While You Were in a Coma

by JonnieBoi

Summary:

A fic inspired by the 1995 movie 'While You Were Sleeping' where Adam Raki is a ticket booth operator and develops a semi-crush on a handsome stranger he sees during his shift. He would very much like to have a conversation with him, but the idea itself is extremely intimidating. Fate, however, has extremely distinct plans for our dear Adam and it involves a whole lot of misunderstandings...rip.

Notes:

Just wanted to add that Adam lives in New York, but his dad passed away while he was still in University and that's the reason why he didn't get his degree and works as a ticket booth operator.

Chapter 1

Adam Raki lives a content life. He has a stable job as a ticket booth operator for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA for short). He has his own apartment and a good amount of very close friends (three in total). There's Beth whom he's known since he first began working at the MTA, Beverly (Bev for short) whom he's known since college, and Harlan who was at first friends with his father until his unfortunate death. Beth is temporarily working as a MTA booth operator because she is attempting to earn her PhD in Education. Her father is also the manager of the unit she and Adam work in. Bev is a forensic science technician and also lives in the same apartment complex as Adam. It's also worth mentioning that Harlan is the landlord of the building as well.

His friends like to encourage him to try and be spontaneous every now and then. This is because he likes to live on what some might describe as a strict daily routine. It doesn't feel that way to him. To him, it feels comforting to get a sense of what his days will look like for the most part. He's completely aware that there is no way to fully expect what will happen to him on an intricate level and that's okay. He knows it's okay because that's what his dad used to tell him when he was younger and was stressed about sudden or intimidating changes to his routines. It was comforting in the sense that nobody at all knew what to expect. That he wasn't the only one who didn't know what the future held. That not knowing something is...normal sometimes. So yes, he occasionally lets his friends expand his worldview such as letting them pick a new place to eat that might even be out of town. There was an incident, however, when they went to a small secluded restaurant that would have given them all food poisoning if he hadn't pointed out that the establishment scored a C in their latest health inspection. He hasn't let that go and doesn't plan to.

On a weekday that wasn't Thursday, Adam would wake up, take a shower, put on his work clothes, eat breakfast, brush his teeth, say hello to Bev and Harlan, walk to work, work, see the good-looking stranger at 8:15 am, go on a lunch break and eat with Harlan somewhere nearby, return to work, clock off, and walk back home. Once he got home, he'd make dinner, eat dinner while rewatching the actor's studio, finish dinner, clean up after himself, grab his stargazing equipment, and go out to the rooftop of the building and admire the night sky, There, Adam would write down anything noteworthy (there always something worth writing down), pack up his equipment, return to his apartment, change into his sleep ware, brush his teeth, lay down in his bed, do some light reading, and then go to sleep. On Thursday he would go and do laundry instead of stargazing. On weekends, he spent his time watching documentaries, building accurate spacecraft models, going grocery and utility shopping, or spending time with his friends. Whatever seemed most convenient and sensible was often his motivation for how to spend the weekend.

Adam didn't intentionally embed the good-looking stranger into his routine. It just happened. It was most likely due to the stranger’s punctuality more than anything else. Adam also did find him exceptionally attractive. When Adam saw him in the mornings at exactly 8:15, he was always clean-shaven, his hair was styled and routinely trimmed, his clothes were seemingly wrinkled free, and always wore a suit. The type of suit the man would wear consisted of clashing patterns and textures that no one else would ever have the audacity to wear, much less pull off. It wasn't often that someone caught his eye in this manner. He can partially blame his prosopagnosia for this and how he makes an effort to remain completely focused while working. Because this stranger was so alluring to him, Adam began to wonder about actually attempting to start a conversation with him and hopefully get to know more about him on a non-superficial level.

When Adam told Bev and Beth about him, they were very surprised that he was genuinely interested in pursuing a relationship with someone. Adam usually had a difficult time forming friendships or being involved in romantic relationships. He’s generally a quiet and reserved individual…and is also very awkward. Approaching someone and starting a conversation with them makes his chest feel tight just thinking about it. Small talk is the bane of his existence despite its common occurrence. The two women gave him simple advice to properly approach the stranger.

 

“A smile and a greeting always goes a long way Adam!”

“How so?”

“Beth is basically saying that you'll be more ‘successful’ if you actually make a move on the hot stranger.”

“Yes that is what I mean, thank you Beverly for making it sound dirtier than I realized.”

“Aw no problem Beth-y.”

“So I need to smile at him and then greet him? Or do I need to smile and greet him at the same time? Also what type of smile should I use…”

“Adam.”

Beth attempted to pull Adam out of his thoughts and quickly failed. The two women could already tell that Adam was starting to overthink their first piece of advice.

“...because there's so many different types and Harlan has already told me that when I force an enthusiastic smile it looks like I'm constipated and I can't really see what my face looks like-”

“ADAM.”

Bev successfully managed to make Adam snap out of it. Good for her.

“Yes?”

“Calm down a bit, bud.”

“Okay.”

“You should go for a small and friendly type of smile. Something casual.”

Beth then proceeded to demonstrate. Adam mentally noted that it was a closed mouth smile and she looked relaxed.

“Yes because I also think Harlan is right about your forced smiles. You either look constipated or murderous.”

Bev also then demonstrated two terrible smiles she had supposedly witnessed from her friend. Adam quickly noted that the first smile made her look psychotic and the other made her look like she indeed had stomach issues. It was good to be fully aware now.

“Yeah Adam do you remember last week when you had to speak with Ethan, my ex? I'm sorta thankful that you chose your murderous smile for that conversation, but I don't think your mystery man would react nicely to it.”

“Well I'm glad that I chose that one too Beth because I truly didn't like conversing with him and if he thought I was constipated, he probably wouldn't have left the party as soon as he did.”

“Solid point. Murderous smiles are useful, but not for getting laid.”

“Having sex is not the primary reason why I want to speak with him.”

“It's not?” The two women questioned simultaneously.

“No!”

“This is more shocking than when you first told us you wanted to get to know someone you don't know anything about.”

