#hydrotherapy

Lando was standing in front of the mirror.

It was an upright rectangular one, decorated with fairy lights. Full-body size, taller than him, for checking his outfits looked great and double-checking his curls were shaped.

He was currently wearing pyjamas, a plain t-shirt and shorts. Exposed skin of his arms, legs, and feet on display. Tanned. Freckled. Clean.

No.

Scraped. Graffitied. Dirty.

Gasping, his eyes roamed over the words. Worthless. Talentless. Arrogant. Up his legs. Weak. Lazy. Careless. Up his arms. Insufferable. Inept. Fraud. Across his face. Useless. Coward. Fr–

Freak.

That’s what they’d called him.

Tears pricked his eyes. A lone one escaped, slipping down his cheek.

No.

They’d both gotten out.

He wasn’t there anymore.

“Lan?” The voice reached his ears, but it was muffled. Didn’t register until he felt a hand on his arm, and he flinched, wrenching it away until warmth surrounded him. A familiar voice hushed him, gentle hands cradled him, and he could just about still smell the dark chocolate on his alpha’s burnt skin.

Oscar.

“You’re home. You’re safe,” he soothed. Lando clung to him, sobs taking over, letting Osc take his weight. He shuffled them over to the window, allowing Lando to see the expanse of the Somerset Levels before them. Green, bright, and free.

The writing on his skin wasn’t real, washed down the hospital shower drain.

Oscar’s scent wasn’t the same to him anymore, the shock collar damaging his scent gland on the side of his neck.

They had their family pack downstairs, multiple nests to pick from for comfort, and they were slowly getting back into normal routines.

They wouldn’t be racing yet, but all Lando cared about for now was being close to his loved ones. Everything else would follow later.

~

“…Fourteen…Fifteen! Great job! Well done, Oscar.”

He let Artturi take the foam dumbbell from him before he ducked beneath the water; the warmth heaven now that he was resting. Surfacing, he wiped a hand over his face before leaning back and letting himself float, his shoulders aching from the session. He took some deep breaths, feeling them through his abdomen.

“We’ll aim for twenty reps next time. I’m pleased with your progress, mate, you’re doing great.”

He returned to standing, the water buoyancy strangely soothing. He mourned the loss as the pool drained around him. The bottom raised, so he didn’t have to pull himself out. It seemed silly to be upset at not being able to pull his own body weight. Being suspended against the wall for some time close to a week, however, meant following his doctor’s strict rehab orders.

Anything to get back into form without complicating things.

Stepping off, Artturi placed his towel around him, and they headed to the showers. His trainer washed his hair for him before leaving him to get dressed. He could manage that well enough if he went slow getting things over his head.

He’d been frustrated the first couple of times. Having gone from doing everyday things without thinking to suddenly having to slow down and take his time…as an athlete, it was upsetting. As himself, an alpha, protector of his pack, of his omega, it had him questioning things.

He struggled with simple chores, his arms shaking if he picked up anything too heavy, or if he accidentally went to reach for something from a cupboard. In the nest, he could only sleep on his back, cuddling Lando to his chest. Lando seemed to prefer sleeping like that anyway, at least, but Oscar still felt like he wasn’t doing enough.

Artturi dropped him back off at the Norris pack house with a wave goodbye. Cisca greeted him with a gentle hug and a kiss to the cheek, before asking if he wanted anything to eat or drink. He refused at first, before she gave him The Mum Look™ and he sighed, accepting a snack and a smoothie.

They’d been on strict nutritional plans both in and coming out of the hospital, letting their systems adjust from the dehydration and lack of food they’d come out of the room with. They were building back up to their driver diets, slow and steady.

“Where’s Lan?” he asked.

She gave him a sad smile. “Napping with the girls. They were supposed to be watching a movie, but he couldn’t stay awake.”

He sat down at the breakfast bar. “I’m pleased he’s getting some rest.”

“Is he not sleeping okay at night?” Cisca frowned.

“He is, other than a couple of nightmares here and there. It’s not that I’m worried about. We might have to take the mirror out of our room. It’s not helping him.”

He thought back to yesterday, how he’d found Lando frozen in front of the reflective surface, clearly stuck back where they’d been held. Hugging him as tightly as he had hurt, but he hadn’t cared, as his omega had been his priority.

“I hate that I can’t do anything more,” she sniffled. “He’s my baby boy, and most of the time he just looks through us with a blank stare.”

Oscar was immediately at her side. “You’re doing everything, and you are helping. He feels safe here. We feel safe here. Trust me, it helps that we’re not alone.”

They hadn’t wanted to think about their families in there. It was the one thing they’d wanted other than to hug each other. To be home, safe, with their loved ones. Lando’s family were providing them with refuge while they recovered. Oscar’s mum and sisters were here too; the Norris’s had flown them over as soon as they’d both gone missing.

“I’m sorry, darling.” She wiped her eyes. “How are you feeling? Was your hydrotherapy session good?”

He nodded with a small smile. “Attempting twenty reps next time.”

“Don’t rush it, okay?” She cupped his face. “I know you want to help Lan, but you also need to take care of yourself. I love you both very much. There’s no need to push yourself because you think you have to. All that matters is that you take all the time you need.”

“Thanks, Mama.”

~

He took in a deep breath, lungs filling with the fresh, floral, rural air.

It had taken a lot of psyching himself up to leave the house. Confining himself inside seemed insane after what they’d been through, but his omega had wanted comfort and safety. Nesting, snuggling with his family, Osc always nearby. Being fed proper meals, or as close to them as possible, with their refeeding plans. Someone was always there for a cuddle if he needed.

They were supposed to have in-person therapy together, except that with Lando’s panic every time he even thought about leaving his pack house, they were doing it over video call instead. Osc would have his physical rehab, leaving for a facility three times a week, which had special pools for healing his shoulders.

This morning, around a month since they’d come home, Lando finally felt the cabin fever setting in. He’d woken up, fussing, confused as to why he felt so wrong.

The mirror was gone from their room now, and while Lando had been angry at first, he’d quickly been overcome with relief when he stepped into that part of the room, and nothing happened. His skin was his skin, he was present in the room, and he could breathe.

It was different to that feeling. The room felt too small, the pack house felt too small, and everybody who greeted him with a smile, he just grunted at. He didn’t mean to - his omega was just annoyed at seeing the same faces all the time. A weird sensation when this was his own family and life partner.

It was his decision to go for a walk. He’d been sitting on the windowsill, staring out at the open countryside, when he realised. He was in control of where he went now. He didn’t have to stay here, stay inside, hiding away from invisible danger.

He could leave.

When Osc had found him getting dressed, in joggers, a hoodie and a beanie, he’d not asked, but his alpha had rumbled, and his omega responded with a chirp. Osc had hugged him, kissed him, and gathered their coats.

Mum, Dad, and Nicole had asked if they wanted company. He’d hugged them and politely declined, apologising and ducking his head. Mum had whispered that she was proud of him, and he’d almost cried.

Almost, because as soon as he’d stepped outside, the breeze hitting his face, the flowers hitting his nose, the sight of the countryside expanding for miles before him, had him giggling with joy. Oscar squeezed his hand, a proud smile on his face and hearts in his eyes.

They were taking small steps towards recovery, but for now, it was enough.

~