Chapter Text
Mickey has, to the best extent, been recovering nicely. The limb was taken right above the mid mark of his calf, or more so just below his kneecap, and though he deems himself pathetic as he moves around in a wheelchair, some small part of him is thankful for the removal, knowing how useless his leg was prior.
Everyone is babying him. Even Lip. They get him water if he clears his throat and brushes his hair when they find a knot. It’s overwhelming, but deep down, he appreciates this effort. It makes him feel less big.
“You okay?” Ian asks, for the hundredth time in the last 4 weeks.
“Peachy.”
“Are you excited for the prosthetic?”
“Not excited for the check.”
Ian huffs out something frustrated. Mickey doesn’t look up from his computer. He sends off another college application, sitting back and gnawing down on his inner cheek.
“You’ll give yourself sores.”
“That’s the literal least of my problems right now, Gallagher. Fuckin’ mouth sores, Jesus..”
Ian peeks over the magazine in his hands. He’s laying on his stomach, body facing Mickey as it usually is now. He always feels the need to be around him. Touching him, laying with him, staring at him as he sleeps. It’s creepy, but cute. Mickey likes having him close.
“Want me to change the bandages?”
Mickey peeks down at the leg, or lack thereof. “I can do it myself just fine.”
“I know.”
“Don’t you got like, shit to do?”
Ian shrugs. “Kev wants me to help at the Alibi in an hour. Nothing to do till then.”
Mickey grunts a little. “Of course.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He doesn’t want me coming to the bar with him anymore. Says the dickheads there don’t know boundaries or some shit, as if I can’t take it.”
Ian places the magazine down on the bed and rests his cheek on his hand. “You could come with me?”
Mickey smirks. He likes the idea of being out of the house, especially since the only activity he’s done has been going to physical therapy. The woman there doesn’t flinch at his cursing or mention his tears. She reminds him of his mom.
“Sure thing.”
Ian meets his eyes and nods a little, a simple gesture that the two have developed that usually means, ‘okay’, in its entirety. Mickey does it when Ian gives him the worry eyes, and Ian likes to replicate the move. They have a lot of unspoken words between them. He picks up the magazine and continues reading.
Their peaceful silence is interrupted by a loud yell from the kitchen. Mickey furrows his eyebrows and closes his laptop, swinging his leg over the bed and moving onto his wheelchair. He rolls himself into the room, blinking nervously at the mess in front of him.
A broken place. A panicked Veronica. A wet spot on the floor.
“Did you-“
“Call Kev!”
Ian pops into the room, concerned at the noise. He takes one look at Veronica and grabs his phone, quickly dialling the number he knows by heart. Mickey moves over to her and helps her avoid the glass, wincing as she grips his hand tightly.
“Are you..”
“Holy shit. They’re coming.”
Mickey peeks down at her stomach, which has grown considerably larger than any pregnant woman he has seen before. That is, of course, because of the twins. It freaks Mickey out.
“Kev said he can meet us at the hospital.”
“I don’t have a fucking car!” She yells, squeezing her eyes shut as another contraction makes its way through her body. Mickey helps her sit down as much as he can and shakes his head.
“Grab my crutches. We can take the car next door.”
“Fiona’s? She took it.”
“No, dipshit. The other house. I can hotwire it.”
“How are you gonna hotwire a car? You only have one leg, Mick!”
“I have both fucking hands! Hurry the fuck up, dumbass.”
Ian runs back to his room, grabbing the crutches and helping Mickey stand. He directs his attention to Veronica, who’s breathing heavily and gripping at the table.
“Are- are you okay?”
Veronica opens her eyes, sending a glare his way. “I have two kids coming out of me, do you think I’m okay?”
“Sorry, sorry,” Ian grabs her hand and leads her to the front door, where he picks up the large bag they had prepared for this moment. The three of them rush outside, Mickey leaning over the passenger’s seat to turn the neighbours car on, and Ian climbing into the driver's seat.
“We’ll be there in 15.”
“Fuck!”
Mickey turns to look back at Veronica. “Wh- what can we do?”
“Step on it, Jesus Christ!”
Ian speeds to the hospital, going at least 20 miles over the speed limit, and they arrive way sooner than he planned. He jumps out of the car and opens the backseat, helping Veronica out, gasping when her nails dig into his palm. Mickey gets out, going as quick as he can into the building. It’s times like these he really wishes he had a second leg.
“My- my mom, she’s- babies-“
The lady at the front desk stands up, a worried look on her face. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
Mickey takes a deep breath, looking back to where Ian is guiding Veronica into the hospital. “She’s in labour.”
“Oh- oh, alright. Let’s get a wheelchair out for her,” she directs the last sentence to a doctor near them, who gets a wheelchair and goes toward the door. Veronica happily sits down, breathing heavily through her nose, and looks up at Mickey with fear in her eyes.
“Is the father coming?” The receptionist asks Mickey.
“Yeah- yeah, he’s coming. Soon.”
“Alright. We can get her fixed up in a room, how about you two go sit down and we can call you back once the baby is delivered.”
“Babies,” Mickey corrects. He narrows his eyebrows. “We can’t go in?”
