Near Miss By Kalimyre Rating: R for language Pairing: Ryan/Colin Summary: Ryan has an accident backstage, and the guys all have to pitch in to help him. Author’s Notes: Okay, this one just jumped into my head tonight and I ended up writing it in about two hours. I have absolutely no idea if what happens in the story is even medically possible, but I tried to make it sound that way. Also, this has not been beta-ed. I guess I was just impatient to get it written and posted. If it’s rough, blame me and not my faithful beta readers, who will most likely read me the riot act for posting without getting their approval first. Anyway, the story! * * * “You know, that’s gotta be the tenth time that you’ve stumbled over something on stage,” Ryan said, shooting Drew a look over his shoulder. “Is not. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times, don’t exaggerate.” Ryan rolled his eyes, and then looked ahead when he heard Colin chuckle. They were walking down the hall backstage, headed for the Green Room at the end of another taping of Whose Line. “C’mon Col, back me up. Hasn’t he tripped over that damn stage more than anyone else?” Ryan asked. Colin lifted his hands in the air, shaking his head. “Oh no. Don’t drag me into this one.” Ryan snorted. “And you call yourself my best friend. Where’s your sense of loyalty?” “I think I lost it around the fiftieth bald joke you cracked today,” Colin shot back, giving Ryan a dirty look that was ruined by the laughter in his dark eyes. “Hah! You see, even Colin thinks I’m right,” Drew said triumphantly. “Whoa now, I didn’t say that,” Colin corrected him. “I said I wasn’t getting involved. But just for the record, you DO trip a lot.” Ryan smirked. “Hah! Told you so.” “Yeah, whatever,” Drew said dismissively. During that day’s taping, he had gone up in the audience to get a volunteer for a game of Wedding, and had nearly fallen on the steps as he backed up to let the girl out. They had all joked about it a little, Drew making a comment that fifty crew guys just yelled ‘my mortgage!’ But now that the taping was over, Ryan couldn’t resist teasing their host a little more. As they walked into the Green Room, Greg and Wayne looked up from where they were already sitting on the couch, and grinned widely. “Hey Drew, careful you don’t trip over that imaginary spot on the carpet,” Greg said, his sarcasm thicker than usual. Drew’s jaw dropped for a moment, and he whirled on Ryan, making his scrunched up ‘oh, very funny’ face. “You told him to say that, didn’t you?” “No, but I wish I had,” Ryan said, laughing and clapping Drew on the back. “Because it was really fucking funny.” “Don’t let them tease you, dear,” Colin said, affecting a syrupy sweet look and putting an arm around Drew’s shoulders. “They’re just jealous that they didn’t nearly break a leg on national television.” Drew ducked away from Colin’s touch, rolling his eyes. “I wasn’t going to fall. I just stumbled a little, that’s all.” “Riiiiight,” Ryan and Greg said in perfect sarcastic unison. Colin giggled silently, his shoulders shaking and his grin getting very big as he put one hand over his mouth. “Drew, you were like this,” Wayne said, and then went into a complicated slow motion display of falling off the couch, showing off his athleticism. Greg cracked up, and despite himself, even Drew laughed a little. They were all still riding the euphoric high that came from performing on stage. Ryan, not about to be outdone, said, “No, you were like this.” Then he backpedaled, waving his arms in exaggerated motions and pretending to try and catch his balance. He was moving backward, and didn’t see the small end table coming up behind him until one foot got tangled up in the wooden legs. Ryan’s eyes widened and he wheeled his arms in an effort to stay upright. Colin reached for him, but only felt a little of the taller man’s shirt go slipping through his fingertips. Then Ryan was falling, catching the arm of a chair right in the small of his back and going heels-over-head in a rapid, graceless movement. He landed on the floor with a resounding thunk and curled on his side. “Oh shit,” Drew said, the smile dropping off his face when it became clear that Ryan wasn’t getting up. “Are you okay?” “Ryan?” Colin asked, his voice high and anxious. He moved to his friend’s side, peering down at him and gently patting his shoulder, trying to get a reaction. Drew moved to the other side, and Wayne and Greg quickly got up