Work Text
Jason had been debating what to do for a long time
He knew he needed to get someone to watch Mikey tonight
He knew Ray and Naima were going out
He knew Trent was helping Sonny with his injuries from their last spin up
He knew Brock was taking care of Cerberus right now, the pup having gotten lightly stabbed when they sent him into the building first
That left few options
His mom was out of town
Emma had plans and while he knew he's made her push then back before, he didn't wanna do that if he didn't have to
Only person that left was Clay
He knows he's had Clay watch Mikey before, only once or twice
And he knows Clay is already watching RJ and Jameelah tonight for Ray and Naima
He also knows Clay's still not 100% after their last spin up either
He didn't wanna make him watch another kid
Not when Clay was a kid himself, and hurt
But..
He had to be at that meeting tonight and he could not afford to leave Mikey by himself
With a sigh, he dialed Clay's number
"Hey Jase, little occupied, what's up?"
Of course Clay answered on the first ring
"Hey kid, look, I'm sorry to ask, I know you've got RJ and Jammie right now, but-"
"You need someone to watch Mikey so you can go to that meeting?" Clay finished for him "Ray said you might, was waiting on the call, already cleared it, if you wanna drop him off here"
"You knew id- of course Ray figured that out"
"It also don't take a genius" Clay chuckled "I gotta finish making dinner, just drop Mikey off here, there's plenty to go around"
"Thanks"
Less than 10 minutes later, Jason was parking in front of Ray's house
He could see Jameelah through the window, running around the living room
And he caught a glimpse of Clay checking over his shoulder while he stirred something on the stove
"I thought you said uncle Clay was watching me?" Mikey muttered
"He is, he's also watching Rj and Jameelah" Jason reminded "so he's here, where you're gonna be til I get done"
"So I get to hang out with uncle Clay, and Jammie, and Rj?" Mikey lit up at that
"Yeah, let's go" Jason motioned for him to get out of the truck, following suite
He also saw Clay glanced out the window when he caught movement in his peripherals, most likely double checking to make sure it wasn't a threat
Jason and Mikey let themselves in, Clay told him the door was unlocked for when they got there
"Hey boss" Clay greeted from the kitchen, transferring some noodles from one pan to another
"Hey" Jason returned as Mikey ran forward "Mikey, no running in the kitchen"
Clay put his hand out when Mikey was about to enter the kitchen
Mikey stopped on the threshold
"Hold up Mikey, hot stove" Clay warned
Jason could tell his sons patience was wearing thin
Mikey hadn't seen Clay in a few weeks, his and Jason's schedules not allowing them to get together outside of work
So he was excited to see his favorite uncle
That's probably how Jameelah felt too
"But-"
"Just wait one second" Clay tried, hurrying the final task before letting it sit for a other minute while he left the kitchen to greet them properly "alright"
Mikey wasted no time, almost tackling Clay with a hug
Jason wasn't surprised Clay was able to keep his pain hidden from the kids
He had taken a hit to the vest just over a week ago, nothing broken but definitely hurt
Jason saw the slight grimace of pain before it was easily swept away, a smile breaking over Clay's face
"We haven't seen you in forever" Mikey whined
"I'm sorry, we've been busy" Clay apologized "but we're off for the week, on standown, so I'll try to hang out"
"You better" Mikey agreed "even if my dad has to make it an order, you're coming over soon"
"It doesn't have to be an order, Mikey" Clay laughed "I already planned on it"
"Good"
With that, Mikey took a step back
"You guys good then?" Jason checked
"Yup, all good" Clay confirmed
"Alright, I'll be back to pick him up around eight or nine"
"Copy that, see you around eight or nine" Clay nodded
"You behave for your uncle Clay" Jason pointed at Mikey "listen to him"
"I will, promise" Mikey nodded enthusiastically
"Alright, be back soon" Jason added before giving a quick greeting/goodbye to Jameelah and heading out the door, hearing the lock click behind him
That's how he knew Clay was responsible enough just shortly after he joined the team
Home or not, the door was locked
Always, if he was by himself, with the team, or with the kids
Door stayed locked
2 and a half hours later, Jason was making his way back up the porch to his best friend's house
He knew Rj was asleep, his bedtime being 7:30
But Jameelah and Mikey were definitely still awake
He didn't wanna knock on the door, knowing Rj was a light sleeper
Just texted Clay that he was here
A minute later, he saw Clay peek out the window and unlock the door, opening it for Jason before walking back away
Jason followed him in, closing and locking the door behind himself
"Hey Mikey, your dad's here" Clay informed, walking through to the living room
Mikey and Jameelah were sat on the couch, a movie playing on the TV
"Awwww" Mikey whined "but we're watching a movie"
"How much longer you got?" Jason questioned
"Like twenty minutes" Clay answered for him
"You guys can finished it, I can wait a few" Jason shrugged
"Yay!"
"Shh" Clay reminded
"Yay" Mikey whispered, getting a chuckle from his favorite uncle
Clay moved to the kitchen, where Jason could assume he was cleaning up from dessert
"How was he?" Jason asked him, leaning against the counter
"All good, behaved perfectly, didn't even make a mess of the cookies" Clay assured "his actually turned out better than anything I've ever seen Sonny make"
"Ha" Jason huffed "that's setting the bar pretty low"
"True"
"What about you?" Jason checked "didn't aggravate anything, did you?"
"No, im good" Clay shook his head
But Jason saw slight bit of a wince that could only be from the mild concussion he's pretty sure Clay lied about
"Are you sure you were up for this tonight?" He questioned, keeping his voice low "I mean, you took a shot to the vest and a knock to your head, Trent told you to take it easy"
"I'm all good, Jase" Clay promised "would've said if I wasn't okay enough to watch them"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's all good"
"Okay... got any of those cookies left?" Jason switched topics
Clay just pointed to the jar
After the movie finished, Jason told Mikey to make sure he had everything before letting him say good night to Clay
Clay got another hug from the youngest Hayes, one which was easily returned
"When are you gonna come over?" Mikey asked him
"Uh.. might swing by after work on Thursday, how's that sound?"
Clay was talking to Mikey but he glanced at Jase for the okay as well
"Sounds perfect" Jason approved
"Yay" Mikey cheered quietly
Clay gave Mikey one last pat on the back before releasing the hug
"Let's get going" Jason motioned for Mikey to head for the door
"Okay" Mikey mumbled, obviously sad cause he wanted to stay longer
"Thanks for watching him" Jason added, looking back at Clay
"Of course" Clay nodded "anytime"
"When's Ray getting home?"
"Uh.." Clay glanced at the clock "bout an hour"
"I noticed your cars not here" Jason continued "you Uber here?"
"Yeah, somethings up with the engine, haven't had time.. or energy.. to check it out yet" Clay confirmed
"Let me know if you want a ride home, Emma should be home by then to watch over Mikey for a few"
"Ray already said he'd give me a ride when they get home, thanks though"
"Yeah" Jason nodded "alright, I'll see you tomorrow, kid"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Clay didn't expect Ray to call them when they were on a medical stand down
He was just lying in bed, trying not to jostle his bruised ribs (3 bruised, 2 broken actually)
But his phone rang and he was springing for it before he could think
"Ray?"
