Chapter Text
Rich had never been in a hospital before so he wasn’t sure what the proper etiquette was. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if there was hospital etiquette. All he knew is that he had woken up to see Michael Mell sitting in a chair next to Jeremy’s bed. He didn’t even realize Michael had come in. Though, to be fair, he also hadn’t realized that Jeremy was in the hospital with him. Last thing he remembered he was laying in his bed when all of a sudden his SQUIP started freaking out and his head felt like it had been split open.
Now that he was awake he was trying to figure out if he should alert Michael to his presence or not. He didn’t want to interrupt whatever Michael was doing. What was he doing anyway? Contemplating their friendship? Providing Jeremy moral support? Rich really didn’t know how hospitals worked. On the other hand, it was probably more rude to silently stare at him while Michael thought he was asleep. Not that it’s his fault, when you’re in a full body cast you can’t really turn to your side or close the hospital curtain to give someone any illusion of privacy. After about 5 minutes, which was long enough for any decision he made to be awkward so he really couldn't win, he decided not to say anything.
He figured there was absolutely no reason Michael should want to talk to him. Shit. Of course Michael wouldn’t want to talk to him. Rich had been an absolute asshole to him and Jeremy. Plus, he had given Jeremy the information about the SQUIP which probably led to him being in the hospital. Who would willingly talk to the guy who put his best friend in the hospital? No one. Fuck, now he was thinking how he broke both of Jake’s legs which was something he couldn’t think about without crying. And since crying about all the people you hurt in a house fire you started wasn’t the best ice breaker, Rich tried to go back to thinking about a potential conversation with Michael.
He knew he should apologize for being a jerk to him and Jeremy. Well, for the SQUIP being a jerk. But if Rich was being honest, some of it was him. Sometimes to avoid a punishment, sometimes because he knew that the SQUIP would do it regardless of whether Rich wanted to or not. At least if Rich did it he could control how hard he would push someone or what he said. If he could hurt someone slightly less the SQUIP would, that's a win right? Is it a win if he liked the outcome? Is it wrong to like having friends? Yes, he thought, if you hurt people to do it. God, he really was a bad person, with or without the SQUIP. The intent doesn’t matter though. Bottom line, he hurt people and he had to own up to that, no matter the circumstances that led up to it.
Now he just had to figure out how to apologize. He can’t just blurt out “I’m sorry” in the middle of dead silence. There has to be some build up right? Do you have small talk with someone before apologizing, like “hey how's the weather and also I’m sorry I ruined your life?”. Rich struggled to recall how a normal conversation worked. Without a SQUIP he felt like the most pathetic human being who was ever born. There was no way normal people thought this much about a conversation before even having it. His train of thought was interrupted by an older man Rich had never seen before walking into the room.
“Hey Mr.Heere,” Michael said looking up, “what did the doctor say?”.
“He should be up in an hour or so,” the man, who Rich was assumed was Jeremy’s dad, replied. As he crossed the room to reach his son’s bed he paused next to Rich’s bed. “Hey”, he said looking down, “you’re Rich right? At least that’s what Michael said your name was”.
Fuck, they had been talking about him. He could only imagine what Michael had said. Right now he was picturing Michael dramatically pointing at him while yelling “That’s him Mr.Heere! That’s the kid who ruined everything!”. God, Jeremy’s dad was going to kill him and he probably deserved it. Speaking of Jeremy’s dad, the man was staring expectantly, his eyebrows slightly raised. Oh yeah, he had been talking to him.
“Uh yes sir” Rich muttered. He hated how unsure his voice sounded, as if he didn’t know his own name. Plus, in his excessive worrying, he had forgotten about his lisp so he figured he sounded twice as stupid. And now Michael and Mr.Heere were both just staring at him.
“How are you feeling Rich? Must've been a tough past week or so.”
“I feel fine,” Rich replied, desperately trying to make himself sound a little more confident, like he had actually had a conversation before. It didn’t work.
“Well that’s good”. He looked like he wanted to say more before changing his mind and going to sit down in the chair next to the bed opposite of Michael.
They both talked amongst themselves for a while.Rich doesn’t know for how long or what they talked about. He’s been doing that a lot these past few days. Just zoning out. He doesn’t know if it's a SQUIP thing what. But next thing he knows Mr.Heere is getting up again, asking Michael if he wants anything from the cafeteria downstairs. Rich thinks Michael replied but he can’t be quite sure. Regardless, Mr.Heere starts to leave the room, reaching the doorway and suddenly stopping.