and stood over Ryan’s still form. “Fuck... hurts...” Ryan whispered through clenched teeth. His eyes were squeezed shut, and he had gone very pale. Beads of sweat were appearing on his forehead, and he was breathing in tightly controlled gasps. “What hurts?” Colin asked quickly. “Back... did something to it... feels like fucking electric shocks.” “Can you get up?” Greg said, biting at his fingertips in worry. “I don’t know,” Ryan said. “Don’t try it,” Drew said quickly, pressing a hand against Ryan’s shoulder to keep him down. “If you hurt your back, you shouldn’t move. Wayne,” he said, shooting a glance over his shoulder at the young man, “Go call 911. Right now.” “Okay,” Wayne said, nodding quickly. He scurried off, looking glad to have something useful to do. “Just sit tight, Ryan. Lie still, and stay calm. It’s probably nothing, but just in case, we’re getting the experts.” Drew’s voice was calm and level, but his small, oddly defenseless looking hands were trembling slightly. Ryan’s eyes opened briefly, and he looked up at Colin. “My hands feel tingly... is that bad?” he whispered hoarsely. His eyes were beginning to tear up from the pain, and when he squeezed them shut again, two trails of moisture slipped down the side of his face. “I’m sure it’s okay,” Colin said, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about. “Just try to relax and breathe. Help will be here soon.” “Okay,” Ryan replied. His lips drew back, showing his clenched teeth as he panted, and he seemed to get even paler. Colin gently brushed his hair back from his forehead, frowning when he felt how cold and clammy Ryan’s skin was. Greg and Drew were still hovering over him, and other people walking by were being drawn in by the oddly tense huddle. Soon Ryan was surrounded by a crowd of murmuring, anxious people. He opened his eyes briefly for a moment, and they widened when he saw the sea of faces hovering over him. Ryan looked up at Colin, who was kneeling by his head and still stroking his hair, and he gave his longtime friend a pleading look. Colin nodded quickly, and stood up. “Okay, everyone back up. The paramedics are going to need room to work when they get here, so we need everyone to leave. Give him some space.” There was some feet dragging and a considerable amount of curious, worried backwards looks, but the crowd quickly thinned back down to just Greg, Drew, and Colin himself. “Thanks,” Ryan murmured, looking up at Colin again before closing his eyes tiredly. “Sure, Ry,” Colin replied. He sank back down to his knees and lightly patted Ryan’s forehead with his handkerchief, blotting the cold sweat there. “Hey, I called them, they’re on their way, how is he doing?” Wayne asked rapidly, bursting into the room with all his usual energy. “He’s okay,” Drew said, managing to sound reasonably confident. “But I need you to do something else.” “Sure, what?” “Go out in the parking lot and wait for them to show up. When they arrive, you can lead them straight here.” Wayne nodded and dashed out the door. Greg cocked his head at Drew and raised an eyebrow. “Why him?” “He runs the fastest,” Drew replied. “Good point.” Drew settled at Ryan’s side and gently took one of his hands. It looked ridiculous, dwarfing his own small hand, but he held it anyway. Greg sat on his other side and patted his shoulder awkwardly, looking like he wished he were somewhere else. Colin ignored both of them and concentrating on smoothing Ryan’s hair and staring at him. The room was quiet enough for them all to hear Ryan’s labored breathing, and the occasional whimpers of pain that he couldn’t suppress. Colin was biting his lip so hard it looked like he might draw blood, and Greg was grinding his teeth, an old nervous habit. It seemed like an eternity before they heard Wayne’s excited, worried voice coming back down the hall, followed by the thud of footsteps. Two paramedics appeared in the doorway, taking in the scene with a quick glance. One of them was a young woman who looked scared to death, but she was backed up by a man who looked to be about fifty, with grizzled salt and pepper hair and an expression of competent confidence. “If everyone could just back up...” the man said, making shooing motions with his hands. Greg and Drew quickly rose to their feet and backed away, and Colin let his hands slip through Ryan’s hair one last time before following suit. “What do we have here?” the man asked. “Back injury. He fell. We haven’t moved him,” Drew