If Ray was calling him while on stand down, it had to be urgent
"Hey brother, listen, I know you're hurt, and I hate to ask, I really really.. really do, but I need to get RJ to the er, he's real sick, but I got no one to watch Jammie, Naima at work, Sonny's in Texas, Jason's in New York, Trent's still stuck on base and Brocks busy with Cerberus and-"
"Woah woah woah, alright, slow down, of course I can watch Jameelah" Clay cut him off
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, always" Clay confirmed "I can be there in about ten minutes, gotta get a ride from Derek"
"I can bring Jammie over, not making you come all the way here when I'm gonna be passing your apartment anyway" Ray responded "be there in five, thanks"
It took a moment for Clay to be able to drag himself out of bed, even though he knew it was important, he was still hurt and breathing sucked
But he got up and shuffled his way to the door right as Ray knocked
He unlocked it, opening it to let Jameelah in, hoping it wasn't obvious he was using it as support as well
"Hey, I'm so sorry, I didn't wanna-"
"It's all good Ray, get RJ taken care of, I got Jammie" Clay promised
He didn't miss the way Jameelah didn't immediately hug him upon seeing him
That told him that Ray told her he was hurt
"Okay, I'll be back to pick her up as soon as I can, or Naima will, I don't know" Ray told him "be good for uncle Clay"
"I will, daddy" Jameelah nodded
"Keep me posted, if you can" Clay requested, glancing at the little boy in Ray's arms
"Yeah" Ray agreed "call you later"
Clay gave him a nod before he walked away, prompting Clay to close and lock his door
"Alright Jammie, what do you wanna do?" Clay asked, turning to the little girl
"Daddy said we should just watch some movies or something"
"Alright, that's cool" Clay agreed, grabbing his remote from the table "what do you wanna watch?"
"Can we watch Moana?"
"Jameelah... of course we can watch Moana" Clay immediately agreed "but we gotta watch inside out next"
"Yes!"
Jameelah was asleep on the couch after watching their 4th movie of the night so Clay busied himself with cleaning up the kitchen
Clay had it on vibrate for when Ray called but he didn't want it to wake up Jameelah
It was on the counter when Clay heard it buzz
He was quick to pick it up
"Ray?" Clay answered it "How's Rj?"
"Hey brother, Rj is doing better, doctor's giving him some medicine, Naima is gonna stay with him so I can come get Jammie and get her home to bed"
"Alright, doors open, come on in when you get here" Clay told him "Jameelah's asleep on the couch"
"She is?"
"Yeah, we watched some movies, made some cookies, she was pretty tired" Clay added "just be quiet when you walk in"
"Yeah alright, I'll be there in a few"
Sure enough, 5 minutes later, Clay's door was opening up and Ray stepped through
Clay was still in the kitchen, just putting away the spatula they had used to mix the dough
Ray glanced at his sleeping slaughter, double checking she was asleep
He couldn't help but smile when he noticed Clay had given her a pillow and blanket to sleep on and curl up under
"Hey" Clay greeted "I didn't know how long you were gonna be so i let her sleep, thought about moving her to my bed but-"
"Lifting anything, even your own arms, up hurts, don't it?" Ray guessed
"Yeah... um- how's- how's Rj?" Clay switched topics, leaning carefully against the counter behind him
"He's gonna be okay, turns out it was just a really bad cold" Ray informed "worse than I've seen, but still, nothing a little medicine and sleep can't fix"
"That's great" Clay shot him a smile
"Yeah, little guy had me worried but turns out he's got a flare for the dramatic" Ray chuckled, leaning forward on the island "she give you any trouble?"
"Nope, like I said, watched movies and made cookies" Clay repeated with a shrug "she conked out about an hour ago"
"Makes sense, her bedtime would've been half an hour ago" Ray reasoned "you good?"
"Yeah, I'm all good" Clay assured "you gonna wake her up or-"
"Nah, she ain't heavy" Ray decided "if you can get the door though, that'd be great"
"No problem" Clay easily agreed, pushing off the counter and heading towards the door while Ray picked up Jameelah
"Need me to grab the front entrance too?"
"Shit, that's a pull, not a push, isn't it?"
"Unfortunately" Clay confirmed
"You mind?" Ray checked
"Course not, I'm right behind you" Clay promised
Ray nodded back before picking up his daughter, waiting the second it took for Clay to open the door before heading out, Clay right on his heels
Before they could start down the hall to the stairs, the door across from Clay's opened up
"Clay Spenser" Derek started "get your ass back in bed"
"Derek-"
"Three bruised and two broken ribs, mild concussion, and enough cuts and bruises to make you look like an abstract painting" Derek listed "get back in bed, get some rest"
"I will, I'm just following Ray to get the-"
"I can get the damn door" Derek cut him off "I'm heading out anyway"
Clay looked at him for a moment before letting out a sigh
"Derek's right, go back to bed" Ray agreed "thanks again for watching Jammie"
"Yeah, anytime" Clay nodded, stepping back inside his apartment
"Absolute dumbass, you are, don't think I'm not telling Stella when she gets back from that interview"
"Please dont" Clay pleaded
"I'm gonna" Derek decided, following a chuckling Ray down the hall "night, Clay"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Clay got a text from Jason asking him to check in on Sonny, who wouldn't answer his phone
Clay had a feeling why but didn't share it with his team leader
So he made his way to Sonny's house
Parked in the driveway by Sonny's bike and was by the door less than five minutes after his conversation with Jason
He knocked first but got no answer so he got out his key
(Sonny had given one to him and said the whole team had one, when Clay mentioned it to the guys a week later, they said none of them did)
Made Clay happy knowing he was the only one with a key, knowing Sonny trusted him the most
He walked through, not finding anyone in the living room
"Sonny!" Clay called, making his way around the small home "Hey, where you at?!"
He received no answer
Clay checked Sonny's room last, since more often than not, he was never in there
This time however, he found Sonny sprawled on the bed
"Sonny" Clay sighed "Hey, wake up man"
Sonny didn't budge
Clay rolled his eyes, walking over to shake him a bit but still got no response
Annoyance gone, replaced with the already slight but steadily growing concern, he checked for a pulse
He let out a sigh of relief when he found it, strong and steady, if a little faster than normal
Rolled Sonny over to make sure he was breathing
Found his chest rising and falling, everything normal
'passed out drunk then'
he realized when he finally smelled the heavy, unpleasant stench of alcohol
Without a second thought, he picked Sonny up in a fireman's carry, easily hauling him off the bed
Went into the bathroom and put him down in the shower
Turned the water as cold as he could, turned on the shower
Glared as Sonny woke up sputtering and glancing around
"You're still at home" Clay answered the unasked question "but you didn't answer your phone"
"We gettin' spun up?" Sonny asked as Clay turned off the shower
"No, thank God cause Jason would've had your ass if he found out you didn't show cause you were passed out drunk" Clay shot "everything okay?"
"Everything's fine" Sonny scoffed, accepting the towel Clay passed him "had a few too many"
"Before noon?"