“I’m afraid it’s rather… off for the children to be present during a birth.”
“I don’t-“ Mickey is cut off when Ian places a hand on his back.
“C’mon, Mick. Kev will be here soon.”
Mickey adjusts himself on his crutches. “No- she’s.. she’ll be alone. No.”
Veronica grips onto the bottom of Mickey’s hoodie, shaking her head. “It’s fine, baby, Kev is gonna be here.”
“What- what if-“
“Mick,” Ian speaks into his ear. Mickey bites down on his lip and nods, sending Veronica away on the wheelchair. He stares at the back of her head as she retreats into a room, then is out of sight.
“Let’s go sit down.”
Kev arrives less than 10 minutes later, panting heavily and looking around like a crazed man. He doesn’t even notice Mickey or Ian, just walks right up to the receptionist and spits out her name, then is directed back to the room Veronica is in.
“You okay?” Ian asks, looking worriedly at Mickey, who has bitten off all his finger nails and is moving on to chewing off his cuticles.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
Mickey inhales sharply through his nose, lowering his hand and closing his eyes. “I don’t like hospitals.”
Ian moves closer and links his hand with Mickey’s, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to his torn skin. “I know.”
“Fuck, what if- what if she’s not okay?”
“She will be. Doctor said she’s all ready and healthy last appointment, eh?”
“I guess..”
“So relax. You will have two awesome, healthy baby sisters after this.”
Mickey peeks around the room, finding everybody off in their own world, and carefully rests his cheek on Ian’s shoulder.
They sit there for a few hours, a few of the other Gallagher’s joining them. Fiona and her newest boyfriend, Steve (who greets Mickey with a handshake and stares at his missing leg until finally asking, only to be slapped in the arm by Fiona) arrive first, then Lip and Carl. Debbie stayed home with Liam, is what was picked up.
Eventually, the sky turns to dark, and Mickey gets awfully tired of sitting around and waiting as if he isn’t part of the family in there. With Carl resting on his leg and his head cuddled on Ian’s chest, he falls asleep, anxiety and anger in his brain.
That’s never a good mix.
-
Mickey wakes up to someone shaking him roughly. He lets out a grunt and flinches awake, blinking a few times until Kev’s face comes into view. He looks exhausted, yet content.
“Kev?”
“There- there was some complications. She had to have a c section. One… one of the girls, she was a stillborn, or- or whatever the doctors called her. But… V and the other baby are doing very well.”
Mickey rubs his eyes, sitting up straighter. “Wh- what?”
“One of them didn’t make it, Mick,” Fiona says, a frown set on her face.
“Shit…”
“It’s okay,” Kev assured him. “We.. she’s doing good.”
Mickey scratches at his eyebrow, looking sadly at the ground. Kev taps his cheek gently and shakes his head.
“It’s alright, kid.”
“Is it?”
“We have one, a really healthy baby girl. And a really healthy mom. Maybe it was for the best.”
Mickey nods slowly, and Kev brings his hand up to tousle his hair.
“Now c’mon, V wants you to meet your sister.”
Mickey grabs his crutches, following Kev into the other room. He stops at the sight of Veronica, her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead, and a tired smile on her face. There are two baby cribs, but only one is occupied.
“Are you okay?” Mickey asks after a few beats, looking down at Veronica. She nods, and Kev walks over to her, grabbing her hand.
“Wh- what’d you name her?” Mickey looks over at the baby in the crib, unable to keep the smile off his face. He moves himself closer toward it, staring down at the sleeping baby.
“Amy.”
Mickey nods, balancing himself one a single crutch and reaching his hand out. He stops himself an inch away from the baby, before Kev’s voice speaks out.
“You can touch her.”
Mickey shakes his head slowly. “I don’t want to break her.”
“You won’t break her, honey.” Veronica smiles gently at him. Kev walks to him.
“How about you sit down? You can hold her.”
Mickey darts his eyes back to Veronica, who nods. He slowly lowers himself onto the bed next to her, placing his crutches against the wall, and tries to keep himself as still as possible while Kev gently places Amy in his shaking arms.
“She’s so tiny…”
Kev sits down on the chair, facing both of them. He nods and smiles at the scene.
“I’m sorry about..” Mickey cuts himself off, bringing his other hand out. As gently as he can, he strokes his thumb over Amy’s cheek, sighing quietly.
“It’s okay,” Veronica replies. “Maybe we were only meant to have two kids.”
“You were going to.”
Veronica places her hand on his arm. “You and her.”
“Oh..”
Mickey blinks, staring down at the child in his arms. Amy stirs a little, opening her small mouth, showing off her no tooth smile.
“Hey, kid..” Mickey speaks, his voice soft. “You got a good mom and dad.”
Maybe it’s the emotions, the hormones, or simple exhaustion, but Veronica feels the tears stream down her face at his words. Kev reaches out and grabs her hands.
“We’ve got a good family.”
Mickey looks up at Kev at his words, nodding. He knows now that no heartbreak, no Terry Milkovich, no lifelong pain or sorrow could ever mess with the most valuable force.
Family.