said crisply. Greg had the surreal feeling that Drew was going to snap to attention and salute. “Okay. Terry, check him, but don’t move him,” the male paramedic instructed, and his young assistant moved forward quickly. Ryan was still lying curled on his left side, his legs bent slightly, knees together. Since he was obviously breathing and conscious, she didn’t do the standard Response-Breathing-Bleeding-Pulse check that is the normal first step. Terry gently lifted the back of his shirt, which was fortunately untucked already. She also pulled up the white undershirt to expose the skin of his lower back. Greg made a thick kind of gurgling noise in his throat and looked away. Colin swallowed and winced in sympathy for his friend. Drew didn’t move, but he got a little paler. The skin of Ryan’s back was being stretched and pushed out from within. What looked like a semicircular shape was showing against the distended skin in the small of his back, right above the waistline of his pants. It looked like a miniature stack of plates with one of the plates off center and sticking out, the thin edge pressing a red line into his skin. Terry looked uncertainly at her partner, her eyes wide. “Dean? I...” “Okay, this isn’t for a trainee,” he said quickly. “Watch carefully.” Terry nodded, backing away as Dean approached. He placed his hands lightly on Ryan’s back, and leaned over, looking at him carefully. “Sir? I want you to try and stay perfectly still. I know this hurts, but it’s vitally important that you don’t move. If you do, this slipped disc could very easily sever your spinal cord.” Colin hadn’t thought it was possible for Ryan to get any paler, but he did. “Okay,” he whispered. “I won’t move.” “Good,” Dean said. He frowned and looked at the way Ryan was lying, his eyes tracing the slight curve of his back and the position of his long legs. “Dean? Should I get the stretcher?” “No, we can’t put him on a stretcher. Actually... this is very delicate. The ride in the ambulance would almost certainly cause permanent damage. We need to fix this right here.” “Can you do that?” Colin blurted out, his head coming up in surprise. “Yes, if I can get him in the right position, I can slip the disc back in place. It’s almost like a dislocated joint. If it’s done right, it’s an easy fix.” Dean seemed confident, and Colin nodded. “Okay, sir? I need you to answer a few questions for me. First, can you feel all your extremities? Hands, feet, that kind of thing?” “Yeah,” Ryan murmured. “But they’re kinda tingling. Like they fell asleep or something. And I keep getting these electric shock feelings up and down my back.” His voice was tightly controlled, but even as his spoke two more tears slipped down his face. “Okay. That’s actually a good thing,” Dean said. “Now here’s what we’re going to do. You,” he said, pointing to Drew. “Get me a straight backed chair, one that doesn’t roll or tilt. Something solid.” Drew nodded and quickly hurried off. Dean turned to Greg, Colin and Wayne. “You three are going to help me and my partner move him. We’re going to do it very carefully, and keep him in exactly this same position. His legs need to stay just how they are, his arms, the curvature of his back... all the same. He’s going to be a statue, and we’re going to move him bodily.” “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Ryan asked nervously. “I mean, how is that going to work? Won’t I move or something when you try to pick me up?” “We’ll do it very carefully. And you’re going to try and stay perfectly still. You’ll need to tense all your muscles. While we’re waiting for your friend to get back with the chair, I want you to concentrate on feeling your exact position. Feel how your legs are bent, the position of your hands, the way your neck is tilted. Make sure you stay that way.” Ryan swallowed. “What if I don’t?” “Just make sure that you do,” Dean replied grimly. Ryan bit his lip and closed his eyes again, his breathing going a little faster. Colin knelt down beside him again and gently stroked his shoulders, making sure to stay well clear of his back. “Don’t worry, Ryan. It’ll be okay. He said it’s an easy fix. Nothing to it, I’m sure. This guy has probably done this hundreds of times. Right?” Colin added, looking up at the older paramedic. “Yeah. Right.” They all tried to pretend they hadn’t heard the little hesitation in Dean’s voice. “Will this work?” Drew asked breathlessly, coming through the door with