"It's five o clock somewhere"
"Sonny-"
"Thanks for stopping by, Clay" Sonny cut him off "But I'm good, you can go home now"
"I'm not leaving til you tell me what's got you drinking at ten am"
"Can't a guy enjoy a few drinks?"
"At ten am, no, not even you" Clay denied "everything okay with you 'n Davis?"
Somny lack of answer was all Clay needed
"You guys break up?" Clay guessed "how come?"
"We came close to getting caught" Sonny explained "i knew it wasn't worth risking her career over"
"Or yours" Clay added
"Right..." Sonny muttered "should've taken your advise last year"
"What advise?"
"Never fall in love" Sony reminded "shouldn't have let myself-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there, bud" Clay interrupted "you and Davis, you're the definition of a meant to be, alright, you'll figure it out eventually, I promise"
"Don't make promises you can keep, bam bam" Sonny retorted
"I'm not" Clay countered "cause I know you, and I know Davis, and you two are more in love than- than anyone I've ever met, maybe more than Ray and Naima"
"Hold up now, pretty boy-"
"No, no, cause I'm right, you two are perfect for each other, trust that" Clay continued "I do"
Sonny studied him for a minute, trying to decide if he could trust his little brothers words or not
"Look, I don't know when or how, but you'll get back together" Clay finished before he could decide "I'm gonna go find something in your kitchen that'd make a suitable lunch, you should take an actual shower man, you reek"
"Yeah, okay" Sonny agreed, watching Clay head out to the kitchen
He stood there for another moment before switching into gear, grabbing some clothes and starting his shower
20 minutes layer, Sonny walked out of the bathroom to find his little brother sitting criss cross on the counter and a couple sandwiches next to him
And he was on his phone, obviously annoyed at something
"Sandwiches?"
Clay looked up, immediately turning his phone off and shoving it in his hoodie pocket
"Well you really don't gotta lot, man, you need to go grocery shopping like- yesterday" Clay retorted "but it's food"
Sonny couldn't argue with that
"What in the hell are you doing on my kitchen counter?"
That, he could ask
"Your chairs suck, I'd rather sit on the ground in J-bad than sit in those chairs" Clay shot
"That's an exaggeration" Sonny argued, joining him in the kitchen and snagging a sandwich from the plate
"No its not" Clay shook his head "took a poll with the guys, everyone agrees"
"When in the hell-"
"I knew you'd ask, so I message the GC, four our of five say your chairs suck ass"
"Four?"
"Uh, Ray opted out of the vote, claiming he had more important things to think about" Clay elaborated "which is basically a yes"
"No it aint" Sonny argued, not caring that his mouth was full
"First off, gross, and second, Jason himself said it was basically a yes, and you can't argue with Jase"
"I can argue with Jase all I want, blondie" Sonny denied "Ray is on my side, and we both know it"
"The hell he is"
"He is"
"No, he said he doesn't have an opinion, so he's on neither side, but if he was, he'd be on mine"
"No fucking way-"
"You can't tell me with a slaughter face that those chairs are comfortable"
Whatever Sonny was about to argue was cut off by Clay's phone going off
Clay got it out, taking one glance before showing it to Sonny with a smirk
actually yes, I have an opinion. Those chairs are more uncomfortable than the torpedo tubes were
"Really?" Sonny scoffed "come on man"
"Hey Clay?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for coming over"
"Yeah"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
One thing the guys often relied on when they were in the field was there medic, Trent
When one of them got injured beyond a scrape or bruise, Trent was trusted to handle it
But sometimes... sometimes it was their medic that got hurt
Bullets flying, going both ways
Clay was with Brock on overwatch, the others all below them
Clay had his usual sniper, taking the further shots, the bigger threats
Like the RPG the enemy was pulling out right now
Clay took the shot but the RPG still fired
"RPG!" Clay called, him and Brock dropping down to avoid the blast
He knew his brothers below him did the same
Once the blast hit and the smoke started clearing, Jason called through the radio
"Bravo six, bravo five, radio check!"
"Bravo one, Bravo six, I got you Lima Charlie" Clay managed
"Bravo five, got you loud and clear" Brock added
"Bravo four, radio check, over" Jason continued
...
"Bravo four, radio check, over!"
Still no response
"Shit- Trent, radio check!" Jason snapped over the comms
"Boss, I got eyes on four" Clay alerted, having taken a sweep on the ground "he's down, I repeat, man down, about a hundred feet to your left"
"How bad is he?"
"Dont know"
"Get down here, need you on as medic, get your ass over there, we'll cover you"
"Copy, moving" Clay instantly got up, heading for the stairs, knowing his brother's would warn him if needed
"Bravo six, sending three your way to cover you once you're clear" Jason's voice came over the radio
"Roger" Clay acknowledged, ducking behind cover for a moment before continuing
After a minute, he was by Trents side, radio in that he was clear for them to send Sonny
He crouched for a moment, getting a few shots off while he waited for his cover
Just a moment later, Sonny was next to him, covering him now so he could check Trent
He spotted Trents men bag a few feet away, quickly dragging it over
He noted that Trent had not moved the whole time
Biggest concern seemed to be the bone sticking out of Trents arm, next he'd focus on the more superficial injuries
He opened up Trents bag, knowing exactly where to find what he needed
"How's he lookin', Blondie?"
"Open bone fracture-"
"In english" Sonny stopped him before ehe could start
"Jeez, alright, there's a bone sticking out of his arm, gonna have to set that first, after that's a bunch of cuts and bruises, probably a concussion" Clay listed as he set about fixing Trents arm first
"He'll he okay?" Sonny checked
"Hard telling til I can check for a head wound" Clay told him
"That's reassuring" Sonny scoffed, barely heard over the gunshots
"Well it's what I got" Clay shot back, wrapping Trents arm up and splinting it before ducking as a bullet whizzed by him
"Just make sure he don't die, alright?" Sonny tried "That's your only job right now"
"Trying my best"
"Do better than that"
Clay couldn't even glance away to shoot him a glare, too busy checking around Trents helmet for blood, a bit hesitant to remove it
When he found no blood, he took a chance, undoing the strap and carefully removing the helmet
He searched Trents head but found no more than a bump
With that, Clay decided to finally try to wake his brother
"Trent, hey, man, wake up" Clay tried, patting his cheek a few times "no sleepin' on the job, brother, come on"
When that did nothing, he went for a sternum rub
After a second, Trent eyes opened up
After 2, Trent tried sitting up
"Hold up, stay down a minute" Clay ordered "You're good"
Trent complied, staying still for a moment
"Damage?"
"Broken arm, possible concussion, scrapes and bruises" Clay listed easily "Nothing too bad"
"Mm.. no concussion" Trent denied "headache though"
"Probably let a doctor determine that" Clay chuckled
After a minute, Clay let Trent sit up
He took a look at his arm, inspecting how it was wrapped
"You do this?" Trent questioned "good job"
"Cease fire!" Jason called across the radio "cease fire!"
Everyone stopped
There were no more shots fired, no enemies
"Clay, Trent good to move?" Jason asked, coming up to them
"All good boss" Trent assured, moving to stand
"Sit your ass down" Jason stopped him, pointing to emphasize before moving to look at Clay "Clay?"