“I agree with Beth, I genuinely thought you were aiming to get your rocks off.”

Beth lightly smacked Bev’s shoulder for that last part.

“I am starting to regret bringing any of this up, this is getting too complicated.”

“No! Don't back down now, this is really good for you. Now that we know that your goal is friendship first and foremost, there's less to worry about.”

“Really?”

“Yeah trust Bev on this, getting another friend is way better than trying to get a one night stand.”

“Okay. Good. I am no longer regretting telling you both about this.”

“Hooray!”

“So sweet.”

“So is the first piece of advice still applicable?”

“Yes.”

“Totally.”

“Alright, how is this then?”

Adam then proceeded to close his mouth tightly and widen his eyes. He looked like he was being held at gunpoint.

“You look like you're being held at gunpoint.”

“Wow, that's spot on Beth-y.”

“Try to relax your face a bit, Adam.”

“Okay, like this?”

Adam's lips remained closed, but his eyes were far less intense looking.

“Yes! I think you got it!”

“Yes you have now successfully learned how to smile casually. A true necessity that I have no idea how you managed to go without for so long, but good job bud.”

“Thank you Bev.”

Adam then genuinely smiled because of her affirmation.

“Aww. Nothing can beat your actual smile honestly.”

Adam promptly turned around. He often had difficulty receiving compliments based on his appearance.

“Booo! You need to acknowledge your beauty, you bastard.”

“Bev are you trying to make him run away from us??”

“No, but he needs to understand that I'm being serious!”

Adam turned back around.

“Do you both understand that I only turned the other way? I didn't suddenly transport myself to another dimension.”

He slightly smirked after saying that last part.

“You're too cheeky for your own good sometimes.”

“I can make jokes too.”

“We know!” They both answered in fake annoyance.

“This quickly spun out of hand,” Beth lightly chuckled.

“Adam, as cliche as this sounds, just be yourself. You are amazingly smart, funny, and so kind. I think I can speak for Beth and I when I say that we're lucky that you're our friend.”

“Aww that's so sweet Beverly and she's completely right Adam.”

“I usually am.”

“You ruined it immediately.”

“She didn't. Thank you for saying that Bev. I truly appreciate you both and I'm also thankful that we're friends.”

“This is so sweet that it's giving me cavities and yes Adam I know that's impossible, but it's an expression.”

“I am glad you knew what I was going to say.”

“Yes, it's a talent.”

So all Adam had to do apparently was be himself and smile casually. Although the advice seemed simple and easy to follow, two weeks have passed since that conversation…

Technically speaking, there were several opportunities to converse with the handsome stranger, but Adam truly couldn’t spring himself into action (so to speak).

He still had other things to be thinking about such as the fact that Christmas was only five days away and he still had so much to prepare for.

Nothing could have prepared him for the events that would take place on actual Christmas Day and its aftermath though.

Chapter 2

Summary:

Shenanigans between Franklyn Froideveaux and Adam Raki. I added Franklyn in this story cause I love that cringe af bastard. There's no Nigel yet but hang on tight. This chapter also showcases some more details about Adam's life so hoorah on that.

December 23rd

Two days until Christmas

Adam doesn’t consider Franklyn Froideveaux as a close friend as he does with Bev, Beth, and Harlan, but he does think that the other man sees him as such. It's because Franklyn has made it abundantly clear each time he calls Adam his best friend in front of others, typically strangers. Adam does not plan to ever refute Franklyn’s claims on the type of friendship they share for multiple reasons. He doesn’t particularly enjoy confrontation, he understands the complexities of relationships and sometimes they can be difficult to define, and Beth advised him that Franklyn’s feelings would definitely get hurt. He does enjoy the other’s company and it does help that he’s Harlan’s Assistant Property Manager.

They see each other quite frequently and Franklyn is very enthusiastic whenever Adam needs help with repairing something within his home. He is also really appreciative of the fact that Franklyn doesn’t mind moments when Adam wants to speak about the newest images from the James Webb Space Telescope or times when Adam doesn’t feel like talking at all and just wants to listen to what's on Franklyn’s mind (which is usually his therapist strangely enough). Franklyn has also made it clear that the fact that Adam calls him 'Franklyn' and not some variation such as Frank or Frankie is a true testament to their friendship. Adam isn't completely sure what exactly he means by that but he understands that calling him by his true first name was very important for him.

It's worth mentioning that there were times when Franklyn made strange choices that Adam had no choice but to accept and hope things went well.

Today was one of those days.

The two men are in Adam’s apartment, tugging on a rope…that is attached to a Christmas tree…that is still hanging outside the window. They are using all their strength in getting the tree inside, but as time passes, their efforts are proving to be futile.

“Franklyn, tug I don’t think this was ever a safe way tug to get a Christmas tree into my apartment.”

“It's tug working tug though!”

“The rope is hurting my hands tug.”

“Mine too, but don’t tug worry, we almost have it through the window-”

*snap*

*crash*

Adam let go of the useless torn rope and threw his hands up in surprise and panic.

“The rope broke Franklyn!”

Franklyn, still clutching onto what was left of the rope, began walking towards the window and peered down below in reluctance, in order to fully access the damage. He was also praying that there wasn’t some old lady or a kid walking at the wrong time and place.

As he looked below, he could see that there were no human casualties. Thank goodness for that but as he got a closer look, he could now very much see that part of the tree had crashed directly into Harlan’s office window…

“Harlan is going to kill me-”

And as if directly on cue, an extremely angry-looking Harlan came out of the side entrance of his office and began incoherently yelling. He gestured towards the destruction as if the tree itself was at fault. He slightly began to collect himself and then looked up and made direct eye contact with Franklyn…

Maybe today truly was the day he was going to get murdered by his boss.

Mr. Keyes then began shouting at Franklyn and despite being three stories up high, the poor assistant property manager never felt so terrified.

