The HQ Team (PLOT)

Wally's face immediately flushed, and he stammered, "I- uh- I- I'm fine, Col, really. And what's this about a pity party? You're having like, the worst week ever!" He waved his arms in emphasis. "I-I'd say- I'd say that qualifies for being allowed to let yourself feel bad! I'm f-fine I'm not- I'm not even hurt and I've got clean clothes now and everything see? I'm fine."

Colress's face softened as he tried another tactic. Even though he hated bringing the topic up. "... You know a body fell on me too, right?" He started off. "I didn't have to deal with the blood, but the fact was, it still happened. I wasn't in the best shape afterward even when I was back in my own room. You don't have to pretend everything is fine for me. I know it probably helped to clean up, but things like that... don't just go away."

Col's face was remarkably similar to Wallace's whenever Wallace fussed over him, but at hearing Wally's trainwreck of an attempt to smooth his worries over (thanks for the stutter you stupid fucking useless brain), his expression softened with understanding, a look that made Wally want to collapse right there and cry for some stupid reason.

"... You know a body fell on me too, right?" he reminded the boy gently. "I didn't have to deal with the blood, but the fact was, it still happened. I wasn't in the best shape afterward even when I was back in my own room. You don't have to pretend everything is fine for me. I know it probably helped to clean up, but things like that... don't just go away."

He laughed nervously, unable to make eye contact, rubbing the back of his neck. "It... it's-"

Contain the flood. Contain the flood.

He took a deep breath and blinked very hard to will the wetness in his eyes away. Reaching deep into his being for the strength to bullshit, he gave Col a smile as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"It's better. I've got clean clothes and- and you're safe and no one's gonna get in here and do anything, and the police are on the hunt for the actual body-dumper, so it's better. I'm fine."

Wally laughed in a nervous fashion as he refused to make any eye contact. "It... it's-" He blinked while taking a deep breath, and even Colress could tell he was holding something back despite the smile he tried to give. "It's better. I've got clean clothes and- and you're safe and no one's gonna get in here and do anything, and the police are on the hunt for the actual body-dumper, so it's better. I'm fine." The words were emphasized with Wally shoving his hands in his pockets.

He honestly wanted to give the poor kid a hug, but he didn't want to try forcing contact onto him. He couldn't anyway, thanks to the lovely metal bracelet locking him to the bed, but still. If Wally wasn't going to admit to being upset, then not even the offer would be appreciated. "It's okay to be... troubled about it." That wasn't quite the right word he wanted to use, but that was the closest he could think of that wasn't too emotionally charged. "... And if that look Orion is giving you is any indication of what's going on, I'm... Not sure I believe you entirely. If you don't want to cry in front of me, I understand, and I won't be offended if you want to go somewhere else for a little while. I'll be fine." That last sentence might not be entirely true, but if Wally needed to go somewhere else for a while, then he wasn't going to be selfish and demand his presence.

"It's okay to be... troubled about it," Colress said, speaking in the slow, careful voice he did whenever he wanted to pick his words carefully. "... And if that look Orion is giving you is any indication of what's going on-" god damn it Orion "-I'm... Not sure I believe you entirely. If you don't want to cry in front of me, I understand, and I won't be offended if you want to go somewhere else for a little while. I'll be fine."

Oh well that was a lie.

Wally sat down on the side of the bed, taking his hands from his pockets to rub his eyes. "I don-"

He hiccuped. Smooth.

"I don't need to cry. And you don't wanna be alone. I-" another hiccup goddamn- "I don't wanna be alone. That guy's still out there and they haven't caught him yet and- and you found one of the bodies what if- what if that guy realizes you saw something he didn't want you to see and comes back?"

Wally sat down on the bed and rubbed at his eyes before he tried to speak. There it was. Wally really wasn't doing as well as he tried to pretend. "I don-" He hiccupped in between words. "I don't need to cry. And you don't wanna be alone. I-I don't wanna be alone. That guy's still out there and they haven't caught him yet and- and you found one of the bodies what if- what if that guy realizes you saw something he didn't want you to see and comes back?"

With his free hand, Colress slowly reached to pat the boy's shoulder. He didn't have any answers about what the murderer might or might not do, but he could at least address Wally's fears and emotions. He also didn't want to think on the thought that Wally put in his head. Wally had found that body while it was still warm and bleeding, and he was therefore a much more likely target for the murderer for the reason Wally listed. And there wasn't much he, with his arm cuffed to a hospital bed, could do about it. "... I'll be fine." He did not believe this at all, but he didn't want Wally to worry over it. And he didn't want to bring up why.

Colress said, speaking in the slow, careful voice he did whenever he wanted to pick his words carefully. "I'll be fine."

"Oh my god!" Orion burst out, his voice ringing clear from the universal communicator Wally still held in his hand. The boy jumped, turning wide eyes to his beloved fairy as Orion waved his arms around in frustration. "You're both being ridiculous about this! You're! Not! Fine! I can feel it, remember!?"