"He's good" Clay confirmed, standing up, grabbing the med bag
"You sure?" Sonny checked
Clay nodded, giving Trent a hand up
"Havoc, this is Bravo one, we're making our way to exfil" Jason relayed "Bravo four is ambulatory, we're moving"
"Good copy, Bravo one, ISR shows no enemy combatants near your pos"
"Copy, Bravo out"
Even though told he didn't need to, Clay followed Trent to the infirmary, mostly to make sure he got there okay, partially to make sure he did everything right
He waited with Trent for the results
"You didn't have to come with me, y'know"
"You always came with us after we got hurt in the field" Clay shrugged
"Yeah, cause I'm your medic, it's my job to make sure everyone's okay after an op"
"Mhm" Clay hummed
"That's what my role is on the team, I treat you then follow to make sure I did everything- oh"
"Mhm"
"Clay, you did everything right, exactly as I wouldve" Trent promised
"Gotta confirm from the doc, just like you do, not to mention, we don't trust you not to downplay your injuries, so I'm also here to make sure everything gets reported right to the guys" Clay added
"So you're a spy"
"Prettt much, if it weren't me, it'd have been Jase" Clay told him "you really want Jason waiting here with you after the way that op went?"
"Hell no"
"Exactly, so.. sorry, you're stuck with me"
"Eh, could be worse" Trent reasoned "could be Sonny"
"Ha, yeah" Clay agreed "he'd probably be hounding the nurses for the results after five minutes of waiting"
"Yeah, that's true" Trent nodded with a laugh "Hey, thanks for patching me up back there, you'd be a great medic, if you learned a little more, already a great stand in"
"Eh, thought about it, wouldn't take much more but.." Clay kinda trailed off, not completely answering why he wouldn't want to become a medic
"Hello Trent, i got your results back-"
'saved by the bell'
"no concussion as previously thought, the worst is the break in your arm, but that should heal just fine after about eight weeks, whoever set it in the field must've done it a thousand times, other than that, just cut and bruises, you should be able to return in about two months" the doctor confirmed
"Thanks doc" Trent nodded
"A nurse will come by in a few minutes to give you your papers, and you're free to go"
"Copy that, thanks doc" Trent repeated
The doctor nodded before heading out
"Alright, I'm gonna update the team then" Clay told him after the doc was out of sight
"You do that" Trent dismissed, laying back on the bed
Clay already had his phone out, sending a message to the Bravo group chat
Trents phone went off on the table next to the bed but Trent didn't look at it, already knowing what it was
Then it went off a few more times, in sync with Clay's
"Jase says to get right to resting once we're out" Clay informed "Sonny says you gotta learn how to keep your bones inside you body cause he sure as hell don't wanna see that again"
"Ha"
"Ray asks if we can let him know when we're done here, Brock is offering to sneak Cerb in" Clay continued
"Tell Brock I said no, and Ray I said sure" Trent responded, resting his eyes
"Got it"
"Also tell Sonny that he aint much better-"
"Already did" Clay cut him off
"Alright"
...
"You do know that you're gonna need a ride home, right?" Clay asked him "can't really ride your motorcycle with a broken arm"
"Shit" Trent sighed
"I can give you a ride once we get back" Clay offered
"Nah, you probably-"
"I got no plans set for when we get home" Clay interrupted, knowing what he was gonna say "unlike Sonny, I don't plan to instantly hit the bulkhead"
"But you're gonna wanna go to bed as soon as possible"
"That can wait the ten minutes it takes to get you home" Clay reasoned "no big deal"
"You sure?"
"Yeah, it's no problem" Clay assured "you'd do it for any of us anyway"
Trent thought for a moment before nodding
"Okay"
Clay had his bag over his shoulder, heading for his car with Trent right behind him
"Hey Claymation, I'm thinking 'bout-"
"Guys, Sonny's thinking again" Clay warned with a smirk
"Oh god" Jason muttered
"Haha, anyway, I'm gonna hit the bulkhead, care to join me?"
"Nah man, I'm dropping Trent off then getting some sleep" Clay told him
"Come on man, can't tell me you don't need a drink after that one"
"I'm good" Clay chuckled
"Shouldn't surprise me" Sonny responded "Course, Mr Spenser would rather sleep than hang out with his ol' pal, Sonny"
"Anyone would rather sleep than hang out with you, Sonny" Brock chimed in
"Brock, I like it better when you don't talk"
"See you guys tomorrow" Ray spoke up, waving as he headed for his car
"Later boys" Jason added, turning for his truck
"Bye Clay, Trent" Brock called as he and Cerberus walked away as well
"Wow" Sonny muttered "fuck you Brock!"
"No thanks!"
"Might meet with you later, Son'" Clay decided "maybe, I'm not making any promises"
"Wuss"
"Yeah yeah, later man" Clay rolled his eyes, him and Trent heading for his car
They threw their bags in the back seat before getting in
"You actually thinking about meeting up with him later?" Trent questioned
"Hell no, I'm gonna sleep for the next sixteen hours" Clay shook his head "how he always has energy to go drinking after an op, I got no clue"
"It's Sonny, nobody will ever be able to understand him" Trent retorted
"True" Clay agreed, pulling out of the lot "How's it feel knowing you're gonna have Sonny's little note on your cast for a month and a half?"
"What note?" Trent countered, immediately turning his arm to try and find it
"You didn't see it yet?" Clay glanced over for a second "on the bottom, he wrote-"
"You guys let him write that?!" Trent looked over at him after reading it
"I was crashed out in my hammock, dunno 'bout the others" Clay informed
"Wha-"
"Could've been worse" Clay tried
"How?!" Trent countered
"Well he could've easily just wrote some cringy ass pickup line" Clay shrugged
"I... yeah, alright, that'd be worse, but this- this is so bad"
"Well lucky for you, you're on med leave,
you dont gotta leave your house til you're getting it off"
"I still need to go out for things like.. I dont know.. food, Clay!"
"Really matters that much, send me a list, I'll grab stuff for you" Clay suggested
"I'm not putting you out like that-"
"It's either that or wear a hoodie in the middle of summer just to cover your cast" Clay shot "I'm more than willing to do some shopping for you, gotta restock my fridge anyway so I'll be heading to the store tomorrow"
"But.."
"It's no skin off my nose man" Clay promised
"I mean.. I dont... okay, I'll make a list"
"Great, just text it to me later tonight or in the morning, dont matter when" Clay told him "I'll let you know when I going, then I can help you put stuff away, if you want"
"That'd be great man, thanks" Trent agreed
The next day, Clay headed to the store with 2 lists
His own, and Trents
If he had recruited another person to help, he could've grabbed 2 carts but he knew the others had plans so he didn't
He had double checked that Trent had pain meds before heading out last night so he knows he doesn't have to grab any
So he zipped his way through the store
When he was looking for the yogurt on Trents list, he noticed someone next to him in his peripherals
Taking a quick glance over, he realized it was Ray and Naima
They noticed him at about the same time
"Hi Clay" Naima spoke first
"Hey guys" Clay returned easily
"Restocking your fridge?" Ray guessed "that's a lot for a man that lives alone"
"Helping Trent out too, he's not leaving his house unless he has to" Clay explained
"Sonny's note?"
