Author's note: okay this is the second half of big time hurt. Kendall took over this chapter- like seriously. Anyway that's it for me for this two-shot but if you like my writing you should check out my two ongoing stories (or any of the others.) Thank you for reading and thank you for those who reviewed (or a compensating reviewing- hint, hint :P)

Kendall had known his new bestest friends for life about two months when he took an unfortunate spill on the ice while playing hockey and cracked his head on the goal.

James maintained it had not been his fault in any way, shape or form- a fact that would be heavily debated throughout their friendship.

His mother had raced him to hospital and James conned his nanny into driving them there so Kendall wouldn't be alone.

James and Carlos huddled together in the back, whispering amongst themselves. Hortense sat solemnly in the front seat, occasionally looking back at his to friends but didn't try to contribute to their aimless conversation.

Kendall had been rushed through the E.D process because he had initially lost consciousness and had a nasty cut to the back of his head. So when they got there he was already propped up in a bed, his mother milling around worriedly talking quietly on her phone trying to get someone to cover a shift she should already be at.

"No one can cover me for the first two hours honey," she told Kendall smoothing his hair back. "You're father isn't picking up" she told him quietly and Kendall gave her a very resigned look.

"I'll look after him" James' nanny piped up "this is mostly James' fault anyway- he wants to stay here so I'll be here anyway." Mrs. Knight gave her a grateful look "thank you SO much" she clasped her hands with her own "I'll be back as soon as I can- thank god Katie is still with my mother."

"It wasn't MY fault!" James told his nanny insistently, she mainly ignored him, still talking to Mrs. Knight. "It WASN'T my fault" he told his friends in annoyance "yes it was!" Kendall glared "you tripped me with your hockey stick."

"Nuh uh" James argued "my hockey stick was in front of your foot not behind it- you hit a patch of bad ice." he turned to Carlos who nodded hesitantly and James gave Kendall a victorious smile "see three to one!"

"What?" Hortense squeaked, "you didn't even ask me?" James laughed "you're my best friend- of course your on my side!" he told him as if it was obvious, though it didn't seem all that obvious to Hortense. "I don't ALWAYS agree with you!"

Kendall sighed, "it's okay Hortense-" he started but Hortense crossed his arms violently "no it's not! It was your fault James- you should say your sorry."

Kendall looked at the smaller boy with awe and James looked at him with horror. "You're siding with KENDALL?" he said in outrage, Hortense shrunk back "well yeah- he's the one that's hurt James."

"You've never sided with me before" Kendall told him quietly and Hortense threw up his hand in annoyance "I'm not siding with anyone! I just saw what happened- anyway we shouldn't be arguing when your hurt" he grabbed Kendall's hand "are you okay."

Kendall seemed mostly blown away by the attention Hortense was giving him. The smaller boy tended to avoid him in favor of James who he had known longer. "My head feels okay"

That was a lie but he didn't want Hortense to know that he didn't want to worry him. Hortense nodded and let go of his hand turning to James, Kendall grabbed the hand back "actually- it hurts... Like a lot!" maybe... he did want his friend to worry a little...

Hortense trained his eyes back to Kendall in panic "where exactly does it hurt? Should I get a nurse?" he went to pull away again "um YES- Julie" he turned to James nanny "could you hit the button for my nurse."

Julie gave him an unconcerned once over and shrugged, hitting the nurse's call button.

Kendall's nurse was a young brunette and a young man in white trailed behind her. "Hello Kendall" she said warmly "where did your mummy go?" Julie stuck out her hand "I'm Julie- I'm staying with Kendall while his mum sorts some work things out."

"Oh are you a family member?" she shook her head "I'm a friend" the nurse nodded understandingly. Then turned to Kendall "so what do you need Kendall?"

He bit his lip "my head hurts" he told her, squeezing Hortense's hand tighter. She nodded "well your mum said you could have some painstop if you were in pain- I'll give you some of that... be back in a tick" she walked off, the young man trailing behind her.

Hortense touched the back of Kendall's head where a bandage was holding a substantial amount of gauze. "Has the doctor seen you yet?" he asked quietly, Kendall nodded "they said they're gonna stitch me up in bout an hour- I hope mum's back by then." he said fearfully.

Carlos grinned, "don't worry Kendall I get stitches all the time- they give you this happy gas and you don't feel much!"

Kendall sighed in relief but tells Carlos defensively "I wasn't scared" James snorts "were too." Kendall's brow furrows "was not!" James just laughed, "was too, was too, was too!"

"Was not you stupid head!" Kendall yelled angrily "boys!" Julia scolded and both

Carlos bit his lip, he didn't like it when his friends fought "oh I know!" he yelled and rushed off "Carlos" Hortense yelled after him, he wanted to follow but Kendall still had a tight hold on his hand.