It was then that Adam began to walk towards the window and stood beside Franklyn after vaguely recognizing Harlan’s heated shouting. He glanced at the man beside him and saw that he was getting increasingly paler and ill looking as Harlan’s vocabulary began to sound more violent and threatening. In Adam’s opinion, most people would be petrified if any of the phrases were directed towards them. Luckily, he knew Harlan as a person very well due to being friends with him for so many years.

Switching his gaze onto Harlan instead, Adam decided that Franklyn would greatly benefit from some words of reassurance since this is probably the first time he has ever seen Mr. Keyes so angry.

“I don’t think Harlan would murder you for this. No one got injured except for us and it's just some mild rope burn caused by the friction of the cheap rope. We should’ve worn protective gloves…”

“Your point is?” Franklyn sighed quietly.

“Well at most he’s going to make you or me or both of us pay for the damages to his office. He isn’t even going to fire you over this because he has told me what a helpful employee you are and I have to agree with that statement because of all the times you have helped me as well.”

Adam then added a quick smile at the end to make sure his statement was perceived as genuine, even though he knew it was. Bev informed him that a quick smile was a positive indicator to whoever he would be speaking with.

After hearing Adam’s words, he breathed out and chucked in contentment.

“Thank you for saying that. I really hope you’re right about…well…everything.”

“So do I, even though that would mean I would have to pay for damages. Also, it would be highly traumatic for me if one friend killed another one of my friends.” Franklyn’s smile widened at that last part.

The pair then glanced below once more, only this time they were both at ease.

“So…should we head down and speak with him?”

Adam looked at his watch.

“Yes, and I think that if we take the stairs, we will have given enough time for him to fully settle down.”

“Yeah, that sounds plausible.”

