July 29th, 2025- Later that day-

Otabek's POV 1st Person- 3:45 pm-

"Don't freak out," That's the first thing I hear as Yuri comes across the phone, and immediately I know something's wrong. His voice is strained, he sounds like he's on the verge of collapse, and on top of that, he's called me during practice. He never calls me during practice, knowing how important it is and always ignoring me even when I assure him he can.

"Are you okay?" I ask immediately, and I hear him draw in a small unsteady breath across the line.

"I'm okay," He says but I don't believe him for a second, "The doctors are running some tests right now, I'm sure everything's fine," He pauses,

"Where are you?" I ask him, my voice shaking slightly,

"I'm okay, really," He says and seems like he's trying to convince himself instead of me, "I'll be fine, this is just protocol-"

"Where are you?" I ask again, the fear creeping into my voice even as I try to keep it out,

"I'm in the hospital..." Yuri says slowly and my heart plummets, "I'm okay though, don't worry-" I cut him off again and this time there's no room for debate in my voice,

"Yuri, where are you?" I nearly shout and Victor looks over at me from the rink, I never raise my voice.

"Saint Petersburg Memorial Hospital," He says quietly, "The ER,"

"I'll be right there," I say and go to hang up but am interrupted quickly by my husband's frantic voice,

"No, hold on!"

"Yuri, I'm coming!" I say, almost sharply, but catch myself just in time,

"If you drive here you'll kill yourself," Yuri tells me, concerned now for my well being rather than his own, "Get Victor and Yuuri to drive you or something, please,"

"You can't be serious," I tell him, not wanting to waste any more time than we already have,

"Please," Yuri speaks softly, pleading, "For me, get here in one piece," I sigh and nod,

"I'll be right there," I tell him through the phone,

"I'll be here," He says, trying for a light tone but falling far short.

"Otabek, are you okay?" Yuuri and Victor have come up behind me and are watching me, looking worried. "You look really pale- what was that phone call?"

"Yuri," I say and run a hand through my hair, just on the bridge of panic, "He's in the hospital,"

"What is he okay?!" Victor asks quickly, looking almost as freaked out as I feel, after all he's known him since he was six.

"No— I don't know— I need to get there," I say and look at them desperately,

"Let's go," Yuuri says, seeming badly shaken, but the only one who's still calm enough to drive. We follow him out of the rink, Yakov yelling at us to come back— that practice isn't over yet, but no one pays him any attention.

***

Yuri's POV 1st Person

I sit in the hospital bed and try really hard not to think. My right arm is held against my side in a sling and my left is curled protectively around my stomach. I still haven't felt anything and the worry is eating me alive. Please be okay, please god be okay. I can't take it if you're not.

The door of my room opens and Otabek steps through, looking incredibly worried. "Beka," I relax slightly at the sight of my husband, so relieved he's here. I need him here, he's the only one that stands a chance at helping me.

"Are you okay?" He asks me, coming to my side and looking at me so gently with so much concern in his face I feel as if I might break down. 

"I-" My voice breaks and I know what a mess I must look like, "I don't know," I look at him and feel my eyes fill with tears even as I try to push them away. "I don't feel anything," The tears fall and I feel myself shaking slightly. He gives me a hug and with my non-sling bound arm, I return it, needing the support. We sit like that for a while, me in the bed with my good arm wrapped protectively around my abdomen and him with an arm around me. Lost in our own little worlds we just take the small comfort that we can from each other's presence. We're the only ones that can really understand how the other feels; paralyzed with fear and so helpless at the same time.

After what feels like a century the door opens once more, and a white lab coat clad woman enters the room. "Hello, my name's Doctor Bykov, Doctor Scryte referred your case over to me." We nod and Otabek squeezes my hand gently, no doubt feeling it shake in his own. "So, let's see what's going on with you," She says brightly and walks over to the bed I occupy. "It says on your chart that you may have a concussion?"

"What?" Otabek turns to me looking upset, "You didn't say anything about that," I just shake my head,

"That's because there was nothing to say, I was dizzy, I'm fine now, end of story." I turn to the doctor, "There's nothing wrong with me, take care of the baby, that's all that matters."

She gives me a kind understanding smile, "For now you're the top priority, head wounds can be very dangerous. We'll get to the baby in just a second, I promise." She leans forward and shines a light in my eyes. 

