summary: They can tell him 'its a routine procedure' and 'he's in good hands' a million times but it won't change now. His brother was being opened up for fucks sake, he has every right to be nervous no matter how routine it is.
a/n: based off this photoset.
“Ryan?” But the voice filling the darkness isn't the six year old, it's his brother and from the tone he knows something's wrong.
“Cyril, what's wrong?” Ryan asks as he sits up in bed, shielding his eye from the light as Nancy switches the lamp on while holding the covers close to her body.
His hand is on his stomach and he's on the verge of tears. “I have a tummy ache, it hurts really bad.”
“Maybe it's because you had 2 bowls of ice cream before you went to sleep” he tells his brother as he picks up his boxers from the floor and slips them on.
“Andy might have some Rolaids or Pepto” Nancy chimes in. If anyone's an expert at curing stomachaches, it's Andy Botwin.
Ryan opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted by Cyril clutching his side and letting out a small cry of pain. There's something about it that both Ryan and Nancy know it's more than just a stomachache.
“I don't think that's because of ice cream, babe” she offers, smoothing her hair back. Even if Cyril isn't related to her, there is a feeling of worry in the pit of her belly. From the moment Nancy met the O'Reily's she's been fond of him and their relationship. It endearing.
“Shit” Ryan mutters as he gets out of bed and rushes to his brother side. He rubs his back in a soothing manner. He knows there's only one thing to do and he dreads it.
It takes an hour to finally get Cyril to cooperate and let Ryan and Nancy to take him to the emergency room. He caves when Nancy promises she'll go and stay with them. Ryan murmurs a 'thank you' in her ear and kisses her temple.
0000
She's walking back from the bathroom with Cyril – who's thrown up so many times she's lost count - when she hears it.
“How the fuck does he get to see a fucking doctor before my brother?” Ryan shouts, slamming his fists on the counter.
They've been sitting in the waiting room for hours and Nancy's sure the nurse is about to call the police on Ryan at any moment.
His temper was never the best but when his brother is in pain and throwing up so much now that it's only bile, it's even worse. He can't help but be enraged at the fact that another person gets to be seen before Cyril does.
“He was in a car accident, sir. Now I need you to take a seat before I call security” the nurse says in an annoyed voice and Ryan just wants to hit something and he's ready to hit something when he hears Cyril's voice calling his name.
So he sits and they wait.
Cyril has his head in Nancy's lap, his eyes drifting closed as she strokes his blond hair and images of Silas pass through her head. Whenever he was sick she'd sit up with him, his head in her lap and stroke his hair just like this until he feel asleep. It always soothed him and it still does. She smiles slightly at the thought.
Ryan's rubbing his back and trying his best to make sure he's as comfortable as he can be. If it wasn't for Nancy he knows Cyril wouldn't be this calm. Hell, he wouldn't be this calm. He glances at her, their eyes meeting and he can't help but mouth 'thank you' to her again. Its really all he can think of.
“Cyril O'Reily” another nurse calls from the other side of the room.
“It's about fucking time” he exclaims as he resists all urges to tell the nurse he had to deal with eariler to go fuck herself for looking at them the way he has since they got there.
“Come on Cyril, they called your name” Nancy says gently. She can only imagine how tired Cyril must be. How worn out he feels. How much pain he's in. It makes her think about her kids and she takes his hand, letting him lean on her as they follow the nurse with Ryan right behind them.
“Can we just go back to Nancy's house?” Cyril asks, his voice weak and rough. “I hate hospitals” he whines. “I wanna watch Miss Sally's School Yard with Stevie.”
“Not right now, buddy. I promise we'll go back when we find out what wrong and your tummy ache goes away. Okay?”
Cyril simply nods at Ryan and Nancy can't help but admire the way Ryan is with his brother. How he speaks to him. The way he's just so damn gentle with him. She doesn't know how Ryan was before they met and it doesn't matter, what does matter is what she sees now and what she sees is making her fall for him.
0000
It turns out Cyril has appendicitis and needs surgery. Well, he's already in surgery and Ryan's anxious. They can tell him 'its a routine procedure' and 'he's in good hands' a million times but it won't change now. His brother was being opened up for fucks sake, he has every right to be nervous no matter how routine it is.
It wasn't easy getting Cyril to stop freaking out when he found out what was going to happen. He can't blame Cyril for being so scared. If it wasn't for Nancy, he would have never calmed down enough. Ryan doesn't know what it is about Nancy Botwin but she's intoxicating in all the best ways. She knows what to do and when to do it – something she's told him didn't exist before but he doesn't believe it. One minute Cyril's screaming that he wants to go home and the next Nancy's whispering in his ear and he's okay.
His leg is shaking as he sits in another waiting room. He swears if he doesn't get fresh air soon and away from the antiseptic he's going to crack but he won't move. He promised Cyril he wasn't going to. He promised him he'd be right there. Ryan knows Cyril won't know if he goes out for smoke but he doesn't break promises he makes to his brother.
Then he feels a hand on his knee and he stops. He doesn't slow down and come to a gradual stop. He just stops and suddenly he feels a little better seeing knowing Nancy's right next to him.
“What'd you tell him to get him to stop?” he questions, looking over at her.
She gives him a sly smile and shrugs, “It's a secret.” She lifts her can of Diet Coke towards her lips and takes a long sip. She'll wait to tell him she promised they would to take him to see The Lion King on Broadway.
0000
Nancy's not sure how long it's going to take before Cyril wakes up after surgery so she decides to go home and shower. Being up all night and well into the day, she could use the pick me up. That was over an hour ago and Ryan's right next to Cyril's bed waiting for him to wake up. Time drags and it makes him feel like the night after his accident all over again. Where he waited by his bedside until he woke up. Before he got fucked up and landed himself in Oswald because it was all his fault. But those days are behind him. Days of failing Cyril are behind him. He's determined to do right by him and take care him.
'Take care of Cyril, Mommy' is the last thing Nancy heard as she left the house. From the moment she walked through the door she felt like her son was rushing her to get back to the hospital. Stevie and Cyril had grown close and she swore she'd take care of him for Stevie but she stops in the doorway, watching quietly as Cyril begins to stir in his hospital bed.
“Ryan” Cyril says quietly, his voice groggy and thick with sleep.
“Hey kid. I've been waiting for you to wake up” he says, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Suddenly his brother stirs as if to get up and groans in pain. Ryan carefully places his hand on his shoulder. “Take it easy before you hurt yourself. Okay?”
He nods softly, laying back. “Okay, Ryan.”
“Good.” Ryan leans down, pressing a kiss to his forehead and Nancy grins from the doorway, a wave of warmth filling her belly. She thinks that might be the moment when she completely falls for Ryan O'Reily.