“Aw crap. Michael I forgot my wallet at home. It’s going to take me a while to get back.”
“That’s alright. Mr.Heere take your time”
“Text me if Jeremy wakes up alright?”
Michael nods and with that Jeremy’s dad leaves the room. The room is tense and Rich is laying there trying to figure out which one, if either, of them should speak first when Michael looks up.
“How long were you awake for?”
“Not long. I didn’t even see you come in.” Rich figures he isn't going to get a better opener. “Hey, Michael?” Michael doesn’t say anything but he is making eye contact so it's a start.”I’m sorry. For everything. For being an ass to you and Jeremey. For giving Jeremy the SQUIP. All of it, I’m sorry”. Fuck he isn’t saying anything. Why isn’t he saying anything?. “Not that you have to forgive me or anything I just wanted you to know” Rich rushes out.
“No, it's not that” Michael sighs. “Look Rich, I get it. I don’t blame you. After seeing what the SQUIP made Jeremy and the others do at the play, I get it.”
You should blame me. That’s what Rich thinks anyway. He’s sure as hell not going to say that out loud though.
“What did happen? At the play I mean?”
Michael looks over at him before doing the most confusing thing Rich had seen all day. He gets up and sits down next to Rich’s bed. He doesn’t say anything for a bit, like he's trying to figure out where to start.
“Um, a lot I guess. Long story short though, the whole cast got SQUIPed. Me and Jeremy fought past them to get to a bottle of Mountain Dew red that I had brought. Jeremy gave Christine the bottle like the stupid romantic he is but since all the SQUIPs were connected they all shut down.”
“Oh,” Rich says, trying for a second to wrap his brain around the science of how any of that could’ve worked but ultimately decides that it doesn’t really matter. “So that’s what that was.”
“What?” Michael asks absentmindedly. He’s scrolling through his phone but hasn’t left the chair by Rich’s bed yet.
“Around the time of the play my SQUIP started freaking out and then just shut off. Probably because it was connected to Jeremy’s.” Michael stops at that and looks back up at Rich.
“Oh. So the fire didn’t, you know?” Michael falters and looks like he suddenly realized that maybe talking about the fire wasn’t such a great idea.
“No”
“It was on that whole time?”
“Yup”
Michael falls silent again. Except this time the quiet room doesn’t feel tense. It just feels like the two of them are existing next to each other. It’s the most comfortable Rich has felt with Michael all day.
“Hey Rich? When they SQUIP was attacking us, it made Jake walk even though his legs were broken. Said that he had turned off the pain receptors. Did..,” Michael looks hesitant, like he doesn’t even want to finish his question, “Did yours?”.
“Nope”. Rich would laugh if he didn’t think it would hurt. “It wasn’t too happy with the whole fire thing so it wasn’t really jumping at any opportunity to help me out”. If anything, Rich thinks it did the opposite. This past week everything had hurt so much that Rich thought that the SQUIP had been blocking all the pain meds he had been given.
“I’m sorry”
“Don’t be”
It’s quiet for a while. Rich can’t really figure out what's happening. Michael hasn’t moved back to Jeremy’s side of the room, even though the conversation died out ages ago. Rich doesn’t know why Michael is being so nice. Why he even cares enough to talk and answer his questions. In fact, Rich can't remember the last time anyone had been this nice to him. At least the real him. Wow, that’s a sad thought. Michael had a 5 minute conversation with him and then didn’t leave after and yet Rich can’t recall anyone from school doing anything like this before the SQUIP. He’s felt like crying a couple times today, but this sets him over the edge. If Michael notices the tears quietly running down Rich’s face he doesn’t mention it. Rich doesn’t know if that's better or worse.Maybe Michael didn’t actually care and was just sitting here cause he felt bad that Rich had no friends. Either way, Rich doesn’t want to talk about his feelings so he’s fine to just sit here crying by himself.
This whole situation is overwhelming. Rich feels completely lost and he is still crying. He takes a shaky breath.
“Michael? Thanks. For getting rid of them. I tried but I obviously had no idea what I was doing. So, I’m just grateful I guess”.
“Don’t be” Michael smiles. Rich attempts to smile back figuring that Michael is trying to make some sort of joke. Rich has no clue what he looks like but Michael laughs lightly. Not in a mean way though, it’s sweet and quiet and a type of laugh Rich has never really heard before.
“Really man it's fine. I was just trying to do the right thing.”
They don’t talk again, at least not until Jeremy wakes up, but it's okay. Rich realizes that he enjoys just sitting here next to Michael, no matter the reason why.