what looked like a wooden kitchen chair in his hands. Greg wondered briefly where the hell he had found such a thing in a television studio. “Yeah, that’ll be great,” Dean replied, taking the chair from Drew’s hands. “Now here’s what we’re going to do. Keeping him carefully in the same position, we’re going to face him backward on the chair. His knees will be resting on the seat, and his chest will come up against the backrest. Once he is in that position, everyone hold him there. Understand?” They all nodded, and moved forward. Colin kept his position by Ryan’s head, and put his hands against the taller man’s shoulders. Greg and Drew each took a side, and Wayne and Terry positioned themselves by Ryan’s legs. Dean stayed with his lower back, placing his hands on either side of Ryan’s waist. “Okay, now when we move you, keep your body stiff. Be a statue. You may want to hold your breath.” Dean paused, giving Ryan a sympathetic look. “I have to warn you, this is going to hurt. Be ready for it.” Ryan said nothing. He simply drew in a deep breath and held it, his body becoming stiff and tense. Dean made sure everyone was watching him, and then he said, “Ready? One... two... three!” All six people lifted together. Ryan remained perfectly still in his curled posture, but his eyes squeezed shut and he let out an abortive little half-scream through his clenched teeth. With everyone working together, Ryan’s weight was evenly distributed and came out to about thirty pounds per person, so they lifted him fairly easily. Ryan was breathing in harsh gasps, holding each breath for a moment and then letting it out in a suppressed, tightly controlled cry of pain. “And forward... you, with the glasses, move to the left. You at the head, lift a little. Terry, come toward me.” Dean continued to bark out instructions, and they moved carefully toward the chair, turning Ryan’s body into an upright position. His knees were placed against the smooth wooden seat, and Greg, Drew and Colin carefully lowered his upper body until his chest landed on the backrest, just like Dean had said. Ryan’s face ended up pressed into Colin’s shoulder as the Canadian kept a firm grip on his upper arms. “Okay... now, everyone stay where you are, keep supporting him. Don’t let him slump against the chair. We can’t let his back take any of his weight.” Dean waited until he got nods of understanding from everyone, and then he turned to Ryan. “Okay sir, you did that very well. Good job. How are you doing?” Ryan whimpered incoherently against Colin’s shoulder. Colin gently squeezed his upper arms and asked, “Can we finish this please? He’s obviously in a lot of pain.” “Right. Terry, hold his shirt up, and watch carefully.” His assistant moved forward obediently, lifting Ryan’s shirt again. His back looked subtly different in the new position, the disc sticking out at a slightly different angle, but Dean seemed pleased by the change. He looked up, fixing Colin with a serious expression. “I’m going to need you to hold his head down. You’re going to press it down, bending his neck until his chin touches his chest. This is necessary to stretch the spine and give me room to slip the disc back in place. When you do that, do it quickly, and hard. He will fight you, so be ready.” “Won’t fight,” Ryan murmured. “Yes you will. Stretching your spine like that is going to hurt. But try your best to not fight it.” “Hang in there Ryan, we’re almost done,” Drew said encouragingly. “Yeah man, just a little longer,” Greg chimed in. “Right. Okay, I’m going to count to three again. When I do, you,” he nodded at Colin, “will push his head down and hold it there. Do it fast, and put as much weight as you can behind it. The rest of you hold him still, just like you’re doing.” They all nodded, Greg shifting his weight from one foot to the other and blowing a breath through pursed lips. Holding Ryan’s weight in that one fixed position was really starting to hurt his arms, and by the look on Drew’s face, he wasn’t any better off. Only Wayne seemed to not have any problem with it, but then Wayne exercised a lot. “Ready?” Dean asked. Colin nodded, and then set his jaw, moving his hands up to the back of Ryan’s head. “I’m sorry for what I’m about to do,” he whispered. “Okay. One... two... three!” Colin shoved down hard, and Ryan’s chin met his chest. This time his scream wasn’t suppressed at all. His hands clenched into fists and his whole body tensed in reaction. He tried