Carlos came back a box and clipboard in hand, he dumped them on Kendall's lap. "They're colouring!" he said proudly and James blanched "Kendall's WAY to old to be coloring baby pictures." Kendall looked at the top picture of Barney and nodded "James is right- I don't want people think I'm some kinda baby."

Carlos' bottom wobbled and then his face lit up "oh I know!" and he was off again "Carlos" Hortense called again and then muttered "he NEEDS to stop running off like that."

James rolled his eyes "what's the worst that could happen Hort- we're already in a hospital." Kendall sniggered and Hortense retched his hand free "I know" he said cheeks colouring. He hyperextended his hand trying to get the blood to flow again after it at been held like a vice.

Kendall frowned at the lack of Hortense's hand in his. "Don't be mad," he commanded and Hortense smiled "I'm not" Kendall put his hand back out but Hortense didn't take it.

Carlos came back with a small pile of paper, "they're word sleuths" he said and threw them on Kendall's bed. "Word sleuths are age appropriate" Hortense told them before both of the other boys could comment and took one of the sheets.

"I bet Carlos and I can finish one before you and James" he challenged Kendall. Kendall's eyes lit up at the challenge, "you're on!"

Carlos and Hortense won by a landslide. Kendall and James maintained it was an unfair win because Kendall's nurse had interrupted the game to make Kendall hold her hand for some reason and shine a torch in his eyes.

Hortense and Carlos had stopped looking during that time so their augment wasn't really valid.

Mrs. Knight turned up a little after that- having worked two of her eight hour shift. Katie was under her arm and Kendall's domineering grandmother in toe.

"Thank you so much Julie," she told James' nanny- even though the boys had done a way better job at looking after Kendall and nobody thanked them.

"You should probably take the boys home- we're just going to get the stitches now and go home."

Kendall immediately grabbed Hortense's arm in fear. Hortense nodded "um Mrs. Knight" he piped up "I was gonna stay over your place..."

Her eyes shifted from her son's face to his friend's and smiled "of course sweetie- you can stay." Hortense beamed and James scowled "Hortense" he whined, "I thought you were coming over."

Kendall sent Hortense a silent plea so Hortense just shrugged at James "I said I MIGHT come over... and anyway Kendall hit his head."

And just like that the grand tradition of Kendall being able to convince him to do almost anything with a simple look had been born.

"FINE" James said in annoyance and grabbed Carlos by the elbow "Carlos is still coming over." and then proceeded to glare at his nanny until she declared it was time to go.

Hortense let Mrs. Knight have the chair next to Kendall and sat on the floor and held Katie, quietly reading to her from the picture book she brought. Grandma Knight scolded Kendall for playing such a dangerous sport as hockey and told Mrs. Knight 'she should never have let him play it in the first place.'

Her comments were largely ignored.

Mrs. Knight smoothed her son's hair "they said you can have the stitches soon- they're going to move you to some chairs near a procedure room in a moment."

Kendall grabbed her hand "you'll be here right mummy?" he asked hesitantly.

She smiled warmly at him, "of course honey- how could I not be?"

He sighed in relief and sunk back into the bed.

******BTR******

Kendall sat low in his chair waiting for class to start, staring a hole into the chair next to him. It was the seat Hortense would normally sit in. He was absent and as Carlos rushed in as the bell went Kendall caught him by the arm. "Where is Hortense?"

Carlos shrugged "his mum called and told dad not to bother picking him up- that she was taking him to the doctor." Kendall's eyes widened "HORTENSE'S mum took him to the doctor?" Hortense's mum didn't have a maternal bone in her body and hated taking time off work...

"Is he okay?" Kendall asked fearfully- Hortense never stayed home sick (mostly because his mum wouldn't take time off work and the community largely frowned upon leaving a ten year old home alone.)

Carlos shrugged "she didn't say- why? Do you think it's bad?" Kendall shrugged noncommittally (no need to freak Carlos out over what might be nothing) "it's probably nothing" he told Carlos with false confidence.

Carlos' shoulders relax and skipped over to his seat with James. Kendall bit his lip- he had changed classes out of 4A into 4B mid year and this was the first day Hortense had been absent in all that time.

Kendall jangled his foot impatiently and watched the clock; he would maintain that stance throughout the day. Watching the clock waiting for the hours to pass until it was home time.

Math was the hardest- it was the class Hortense usually helped him with, and it was simply unbearable without him. He couldn't concentrate.

Hortense was the one that explained everything he didn't understand and would make sure he paid attention. He was feeling a mess without him.