 

~~~

 

The two men were now sheepishly standing in front of a much calmer, but still slightly agitated Harlan. Mr. Keyes has just finished listening to their ramblings and apologies. The older man took a deep breath as he was finally feeling collected enough to not murder his assistant and his deceased friend's son.

“I really don't know what I'm going to tell the insurance company.” Harlan shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to avoid getting a migraine from the situation that had literally crashed upon him.

“Harlan I will handle the costs, I have enough saved up. Just let me know who I need to contact for repairs.” Adam stated as he fidgeted the sleeve of his sweater. He was planning on using the money for a better laptop, but he understood that he needed to take responsibility for the situation.

“No Adam, you know I can't let you do that. Pulling up the tree was my idea.” Franklyn reassured. “Mr. Keyes I'll cover the costs, I think I know someone who could help me out anyway.” He let out a sigh of contentment.

He was grateful that Adam had offered, but the consequences were his to pay for.

“Yes Frank, this is your fault.” Harlan immediately reiterated.

Franklyn’s contentment soon dissipated and was replaced with anxiety once more.

Harlan let out another deep breath as he continued, “But I have someone who owes me a favor. You two don't need to worry about covering the damages. Consider this as my Christmas gift.” He crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair.

Adam and Franklyn both had faces of pure surprise. “Thank you so much, Mr. Keyes. This will never happen again, Adam- well I will make better decisions in the future. I'm just going to get a broom and go and clean this up-” and with that, Franklyn left the office. He was most likely afraid that Harlan would take it all back, which is pretty understandable given the circumstances.

Adam glanced at the doorway where his friend made his quick escape. He then turned his attention back to Harlan.

“I am also glad that you decided to use your connections to fix the window because now I don't have to dip into my savings.”

“Believe me when I say that if I was angrier than I was confused by a tree crashing through my window I probably would've… I probably would've killed Frank too.”

Adam’s eyes widened at the statement and as the older man took notice of the change in facial expressions, he let out a loud laugh.

“Okay no I wouldn't have killed him, don't worry about that ever happening, kid.” Adam let out a breath of relief at the affirmation.

“I know you wouldn't kill someone over a broken window, but Franklyn was very adamant that was going to be the outcome of this situation.”

“Fear makes a man smarter that way.” Suddenly remembering what was in his back pocket, Adam quickly took it out and handed it to Harlan.

“Oh by the way I got you this for Christmas since I know you're leaving tomorrow to visit family.”

It was a small red box with a green bow on top. Suddenly overtaken with warmth, Harlan gently took hold of the small box in awe.

This day has caused him so much stress, but after receiving a gift from his friend, he soon begins to forget about it all. “Thank you, Adam, you really didn't have to do this. I was joking about the window repair being your Christmas present-just let me get yours out now-” he opened up the cabinet beside the desk and pulled out a small, blue gift bag, and promptly handed it to the younger man.

“Oh thank you, Harlan, I'll make sure to put it under my tree once it's in my apartment.”

“About that, I forgot to ask...why did you buy yourself a tree two days before Christmas?” Harlan lightly chuckled before continuing, “I think most people prefer to get a tree once December arrives.”

“Well I didn't want to deal with the storage problems if I got a fake tree and I didn't want to deal with the constant watering either. Trees that weren’t sold right away are cheaper, but are more likely to be displeasing to look at. I have no problem with that though so this was my best option.”

“You never wanted a Christmas tree before though so…what changed?”

Adam started to softly drum his fingers upon the palm of his opposite hand.

“Since I'm working on Christmas this year, I wanted my apartment to look more festive so that when my shift ends, I'll come home to something that reminds me that day is special…even if I can't fully celebrate it.”

Harlan was shocked at the information he just received. Adam was working on Christmas again? Didn't this happen last year and the year before that? Even though Adam's tone rarely changes, Harlan knew the young man enough to recognize the disappointed tone he spoke in when he uttered the last part of his statement.

“Why on Earth are you working on Christmas again?! That Buchwald man is a downright bastard!”

“It's because I have no family, Harlan,” Adam simply stated. It was the conclusion he came towards when Mr. Buchwald insisted was should work on Christmas for the third year in a row. Logically it made sense.

“Adam that isn't fair…”

“It is. Everyone else has plans with their families for Christmas. My closest relative is a cousin that lives in Wolf Trap, Virginia. We just occasionally email too.”

“Still…”

“I was more upset about how last minute Mr. Buchwald informed me, but he's always done that so I shouldn't be surprised.”

“You should start considering finding another place to work honestly, that man has always been so inconsiderate-”

Adam physically shook his head negatively at the mention of changing jobs. He's been working there for over ten years, starting as soon as his dad became ill when he was 20.

“I have no college degree, there's not many options out there for me even if I did consider quitting.” He was also good at it and that's what deeply mattered to him as well.

“It's a real shame though,” Harlan expressed.

Adam wasn't sure if he meant working on Christmas or practically being unable to change jobs.

“I make it work.” Adam partly smiled. He typically did after all.

“Yes, you do.”

Soon Franklyn returned with a broom and dustpan and quickly began cleaning up the somewhat forgotten wreckage.

“Don't worry Mr. Keyes, I'll have this done in no time. And Adam, I'll get your tree up to your place today, don't worry!”

“That would be great Franklyn, I need to decorate it today because I'm handing out presents tomorrow after work.”

“Wow, looks like you're going to be playing Santa.”

“Not really, I'll just be handing out gifts for my friends. I won't be dressing up or handing out gifts to the public.”

“Ah…fair point,” Franklyn responded, disregarding that his joke went over Adam’s head and was completely ignored by Harlan. It only slightly stung.

Notes:

I think I figured out how to make the number of chapters the number of chapters in a fic a question mark omg. I have the key parts of the story done in my head but it takes me quite a while to put it into readable words. The next chapter is Christmas Day...I'm sure everything will go swimmingly for Adam...

Chapter 3

Summary:

Adam is alone and working at the station on Christmas Day. Hopefully nothing out of the ordinary happens because the last few days have been so hectic.

December 25th

Christmas Day

Adam was the only ticket booth operator working the morning shift. Luckily, the station wasn’t overcrowded–in fact, it seemed emptier than usual. It was all because it was finally Christmas and most individuals would have the day off to celebrate and have no need to catch the metro. Adam was internally relieved at the prospect of not having to deal with too many patrons. There would’ve been a higher possibility of him feeling overwhelmed on top of the last minute change in his schedule with his boss, his Christmas tree crashing into his friend’s office, and the fact that all his close friends left yesterday to spend Christmas with their respective families.

Of course, they each invited him to come along, but he had his job to think about and he was worried about being a burden to the people he cared about. Even though he has spent so many years trying to surpass obstacles and push himself, he still felt stagnant during times like these. He liked the comfortability of his life, his routines, but there was still something missing. Even though he feels it greatly, he isn’t able to fully formulate said feeling into words. He’s merely aware that he needs some type of change in his life, he just doesn’t know how to go about it…

Clearly the lack of distractions was making him feel more introspective than usual.

He then found himself slightly disappointed at the possibility that the handsome stranger might not show up at all since it was now 8:12am. He knew it was silly to be worried about this, but it was going to be the only predictable part of his routine that was hopefully going to occur. For a random man, he had unknowingly held responsibility for a large role Adam decided to give him because of his punctuality, strange outfits, and attractiveness.

Lost in his thoughts, he ironically didn’t notice the man of the hour approaching his booth.

“Happy Holidays” he said as he handed Adam the toll for the Metro.

Like clockwork, the younger man took the money and opened the gate. Once the other man stepped out, Adam let out a loud sigh and sunk deeper into his chair. The man who he has been meaning to talk to for months now actually spoke to him and he said nothing. It would’ve been fine if neither of them spoke but the fact he had the perfect opportunity to give the other man a simple greeting and smile, and figuratively threw it away… well let’s just say that regret has never felt so discouraging.

Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing in retrospect, at least the other man is aware of Adam's existence and that’s something? This might turn into something more if another opportunity like this arises again and the probability of that is somewhat strong.

As he was reevaluating his newly developed outlook, he noticed two men approaching the stranger. The pair were laughing and acting like they knew him yet the stranger looked disinterested and kept trying to wave them away. The two men were most likely muggers since there have been a couple of incidents in this area. It was when one of them attempted to touch the stranger’s scarf that things quickly began to go downhill.

The stranger slapped away the other man’s hand and that’s when Adam sprang into action. His adrenaline was rushing as he ran out of his booth and towards the three men. He didn’t have a plan at all, but he knew he had to help as fast as possible.

The two muggers were now elevating their voice in agitation when suddenly–

*thump*

The handsome stranger was no longer in sight. One of the two muggers held the stranger’s scarf and looked petrified and his partner also looked shocked but then began to yell and tug at the former about how they had to get out of there. They practically sprinted from what they had done.

By the time Adam arrived, he was confused how no one was there anymore. He looked around and wondered if the stranger ran away and the two men went after him until he heard rustling coming from below the train platform near the tracks. He carefully leaned and looked down below and once again saw the handsome stranger only he was struggling to move and had his eyes shut. Without knowing any other option at his disposal, Adam jumped down onto the tracks and rushed towards him.

“Hello? Can you hear me?!”

There was no response.

Adam laid his ear against the stranger’s chest and began to listen for a heartbeat and breathing. Thankfully he heard both. He sighed in relief and took out his phone to dial 911 and explained the situation to them. He saw that it was now 8:24am which meant the usually delayed 8:20 metro would be arriving extremely soon. Then as if he manifested it to be so, the ground began to shake. This was probably the most panic Adam has ever felt in his adult life. In a state of fear he tried to wake up the poor stranger by yelling that the train was coming and kill them both if he didn’t get up. It was pointless because the other man remained unconscious.

Adam let out a powerful yell as he braced himself against the stranger and rolled them both onto the safe side of the tracks. Soon after, the metro came bursting alongside the pair until it came to a screeching halt. The younger man let out a shaky and nervous laugh. He now has realized how he’s not only saved someone’s life, but also nearly lost his own by doing so. He scrambled away once he remembered he was still clutching the man. It's extremely surreal how one moment he was panicking about losing his chance to speak to this man, accepting it and hoping for another shot, and now they were both on the ground next to a train.

The stranger’s eyes suddenly began to flutter open and they were looking directly at Adam’s for the first time.

With not much else to do, Adam smiled kindly and said, “Hello, my name is Adam Raki.”

The stranger blinked and nodded before passing out promptly.

Sirens were now audible in the distance.

Notes:

Wow I have returned! The truth is I got into other interests, but my obsession with this crackship has returned because I'm rewatching the series. I think Nigel will be in the next chapter finallyy. I think this might be longest amount of time in a fic for the ship to actually meet. I hope you all enjoyed conscious Hannibal because it's gonna be awhile for him to wake up lmao.

Chapter 4

Summary:

CW - Adam has gone through some ableist crap, like in the movie, unfortunately. It isn't a focus, but it is mentioned and demonstrated in his actions. Also, the setting for this chapter is mainly a hospital, and the scent of it is vaguely described. Adam also goes nonverbal, which I deemed fitting given his circumstances thus far. It's something completely normal that happens to the best of us imo.

December 25th

Still Christmas Day

Adam has never been ‘fond’ of police officers. On the run-ins he’s had with them, they always seem to disrespect him in some manner. They would either talk slower once he  had  to explain that he had Autism or not let him speak at all if they thought he was an actual criminal. Bev was able to offer support once when an officer suddenly approached the two of them and thought Adam ‘was on something’ due to how his eyes seemed to not quite focus on one thing. 

So yes, it was no surprise that speaking to a cop is elevating his already anxious state of mind. 

He answered each question the cop asked to the best of his ability. He gave her a description of the assailants and provided her with Mr. Buchwald’s work number in case he could provide the department with anymore video footage of the altercation. He made sure he was making eye contact, that he wasn’t fidgeting with his hands, and that he looked relaxed. It was exhausting, but he felt it was necessary to make sure things went smoothly. 

The officer even offered Adam a ride to the hospital…unfortunately. He desperately tried to politely decline the offer, but the officer insisted so he had to continue to look relaxed and act like he wouldn’t rather be as far away as possible from the cop for another prolonged moment of time.

Poor Adam.

 

