Broken Dreams
The first thing Tony’s aware of when he comes round after the surgery is a stabbing pain radiating from his knee and it’s all he needs to know his athletic career is over. There won’t be any football or basketball in his future and that means the scholarship’s gone, too.
The second thing Tony becomes aware of is the hand on his arm and the chatter of subdued voices. He pries open his eyes to see Adam at his side and the others arrayed around the room. Parker seems to have a death grip on Faith’s hand and Neal’s sticking close to her side. The twins are curled up in the same chair in the corner.
“Hey kid,” Adam says, patting his arm.
“Adam,” Tony says, choking on the name, knowing that everything he’s feeling is openly displayed on his face. He’s never reacted well to medication.
“Come on, kids,” Faith says, rising to her feet. “Let’s go get some ice cream while Adam and Tony have a talk.”
“Is Tony in trouble?” Parker asks, turning wide eyes to him and Tony struggles to blink back tears.
“Tony’s not in trouble,” Adam assures her with a warm smile. “It’s like your nightmares.”
Tony knows Parker doesn't really like anyone near her after one of her nightmares, not even Neal, but thankfully they're rare these days. Almost non-existent. Parker nods, turning to look at Faith.
“Can we get some warm milk, too?” she asks and Faith smiles down at her.
“Of course we can.”
It doesn’t take long for the kids to go and Tony’s both relieved and a little afraid at their leaving. He’s never disappointed Adam before. He's worked his ass off so he wouldn’t ever, because Adam’s done a lot for him, done everything that’s ever meant anything to Tony, and he doesn’t know how Adam will react.
“How are you feeling?” Adam asks and his hand hasn’t left Tony’s arm. He’s had broken bones and sprains before and either Adam or Eliot had always been by his side each hospital visit. But this is different somehow. It’s nice, Tony decides.
“Alright,” Tony says. Adam nods, but it’s his ‘I’m going to pretend to agree even though I know better’ nod. Tony’s never been able to fool Adam, who just looks at him steadily until Tony feels tears well in his eyes and spill over before he can even think to control himself. “I lost it all.”
Adam just hands him a tissue and brushes a hand through his hair and that just makes Tony cry harder. Then Adam’s arms are around him and Tony’s clinging to him like there’s nothing else in the world that’s stable. Adam doesn’t give him platitudes or false promises, just holds him and rubs circles over his back until Tony finally settles down.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” Tony says when Adam finally releases him.
“You could take a semester off to heal,” Adam tells him. “After that... well, I have it on good authority that Ohio State offers a scholarship for injured athletes.”
“Since when?” Tony asks, frowning.
“It’s fairly recent,” Adam says and he looks smug. Tony has no idea when he had time to organise it, and there’s a part of him that’s angry, because he’d wanted to do this on his own, to prove that he could stand on his own. There’s also a part that’s just extremely grateful that he isn’t doing this on his own.
“Thanks,” Tony says softly, settling back onto the bed.
“Get some rest,” Adam tells him, patting his arm again. “We’ll be in town until you’re ready to decide what you want to do.”
Adam has to take the kids back to the hotel to sleep eventually, but Faith volunteers to stay a little longer. Tony tries to imagine how he’d do this without his family there, but it’s such a bleak thought that he shakes it immediately. It’s bad enough Eliot’s disappeared on them.
Faith flicks the foot of his uninjured leg and gives him a look like she knows what he’s thinking about. He and Faith were the only ones to really know Eliot. Eliot hadn’t been able to come back from the Army all that often and each time he’d been more distant until he just hadn’t returned at all. Neal and Parker had only really lived with him a few months and Alec and Ben hadn’t met him at all.
He finds a smile for her and she smiles back for a moment before wiping her expression and acting like she’s too cool for touching moments with her brother. He grabs one of the pillows at his head and throws it at her. She catches it easily.
“Sure that’s a fight you want to start?” she asks him, grinning.
“Give me a tranquiliser gun, a taser and a head start and I’m sure I could take you,” he boasts.
“Sure,” she says, chin tilted arrogantly. “As soon as you’re finished sitting on your lazy ass.”
He laughs, more relief and appreciation that he has this than actual humour, and knows that he can get through the next few weeks.