Cailen turned, still keeping one arm around Noah because he really didn't think he could stand on his own yet.
Madeline smiled at him, reaching up to pat at his cheek with a smile.
"Thank you, Madeline. I know I wasn't much help today."
"Oh, hush." Madeline said immediately, waving off his apology. "You don't need to apologize for that." She said and then she was really looking at him, her eyes roaming over him. "Are you alright, dear? You look a little pale." She said, now reaching out to feel his forehead.
"I don't know, I think it's just... I don't know, I feel a bit faint but I'll be fine. I'm just so relieved." Cailen admitted, blinking away tears but it was no use.
She thought on this for a moment as he felt Noah's grip on him tighten at the mention of him feeling a bit faint. Her eyes narrowed at him in suspicion as she lowered her hand.
"Did you eat?" She asked like she already knew the answer.
"No... I did buy a sandwich, I just... Couldn't eat it." Cailen said, looking to the ground in a sort of shame.
"Cailen Hale, you know stress and such can take a lot out of you. You need the energy." Madeline scolded, smacking his arm lightly. "You march your butt down to the cafeteria right now before I inject you with an Intravenous Fluid." She instructed and Cailen smiled because this was the Madeline he was used to.
Cailen nodded, turning but keeping a hold on Noah.
"You make sure he eats." Madeline said, pointing a finger at Noah who nodded like he might be a little intimidated by the little old lady.
Soon, she was walking away, leaving them there to head in the other direction, Noah's arm was still around Cailen's waist just in case.
He really did feel a bit faint but he thinks it had more to do with all of his emotions going out of whack today than with not eating, though he supposed he really should have eaten that sandwich.
"I thought he quit?" Noah asked hesitantly as they made their way down to the cafeteria.
Cailen had nearly forgotten about that part with everything going on until now. Noah was right.
Asher was supposed to have quit so Cailen really didn't know why this all happened in the first place.
It shouldn't have and Cailen was positive he was going to be biting his tongue from saying 'I told you so' when Asher woke up.
After he felt better, of course.
"He was supposed to. I don't know what happened." Cailen replied as they turned the corner.
Noah didn't get to reply to this because when they turned the corner into the cafeteria, they were practically trampled by a big group of men.
There were about eight of them, Cailen thinks, all big and muscular, all looking quite frantic and dirty.
Cailen recognized some of them from the times he's been down to the fire house- there was Jeremy, Darren, Watson, and... Ian?
Cailen couldn't quite remember but he supposed it didn't matter.
What mattered was that they were swarming him and Noah, all asking questions Cailen couldn't quite catch.
"Hey! Cool it!" Noah shouted at them, unabashed.
They all seemed to shut up at this, their mouths snapping shut as some of them hung their heads in embarrassment.
Cailen was about to answer what was sure to be one of the many questions they were asking- was Asher okay- but then a much familiar face was poking his head out from around them and Cailen got distracted.
"Matt," Cailen smiled over at him and Matthew returned it with an uneasy, uncertain smile as he approached them.
"Hey, Cai." Matthew said quietly, his hands clutched in front of his chest, nervously fiddling with his thumbs.
"Have you seen him? How is he?" Matthew asked and Cailen could tell he was nervous and worried too, so he sent him a soft smile and was beyond happy when he actually had an answer to that question, finally.
Asher was okay.
"We haven't seen him but the doctor said he's pulling through." Cailen answered, reaching out to the dark haired lad.
Matthew visibly relaxed and allowed himself to be pulled into a three way hug between him, Noah and Cailen.
The firemen around them all relaxed as well, turning to each other to share relieved words and pats on the shoulder.
It was interesting to watch, actually.
This was a part of Asher's life that Cailen didn't get to see often and he often forgot that Asher basically had a whole other family outside of him and Ezekiel.
It might not be the same kind of family, more of a brotherhood, but they all cared for Asher too.
It was nice to see and he didn't know why he had been surprised when he saw them rush over to him, except maybe the fact that they nearly trampled him. He should have been expecting them, really.
