BEN, FOR they were on a first-name basis now, kept Micah in his office for over an hour as Micah began to speak and found he couldn’t stop. By the end of it, Ben probably wished someone else had gotten to Micah’s file and called him in before he did. But Micah knew that wasn’t true. Ben had seen a patient in trouble, and taken the time to help, and Micah was grateful for it.
He filled in his prescription at the chemist next door. He had made a series of appointments with Ben to return for further tests four weeks, and three and six months from now. If they clashed with any games back in WA, he could arrange a test there. It was going to be a long wait for him to be finally cleared and feel assured of true negative diagnosis.
“The odds are low for you to have been exposed to HIV after only one unsafe experience,” Ben told him. “But like pregnancy, it only takes one time.”
He hoped he wouldn’t get carpal tunnel from all the wanking that was in his future, but he remembered that he had survived being thirteen and discovering what his dick could do without getting RSI, so maybe he would be okay.
Thirty days of pills. This was a very expensive lesson to learn, although thankfully the drugs were covered by the pharmaceutical benefit scheme, and Micah once again thanked his lucky stars he didn’t live in America where his prescription and tests could have bankrupted him.
While waiting for the tram he bought a cheap messenger bag to stick the pills in without drawing attention to himself, especially as he had decided to go straight to the hospital. He texted his parents to let them know he was okay and that he’d crashed in another player’s hotel room. He didn’t say the obvious choice of Sam just in case he had called Micah’s parents trying to find out why he hadn’t turned up to Sherlock’s. Their casual reply didn’t send his spider-senses tingling, so he hoped he was safe.
Not that he wouldn’t be forever. He couldn’t help but remember Ben telling him that he needed to be open more to people. That included letting his parents know how he wasn’t coping in Perth. He didn’t have to give all the details—after all, transparency had many layers—but enough for them to get the gist. And then maybe they could help him sort it out.
It also meant he wouldn’t be relying upon Declan like he always did. It was time to give the guy a break, and let the Johnson family do the heavy lifting this time around.
Emma was already in Will’s room by the time he got there. Just as he was about to enter he heard his name called and turned to find Henry approaching him.
“Glad you’re here,” Henry said, shaking his hand.
“How is he today?” Micah asked.
“He’s a lot less groggy. You’ll probably find he’s able to talk a little bit more. I don’t think Emma’s been able to get a word in since she got here.”
“That’d be a first.”
“Will managed to stay up for a little bit of the game yesterday. I’m sorry it didn’t go your way.”
It was amazing that Henry could stand here and have such a conversation, as if Micah losing a football game was something to feel bad about given Will’s career in the same sport had just ended. It must have shown on his face, because Henry led him further away from the door so they wouldn’t be heard.
“Look, Micah. Will’s going to have to deal with the fact that life goes on as normal for everybody around him. And he’s starting to do it, like watching part of the game yesterday. There’s going to be hopelessly mundane discussions about the weather or who in politics is pissing us off. And you’ve got to stop comparing yourself to Will, because, quite frankly, it’s not going to help Will in the long run either.” He frowned, checking himself. “Did that sound harsh?”
Micah shook his head. “It’s true. And I guess Will needs friends, not people feeling sorry for him.”
“Yes, he does. Ready to go in?”
“Sure am.”
ONCE MICAH and Emma had settled in for the afternoon, Henry took the opportunity to head home, feed his pets, and get some supplies for Will.
Will watched him leave with a frown.
“What’s up?” Micah asked.
“He’s doing so much for me.”
“Because he loves you,” Emma said.
“He wants me to move in with him. He offered when I first left home, but I wanted to do it all on my own. I didn’t want to sponge off him.”
“He wouldn’t have seen it as sponging.”
“If I moved in with him now, I’d definitely be sponging.”
“Shut up,” Emma sad, firmly but lovingly.
“But—”
“She told you to shut up, mate,” Micah told him.
Will ignored them anyway. “I know they said I could walk again, and I’ll be starting rehab pretty soon, but what if I don’t? Then I’ll be….”
“You really think if you’re in a wheelchair you can’t contribute?” Emma asked. “Jesus, Will, disabled people all over the world are ready to disown you if you think they’re that incapable.”
“I don’t think that.”
“It sounds like you do,” Emma said.
Micah jumped in before they got too heated. “You can start uni next year. Use your brain, unlike dunderheads like me.”
“You’ve got brains,” Will scoffed.
“Yeah, but I’m not going to be using them for a while.” He turned to Emma, who was just about to say something. “Don’t even bother! Your comebacks are so predictable even Mystic Meg would be able to see them and finally give an accurate reading.”
She left her mouth open for comic effect, and to their relief it got a genuine chuckle out of Will.
“I know it’s trite for us to sit here and tell you that everything’s going to be fine,” Micah said, “but we’re not saying everything is going to be fine. Some things will be fine. But it’s just going to be difficult.”
“For fuck’s sake, Micah,” Emma said. “Was that your idea of a pep talk?”
“It’s fine,” Will said.
“No, it’s not. That was shocking. How are you ever going to be a captain someday, if that’s how you think you’re cheering people on to victory?”