"Sonny's note" Clay confirmed
"Could've asked one of us to join in, man the second cart" Ray told him
"Thought about it, but yall had plans today, didn't wanna impose, 'sides, I got a system" Clay shrugged, finally finding the yogurt and putting it in the cart
"That's good, need a system for everything or it'll go haywire" Ray chuckled "how's Trent doing?"
"Asked this morning when he sent me the list, he said he was alright but I'll I'll let when I drop this stuff off" Clay assured "gonna stick around and help help put some of it away anyway"
"What about Darcy?" Naima cut in "where is she?"
"Visiting her family is DC" Clay and Ray answered in unison
"We're gonna go get the rest of our stuff" Ray looked back at Clay "Feel free to call if you need help with Trent"
"Will do" Clay nodded
An hour later, Clay and Trent just finished putting everything away
Didn't take long for Clay to see what Trent system was for how he puts stuff away so it went fairly quickly
"Thanks again man, I could've easily pushed through the embarrassing note but I'm glad I didn't have to" Trent started "saved me a lot of weird looks, a lot of questions too, probably"
"It's no big deal, T, happy to help" Clay responded with ease "all you gotta do is ask"
"Technically I didn't even ask, you offered" Trent countered
"And you accepted, so what's your point?"
Trent chuckled, shaking his head a bit
"Seriously though, I'll figure a way to repay you"
"Nah, don't worry about it" Clay shook his head "you already keep us from bleeding out in the field, least I could do was make sure you ate while on med leave"
"Yeah.... you want me to come over, help you put your groceries away?" Trent offered
"I think I got it, nowhere near how much you got" Clay decided "thanks though"
"Yeah" Trent nodded
"I'm gonna head out, if you're all set?" Clay checked, getting a nod "call if you need help with anything"
"I will, thanks"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Clay never expects it when Brock calls him
While it's not unwelcome, he's usually one to just text
Which meant it was important, and a great excuse to walk away from his dad
"Gotta take this, it's important" Clay shrugged, barely sparing him a glance
He answered as he made his way to the door
"Hey-"
"Don't call the guys yet"
...
"O..kay.. that's a great way to start a conversation, why am I not calling the guys yet?" Clay questioned after a moment "and why do I have a feeling i should?"
"Just- Don't, alright, not yet" Brock pleaded
"Brock.. why'd you call?"
"I need a ride home"
"From where?" Clay prompted, starting his car
"So.. dont laugh.. I think I sprained my ankle on my run with Cerberus.."
...
"You-"
"I said don't laugh!"
"I'm not- I'm not, okay, where are you?"
Clay would just laugh after Brock hung up
"Uh.. you remember when you came with us to that trail?" Brock started "I'm about halfway through that"
"That trail in like five miles long"
"Yeah.. I'm just over two miles in- can you come get me?'
"I swear- yeah, I'm on my way" Clay sighed "I'm not too far anyway- why me?"
"The guys would never let me live it diwn.. figured you'd be more merciful"
"Ha, right, no, not how it works" Clay shook his head "I'm never letting you live this down either, but I won't call them yet, not til we get confirm sprained, broken, twisted, or just your dumbass being a dumbass"
"Wow"
"I'm a little hurt you didn't invite me for your run though" Clay continued "Could've saved me from a very frustrating conversation"
"Sorry, I would've but I thought you said you had plans today" Brock apologized "did you?"
"Nothing important, just Ash, he swung into town last night, asked me to meet up with him to talk" Clay shrugged "glad you called when you did, we were about thirty seconds from very dangerous territory"
"What's that mean?"
"He'd have kept going, I would probably be sitting in lockup twenty minutes from now"
"Yikes, thought you guys were getting along?" Brock recalled "what happened?"
"He wanted to tall about my mom, I didn't like what he had to say" Clay concluded "nothing more to it, just glad you gave me an out, even if it was cause you got hurt on a run"
"Glad my injury is convenient to you"
"Yeah, alright, I just got to the trail head, I'll be there soon" Clay promised
"Okay, watching out for holes"
The last thing Brock heard before he hung up was Clay laughing
Brock sat against a tree, Cerberus standing next to him
Cerberus let out a bark, tail wagging excitedly
"Hey Cerb, how you doing?" Clay greeted the pup "Brock get ya'll stuck out here?"
Brock rolled his eyes as Cerb let out another bark
'yes he did'
"thanks, Clay, turn my dog against me" Brock joked "real nice"
"You call me, saying you sprained your ankle and need me to come get you from halfway through a trail, im gonna turn your dog against you all I want" Clay shot
"Haha, alright, help me up" Brock requested, holding his hand out to Clay
"Hold up, Broccoli boy, I'm gonna take a look first cause if it's broken, I'm not moving you myself" Clay told him as he crouched by Brocks leg "not when we have paramedics available"
"Who are you, Trent?"
"Sorry I'd rather not make your injury worse" Clay retorted "and Trent would say the same thing"
"Yeah, I know"
After a minute of Clay poking at it a bit, apologizing when Brick hissed, he determined it wasn't broken -he was at least 88% sure- and was fine helping Brock through the trail
He helped Brock up, letting Brock lean on him for support
As they made their way back, Cerberus walked a bit ahead of them, occasionally looking back to make sure his boys were behind him
"So you're sure I didn't drag you away from anything imp?" Brock checked after 5 minutes of silence "Cause i don't wanna be the reason you had to cancel something"
"I got nothing going on today, that's the only reason I agreed to meet with Ash" Clay told him "and even if I did, it could've been put off for an hour so I could get you"
"I could've called one of the others"
"Never expect me to put plans over helping one of Bravo, I'd gladly put everything aside if any of you called and asked for help" Clay assured "don't matter how important, could be in a meeting with the fucking president and I'd still ditch him to help you"
Brick chuckled at that
"You wouldnt"
"I would, anyday"
"Well either way, thanks for coming to get me, and.. giving me a ride to the ER?"
"Already planned on it, I'll call Jason on the way" Clay responded "I can lie about how you hurt your ankle, if you want"
"How?"
"I dunno"
"No, I'm good, just tell 'em the truth" Brock decided "don't really want you to be able to black mail me anyway"
"I would never"
Brock gave him a look, 'the fuck you wouldnt'
"Okay, Maybe a bit" Clay conceded "but how could I not?"
"That's fair"
"Alright Mr Reynlods, we can safely assure that your ankle is just sprained, not broken" the doctor announced as he came in "You just need to keep it elevated, and ice it for about twenty minutes ever couple hours"
"I can do that" Brock nodded
"You should be cleared to go back to work in about three weeks" the doc added "a nurse will be here shortly to wrap it up, then you'll get your discharge papers"
"Thanks" Brock responded
The doctor nodded before walking back out
"Im gonna call Jase" Clay informed as he got out his phone
"Sure you can't wait on that?"
"Already ringing"
Brock sighed, dropping his head back on the pillow
"What up, kid?"
"Hey Jason, just letting you know, Brocks gonna be down for about three weeks"
"Why?" Jason questioned "he okay?"