He barely could focus at lunch, laughing lifelessly at James' bad jokes (something he normally refuses to do on principal- lest James think he was actually funny.) And lost FOUR rounds of four square to Carlos (which was just pathetic and a serious blow to his pride.)

When the final bell rung to go him he shot up, pushing kids over to get to the door. He grabbed Carlos by the wrist on the way out. "I'm coming home with you" he told him forcefully and Carlos just smiled in confusion "um- okay?"

Carlos' house was on the same street as Hortense's house and he could just skip over there if Mr. Garcia gave him a ride.

"Where are we going?" James asked curiously trailing behind them. "Nothing James" Kendall groused, "go about your daily business" James rolled his eyes because that sounded like something Hortense would say to Kendall. "You guys ARE my daily business" James told him and continued following them.

"Is that all I am to James Diamond?" Carlos asked in a mock shrill voice, James laughed along with him "what Carlos? No- dong be like that!" but he couldn't get through the sentence without giggling.

"Enough of your tomfoolery Carlos" Kendall glared "I've had it up to here- we need to get to your place!" James scratched his head "why do you wanna go to Carlos' place so bad?"

Kendall bit his lip "I don't... I just... Hortense was absent I want to see if he's okay." James face went white "do you think he's sick?" Kendall rolled his eyes "well duh- I mean it's Hortense we're talking about- he doesn't just miss school."

"We should all visit him" Carlos said decided "what? No! It was my idea!" Kendall argued, he was being a good friend- he was being a best friend, if everybody did it, it lost all meaning!

"come on Kendall don't be a baby! We're doing this for Hortense not for you" James scolded as the police cruiser pulled up. "Better make up your mind" Carlos sang "dad's here" and he opened the front and hopped in.

"Erg- fine" he grabbed the door roughly opening it, shoving James into the cruiser. "Boys?" Mr. Garcia said in surprise "oh right" Carlos said belatedly "we wanted to visit Hortense because he's sick- so can you PLEASE drop us at his house?"

Mr. Garcia smiled wanly at his son "I don't mind dropping you, but Hortense isn't at his house now." The boys shared a look "where is he?" Kendall asked.

Mr. Garcia sighed and put his hands on the steering wheel. "I'm not going to lie to you boys- Mrs. Mitchell said Hortense is sick, she took him to hospital."

"Hospital" Kendall repeated in disbelief, none of them could ever remember ever going to hospital for being sick. For breaking something or an accident Jenny Tinkler caused.

But Hortense was sick.

"We have to see him," James said resolutely and the other nodded. "Yeah dad- Hortense doesn't have anyone else" Carlos pleaded. "He has his mother Carlos" he gently reminded him "is she still at the hospital?" Kendall asked in surprise "no" Mr. Garcia admitted.

"She stayed with him for hours but she's been planning an open house for a while..."

Kendall snorted "so we can go see him right?" Mr. Garcia sighed, "I'll call your mums first."

That was good as a yes.

They were at the hospital as soon as possible (Mrs. Knight said she would drop by after work.)

Hortense was in a room of four, wires hooked up to his body. He was so white he almost faded into the white sheets and he was breathing heavily.

"Hortie?" Carlos said in a small voice coming next to him, James rushed to his other side. Kendall hung back almost white as Hortense- making no movement to his friend.

"I- I" Kendall stuttered staring at Hortense and then bolted out of the room.

"KENDALL" Mr. Garcia called, "stay here" he commanded at the boys and then raced after the blonde.

He caught up with him but Kendall refused to go back inside and sat outside while James and Carlos stayed with Hortense.

James glared at Kendall when they were in the car, "you upset Hortense you know- you're supposed to be he best friend!" Kendall didn't argue, he didn't say anything.

The next day was Saturday and Carlos woke up to a strange sound... like someone was in the garage. He would never normally be up this early on a Sunday, most of his siblings had sport related events and he was alone besides his cousin (who SO didn't count!)

He opened the door hesitantly holding a hockey stick to find Kendall trying to take his old trailer he would attach to his bike.

"Kendall?" he asked in honest shock "um hey Carlos" he said embarrassed "this looks weird right?"

"Only a lot" he told him, "I needed the trailer" he said weakly, "and thought you'd accomplish this by stealing?" Kendall went red, "I was BORROWING it" he insisted.

Carlos let it go- mostly because it was a little surreal to be the rational one on the end of this kind of conversation.

Kendall returned it later that day. Stained purple and covered in dirt… which was odd.

Carlos decided to spend Sunday with Hortense- Carlos wasn't going to let a little thing like a hospital stop they're grand tradition. He even smuggled in ice cream.

He didn't know where to put it though as someone seemingly tore up every purple flower in the field near Kendall's house and decorated Hortense's room.

'Huh' Carlos thought 'that's odd.'

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