The sudden (and loud) interruption of Matt's reappearance was so abrupt that it felt a little like having your head dunked in ice cold water. Gabe was yanked out of his brief daze without warning and that dumb grin still pulling at the edges of his face, having not realized he'd been in a daze until he was safely outside of it again. Like being under some kind of spell except the spell was Jack's crooked smile and hot body.
He took the glass of water from Matt without argument while his friend continued to fuss over Gabe's well being, which was honestly kind of sweet. Not a lot of people would think of Matt Silva and automatically think 'sweet' (especially if you were talking to a certain ex-girlfriend of his that his buddy was still tragically hung up on), but he was. Yeah, he could be a real asshole about some things and relentlessly stubborn about others, but when it came down to it, he was always there for Gabe. He'd been like a brother to Gabe even when Gabe still had a brother.
Gabe blinked, belatedly realizing that was the first time he'd thought about Andrés since he'd nearly said his name instead of Matt's earlier. That was a first. Also a first? He hadn't been thinking about the pain his body was in. It wasn't just the bump on his head or the growing headache, which was honestly more bearable now that he was sitting down. His whole body was finally feeling the effects of the crash; his neck, his back, and yes, his ass. A seat belt could keep you from getting killed but it didn't keep you from feeling sore as hell after crashing into a huge bush at the bottom of a steep hill.
Turns out Jack was a better distraction then even Gabe had realized, if he hadn't been focusing on any of those things since Matt had originally left the room. Now that his mind was half on the pain he was in, he wasn't too happy about it, but Gabe had also been through a lot worse. Some whiplash, soreness, and a mild concussion? Yeah, he'd take it.
He wasn't sure he'd have any luck convincing Matt of that, though.
Gabe was mid-sip of water while Matt was still worrying over him, but his friend's last words made Gabe choke before he could fully swallow. Not from laughter at Matt's sic burn so much as the knowledge that Matt had overheard any part of their conversation, especially something as embarrassing as Gabe telling Jack he was 'cool' while concussed. He'd meant it, but also, could they give the guy with a head injury a break already? He clearly wasn't working with a full deck here.
"Man, I'm fine. Really." Once Gabe had recovered enough to respond, he reached back to briefly grip Matt's forearm reassuringly, as much to show Matt that he still had basic motor functions as it was to remind himself that the hand on his shoulder was real. They'd been through it tonight, but they'd gotten out. Maybe not unscathed, but they were both alive.
Flashing Matt an appreciative look before taking another drink of water, Gabe was still a little embarrassed with all the attention on him. He did a lot better outside of the spotlight where people tended not to notice how he was doing, made it easier to fake it when he really wasn't doing so hot. He was feeling really tired but he could make it a few more hours, and knowing his friend, Matt hadn't even begun to address his own aches and pains yet. "I can still see straight and I haven't passed out yet, so quit worrying and sit down yourself. You were in the passenger seat, don't lie to me and say you're not already feeling it."