I arrive at the hospital eight minutes later. Freddie isn't anywhere to be seen, so I rush straight to the reception area. "Hi, uh, I'm looking for a patient. Jimmy Davis?"

The receptionist, an elderly and incredibly bored-looking woman, looks at me over the top of her round glasses and loudly pops her gum. Fuck, so cliché. "Only family visits are allowed, honey."

"I'm his... brother?" The receptionist just stares at me with a cocked brow and pops her gum again. I give her my most dashing smile, as Freddie comes running in. Lex, hey, any news?" The receptionist looks at him, then back to me. "I assume this is another brother?" she huffs and rolls her eyes.

"Adopted brother", Freddie says confidently with a wink but it merely earns him a scoff from the receptionist. "Nice try, gentlemen. Unfortunately for you, everybody here knows that Chief Doctor Davis only has one son."

Ah, this is the hospital his parents work at. Good for him. Bad for me.

Freddie and I exchange a frustrated look. As he starts walking towards the waiting area, I turn to the receptionist again. "Excuse me, hi, uh, sorry. I don't suppose you're allowed to tell me what's wrong with him? As you can imagine, we're super concerned."

She just shakes her head. "I'm afraid I'm not aloud to tell you anything, honey."

I let out a hopeless sigh and run my hand through my hair before heading over to join Freddie. I plop down on the chair next to him. It's only then I realise that he's wearing his school Jersey with "Go for Gold - Jimmy" scrawled on the back with a marker pen.

"So, uh, Freddie... you and Danny were at the race? What happened exactly?"

"Yeah, um... yeah, even if we're just cyclists, he's still part of the team, one of us. We always go to cheer him on. This race was a big deal for him. The really big sponsors. Lots of visibility. I mean, there were tons of reporters around, media coverage is gonna be huuuge. Man... he must be so pissed...".

I'm getting impatient at this point. "Freddie, get to the point. What happened? Why is Jimmy here? In hospital?"

"Oh yeah, so I was just getting to that. Jimmy was doing so well. He was in the top ten coming out of the water, then towards the end of the cycling trail, he was close third. His master discipline is the running part, so he was easily going to take this race home... so uh, anyway, he's closing the gap between himself and the two guys in front of him... and just as he is about to overtake the dickhead from Team Canterbury, the fucker rams his bike and sends Jimmy flying... he crashed right into the side of one of the camera cars. He's fucking lucky he didn't get run over. At that speed, he would have been dead on the spot. It still wasn't pretty, though".

I'm shaking... fighting the tears...

Fuck, Jimmy... I could have lost you today...

"Oh, and the shithead who made him crash? He'll be facing a two- or three-year sports ban. Plus legal problems if Jimmy decides to press charges, which he obviously should. It was all caught on camera and there were loads of witnesses, so the guy is screwed either way." Well, silver linings... I guess...

I rest my head in my hands and let out a shaky breath. Jimmy, please be ok...

I'm pulled from my thoughts when someone clears their throat. "Hello... sons", a tall man in scrubs addresses us with a smirk. Ah, Dr Davis I assume. Very funny.

I jump up instantly and hold out my hand. "Hello Sir, Dr Davis, Sir. I'm Lex, Jimmy's...", I trail off. Shit. Does he know about us? Does he even know his son is gay? Jimmy never talks about his parents. I just know that they are always doing crazy shifts, so they are not time much. I don't want to get him to any kind of trouble, so I go down the safest route... "...friend". The good doc quirks an eyebrow and I quickly add, "And this is Freddie, another friend. He's on the cycling team with Danny."

"Hi, Dr Davis", Freddie says with a little wave.

"Sir, how is Jimmy? Is he... Can we see him? We've been really worried", I barely manage to get then last words out... Oh hell no, I am not about to let myself cry in front of my future father-in-law.

"He'll live. He's got four cracked ribs, a fractured collarbone and broken wrist. He'll be home and at school in no time but of course he won't be able to train or compete for a while. Hopefully, he'll be all healed up by the time he has to leave though."

Leave?What?

The doc catches the bewildered look on my face but doesn't say anything. He just steps closer to Freddie and whispers "Room 316. Danny's with him. You have 20 minutes." Freddie smiles and nods before taking off.

"You, Mr Mars", he whispers gripping my elbow, "can join Freddie in just a moment. I'd like a word with you in my office." I nod and follow him silently. I'm also slightly weirded out by the fact that he knows my name. Has Jimmy mentioned me at home then?

As we walk down a long corridor, the doctor suddenly stops right in front of me and turns his head slightly to whisper over his shoulder. "Oh yes, just a friendly suggestion Mr Mars... don't let my son hear you referring to yourself as just a friend", he says with a wink.