[god, tim still looks utterly wrung out, but at least his colouring is slightly improved. and it's probably a good thing he can't tell if the glassiness in his eyes is from the drug or from crying, because he's not sure the tightness in his chest could squeeze any more without feeling complete constriction - and he's not sure he could resist the urge to swipe it away with a thumb and try to offer some comfort that might cross a line. as if this whole situation wasn't already well past the norm - but the thought of tim winding up passed out on campus somewhere or worse - in a room with some stranger in this state...it makes his stomach churn and that invisible hand squeeze over his heart once more. it's the same sensation he felt leaving tim last christmas on the sidewalk, shivering in the cold and left hollowed out with the realization that he was alone in his shame and in a world that he was teetering on the edge of, seeking guidance. and hawk had abandoned him, something he doesn't plan to make the same mistake doing twice.

carefully he settles a hand against the top of the blanket, making an approximation where his shoulder and arm is. the boy looks cold, something he'll have to remedy once he gets him up. can they take this blanket? he should have asked before the nurse left. instead he lets it rub up and down, trying to generate a bit of warmth as well as assure tim that he is in fact still here and isn't a figment of his woozy imagination. if it feels like a piece of him is chipped away by the disbelief evident in his voice, hawk ignores it. he's just doing the decent thing - making sure a student in trouble is safe.

maybe the best thing to do is to just drive him as close as he can to his dorm and give him a coat. maybe he should just stay out of it.

or maybe there's a lot of mistakes he hasn't made all this time, and he's due for a few.]

Yeah, I'm here. I waited outside - wasn't about to just leave you in this state.

[i always trust you, tim says, and the instinct to tell him not to is kneejerk enough that he fights to tamp it down. i let you down once already, didn't i?]

The nurse said someone should watch you overnight. Just in case there's any leftover symptoms.

[he pauses, wondering if any of that is sinking in. tim is the one who said he didn't have anyone - why would he want to rely on suitemates and half-strangers just because they live in the same building? they aren't friends, he's made that clear already. hawk was his only option.

nevermind then, he'll just be blunt.]

I'm taking you back to my place to sleep it off. Nurse says you're going to have a rough morning.

[he pauses, waiting for the weight of it to sink in.]

That okay with you?

[he leans down, mild apprehension still etched in his expression as he tries to meet tim's gaze once again, even if his face is half covered by the scratchy hospital blanket. his hand stills, squeezing lightly at his shoulder.]

I just need you to do one thing for me though -

[and here he cracks a slightly teasing smile, though it's not enough to mask the concern evident in the tension of his neck and the way it doesn't quite match his eyes. he'd bump tim's shoulder if he were upright in a light gesture of friendliness, and maybe it'd be enough to ward off the guilt he's carrying without warrant.]

Stop apologizing for something that isn't your fault.