~~~

 

Once they arrived, Adam thanked the officer and finally rushed towards the emergency room.

When it was his turn to speak at the front desk, he caught a glimpse of the handsome stranger on a gurney being wheeled away. The man looked sickly pale and now had a neck brace on. He was barely recognizable. 

The sight of the man in such a state immediately made him start to panic.

His voice wasn’t coming out and his surroundings started to irritate him.

The smell of disinfectant and sweat was thick in the atmosphere. Everyone and everything seemed to be deafening. Adam clasped his hands onto his ears.

He looked at the indifferent-looking woman working at the front desk and reluctantly moved his right hand away from his ear. He frantically began pointing at the stranger who was still being wheeled away. The woman looked completely confused at Adam’s actions as he continued to point, desperately hoping that he would be understood. 

A friendly nurse then stepped beside Adam.

She waved and gestured towards an area that was farther from the bustling environment. The pair walked as Adam tried to steady his breathing and self-soothe. 

When the man seemed to be more settled, the nurse turned to him and asked, “Are you alright sir?”

Knowing that he was still far too drained to communicate verbally, Adam simply signed “Better now.”

His father taught him various phrases when he was younger since it was common for him to become nonverbal.

Understanding the man’s preferred method of communication, the well-trained nurse nodded and asked, “Are you injured?”

He signs, “No.”

“Can you tell me what is the matter?”

Adam wasn’t fully fluent in ASL so he knew he had to continue to keep his answers concise. The issue now is that he didn’t know what to sign for the word ‘acquaintance’. He decided that although it was completely inaccurate to state, he would instead sign ‘friend’.

“My boyfriend was in an accident.”

The man has no idea of the mistake he just made.

“I am very sorry,” the nurse said with sympathy, “was he the one that fell from the train platform?”

Adam nodded vigorously.

“Alright I’ll check which doctor is looking after him and I’ll let you know when you can see him. Does that sound okay?”

He sighed in contentment and signed, “Yes, thank you so much.”

