Title: Road sense Alex listened to Fox as they crossed the road back to where Walter was sitting in the car waiting for them to finish the shopping. Both held large paper bags and Fox peered round his to check the road was clear before stepping out. Alex’s attention was distracted by a display in the bookshop window and he followed Fox a few seconds later. Walter was watching two young children who were running loose, their parents several yards behind. It took him a moment to realise the significance of the screech of brakes and the screams which followed moments later. The motorbike and its rider were immediately separated, the bike continuing down the street for several seconds before coming to a halt. A couple of people got into the road and stopped the traffic in both directions. Walter looked across to see what had caused the motorcyclist to lose control. He felt his heart stop as he saw the crumpled figure in the road, a crowd gathering around him. ‘Alex.’ He whispered the name as he jumped out of the car and ran across to where Fox knelt, crouched over the younger man. ‘Alex, stay with me. Open your eyes. Please Alex!’ Fox’s desperate pleas went unheard by Alex who was unconscious, knocked out by the force of the bike hitting him and knocking him to the ground. Walter put a hand on Fox’s shoulder, felt the trembling which he could see was affecting Fox’s entire body. A couple of minutes later two ambulances arrived and the EMT’s assessed Alex and eventually lifted him into the back of one of the vehicles. ‘What have we got?’ A doctor shouted over the voices of the people surrounding his next patient. ‘Thirty year old male. Pedestrian in collision with a motorbike. He’s coming in next.’ ‘Okay. Let’s get…’ Walter flinched at the touch of a hand on his arm. ‘Sir, we need some details. Can you go to the front desk please?’ The nurse directed Walter out of the room and he went reluctantly, looking back at Alex through the glass doors as they closed behind him. ************ Fox sat at Alex’s bedside, his eyes never leaving Alex’s still form. Walter handed him a styrofoam cup of coffee. ‘That’s all there is unless you want soda?’ Fox took the cup without comment. ‘Fox, you need to get outside and get some air. You’ve been in here a while now.’ ‘It was my fault.’ Fox said quietly. ‘Fox?’ Walter was instantly wary. Was there more to Alex’s ‘accident’? ‘I should have made sure it was safe for him.’ Walter almost laughed with relief. ‘Fox, Alex is a big boy. He knows to look both ways before crossing the road.’ ‘I stepped off. I thought he was with me. It’s my fault.’ ‘No it’s not Fox.’ Walter said firmly. ‘And when Alex wakes up, he’ll tell you it was his fault, not yours.’ Accidentally, Walter had hit on Fox’s fear. ‘What if he…what if…’ ‘He has a concussion Fox. His body needs time to heal. He’s going to be fine.’ Walter realised his words were as reassuring to Fox as they had been to himself when he had been composing his reply in his head. ************** ‘I’m gonna go get a paper. You want anything?’ Fox shook his head. ‘No thanks. I’m fine.’ Walter didn’t bother arguing with Fox’s description of himself. ************* The following day… With Walter called away to fill in yet more paperwork, Fox dozed in the chair at Alex’s bedside, eventually opening his eyes and stretching. He looked across to Alex and stared for several seconds into half-open green eyes. ‘Alex? Alex, can you hear me?’ His voice a hoarse whisper, Alex half-smiled. ‘Yeah.’ Fox jumped up, pulling the door open and ran straight into Walter. ‘He’s awake.’ Walter smiled at Fox’s excited voice. Walking into the room, he crossed to Alex’s side. ‘Hey there.’ He put a gentle hand on Alex’s cheek. Alex moved his head slightly towards Walter’s hand. ‘How long…have I?’ ‘Two days.’ ************** Exhausted by the short walk from the car into the house, Alex laid on the couch, his eyelids suddenly heavy. He leaned against Walter, who lifted him so his head was resting on Walter’s lap. Within a few seconds he was asleep. Walter looked down as Alex shifted slightly. Fox handed him a coffee mug. ‘You need anything else?’ ‘No Fox. I’m fine.’ Alex began to mumble, his body twisting. Walter began to wake him, but Alex was deeply asleep and in the grip of a nightmare and wouldn’t respond. Concerned he could injure himself, Walter pulled Alex into a tight hug, all the time whispering to him reassuringly, hoping to wake him. After a few seconds, Alex woke suddenly, struggling in Walter’s arms before realising where he was. ‘Sorry.’ ‘It’s okay Alex. It was just a bad dream.’ Walter stroked the hair from Alex’s damp forehead, releasing his grip slightly. ‘I could see it. The bike…’ Walter blinked back tears. ‘Shh. It’s over. You’re home. You’re safe. Just close your eyes.’ ************ A week later… Walter turned in his seat. ‘Alex, get out of the car. We said we’d cross the road today and we’re going to.’ Alex shook violently, his chest heaving with the effort of breathing. ‘I can’t.’ ‘Alex, take some deep breaths. Fox and I are with you. You’re perfectly safe. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.’ ‘I’m scared.’ Alex whispered. ‘I know. But you’re going to be okay. Come on. Just get out of the car at least.’ Alex opened the car door, his eyes anxiously scanning the pavement opposite. Walter put his arm around Alex’s trembling shoulders and ignored the looks he was getting as the three of them walked slowly to the edge of the road. ‘Alex, we’re going to cross now.’ Alex began to whimper, the soft sound almost making Walter regret his decision to force Alex into facing his fear. Almost. But not quite. He knew from experience that delaying things wouldn’t help. So he steeled himself, gripped Alex’s upper arm with his fingers and glanced across at Fox. Who was as white as a sheet. And shaking almost as much as Alex. ‘Fox, listen.’ Slowly, Fox’s head turned towards Walter. ‘We’re going to cross now, okay.’ Walter had already been watching the road for several seconds. The traffic lights at the junctions to his left and right were green. Which meant nothing could come round the corners as their lights would be red. Making sure there was no traffic coming in either direction, Walter guided both younger men off the pavement, and they crossed quickly, both evidently only just overcoming their almost overwhelming need to run across. Alex dropped onto the wooden bench beside him, Fox only just managing to remain on his feet. Walter smiled with relief. ‘Okay, now are you ready to go back?’ Two pairs of frightened eyes looked at him. ‘Back?’ Alex asked, sure he wouldn’t like the answer to his question. ‘The car’s on the other side of the road Alex. We have to cross back.’ Walter reached out a hand, pulling Alex to his feet. Again Walter was watching the traffic, and again the traffic lights and lack of traffic on the road suggested it was safe. They crossed a little more calmly this time, but Alex still climbed immediately into the back seat as soon as he was safely beside the car and Fox’s face was a long way from its normal color. *********** Back home, Walter closed the door and watched as both Alex and Fox crossed to the couch, taking up their familiar places, leaving room for him to sit between them. He dropped into the space and put his arms out. Two heads leaned in, pressing against his chest. ‘I am very proud of both of you. You were scared, but you overcame your fear. Well done.’ He dropped a gentle kiss onto the tops of their heads then sat back, an arm around each of them, feeling the tension slowly evaporate from their shoulders. Natasha and Nicholai came nosing in then, sensing the tension but being too inquisitive to stay out of the room if there was a chance that one of the three laps might be available. The sight of three in a row was too much, and they both jumped up onto opposite arms of the chair and walked across Alex and Fox’s laps, both finally settling on Walter. ‘Why do they like him most?’ Alex grumbled. Fox had done some research on the subject of Alex’s frequent question, and chuckled. ‘Walter doesn’t like them as much as we do. So he sits still and doesn’t touch them in the hope they’ll go away. But they actually like being able to settle down without being petted when they’re tired. So they chose him rather than us.’ Walter immediately brought his hands down to the two kittens and began to stroke them. Far from finding his touch irritating, the two kittens began to roll over, their four paws holding Walter’s large hands over them, their heads lifting in an attempt to bite him. ‘Your theory sucks Fox.’ Alex muttered. Walter laughed, the sound startling the kittens into immobility for a moment before they resumed their attacks on Walter’s hands. ‘Maybe they sense his bark is worse than his bite.’ Fox offered. Alex smiled at that, mollified a little. ‘I prefer that theory.’ Walter looked from Alex to Fox. ‘Either of you forget to look both ways before crossing the road again and I’ll prove that theory wrong in a way you won’t like. Understand?’ ‘Yes Walter.’ Two voices chorused. End Home Send me feedback on this fic Return to the X-Files Fic Index Return to the West Wing Fic Index