"He sprained his ankle on his run with Cerb earlier" and explained "he'll be fine in a couple weeks, Blackburn was called already but I told him we'd call you ourselves"
"You guys still at the hospital?"
"Yeah, waiting for someone to wrap his ankle and bring his discharge papers, then I'm taking him home" Clay confirmed "he asked me not to call the calvary, just you"
"You gonna make sure he follows doctors orders?" Jasoned checked
"Of course, was gonna stay with him for a couple hours too" Clay assured
"No-"
"Not a discussion, Brock"
"Alright, I'll let the guys know later, when it's conveniently too late for then to pound on his door, so you have until O-nine hundred"
"Got it, thanks boss"
"Keep me posted, let me know if he tried going against what the doc says"
"Will do"
With that, Jason hung up the phone
"All set, he'll tell the guys way later tonight, so we can expect them around nine tomorrow" Clay told Brock "and yes, I'm staying the night to make sure your don't hurt yourself worse"
"That's not fair man"
"If you don't let me stay the night, I will call Trent- dont think I wont"
"Yeah- okay, fine, you can stay the night" Brock relented
Clay followed Brock through the front door, Cerberus immediately heading in and hopping on the couch
"I'm just gonna go to my room and lay down" Brock informed as Clay shut the door
"Alright" Clay acknowledged
He followed Brock, grabbing a throw pillow off the couch on the way
Cerberus hopped down from the couch, following then into his bedroom
Brock hobbled to his bed, leaning the crutches against his nightstand as he sat down
Brock leaned back against his pillows, half sat up
Clay waited til he was settled before nudging his leg, prompting hin to lift his ankle up enough
Clay slid the pillow under Brocks ankle, propping it up a bit
Cerberus jumped up on the bed, laying next to his handler, his head on Brocks leg
"All good?" Clay checked, getting a nod "Alright, I'm gonna get you some ice"
"You don't have to-"
"Doing it anyway"
Clay knew his way around Brocks place well enough, including where in the freezer to find the ice packs
He grabbed 2, along with a bottle of water from the fridge and made his way back to brocks room
He placed the water on the nightstand first before figuring a way to situate the ice packs on Brocks ankle
"Alright, got a timer for twenty minutes"
"Thanks man"
"Yeah.. uh- you- you need anything else?" Clay checked
"No, but you're gonna stay in here case I do anyway so might as well just sit down, plenty of room"
"Yeah, I don't doubt that" Clay chuckled "man- you live alone but you own a king size bed?"
"I also usually have at least two dogs, until recently, now it's just me and Cerb but still, he likes to spread out"
"He's always right on top of you though" Clay argued, sitting down on the other side "every fucking time"
"Yeah, now" Brock scoffed "but he used to be such a bed hog"
"Ha, 'course he was" Clay mused, leaning forward to pet Cerberus
"You let Jason know we made it without a major accident?" Brock questioned
"Already did" Clay told him "while I was setting the timer"
"Ah, alright then"
Clay nodded, mostly in acknowledgment as he got his phone out
He saw there was still 15 minutes on the timer and since conversation ran short, he decided to play a game
Brock leaned over a bit, trying to watch but couldn't move over too much without the ice packs falling
Clay saw this and shuffled closer to his brother, so he could watch
Cerberus readjusted, laying across Clay's legs with his head still on Bricks lap
Now that everyone was content, Clay continued playing
He was able to play a few rounds before the timer went off
Cerberus seemed to understand what that meant, moving back the laying between them
Clay hopped up, grabbing the packs off Brocks ankle
"I'm gonna throw these in the freezer, be right back"
"Mhm"
It only took a minute before Clay was back, hopping back up on the bed, back to the same spot as before
And like before, Cerberus laid on them again
Rather than going back to his game, Clay started scrolling through Instagram
The day continued like that;
Ice pack, timer, game, timer goes off, ice packs in the freezer, social media
Cerberus getting on and off of them, always moving when the timer went off
It wasn't until about midnight when it stopped
Mostly due to Brock falling asleep, leaning against Clay
Clay turned off the timer, glad this waiting for ice pack to go back on instead of coming off
He stayed up a bit longer, messing around a bit more on his phone, letting the guys know Brock was asleep when the messages started pouring in
Cerberus moved a bit, laying fully on Clay now
Clay put his phone on the charger, which was already in reach before carefully adjusting to be a bit more comfortable
Soon enough, he was asleep too
The next morning, all the guys came by, thankfully after they were up and about so they didn't have to worry about any teasing
Well obviously Brock did
But that was more than welcome to Clay, who didn't hesitate to join in
Trent got a little smother-y but that was expected
Later, before Clay left for the night, Brock met him by the door
"Thanks for helping me out yesterday"
"Of course man, anytime"
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Brock doesn't get worried often
Not for Clay, especially
The kid may have only been on the team for a year but he's proven he can handle himself
Brock gets worried for Sonny, when he start drinking and getting into fights
He gets worried for Jason, after Alana dies
He gets worried for Ray, after Mexico
He gets worried for Trent, who's under a lot of pressure as team medic
But Clay's always been good at handling his problems
Not that Brock didn't care about them, it just.. never seemed like he needed help- even when offered
"Nah, I'm good, thanks"
"I can take care of it"
"I got it under control"
which is why he doesn't initially get worried when Clay doesn't text him back when he asks if he wants to join himself and Cerb for a run
He noticed that too- Clay liked to run
He usually takes up every opportunity to run, especially with him and Cerberus
So when Clay doesn't even open it after half an hour, he has to push down the concern
It's only 30 minutes, after all
He messaged again
Waits another 20
Still not even opened
Brock glances at Cerberus, who's laying beside him on the couch and looking at him expectantly
"Clay hasn't answered yet, bud"
Cerb let out a whine
"Think we should try calling him?"
*woof*
"alright" Brock nodded, hitting call
It started ringing
And it rang
And rang
And rang
'probably just missed me, leave a message.. unless it's you Sonny- you're messages are always gibberish'
"huh" Brock huffed
Cerberus was still looking at him with worry
After a minute of contemplation, Brock got up
"Let's go for a ride"
Brock and Cerberus navigated to Clay's door easily, having been there so many times now
Brock knocked a couple times, not 'FBI, open up' loud but not exactly quiet either
They waited for a minute but didn't hear any movement inside
So he knocked again
This time, a bit louder
So it didn't surprise him when Derek stepped out behind him
"Hey man, everything alright?"
"Hope so, he didn't answer his phone" Brock responded
He waited another moment but Clay didn't come to the door
"You still got a key?" Brock turned to ask Derek
Derek nodded, reaching just inside his apartment and handing Brock the key
"Thanks"
Brock unlocked the door, letting himself and Cerberus in
He tossed the key back to Derek before closing the door behind him
"Clay?" Brock called
Cerberus was already ahead of him, waiting by Clay's closed bedroom door
"He in there?" Brick asked the k9
Cerberus let of a bark, basically confirming the question
Brock knocked on that door too but didn't wait for an answer, just opened it
"Clay?" Brock tried again
The man in question was curled up into he middle of the bed, blanket kicked to the foot and shaking
"Hey- Clay, wake up" Brock called once again, stopping next to the bed
When Clay didn't make any indication of waking up, Brock went to gently shake him awake
But right as he touched Clay, the younger man's hand shot up, latching onto Brocks wrist, pulling him forward and maneuvering so he was above Brock, pinning him down, arm twisted behind himself
"Woah!" Brock exclaimed "hey- Clay, it's just me!"