 

~~~

 

Entering the hospital room, Adam finally reads that the mysterious stranger’s name is Dr. Hannibal Lecter. He still looks pale and is still wearing a neckbrace but he’s still very much alive. 

The nurse kindly points him towards a chair next to the Doctor’s hospital bed. He nods and takes a seat.

“He can still hear you, go ahead and try to talk to him.”

Adam shook his head. Not only is he too drained, he simply doesn’t know what to say to the stranger, Dr. Lecter.

He signs, “It’s still too hard, I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize, it’s completely alright,” the nurse continued, “I’m sure just sitting with him will bring him comfort.”

‘How can sitting with the unconscious man bring him comfort?’ Adam wanted to ask. If anyone was going to gain comfort, it would only be himself. He didn’t say anything, however, and just accepted the nurse’s words with a short nod.

He gazed at Hannibal and was glad his hair was the same. It was the only way he would still be able to recognize him in this state. The man was no longer wearing a suit anymore, just an ill-fitting light blue hospital gown. The suits Dr. Lecter wore helped Adam decipher him from the crowd at the station. Most people would rely on a person’s face to help them figure out who was who, but Adam used other indicators such as a person’s hair, the way they dressed, and the way they spoke.

As Adam was contemplating this, a doctor suddenly stepped into the room. The doctor glanced above her clipboard and looked directly at Adam. 

“I’m sorry, who are you? Are you this patient’s spouse or relative?” she continued, “If not, I’m going to have to ask you to please leave.”

Adam shook his head and proceeded to get up from his seat.

“Hold on there Adam,” the nurse suddenly interjected, “please let him stay, he’s the patient's boyfriend.”

Adam widened his eyes.

Surprisingly enough, the annoying police officer then walked into the room.

She exclaimed, “Mr. Raki, you forgot your jacket in the car!” She promptly handed the still shocked Adam his jacket.

“Glad to see you again so soon and did I mishear or did she just say that you're Mr. Lecter’s boyfriend?” She continued, “it would make the whole “saving someone from being hit by a train,” a lot more romantic.”

The nurse and doctor shared surprised glances with each other and returned their attention towards the officer.

“He saved his life?!” they both questioned in awe.

“Well yes, Mr. Raki jumped on the tracks and got Mr. Lecter outta the way.”

“Incredible!” declared the doctor.

“So romantic!” expressed the nurse.

Adam let out a choked sound of distress.

Another nurse burst into the hospital room. She was breathing heavily and was sweating a little bit. She turned her attention to the still surprised-looking doctor. 

“I’m sorry Doctor, I tried to tell them only two visitors at a time-”

Suddenly, the sound of numerous footsteps erupted from the hallway. The sound was increasingly getting closer and voices were only barely becoming audible. Some words seemed to be in an entirely different language that Adam didn’t recognize.

When the loud group entered the room, Adam took note that it consisted of three men, three women, and one girl. 

One of the women immediately approached Hannibal. 

“Oh my poor copil !” she cried, “how could this have happened!?” A man close to her age held her as she wept beside Hannibal.

“Fuckin hell Hanni, what the fuck did you do?” one of the men asked, most likely rhetorically.

“Keep your mouth shut if you aren’t going to be respectful, Darko.” the third man interjected. He too was holding a woman close to his age tightly. The very same woman he was holding gave him a stern look.

“Jack, you know very well that Nigel would’ve said something far worse.”

“Doesn’t make it any less disrespectful, Bella.” She rolled her eyes at the statement.

‘Darko’ nodded swiftly at ‘Jack’ and remained quiet.

“Why isn’t Nigel here, Mom?” the young girl asked the woman beside her.

“He’s dropping off a shipment in New Jersey, Abi.” the woman answered. 

“Ma’am? Are you my son’s Doctor?” the man, still holding the weeping woman, asked.

“Yes sir, I’m guessing you're Dr. Lecter’s father?”

“Well the closest he has to one at least, but yes.” he continued, “What happened to him? The police said he was mugged!”

“I’ll handle this one Doc.” the police officer interrupted, the arrogance Adam was well accustomed to discern was even more evident now.

“From the surveillance footage, we were able to recover immediately, two muggers were hasslin’ your son. They got too close and caused Mr. Lecter to fall off of the train platform.”

The group gasped.

“Then Mr. Raki runs into the scene, sees Mr. Lecter on the tracks, and jumps down to get him!”

The group gasped, again.

“We couldn’t hear the dang ol’ audio, but Mr. Raki was hollerin’ at your son, but he just wouldn’t budge. The train was coming and Mr. Raki was able to roll him like he was some type of crocodile and saved your son’s life!”

“He jumped on the tracks?!” Hannibal’s father(?) exclaimed.

“He rolled my frate ?!” a confused-looking Darko asked.

“Who is Mr. Raki?” ‘Abi’ asked the officer.

“Well that pale fella over there, his boyfriend.” the officer pointed. Adam wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to die right now due to utter embarrassment.

Hannibal’s ‘family’ (most likely) stared at Adam. They swiftly began to bombard him with questions, all with a similar theme.

“You’re dating my son?”

“You’re with Hanni?”

“Why haven’t we met you before?”

“Is Hannibal keeping you a secret from us?”

“You’re fuckin’ my brother?!”

Adam soon began to feel panicked once again. He put his hands over his ears and looked at the ground. He tried to keep his breathing leveled. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and soon he was guided off the chair he was sitting in and then out of the hospital room. When they were out of the room, he looked up and it was the nurse that helped him from the beginning.

“If you’re up for it, I think you should go home and get some rest. You went through a lot today.”

Adam nodded and his hands remained against his ears.

“Here’s my name and feel free to ask if I’m attending when you’re visiting Hannibal. I hope you will feel better soon.” 

She tucked the piece of paper into the pocket of his work shirt.

Adam sighed contently and gave a small but genuine smile to the nurse. 

The man then headed out of the hospital and hailed a taxi. He wrote his address on a scratch piece of paper.

 

~~~

 

When he arrived at his apartment, he saw the nicely decorated Christmas tree. It really did end up serving as a reminder that today had significance. Many branches snapped after it fell, but Franklyn thought it looked nice, and so did Adam.

He looked at the time and it was only 8:30 pm, but he was exhausted.

He just wanted to sleep the entire day’s events away so he changed into his sleepwear and collapsed on his bed.

Certain thoughts plagued his mind as he drifted to sleep. 

 

The mysterious stranger spoke to him...

The mysterious stranger got mugged and fell...

He saved the mysterious stranger…

The mysterious stranger was called Dr. Hannibal Lecter…

Many people thought he and Hannibal were boyfriends…

He forgot his jacket in Hannibal’s hospital room…

 

Goddamnit.

 

And then he fell asleep.

Notes:

copil means son (according to google translate lmao)
frate means brother

So glad I was able to finally write my healthy version of the Lecter family!

I'll go into more detail soon but for now, I'll just mention who was introduced.

Darko!

Darko's bio parents are also Hannibal, Nigel, and Mischa's parents (I still need to figure out their names, I'd love to hear some suggestions!)

Bella and Jack Crawford

Abigail and her mom is Mischa <3

Also, apologies that Nigel wasn't officially introduced, at least his name was dropped! (I am still very sorry :/ )

Chapter 5

Summary:

CW: hospital setting! Honestly it's gonna be pretty prevalent in this fic so I hope this will serve as a general warning.

In this chapter Adam gets to do a lot of explaining ~

Also the Lecter and Crawford family are more properly introduced. I hope you guys like the names I decided to call my Lecter OCs!

December 26th

 

Adam stirred awake. The clock showed that it was 4:28am. He attempted to go back to sleep, but his efforts were futile. Reluctantly he began his daily routine at such an early hour. After taking a shower and getting dressed, he found himself famished. He then remembered that he only had breakfast yesterday. A new wave of memories came flooding afterwards.

 

He found himself tied to a complete stranger’s life in the strangest way imaginable. The man he now knows is called Dr. Hannibal Lecter is in a hospital room; maybe even on life support. He also knows that his jacket is also in the same room. Hopefully it isn't too strange that he would visit Dr. Lecter to check on him and retrieve his jacket. After all, they're technically fake boyfriends. 

