Amidst a fast dispersing crowd Kosi sat on the floor with a haunted look on his face clutching at his knee. In pain he muttered to himself "no no no not like this" he said looking down at his leg. Breathing heavily he tried to stand with Jude, Rue, Willow and Elise all surrounding him.
"Babe no don't you need to stay seated" Rue said placing a hand on his shoulder. Looking into her eyes with a pained expression he placed his head in his hands and laid on his back. "No no no no" he said tears welling up into his eyes.
Rue stood with a pain in her chest watching him but shook herself and said "Alright guys let's get him up, the clinic is near by".
Working together they raised him to his feet with him stabilizing himself on one leg. "Ok now what?" Willow asked watching Kosi hobble for a few steps still wincing. "I mean I could just.." Jude responded grabbing Kosi by the arm and lifting him onto his shoulders.
"Ha! still big bro, alright tough guy let's get you to the doctor" he said grinning with Kosi letting out a giggle. "Thanks man, love you bro" Kosi said slumped over Judes shoulders. "Dang sorry Elise I think Kosis gonna take your man" Willow said with a rye smile. "Um.." Rue murmured before just laughing.
"Hey Kosi sounds like Rue is giving us her blessing" Jude said. "Hey man they say your husband should be your best friend" Kosi replied looking up towards Rue. She gave him a mischievous pinch on the cheek and smiled at him. Looking at her once more all his problems melted away by being with her and their friends, smiling gleefully he mouthed the words "Love you Rue".
"Well we're here" Jude said stopping and looking at the clinic. "Thanks man let me down" Kosi said. "What? No you're not walking on that thing until we know what's going on with your leg" Rue replied sternly. "Jude you don't put him down until it's onto a bed or something" she continued glaring up at Jude. "Oh trust me I wasn't gonna put him down now" he replied.
Inside the small make shift clinic Rue called for help while Kosi was still strung across Judes shoulders. "Aren't you getting tired?" Elise said looking at Jude. "Well not really he's pretty light now, way easier than when we were kids he was chunky as all heck back then" Jude replied.
"Oh must be really strong huh" Elise replied stroking Judes arm. "Can I get down now" Kosi asked. "So Rue can beat me up no thanks, you're stuck with me for now" Jude replied.
"Come on guys!" Rue called popping her head out from inside an adjacent room. Following her they got into a patients room and Jude set Kosi down on the bed.
"Ah free at last" Jude said dramatically as he stretched his arms out wide. "What happened to he's light as a feather" Kosi asked sarcastically in a mocking tone.
"Hey feathers are light but you'd get sick of carrying them around at some point" Jude replied. Just then a doctor walked in. "Oh" the older woman in a lab coat said. "Hey doctor Matthews" Jude beamed. A wave of pleasantries followed as everyone greeted one another.
"Well this is unusual. You're all around the same age so unless I missed something massive you're not his legal guardians" she said before looking down at Kosi.
"Alright Kosi you can have someone here with you if you want but four is too many this room is pretty cramped as is" she said in a friendly demeanor. "Well it's gotta be Rue right?" Willow asked. "Yeah we'll leave you all to it, come on Jude" Elise said.
"Alright... thanks by the way guys sorry I kept you so long" Kosi said awkwardly. "Really not a problem, you rode him here we just watched and laughed" Willow said smiling as they left the room. "Hey" Jude replied following. "It's alright Judie I thought you were really sweet for carrying him" Elise said stroking Judes arm. "Oh barf not walking home with you two give me a head start" Willow said speeding up away from them.
Back in the room Dr Matthews looked at Kosi once more noticing the dirt on his clothes. "So Kosi what happened" she said in a concerned tone. "Wait a second where's your mask I thought I told you on at all times. Did he pass out?" she asked looking at Rue. "No doc, my lungs are fine I can actually breath without a mask now. It's.. my knee" he replied.
"You're not wearing it anymore full stop!" she bemoaned. "No really I'm fine I don't cough anymore, babe tell her" he said looking to Rue. "Yeah yeah he's been alright haven't heard him cough in ages actually" she replied looking between Kosi and the doctor.
"Alright" Dr Matthews said with a skeptical glance. "So what's wrong with your knee" she said looking through her tools. "It's really sore, I sort of got into a fight" he said tentatively.
"Come on Kosi I know you're not this kind of kid what's going on" she said looking back to him. "N..nothing I'm just, I don't know life's just been happening and I'm handling it as best I can" he said looking at her while Rue looked at him with a knot in her throat.
"He's really alright doc just a bit confused but we're all there for each other" she said in a shaky tone. "Alright we'll talk about this after I check him over" Dr Matthews said.
After examining his knee she reached for her note pad. "Alright looks like u dislocated it slightly. I recommend rest, ice, compression and elevating it" she said writing down on her pad before turning the pad over and showing him the first letters of each word circled. Remember RICE.
"Thanks doc" he said. She pulled the note out of her pad and handed it to Rue. "You put this on his fridge and bagger him to do it everyday for the next six weeks" she said sternly. "Got it" Rue replied before waving the note in Kosis face sticking her tongue out.
"Alright now I've known you both your entire lives. You wouldn't be this upbeat ever love it" she said pointing to Rue. "You on the other hand would never be out there starting fights" she said pointing to Kosi. "Don't love that so much" she added crossing her arms.
"Look I know them bringing back The Exploration Project has probably gotten to you. Don't think about it too much the trails are going to be done and dusted in three weeks so just ignore it all and live your life with your new girlfriend here" she said smiling at them as she left the room.
Rue blushed and looked to the floor before taking a peak at Kosi who looked forward like a deer in headlights. "Babe.. what's" she hurried to his side. "Wait a sec, oh...she said six weeks" Rue said looking heartbroken at Kosi. "And she said trails are in three weeks, I can't do them" he replied as all the emotion left his voice and he sat completely crestfallen.