Room 219; Saturday Evening
When Riggins didn't get a phone call from Street last night after the football game, he knew something had gone wrong last night. He figured the Panthers lost, maybe the fullback they got to replace Riggins fucking sucked, who knows, but something had to have happened for Jason not to call right after. He promised Tim he would, after all. It's not like Dillon was big or tech savvy enough to have a website up for Riggins to look up. And he was starting to get really fucking tired of everyone ignoring his calls.
He was in the middle of dialing Tyra again when his phone lit up with his brother's number on the screen. "Billy, man, finally. I've been trying to call everybody. What happened last night?"
For the first few moments the only thing Riggins could hear was his brother's breathing on the other side of the phone. "Hey, man. Um. Somethin'...somethin' happened at the game last night."
Riggins sighed. "We lost."
"No, no that's the good news. We won the game," Billy said, shaking his head to himself. Thank god for Matt Saracen. There was another patch of silence, followed by a heavy sigh. "Something happened to Jason, Timmy."
A deep, worrying feeling set in Riggins' stomach at those words. "What happened?"
"A defensive lineman was making a break for the endzone, man, and there was nobody to stop him but Jason," Billy said. "He got hit pretty hard and landed on his neck. He had to be wheeled off the field and taken to the hospital."
And now Riggins felt like he was going to throw up. Protecting the QB was his job. If he had been there instead of some new kid... "Is he going to be okay, Billy?"
"We don't know anything yet, officially. But I saw that kid get hit, Timmy," he said. "And, I'm sorry, but that boy is never going to walk again."
"Fuck." Now was not the time to cry, Riggins. Wait until you got off the phone.
"Look, Timmy, if you want to come home and see him--"
"No!" Whoa, that came out a little too quickly. "I mean. I'm good here. I'd just be in the way."
Billy wasn't believing that at all. "Tim, he's your best friend. He'd want you there."
And now he was crying. Manly tears. Really. "I gotta go."
Riggins shut the phone before he could hear his brother's reply. He made sure to leave his phone behind when he grabbed a coat and headed out the door. He needed to find a bar, now.
[Establishyyyyy. Events taken from FNL 1x01. I meant to do this yesterday but I forgot]
He was in the middle of dialing Tyra again when his phone lit up with his brother's number on the screen. "Billy, man, finally. I've been trying to call everybody. What happened last night?"
For the first few moments the only thing Riggins could hear was his brother's breathing on the other side of the phone. "Hey, man. Um. Somethin'...somethin' happened at the game last night."
Riggins sighed. "We lost."
"No, no that's the good news. We won the game," Billy said, shaking his head to himself. Thank god for Matt Saracen. There was another patch of silence, followed by a heavy sigh. "Something happened to Jason, Timmy."
A deep, worrying feeling set in Riggins' stomach at those words. "What happened?"
"A defensive lineman was making a break for the endzone, man, and there was nobody to stop him but Jason," Billy said. "He got hit pretty hard and landed on his neck. He had to be wheeled off the field and taken to the hospital."
And now Riggins felt like he was going to throw up. Protecting the QB was his job. If he had been there instead of some new kid... "Is he going to be okay, Billy?"
"We don't know anything yet, officially. But I saw that kid get hit, Timmy," he said. "And, I'm sorry, but that boy is never going to walk again."
"Fuck." Now was not the time to cry, Riggins. Wait until you got off the phone.
"Look, Timmy, if you want to come home and see him--"
"No!" Whoa, that came out a little too quickly. "I mean. I'm good here. I'd just be in the way."
Billy wasn't believing that at all. "Tim, he's your best friend. He'd want you there."
And now he was crying. Manly tears. Really. "I gotta go."
Riggins shut the phone before he could hear his brother's reply. He made sure to leave his phone behind when he grabbed a coat and headed out the door. He needed to find a bar, now.
[Establishyyyyy. Events taken from FNL 1x01. I meant to do this yesterday but I forgot]