to thrash, his head shoving up against Colin’s hands, who pushed down harder, clenching his teeth and putting all the weight he could into the hold. The four people holding him up all tightened their grips, and Dean placed his hands against Ryan’s back. His thick, nimble fingers were splayed along the back of Ryan’s waist, and his thumbs pressed against the protruding disc. With a grunt of effort, he pressed hard, and they all watched as the disc miraculously retreated, leaving Ryan’s back looking normal again. Ryan abruptly stopped screaming, winding down into panting moans. “Okay, you can let his head up,” Dean said, stepping back. He wiped a hand across his forehead, and Colin was somewhat nonplussed to note that it was trembling. He released Ryan’s head, and his friend promptly pressed his face back into Colin’s shoulder, still breathing in great, shuddering moans. “Now, gently, let him go. Let his weight settle onto the seat.” They all obeyed, and soon Ryan was slumped backwards on the chair, still hiding his face against Colin’s chest and shaking. Colin put his arms gently around Ryan’s shoulders and closed his eyes in relief. “Okay... he did it... you’re okay now. Sshhh... easy. You’ll be all right,” he murmured softly. “Is he okay?” Drew asked anxiously. “Yes, he should be fine. The disc is back in place. But the ligaments and muscles that hold it in place have been stretched, and it could pop out again fairly easily. He should take it very easy for at least a week. No strenuous activity whatsoever. Also, the area where the disc was pressing against the skin is going to develop a nasty bruise, and will be quite tender for a while. So be careful with it,” Dean said, addressing his last comment to Ryan. “Okay,” Ryan said, taking a deep breath and pulling away from Colin enough to speak. “And thank you.” Dean smiled. “That’s my job. And... by the way, I’m a big fan. It was great meeting you. Sorry it had to be like this.” Ryan smiled weakly. “I’d offer you an autograph, but I think my hands are shaking a little too much.” “Don’t worry about it. You’ve had a shock to your system. You should just sit, or better yet, lie down for a while until you don’t feel shaky anymore. And remember, take it very easy for at least a week. If you can, get someone to take care of you while you stay in bed.” Ryan nodded slowly, wincing as even that slight movement sent another twinge of pain shooting down his back. “Okay folks, we’re out of here,” Dean said, gesturing to Terry to join him. The guys all made sure to shake both paramedics’ hands, and Dean looked thrilled to have met them. Terry just looked confused---she apparently didn’t watch the show. The paramedics disappeared back down the hallway, and Ryan slumped uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair, still facing backwards with his knees on the seat. “Want to lay down?” Colin asked, tilting his head anxiously to look Ryan in the eyes. “Yeah... but I don’t know if I can walk. My legs feel like jello.” Drew chuckled a little. “Yeah, I’ll bet. We can help you.” They pulled Ryan gently to his feet and all but carried him over to the couch. Ryan wanted to protest, but the truth was that his legs really wouldn’t support him at the moment. Now that the adrenalin was leaving his system, he felt weak, shaky, and lightheaded. The guys all laid him out on the couch, helping him curl on his left side again because it was the most comfortable position for him. Wayne thoughtfully grabbed a pillow from another chair and placed it under Ryan’s head. Drew managed to find a blanket from somewhere down the hall, and he brought it back, grinning triumphantly like he had discovered gold in the dressing room or something. “Geez guys, I’m not a baby,” Ryan protested weakly as they draped the blanket over him. Colin gently tucked it under his chin and smiled, stroking a hand through his friend’s soft, curly hair. “How are you feeling?” Greg asked. “Shaky. Cold. And my back is still pretty sore, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it was.” “Do you want anything? Maybe a drink of water or something?” Wayne asked solicitously. “No, thanks. I’m okay. Just... a little shaken up.” Ryan’s voice was thickening as the trauma of what had just happened began to sink in. “I mean... did he really say that the disc could have severed my spinal cord? Did I imagine that?” “No, he said it,” Colin replied quietly. “But you’re okay now.” “Yeah...” Ryan swallowed, and