Clay didn't snap out of it, but he didn't react otherwise either
*RUFF*
That had Clays attention
He glanced over, eyes landing on Cerberus
Brock could see Clay shake his head in his peripherals before he was let go
"Wha- Br- Brock, what are you- why are you here?" Clay stammered, stepping back a bit
Brock pushed himself up, rubbing at his wrist a bit
"You didn't answer your- woah-"
Brock cut himself off when Clay swayed a bit, reaching for the wall
Brock was there first, grabbing Clay's shoulders to keep him upright
"You alright?" Brock asked "maybe- we're gonna sit you back down, yeah?"
Clay nodded, letting Brock guide him back to his bed
"You good?" Brock repeated
"Yeah- just- What're you doin' here?" Clay countered, rubbing his eyes a bit
"Um.. you didn't answer your phone, me and Cerb got worried" Brock explained "you're burning up man, are you sick?"
"Uh- yeah, apparently.. just.. woke up feeling like shit"
"How so?" Brock prompted, getting his phone out to text Trent
"Just.. tired.. more than usual anyway.. achy, I dunno.. kinda felt like I was gonna throw up earlier but didn't" Clay listed "cold.. but hot"
"So probably just a bug then" Brock reasoned, more to himself "Alright, Trent's gonna be here in a few with some supplies, you eat today?"
"No- Why's Trent coming over?"
"To better diagnose you, and bring over some stuff to help you, you hungry?" Brock continued
"A bit.. I think" Clay answered "Trent doesn't need to come over, I can take care of myself"
"Yet you haven't, so he's coming, and me and Cerb are staying too" Brock told him "the guys will probably check in later"
"They don't need to, I'm fine"
"Clay, i pounded on the door like the FBI, you didn't even twitch" Brock reminded "it wasn't until I touched you you you woke up, so you're sick, and we're gonna make sure you get better, we need Bravo six sharp when we get spun up"
Even though if it's anytime in the next three days, Bravo 6 will have to stay home
"I don't need to be babied by the team just cause in a little under the weather, just leave be be" Clay tried
"Not happening, little brother" Brock shook his head "see, you came over and helped me when all I had was a sprained ankle, you got Sonny's head out of his ass, helped him not get into fights so much, you've helped Jason and Ray with the kids, all while juggling your own shit, so of course-"
*knock knock*
"We're gonna drop everything ti make sure you don't die in your sleep"
Faintly, Brock heard the door open
"In here" he called
"Okay but-"
"Why didn't you call me when you realized you were sick?" Trent chastised "I can't help you idiots stay healthy and alive if all you ever do is tell me you're fine"
"Trent-"
"Shut up, let me figure out what sick you are so we can get you back to fighting shape"
"Oh, trust me, being sick does not impact his fighting instincts one bit" Brock chuckled
"What's that mean?"
"Sprung awake, pinned me down, took less than five seconds" Brock told him
"Good to know, be better about startling him"
"Can- seriously guys, you don't have to-"
"This isn't up for discussion, Spenser" Trent cut him off "never was, so deal with it, and open up so I can get your temperature"
"But-"
*ruff*
'you better listen to them'
Clay sighed but listened, letting Trent stick the -stupid-
thermometer under his tongue
Once it beeped, both Brock and Trent looked at it
"One-o-one point three"
"Not too alarming, definitely something to keep an eye on but for now, best thing would be some water, then go back to sleep" Trent told them "so I'm gonna grab you some water"
That said, Trent went out to the kitchen
"Um.. sorry for- for grabbing your wrist and thinking you were some guy that just.. broke in.."
"It's all good, wouldn't have expected anything less than fight before flight for you" Brock shrugged "figured touching you was a surefire way to wake you up, didn't realize you'd be on guard even in your sleep"
"Just cause only two other people have keys, and they don't use them unless they have to" Clay reasoned
"Yeah, Derek and.. who else?"
"Jase, for emergencies" Clay answered
"Huh"
Just then, Trent came back in with a glass of water
He handed it to Clay, but stayed next to him when he took note of the shaking hands
Not concerning, just the fever
They watched Clay take a few sips before he tried handing it back to Trent
"Nope, at least half of it" Trent ordered "fluids are very important, especially when you're sick"
Clay rolled his eyes but complied, drinking a bit more of it til there was only about a third of it left
"Happy?"
"Very" Trent nodded, taking the glass and setting it on the night stand "now lay down, you can go back to sleep"
"This mean you guys are leaving?" Clay tried as he slid back and laid down
"Not a chance, kid" Trent shook his head
Cerberus jumped up on the bed, laying down by Clay's feet
"Alright.. just don' make a mess of my place" Clay requested, half asleep already
"Sure thing, get some rest"
A few seconds later, Clay was out and Trent nodded for Brock to follow him out
Cerb stayed with Clay so Brock left the door open about halfway
"You tell the guys yet?" Brock asked
"Yeah, Sonny is on his way, Jason will come by later, when he gets back from New York, Ray said he'd check in later too" Trent confirmed "not sure how later that is but I expect sometime around dinner time, he'll message for an update"
"When's Jase getting back?"
"He's about three hours out" Trent answered "so he'll be here in two and a half"
"Alright.. did you know Jason has a key to Clay's apartment?"
"No but that's not surprising" Trent responded as he set about looking around the cabinets and fridge "I mean, Clay has a key to Jasons"
"He does?"
"Yeah, for emergencies, but I think Clay spends the night there sometimes, when he can't sleep here" Trent elaborated
"You know the only other people with keys are Emma and Mikey, right?"
"Yup"
"So-"
"Yeah, same thought" Trent nodded
Trent was just about to send an update to the Bravo gc when the door opened
To Nobody's surprise, it was Jason that walked through, closing it behind himself
"Hey, how's the kid?"
"Sleeping" Trent answered "and stubborn"
"Wouldn't expect anything less" Jason shrugged "need me to help with anything?"
"If you could get him up to eat something, that'd be great" Trent told him "not much but I got him some Popsicles, figured they'd be fine but he's refusing"
"I can try" Jason nodded, heading for Clay's room
Cerberus was still laying on the foot of the bed, head on Clay's leg
Jason had been messaged about startling him already
"Clay" Jason called "wake up"
No response
"Guess we're trying this"
Jason really didn't wanna touch Clay, would rather not be on the 'pinned down by a sick kid' list
"Bravo six, radio check, over"
Amusingly, Clay's hand moved to where his radio normally sat on his chest
When he didn't find it, he opened his eyes, looking around
"Jase?"
"Yeah, hi, good morning" Jason greeted "ready to eat?"
"No"
...
"What?" Clay breathed
"Trent got you some popsicles, get your fever down and they're delicious" Jason informed "just waiting for you to sit your happy ass up so you don't choke trying to eat one"
"I told Trent-"
"We're not gonna argue about this, Clay, you need to eat something, even if it's just a popsicle, you gonna sit up or not?"