I pull away, blinking and insist, "I'm fine, I'm not what matters,"

"Yuri, just let her, it'll only take a second," Otabek says pleadingly, evidently worried that there may be something wrong. I couldn't care less however,

"Stop it, I'm alright! Just check on the baby, please!" I beg the doctor, and she seems to realize that I'm nearly out of my mind with worry for she relents. 

She retrieves the ultrasound machine from the other room and repeats the process that has grown so familiar. I roll up my shirt and she squeezes the gel onto my protruding abdomen, softly rolling the wand over it. Otabek squeezes my hand and I hold my breath, praying that everything's okay. 

"Oh, thank god," I hear my husband breath a sigh of relief but don't know why. I stare at the screen, desperate. My vision focuses entirely on the picture in front of me, unable to take in anything else, and it almost seems like I'm looking at it through a tunnel. "Yuri," I vaguely register Otabek calling my name but can't respond, stuck in a blind panic. "Yuri," He calls me again and gently turns my face away from the screen to meet his. The tears in my eyes spill over, and I find myself crying hard, unable to catch my breath. He pulls me into his embrace, and holds me tightly, "It's okay," He tells me softly, "I promise everything's okay," I let myself sob in his arms, so relieved it's overpowering. The pure joy  I feel is all-encompassing and it's wonderful.

***

Two hours later I've completed all the mandatory neuro exams (I'm fine, shocker) and am signing insurance papers at the front desk. 

"Yurio!" I wince at the use of the nickname I despise and turn to find Victor and Yuuri coming towards me. Otabek follows slightly behind them and mouths 'sorry', I shrug and roll my eyes at what I know is coming. "What happened, are you okay?!" Victor and Yuuri ask at the same time, looking equally concerned.

"I fell," I say evasively, "I'm fine."

"How did you fall?" Victor inquires immediately, eyeing the cast on my right arm, "It must've been really hard to break like that— you don't get injured easily. I should know, we've been rink mates for 18 years."

I turn to Yuuri for help, he normally scolds Victor for being overly inquisitive but now he seems just as eager to hear my answer.

"I... um... fell down the stairs..." I trail off leaving them in a horrified silence,

"That's so dangerous," Yuuri says looking even more worried than he had before, "Did they check you out? If it was hard enough to break your arm you must be really hurt, what about the bab-" 

"Yes," I cut him off quickly, "They cleared me, I'm fine, and so is— it." I finish lamely. I feel guilty calling 'it' an 'it' but it's awkward; they think and act like they're my parents and I've barely gotten used to 'it' as it is, even with Otabek. 

Yuuri, seeming to sense that this is vaguely humiliating for me, especially with my bump so visible now, takes pity on me and lets the topic drop. "Well, we should probably bring the car around." He says, pulling Victor away, and I'm more grateful than I'd care to admit. 

"Ready?" Otabek asks me and I nod, turning to finish signing the papers, then stop; remembering my dilemma from earlier. 

"I'm right-handed," I say, holding up my right arm, encased within its cast, "I can't sign these." Otabek laughs and takes the pen from my hand, scribbling out my attempt at a signature and replacing it with his own. "I love you," I reach up and give him a kiss, still annoyingly too short to do it any other way. 

"I love you too," He returns the kiss, considerably more easily, and we leave the hospital, hand in hand. 

**Author's Note!**

Yep, I scared you didn't I? Hehe, I'm a sadist. So to accurately write about Yuri's cast I watched a ten-minute long video of someone getting a cast put on, so thank you Youtube! Also- I broke my right wrist in second grade playing soccer (yet another reason why mainstream sports suck) and had a cast and a brace on it for a few months. Well, I dug the brace out of my closet and am wearing it as I type this. Ow. The brace is now off. It left marks on my arm lol, that was a bad decision. Oh well, the price I pay for my art (writing, oh well, same thing). 

This part of the A/N is no longer relevant to the story, I just want to share this with you guys! So I'm doing a program with my coach and my little brother, of course, wanted one too. When she asked what he wanted to skate to he goes "JJ's Theme!!!" I showed her the music and she LOVED it, so now we're both doing (very different because he can't do anything) programs to Theme of King JJ! I'm wayyyyy too excited about this lol. Also, I'm choreographing mine by myself- send help. (I'm a figure skater if you didn't catch that lol.) Love you guys, see you soon!