"Are we able to see him soon?" Came a voice and when Cailen looked over, he saw it was Jeremy speaking to him.
Jeremy was the newest member of the force if Cailen was remembering Asher's words correctly. He was younger than all of them and had a habit of sleeping in, which they all bugged him about.
"Uh, I don't think so. Probably not until he wakes up and even then, he's going to need some time to get his energy up." Cailen said.
He knew Cailen would be able to see him, even before he wakes up and that Ezekiel, Noah, William, and Matthew will be able to as well, but that was a different story.
Dumping eight firemen on Asher the moment he wakes up might not be a good idea and he was certain the hospital wouldn't allow it.
"But, as soon as he is able to, I'll let you guys know." Cailen promised, seeming to at least satisfy them all.
"What happened? Like, I know he got hit in the head but... How?" Cailen asked.
He hadn't even had time to think about this while waiting to find out if Asher was okay. That took up too much of his brain power, but now that he could focus on something else, it was the first thing he wanted to know.
Where was the fire? How did Asher get hit in the head?
Why was he left there alone without anyone noticing?
"We cleared the house," Jeremy started, his voice a little shaky. "Well, we thought we cleared the house but the mother said her little girl was missing. So we started looking around for this little girl and then we- well, we heard a scream from inside and Asher took off before any of us could react." Jeremy said.
Cailen didn't know how to feel about this. He didn't know if he should feel proud that his husband was that brave or angry that his husband was that stupid.
"We aren't sure exactly what happened inside, but then a little girl came running out of the house, so we waited. But Asher never came out and Jeremy and Darren went in to get him but they didn't know where he was." Another one of them went on, his name escaping Cailen.
"We found him on the ground under the banister, we have no idea where his helmet went. He went in with it." Jeremy explained.
Cailen nodded, trying to push images of Asher lying unconscious under a banister in a burning house from his mind.
It wasn't working very well and he really did need to sit down now before his legs gave out and be in the hospital with a head injury.
He thanked the firemen for coming down for Asher and promised them an update everyday. They bid him goodbye and wished for Asher’s fast recovery before leaving.
When they were out of the cafeteria, Cailen shuffled over towards the closest empty table, this seeming to remind Noah of why they came down to the cafeteria in the first place.
He let Cailen go to fetch his probably dried out sandwich from two tables over, setting it down infront of Cailen, but even now, he still didn't want to eat it.
His stomach still felt a bit off and just looking at it made him want to hurl.
"Eat or that lady's going to have my ass." Noah said, pushing it over even further.
Cailen nodded, sighing in defeat as he reached for the sandwich, the bread feeling very much dry.
Matthew took a seat beside him as he focused on trying to stomach this sandwich while he regarded a very tired looking Matthew. His hair was uncharacteristically dishevelled, his eyes barely staying open from lack of sleep if the bags under his eyes were anything to go by.
Cailen considered his appearance as he bit into his sandwich and began chewing slowly. He imagined he looked like a cow eating.
"How are things with Aariyah?" Cailen finally asked, knowing full well that she was the reason for Matthew's appearance.
Matthew grunted in response and really, that was enough for Cailen.
"Hazel's got her at home, said to call with the news so I should probably go call her." Matthew said tiredly.
Cailen nodded at this and realized that he too had a phone call to make. He had to call William and tell him what he knew about Asher, the poor man was probably freaking out.
"I should call Wil, get him to bring Zeke down." Cailen mumbled around another bite of his sandwich.
"You could go home, Cai. He said Asher's not going to be awake for a while." Noah suggested but really, that was thoughtful and the stupidest thing he's ever suggested.
"I'm not going anywhere until Asher's awake. Not until I see with my own eyes that he's okay." Cailen said with a shake of his head.
Noah sighed, nodding like he knew that was exactly what Cailen would say.
Cailen quickly finished up his sandwich as Matthew walked off to go call Hazel. By the time Cailen finished, the sandwich was sitting in his stomach like lump but he supposed it was better than it being empty.
He excused himself from the table, digging into his pocket to retrieve his phone and stepped outside for some fresh air, thinking it'd probably be good for him to get.