses and words from his impossible love. Safe again.