 

A wave of nausea then hits Adam; it's a combination of still being hungry and anxiety.

 

How on Earth is he now in a fake relationship with someone who isn't even fully aware of Adam’s existence? Adam then decided that he should clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible. Dr. Lecter’s family might even be relieved at the revelation after all because they seemed quite shocked when the idiot police officer revealed such information to them.

 

Adam then promptly ate two bowls of cereal, brushed his teeth, and headed out the door. 

 

The city was quiet at this early hour and it was freezing. Adam wore a large winter jacket. It served him well to keep him warm but it was uncomfortable as it was ugly. It's the main reason why he prefers to wear his other jacket aside from its sentimental value.

 

As he approached the hospital, he began contemplating if he was ready to speak verbally. He’s doing much better now because he was able to rest and fully process yesterday’s events. His mind is far more centered on how he's going to check on Dr. Lecter, grab his jacket, and clear up the misunderstanding.

 

Adam walks towards the help desk and asks about where Dr. Lecter is staying, hoping he didn’t misread the last name. The attendant writes down his name and gives him a visitor pass. 

 

Stepping into the hospital room was a far different experience compared to yesterday.

It was cold and silent aside from the IV drip and vital signs monitor. The good thing was that Dr. Lecter seems to be breathing well on his own since there were no signs of a ventilator.

 

Adam spotted his jacket on the chair.

 

As he grabbed it, he now directed his attention towards Hannibal.

 

He was still wearing a neck brace but there was more color on his face. His hair was a bit messy and Adam felt compelled to fix it. That would be highly inappropriate though so he just tried to ignore it.

 

It was all surreal. 

 

He just wanted to talk to someone about it but he couldn’t really text the past events to his friends who were still away with their families.

 

He then remembered how the nurse said that Dr. Lecter could hear him. Maybe this is the way he’ll finally be able to properly introduce himself.

 

Unbeknownst to him, ‘Jack’ from the family that visited Dr. Lecter yesterday was just outside the room. 

 

It was a last minute decision for Jack to visit his friend at this hour but he was surprised when the attendant said there was already a visitor in Hannibal’s room. He took a seat right outside the door.

 

Adam cleared his throat.

“Hello. My name is Adam Raki. It’s nice to meet you.”

 

Jack swiftly turned his head, thinking that Mr. Raki was speaking to him but as he glanced into the room, he saw that Adam solely had his attention aimed towards Hannibal.

 

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you for a long time Dr. Lecter, and I’m embarrassed that it has taken so long.”

 

Still confused, Jack continued to listen in.

 

“I don’t really like to take risks and I thought that talking to you would be one because not a lot of people seemed handle me.”

Adam shifted in his seat.

 

“I’m a stubborn person. I don’t like to do things differently than the way I like to do them but I am working on it.”

 

He continued, “I also talk a lot, my dad said it’s because as a kid I kept “losing” my voice and now I’m just holding onto way tighter. Oh and by ‘losing my voice’ he was referring to the times when I’d go nonverbal. That happens very rarely now, by the way. Yesterday it happened because I saved you–not that I am blaming you for falling and becoming unconscious–”

 

He let out a sigh at his own awkward demeanor, “it was just a lot and then I had to talk to a police officer and I had to focus on everything I was doing. I was looking at her eyes, I was sitting still but not too still whatever that means. And then when I got here I saw you; I was just…terrified.”

 

He didn’t know when but at some point he started crossing his arms tightly around himself. He slowly let go and placed his hands under his legs instead.

 

“The good thing was that a nurse helped me out. She calmed me down. She also knew ASL and I was able to ask her if I could see you. I don't know how or when but at some point I must’ve accidently called you my boyfriend-and I am very sorry about that too. I’ll understand if you don’t want to ever actually meet me or if you’re listening right now, I’ll understand if you just don’t want to be reminded that I exist ever again.”

 

Jack then finally looked away from the pair. He could hear the sadness in Adam’s voice but he could also hear the honesty it was presented with. Clearly this man meant no harm from the misunderstanding but what was said is now done. The Lecter family and even his wife were buzzing with excitement at the prospect of Hannibal finding someone so special enough that he even saved him from an upcoming train.

 

Jack had an array of things to consider right at this very moment. He could confront Adam in a civil manner and let him know that he understands what happened and even offer to explain to the family that ‘no, Hannibal has not found himself a compassionate partner and he’s still in a goddamn coma’. 

 

The other option at his disposal was to leave now and talk to Adam alone later.

 

Now decided, Jack arose from his seat, and started to move towards the help desk and checked himself out.