his eyes were getting distinctly wet again. Colin put a protective hand on his shoulder and gave their friends a pointed look. “I think Ryan could really use a little peace and quiet so he can rest,” Colin said. “Um, yeah. Sure man,” Greg replied, taking the hint. “Glad you’re okay, Ryan. I’ll see you around.” Ryan nodded, managing a weak smile. His shivering was getting worse. Drew frowned, and called after Greg’s retreating back, “Hey, grab a couple more blankets from wardrobe, okay?” “Okay,” Greg tossed back over his shoulder. “Wardrobe?” Wayne asked, tilting his head. “Yeah man, they’ve got everything down there,” Drew replied. “Where do you think I got the chair and the first blanket? The place is like a fucking department store.” “Winfred Louder,” Ryan mumbled, giggling a little. The giggles were weak and breathy, and sounded almost hysterical, tapering off only to start up again a few seconds later. “Uh... yeah, Ryan. Just try to rest,” Drew said worriedly, sharing a frown with Colin. “Okay, I got a whole bunch of them,” Greg said, coming back through the door with an armful of blankets. He deposited them in a pile beside the couch, and then shot Wayne and Drew a meaningful look. “And now we should give the patient his space. I’m sure Colin can handle him.” Colin didn’t miss the slightly suggestive emphasis on the word ‘handle,’ and he gave Greg a look before scooping up the blankets and carefully tucking them around Ryan. He watched their friends leave the room and shut the door behind them. Ryan’s eyes were slipping closed again, but he was still shivering slightly, and his face was anything but peaceful. “Ryan? I’m gonna sit with you, okay?” “Mmm... yeah. When did it get so cold in here?” Ryan whispered. One of his arms was outside the blankets, and Colin could see goose bumps rippling the skin. “Just try to relax. Take deep breaths.” Colin gently lifted Ryan’s head and removed the pillow, then slipped his body onto the couch. He settled back, letting Ryan’s head rest in his lap. One of the taller man’s arms reached up to wrap itself under Colin’s knees, and Ryan snuggled into him. He was still shaking, and his breathing was beginning to catch in his throat. “Sshh... it’s okay, Ry. You’re safe now. Just relax,” Colin murmured, stroking his hair again. “God, Col... that was so scary. He said... I could’ve... I could’ve been paralyzed. I... it hurt so much, and I couldn’t move, and then you pushed on me, and I...” Ryan burst into tears as everything caught up to him at once. Colin held him as best he could, rocking him and murmuring soothing things. Ryan seemed genuinely exhausted, and the sobs tapered off after only a few minutes. He pressed his face into Colin’s lap, sniffling occasionally, but his shivering eased. Colin stroked his shoulders and down his side, still carefully avoiding his lower back. “Mmmm... you feel nice,” Ryan murmured. “Finally starting to feel warm.” “Good. That’s good, Ry, go with it. Just try to rest.” Ryan nodded slightly, relaxing into Colin’s ministrations. His breathing evened out and his trembling finally stopped altogether. Colin actually thought he was asleep, but then he spoke again, startling the older man. “That guy said I should try and stay in bed for a week.” “Yes, he did,” Colin replied calmly, raising an eyebrow. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and he was frankly surprised that Ryan could recover from the trauma so quickly. But then, Ryan had always been tough. “He also said that I should try and get someone to take care of me,” Ryan continued. “Uh huh...” “So, do you know anyone who is interested in volunteering for that job?” Colin smiled. “Huh... waiting on you hand and foot while you lie in bed? Why should I want to do that?” Ryan turned his head slightly, and exhaled against Colin’s groin, sending hot breath through the thin material of his pants. “Because if you’re nice, I may let you join me in that bed.” Colin shifted, closing his eyes for a moment and trying not to think about where Ryan’s mouth was. “But he said no strenuous activity.” “I promise to lie there and let you do all the work.” “Gee, thanks,” Colin said, but he was smiling. And he couldn’t resist getting in a parting shot. “I guess you can’t tease Drew about tripping on stage anymore, huh?” Ryan didn’t respond. “Ryan? Didja hear me?” Colin smiled ruefully, realizing that Ryan had managed to get the last word once again. He was fast asleep. * * * Finis