Wally opened his mouth and Orion cut him off by pointing to him. "You are on the verge of collapse!"

He moved the finger to point to Colress. "And so are you!" He threw his hands up into the air, Wally looking much like someone had just smacked him upside the head with no warning. "Why are humans so stupid with emotions! You're both crying inside; just let it out! God!"

"O-Ori-"

"Don't you 'Ori' me, mister! You're both pretending for people you don't even need to pretend for! I thought that was the point of friends!"

Orion wasn't having any of their nonsense. "Oh my god!" Unable to contain himself any longer, the Gardevoir exploded loudly enough that Colress was able to hear his words from the communicator still in Wally's hand. "You're both being ridiculous about this! You're! Not! Fine! I can feel it, remember!?" Colress visibly winced at the reminder. He had hoped that maybe Orion wasn't going to comment on it in front of Wally, but that was obviously a foolish notion. Orion pointed at Wally and accused, "You are on the verge of collapse!" He then whirled around and pointed at Colress. "And so are you!" He then threw his hands up in frustration as he all but yelled, "Why are humans so stupid with emotions! You're both crying inside; just let it out! God!" Wally tried to interrupt the rant, but Orion cut him short and snapped, "Don't you 'Ori' me, mister! You're both pretending for people you don't even need to pretend for! I thought that was the point of friends!"

That last accusation stung deep. Orion was right about that, and Colress knew it. He had even been trying to get Wally to acknowledge that he wasn't fine, but Colress hiding his own fears and emotions could have made Wally think he had to do the same. This wasn't healthy for either of them, and Colress could already feel the guilt building up. "He's not wrong," Colress finally admitted. His shoulders slumped as he continued, "I-I was afraid, and I still am. Things could have gone very differently and-" his voice hitched, "-one of us wouldn't be here." He looked up at Wally as his eyes started to well with tears again.

There was silence for a beat or two before Wally dared to look at his friend, the man looking so, so tired.

"He's not wrong," Colress admitted, shoulders falling. "I-I was afraid, and I still am. Things could have gone very differently and-"

Wally had a feeling he knew what was coming after that 'and' and he didn't want to hear it, but Colress's voice hitching made it obvious he was going there anyway despite Wally's inward pleas that he not.

"-one of us wouldn't be here," he finished, finally looking up to face Wally. His eyes were welling up, and so were Wally's, much to his horror.

Nobody had actually said that out loud so far. It had been implied, hinted at, danced around, but no one could bring themselves to finish the thought aloud yet. Until just now.

"I-" A sob overtook his voice, Wally covering his mouth with a little sound of pain. Orion sat down on Wally's other side as the boy's shoulders started to shake.

"No one else is gonna see," he murmured. "And we won't tell."

"I- just" He wiped frantically at his face as he felt a couple tears roll down them. "He wa-was still leaking-"

His stomach lurched- ripping, tearing-

No no no focus on the crazy murderer who might maybe be unhappy you discovered the body so soon don't focus on- that-

Carefully, Orion enveloped Wally in his psychic power and gently scooted him closer to Colress. His boy needed a hug, and Steven and Wallace weren't there, but he knew that Colress would be more than happy to hug the now-sobbing kid. Even if it was only with the one available arm.

Stupid protocol.

It seemed like Colress's words and vulnerability finally broke the dam as Wally started to sob. "I-" Wally covered his mouth with a pained sound, and Orion sat down on Wally's other side. When his shoulders started to shake, Colress's heart started to break for the child. "I- just" Wally paused long enough to wipe at his face to hide the tears. "He wa-was still leaking-"

Colress had intended to just grab the boy's shoulder again, since that was all he felt he could do in his position, when Wally started glowing and was pushed a little closer to him. He recognized the faint glowing as Psychic, and glancing up at Orion in thanks, Colress instead pulled Wally into a one-sided hug. He wasn't sure if Wally would react well to the contact, so he left his grip a little loose so Wally could pull away if he wanted. He really wanted to give the kid a bigger hug. Between the realization that Wally had nearly been another victim, and the weight of the whole situation bearing down on him, Colress had started shaking too.

Words weren't necessary. Wally barely noticed Orion pushing him closer to Colress until he felt himself being moved and Colress wrapped an arm around him, drawing him as close as he could with the use of only one arm and his other being tethered in place. Able to resist Colress's hold about as well as Wallace's, Wally turned his head to hide his face in Colress's shoulder, the tears having started a few moments ago. He may as well at least try to hide them from sight. There was no point to trying to resist the hug when his soul begged for the comfort of being held.

He was supposed to be too old for this sort of thing, but as Colress's trembling began and his friend started to cry too, he felt maybe it was okay just this one time to let someone see him in a state this bad.

Orion stood by with Wally's other two pokemon, standing guard over the two weeping humans as they cried the stress and fears out of their systems.

(And now we will go back to the investigators to find out what they were up to in the meanwhile! Might go on hold for a bit while we straighten ourselves out about what exactly comes next because we should review that properly and real life obligations are kicking our ass.)