 

~~~

 

At some point Adam fell asleep in the chair, still clutching his two jackets. He stirred awake and saw that it was now 9:03am. He rubbed his eyes and stretched out his arms. As he fully opened his eyes, he now noticed he and Hannibal were no longer alone in the room. 

 

The family from yesterday were now silently standing squished together at the door.

 

“Good morning–”

 

The family then poured into the room, circling around Hannibal as Adam got up from the chair.

 

An older woman took his seat as she settled down and looked at Hannibal. She grabbed his hand and was careful about making sure the pulse oximeter was still connected. She was looking a bit dreary. The rest of the family was murmuring with each other so Adam tried to set her at ease.

 

“He has a lot more color on his face compared to yesterday.”

 

The woman turned her head and smiled brightly at Adam.

 

“Yes, my copil is doing much better. You are Adam Raki, yes?”

 

“Yes ma’am.”

 

“Oh well I’m Elena Maria Lecter.” She then snapped her fingers to get everyone else’s attention.

 

“You all should be ashamed, I can’t believe I still need to introduce my own family in front of company!”

 

The family then looked sheepish as they turned their attention towards Adam and apologized.

 

“That man over there is my husband, Adrian Alexandru Lecter. Say hello, my love.”

 

“Hello…Adam.”

“Right next to him is Mischa and her daughter Abigail. Say hello you two.”

 

“Ma, I was just about to– Hello Adam, good morning.”

 

“Good morning Mr. Raki!”

 

“There is my son, we call him Darko. Say hello Darko!”

 

“...Hello.” He looked suspicious of Adam, which was very fair since he was a total stranger.

 

“And that lovely couple right there are two of my family’s closest friends, Jack and Bella Crawford. Say hello now, please.”

 

“Hello Adam, it’s a pleasure.”

 

“Hello young man, it’s nice to meet you officially.” Jack stated and shook Adam’s hand with firmness and a piercing gaze.

 

“It’s a shame Nigel still isn’t here yet, but he is going to be arriving at home in the evening,” Elena explained to Adam.

 

“Speaking of which,” she continued, “you must come by for dinner tonight, please.”

 

“Oh I actually–”

 

“Elena, that is a fantastic idea! We all need to remember to have some holiday spirit, it’s what Hannibal would’ve wanted.” Jack stated, interrupting Adam.

 

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

 

“Well what happened was-” Adam tried to continue.

 

A nurse then knocked on the doorframe.

 

“Excuse me folks, there are only supposed to be two visitors at a time. Everyone else must wait out in the lobby,” he explained.

 

“Alright then why don’t we leave Elena and Adrian here with Hannibal and the rest of us will just go to the lobby like the nurse said?” offered Bella.

 

“That sounds like a good idea, thank you Bella,” said Adrian.

 

“Alright,” clasping his hands together, “Adam, why don’t you and I go to the cafeteria and get some snacks for everyone?” Jack exclaimed.

 

Suddenly hearing his name being spoken, Adam turned to Jack and nodded.

 

“Yes that sounds okay.”

 

He grabbed his two jackets and followed Jack out the door.

 

As the pair walked through the hallways, Jack knew this was his chance to actually speak with Adam alone.

 

“Do you get cold easily Adam?”

 

“Yes but it’s not the reason why I have two jackets. I left one in Dr. Lecter’s room.”

 

“Ah I see. I noticed that you referred to Hannibal as ‘Dr. Lecter’, any reason for that?”

 

“Oh! Yes it’s because I don’t know him and he does seem to be older than me. It’s more respectful.”

 

Jack stopped in place. He was shocked at Adam’s bluntness. Maybe it was a mistake interrupting the confession from before…

 

“Mr. Crawford?”

 

“Oh sorry Adam, I was lost in thought.”

 

“It’s okay, it happens to me sometimes as well but I thought you were just shocked since the officer from yesterday led you and your family to believe I was Dr. Lecter’s ‘boyfriend’.”

 

The second instance of bluntness caught Jack off guard.

 

“Well yes, I was.”

 

The pair then began walking once again.

 

“Listen Adam, I was here earlier. I was just outside the door while you were speaking to Hannibal.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I just did.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“...Just okay? Aren't you mad? Pissed off even?”

 

“No of course not, you were honest.”

 

Jack was stunned.

 

“And now I don't have to explain what happened because you already know.”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Oh and maybe you could give me some advice on how I should tell your family I'm not dating Hannibal Lecter.”

 

“See that's the thing Adam.”

 

“What is?”

 

“I don't think you should tell them.”

 

“...”

 

The pair both stood still once again in the hallway.

 

“Excuse me Mr. Crawford?” asked Adam hesitantly.

 

“The family and I are extremely worried about Hannibal but I honestly don't think we're as worried as we could be because we were distracted so to speak.” Jack explained.

 

“Why is that?”

 

“Well we were distracted by…you.”

 

Adam simply looked at him in confusion.

 

“Hannibal is a very reserved person. He has had only a handful of partners in the past and he mainly keeps to himself.”

 

Adam contemplated this, looks like he and Hannibal have more in common than he previously imagined.

 

“Then flashforward to yesterday–we learn that he was in an accident and was now in a coma? It shook all of us to our core. Walking into the hospital room, I think we were all expecting to just cry and sit in our sadness.”

 

Adam nodded, remembering how it was when his late father was still in the research hospital.

 

“Then that bumbling cop–”

 

Adam chuckled lightly, “Sorry, I also didn't like the officer.”

 

Jack smiled and continued, “when she told us all that someone saved Hannibal’s life and that he was also his partner, we gained a whole new perspective. We realized that what had happened could've been worse and that Hannibal might've found someone special to love.”

 

Adam eyes widened at the mention of ‘love’.

 

“If you tell them the truth, there's a strong chance we’ll end up in that pit of sadness again.”

 

“How come you aren't then, Mr. Crawford?”

 

“Well I think it's because I see that you're a good man and I'm still holding on to the hope that maybe you'll understand why you should continue to be in a fake relationship with Hannibal.”

 

“Okay I don't fully comprehend why you want me to actively lie to your family.”

 

Jack inwardly cringed at how awful the very accurate statement sounded.

 

“It'll only be until Hannibal wakes up of course, and I'll be the one to straighten things out. I'm certain this is what my family needs right now to keep hope alive.”

 

Adam then shifted his gaze more directly towards Crawford. 

 

It didn't seem like his words were laced with malice. Jack was also actually a part of the family so he probably knew them the best. Adam was already technically lying so what's wrong with continuing to do so for just a little while longer?

 

He was still slightly worried at the prospect but if he was able to help this family out by being a distraction, he would try his best.

 

“Okay.” stated Adam.

 

“Okay?” asked Jack.

 

“Yes but I'm mainly going to omit.”

 

“...Omit?”

 

“I don't like to tell lies, so if I'm going to do this, I'm going to just omit certain pieces information. It's better for me this way.”

 

“I understand and thank you for this.”

 

“Your welcome.”

 

“Looks like we made it to an understanding and the cafeteria.”

 

“Yes it appears so.”

 

“Can you grab us a tray, please?”

 

“Yes of course.”

 

Notes:

I like how this chapter turned out and I hope you all do as well. I like writing awkward dialogue clearly lmao

Notes:

I plan to do updates as quickly as possible and I'm so excited to write fan-fiction for the first time!