It had been forty-two hours, twenty-six minutes, and sixteen seconds since he was called back to Maddox's room. Forty-two hours, twenty-six minutes, and seventeen seconds since he first saw the devastation lying in the hospital bed. Forty-two hours, twenty-six minutes, and eighteen seconds since he took hold of Maddox's limp hand. Forty-two hours, twenty-six minutes, and nineteen seconds since he'd told him he loved him. Forty-two hours, twenty-six minutes, and twenty seconds since his world had imploded.
John-Paul had done his best to keep his mind occupied since making it back to Duck. He filled his days with coffee runs to the cafeteria once the Coopers were reunited. (Even with Madison's glowing introduction given the circumstances, he still felt like a bit of an outsider. This wasn't how he was supposed to meet his parents.) He made a point to at least once a day since cleaning what blood was left off of him to spot wash, if for nothing else than to have a reason for as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. He opened the curtains every morning to let in the sun - Madison convinced the warmth would help him heal faster. And then closing them every night for some self-perceived need for privacy regardless of the double-digit floor number. It was all boring, monotonous, and routine, and it gave JP little time to dwell on the fact that no matter what he did, Maddox wasn't going to answer for at least another twenty-nine hours, three minutes, and fifty seconds.
He just needed to hang on a little while longer.
So, he sat, as usual, next to Ducky's bed, both hands linked with his untethered one. Madison had taken a break and gone home to take a shower and change into a fresh set of clothes. (Something John-Paul had only half done when Birch brought him some sweats and a tee to the day before. His sister had also tried her best to convince to him head home and wash up, but he refused to leave Mad's side. Not until he woke up.) Except for the quiet beeps and whirring of the machines, the room was just so, so quiet.
"Do you remember when we first started talkin' and you had ta walk me through our first facetime and I kept callin' it faceshots?" he reminisced to himself, caressing Maddox's hand. He swallowed back the lump in his throat and shifted in his seat. He was far from used to speaking with an unresponsive version of his boyfriend, but he didn't know what else to do to make him still feel alive.
The nights were always the hardest.
"I already miss your laugh," he said through a sad chuckle as he looked to Maddox with his now permanently affixed concern furrowed brow. His heart ached the longer he stared at him, and he had to force his gaze away, squeezing his eyes shut as he pressed a kiss to his hand, resting it momentarily against his cheek. "I know doc says three days, n'they'll wake ya up, but I never thought three days'd feel so god damn long," he griped, gently replacing is hand to his side, running a hand up his arm lovingly before covering it back up with the sheet.
He got up to grab the other half to his makeshift bed, sliding the two chairs as close together as possible before lowering himself inside the temporary bench it created. Short as he was compared to Maddox, his feet hung off the edge, out the back of the backward chair, and he let a sorrowful chuckle leave him at the sight. "I guess one good thing has come outta all'a this. I know what you feel like when you sleep in my bed," he sadly joked, his smile falling to a frown almost as quickly as it showed, the realization that he may never sleep in it again hitting him like a ton of bricks. "First thing m'doin' when you get outta here is buyin' a bigger one," he added aloud as a note to himself, forcing the thought away as he settled in for the night.
John-Paul's hand found itself right back in Maddox's as he lay, staring at the ceiling, his mind now unfortunately allowed to wander with nothing to distract it.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and twelve seconds.
His thumb began to caress the back of Mad's hand idly.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and thirteen seconds.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and fourteen seconds.
A bigger bed and his their own place.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and fifteen seconds.
"I wish I hadn't waited as long to let'cha know."
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and sixteen seconds.
His grip fully entangled itself in Maddox's limp counterpart.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and seventeen seconds.
"Make sure ta come back ta me n'I promise I won't ever make ya wait ta hear it again."
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and eighteen seconds.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and nineteen seconds.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and twenty seconds.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes, and twenty-one seconds.
Forty-three hours, ten minutes....