Clay looked at him for a moment, a bit of surprise and irritation visible but after a minute, he sighed, scooting back to sit against the head board
"Good, I'll grab Trent"
Cerberus moved up, curling up on Clay's side, gladly accepting when Clay started running his fingers through his fur
"Finally" Trent grumbled, walking in with a Popsicle in hand "I even tracked down the stupid strawberry ones, so you better be grateful"
"Thanks" Clay muttered as he took it
While Clay munched on that, Brock sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to pet Cerberus
"Once you've finished that, you can have another, if you want, or some more water" Trent added
"M'kay"
Everyone had a feeling Clay was gonna opt for water rather than another popsicle, though that wasn't surprising
But it was something that wasn't water for now, they'd try him for real food later
Trent was gonna try real food but didn't when he remembered Clay's report of feeling nauseous earlier
So they'd wait on that
After Clay finished the popsicle, dropping the plastic wrapper into his bedside trash can, he confirmed their thoughts
"Another or water now?"
"Water, if you're not letting me go back to sleep"
"Don't be a dick Spenser" Jason warned while Trent went to grab a glass of water
"Ya'll are the ones not letting me sleep" Clay defended, ignoring when he heard the door open
"Cause you need sustenance" Brock retorted
"Says who?"
"Everyone, everyday, all the time" Trent shot, walking back in "especially me"
"Be glad it's us here and not Naima, she may seem sweet but she would not let any of this slide" Jason told him
"Speaking of sustenance" Ray started, joining them in the room "Naima sent me over with a fruit tray for you"
Clay gave a bit of a confused look
"Citrus fruits can help with fevers" Ray explained "and somebody told me you were refusing to eat, so she also sent orders for you to eat at least a bit before you go back to sleep"
"Ray-"
"Do not argue with my wife, kid"
Clay shut his mouth real fast, he was not about to go against Naimas orders
"What do you got?" Trent questioned
Ray held out the tray, taking off the lid
Clay recognized the tray from barbecues at Ray's house, usually out as a meat and cheese tray but sometimes they switched it up
"Oranges, grapefruit, some clementine, and not citrus but we also got some bananas and strawberries" Ray listed "bananas cause they're good for you, even when sick, and strawberries cause they're his favorite"
Brock caught how Clay's eyes lit up at the mention of strawberries
"And I left it in the kitchen but there's some soup and yogurt too" Ray continued "everything's already peeled, figured whatever he didn't eat, we could snack on later"
"Alright then, Clay" Jason started "You're gonna eat some fruit whether you like it or not"
"Okay"
"No arguments- wait, what?"
"Strawberries" Clay reasoned
"Okay, you're eating more than just strawberries though" Trent told him
"Okay" Clay shrugged
Ray chuckled, he and Naima knew Clay would agree to eat if it was something he really enjoyed, like fruit
Every time they turned around, Clay was eating some kind of fruit, usually Strawberries, sometimes oranges, even lemons a couple times
Ray placed the tray next to Clay, who immediately reached for a strawberry
"If I had known all we had to do was give him some fruit, I'd have brought some" Trent mumbled
"No matter how sick he gets, he'll never deny strawberries" Brock figured "We'll know for next time"
"Better not be a next time" Jason spoke
"Come on, it hasn't been that bad" Brock reasoned
"Hey, where's sonny?" Ray asked
"He took off a bit ago, needed to take care of something" Trent answered "he should be back soon"
"Anyone else worried about that?" Jason checked
"Nah, he wouldnt.. no, I'm not worried" Ray shook his head
"You don't sound too convinced" Brock raised an eyebrow
"It's Sonny" Ray reminded "who knows what he's up to"
"He's out" Brock alerted, nodding towards Clay
"Wha- oh" Trent looked over "Well he ate about half the strawberries, I'd say.. four orange slices?"
"Mhm, and some of the banana" Ray pointed out "I'd say that's good enough for now, yeah?"
"Better than before" Trent agreed, grabbing the tray
"He also drank some water" Brock added, the glass now half full
"See, he's not that bad" Trent shrugged, looking at Jason "fruits our default for him from now on though"
"Agreed"
Sonny joined them in the apartment about 20 minutes later, carrying a Walmart bag
"Sonny, what's that?" Jason stopped him before he could go into Clay's bedroom
"What?" Sonny countered
"The bag, Sonny, what's in the bag?" Ray questioned
"Oh, that, just a little get well gift for blondie"
Jason raised an eyebrow, prompting Sonny to show them
Sonny sighed, pulling out the item
It was a monkey in a sailor outfit, a tiny heart pillow sewed into its arms
"Really?" Brock scoffed "couldn't even get one that said 'get well soon'?"
"They were out of stock"
"Why a monkey?" Ray asked
"The last fun fact he told me was about monkeys" Sonny explained
Jason snickered, he knew what fact Sonny was talking about
"This your revenge?" Ray guessed
"No, just a get better present for my little buddy" Sonny denied
"Mhm"
Clay woke up around two hours later, feeling a little better
Cerberus was still curled up next to him
But Clay's eyes focused on the little stuffed animal next to the glass of water
The was a note next to it
He grabbed it, skimming over the words
Clay, whenever you wake up, most of us left, cause it's getting late but Broccoli boy stayed the night, he's sleeping on the couch. The rest of us will check in in the morning - Ray
try to eat some more when you wake up, ask Brock for help if you need it. Don't hesitate to call either. Would rather you woke me up than know you somehow hurt yourself or made yourself worse cause you were worried about my sleep schedule - Trent
enjoy the monkey you little nerd. I paid good money for it so you best not throw it away. Seriously, call if you need me - your best buddy
wake Brock if you need him. Dont try to push through like I know you'll try. He's got me on speed dial if you try to ignore him. I'll make it an official order if I have to - Jason
Clay smiled at the note(s) he knew one of then would stay the night
Figured it was Brock too, cause Cerberus was still here
He could faintly hear Brock snoring on the couch
He did feel better now than he did earlier, probably cause he ate and got some decent sleep
He never stays sick long anyway, usually over it in a day or two
Giving Cerb a quick pet, he got out of bed, grabbing the glass, he'd drank the water while he read
*ruff*
Clay should've known Cerberus was supposed to alert Brock when he got up
Didn't stop him from continuing his journey to the kitchen
Trent would probably kill him if he didn't eat some more
Brock was standing up when he opened his door the rest of the way
"Hey" Brock greeted "how you feeling?"
"Better.. thanks" Clay answered "just-"
"Grabbing a snack?" Brock guessed "Trent suggested the yogurt or soup thay was brought over"
"Yogurt it is" Clay decided, opening the fridge
"The guys left about an hour ago, just so you know" Brock added "figured I'd let you sleep, Trent said to get you up in the morning if you weren't awake by ten, make you eat some more"
"Alright" Clay acknowledged, grabbing a spoon
"You look a little better than when I found you this afternoon" Brock continued "figure you'll be back to a hundred percent by tuesday"
Clay nodded, he thought so too
It was currently Sunday
"Um- what time is it?"
"Eleven" Brock told him "Sonny left the monkey"
"I know"
"Gonns toss it?"
...
"I won't tell the guys you kept it"