Chapter Text
The Rules of Friendship
By PattRose
Summary: Milt has been shot and Russ is sitting up at the hospital watching to be sure he'll be all right.
Warnings: Angst, Milt Owwies
Genre: Pre-slash, (Just talk from Russ and Milt to themselves.)
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 1437
A/N: This takes place following the last episode of the show. I felt like something should come out of it. Part of this story is written because IAmOnlyPartlyMajestic made a songvid for me that was so powerful. I had to write something. The writing isn't near as good as the songvid. Thank you again for that wonderful songvid.
Milt opened his eyes and moaned a deep, low moan. He was in a great deal of pain and wasn't quite sure why.
He turned his head and saw Russ sitting in the chair next to his bed. Russ was sleeping sitting up looking very uncomfortable. Milt needed to remember what happened.
First of all, Russ was wearing scrubs from the hospital. Milt looked down and realized he was too. What the fuck? Milt didn't really want to wake Russ up, but at the same time he needed to know what was going on. Maybe he should just think a while and see if it came back to him. Yeah, that's what I'll do.
Milt looked at the machine next to him and saw he was hooked up to monitors for his heart. Why would that be? Milt moved his hand over to his chest and felt a huge bandage and pushed on it. Oh fuck, that wasn't smart at all. Thankfully, the groan he let out was a soft one, so Russ was still sleeping.
Milt guessed he had been shot. How long had he been there? Russ looked pretty rough. Lots of facial hair growth, although, he was growing his beard out anyhow, much to the dismay of Milt. Milt like looking at his face clean shaven. Milt felt himself blush even thinking about how he felt about Russ. You have no right to think about him in any way. He belongs to someone else.
Milt decided to close his eyes and think. That wasn't probably such a good idea because suddenly it all came back to him. He had killed that man's son, maybe not with his own hands, but with his own actions. Now that man who had lost everything would go to prison and Milt didn't know if he could deal with all of this.
He thought once more about the young man who had died. He was such a good kid, a trusting kid and Milt ruined him. And then he sent him to his death. Milt started to sob and that got the machine going rather loudly because he was breathing oddly.
Russ was looking over him when he opened his sad eyes.
"I killed him, Russ. It's because of me that father will have to go to prison."
Russ petted Milt's head and said, "Calm down. You're going to have the nurses in here soon and believe me you don't want that. We got the father sent to our holding cell and we're going to get a psychological evaluation done on him. We all think he's good for the mental institution. I hear it's not too bad and if you want we can go and visit him."
"I'm the last person he ever wants to see, Russ. He wants me dead. When he gets out, he'll try again."
"He won't be out for a long, long while, Milt. It's time to focus on you. You have to get stronger. The doctor said you're breathing isn't all that it's supposed to be. You can't run your fucking ten miles every morning if you can't breathe, am I right?"
"Russ, I'm sure that you and Holly have things to do. Just leave me up here."
"I'd rather be here, Milt. I can't explain it right now, but I need to be sure you're all right."
"I scared you giving that poor father the gun, didn't I?" Milt asked.
"You scared all of us. They want to do an eval on you too."
"Oh perfect. I'll lose my job and that will be that. You know Russ, trying to make things right after you have done something so wrong doesn't ever work out."
"Commander Guiewicz put in a good word for you, so they are listening to her at least. She doesn't understand why I'm still off duty. I took personal leave and she wonders what's going on."
"Russ, what is going on?"
"I don't want you to die. I have feelings for you. You're my friend and perhaps something even more. I'm not sure about that yet. Give me time."
"Do they say how long I'll be here?" Milt wondered.
"The doctor said at least another week. And then two weeks at home. You're going to come to my house. I'm going to help you get over this, Milt."
"Russ, most of the time, you can't stand me."
"That was before I KNEW you. I know all about you now. You can't hide your demons from me any longer."
"What you learned about me should have you running scared, not going to my corner. What the fuck is wrong with you, Russ?"
"I like you, Milt. I don't want to like you, but I do. I now know that you also have demons that you tried to hide from everyone just like I do. And someday I'll share some of mine with you."
A tear slid out of Milt's right eye and down his cheek. Russ wiped it with a Kleenex and said, "Everything will work out, Milt. We're going to work on this together."
"And what if I feel like crying?" Milt asked being close to that point right at that moment.
"Then you cry. I cry, Milt. Men cry. Whoever says they don't are big fat liars. If you need to cry anytime I have big shoulders for you to lean on."
Milt grabbed Russ's hand and held it close to him. And he did start crying. Crying for the loss of a child that shouldn't have died. The loss of a father that will now be locked up and the loss of Milt Chamberlain.
A nurse came in and said, "I need to check on him."
"Not now. I'll let you know when it's a good time. I'm taking care of him now," Russ said.
She smiled and walked out of the room. She wasn't going to worry so much about Milt Chamberlain any longer. This new person in the room seemed like he was going to be a big help. She could only hope that things would work out for Milt. But she really felt like he might be taken off the suicide watch in the next few days. But then again, she wasn't the doctor. Friends were a very good thing to have.
In between sobs, Milt said, "I can't expect you to give up your life, Russ."
"I've got so much time that they want me to take it. Font is going to take over for me while I'm taking care of you. Stop worrying." Russ leaned down and kissed Milt on the forehead, making Milt cry even harder.
"I don't deserve a good friend. I don't."
"You aren't aware of my rules of friendship. One of them is when your friend is down, you never leave his side. You wait until he's fully functioning. And that's what we're going to do, Milt. Those are my rules and you're going to follow them."
"I might have to see a doctor, Russ. I'm fucking messed up. I've been waiting to die for so long."
"Then you'll see a doctor. We have doctors in Battle Creek. We'll work it out, Milt. Everything will be fine. I promise you and do I keep my promises?"
"I think you probably do."
"I do. Now, relax and go to sleep. We'll talk more when you wake up again. I'm here for you."
And Milt closed his eyes, still holding on to Russ's hand like it was a lifeline. Russ knew that this was going to be hard, but that's what friends did. And if they wanted more, then they would talk about that later.
The nurses kept walking by and saw that Russ had never moved his hand. He pulled the chair over to the bed and sat down, but never took his hand away from Milt. Yes, Russ knew the rules of friendship and he'd be sure that Milt knew them soon too.
The end