HELLO

Imagine if you will: Newly graduated nurse Robb meeting long-term and dying patient Theon.

Theon has reached the point of no-cure with his illness and is basically waiting to die in hospice care. He is still there mentally, but his body is slowly deteriorating and he is getting weaker and weaker. He’s only 26.

Robb is freshly graduated from university and is 23, young, bright, and wanting to help every person he can. He opted to become a nurse rather than a doctor because he could make a more immediate impact with being a nurse. Being a nurse is a truly respectable career no matter how many of his old high school friends tease him about it.

Robb works at the hospice center for two months before being asked to take over Theon’s day to day care. (Theon’s old daily nurse requested a transfer away)

From day one, Theon constantly makes rude male-nurse jokes/comments to Robb. “Didn’t have the patience or skill to become a doctor or were you just in it for the outfits and pretty skirts?” Robb never lets it bother him, knowing that Theon is probably using humor to cope because he’s so young.

Robb just smiles whenever Theon makes a joke but it irritates Theon because he doesn’t want someone who is just going to smile and treat him like fragile glass. He wants to be treated like a human being that is still alive, not someone who is already dead.

Theon is picky af and refuses to eat the hospital issued meals. It is mostly to piss off his new nurse since he has been eating the meals for a year now and at some point Robb finally breaks because he is taking none of that bullshit anymore. “That’s fine, I’ll just insert a feeding tube if you-” “Give me the damn soup, Nurse Stark.”

Theon makes jokes and puns about his illness, procedures, and treatments all the time. Anytime there is a moment of silence, Theon is filling it in with ridiculous wise-cracks. Most of the nurses don’t acknowledge Theon when he does it except the new redheaded one who tries to cover up his laugher with a cough.

Theon never gives a straight backstory to the nurses and constantly tells different, contrasting tales from his life. Most of the staff have gotten fed up with it and just ignore his babble but Robb hasn’t given up yet. He always gives Theon full attention and at some point, Theon shifts from lies, to half-truths, to full real stories. Robb isn’t sure when the shift happens but part of him knows when Theon’s stories are fake and when they are real.

Theon always rings the nurses for mundane tasks he can do himself. (Robb still comes in with a smile when most nurses in the past dropped their smiles days into meeting Theon)

Theon makes ridiculous requests just to see Robb run circles around the hospital for him (and he’s bored and the redhead is still soft on him even though he should be sick and tired of Theon by now).

Theon makes thousands sexual innuendos and crass jokes at Robb’s expense (and even gets a laugh or two out of them). Theon is absolutely floored but delighted when Robb begins returning them.

One day Theon is especially upset and quiet until Robb comes in wearing one of the female nurse’s skirts and acting like everything it completely normal.

Theon holds onto Robb’s hand when he is getting injections, blood taken, anything with needles, or other painful but regular procedures. He doesn’t realize he is doing it at first but after a while, it just becomes a habit and Robb never mentions it.

Occasionally to cause a fuss, Theon refuses to eat unless Robb is feeding him (or just in his company). Robb starts taking his lunch break at the same time so they can eat together.

Theon has Robb keep him company for as long as possible even if Robb’s shift ended an hours ago and he is tired af (sometimes Theon will scoot over in the hospital bed and have Robb lay with him for a while. They’ve accidentally fallen asleep only half the time).

They play board games together and Robb takes his turn between visits/tasks with other patients. Theon only cheats sometimes. Most of the time, Robb catches him but rarely will he bring it up. They always place bets, but mostly it is pudding cups or picking the next day’s game.

They go for walks around the facility as often as they can. In the beginning, Theon would walk with Robb helping him but as time passes, Theon has to be moved to a chair. On their walks, Theon tries to guess when other patients are going to die or places bets on rather dark matters. Robb disapproves but Theon just smiles and wonders how long Robb is going to stay around before requesting a transfer away from him. Or how long it is going to be until Theon has to leave Robb behind.

It comes to the point that Theon can’t leave the bed and at that point Theon requests Robb being transferred from caring for him. Theon doesn’t want the friendly male nurse to see him like this. It’s better this way. Less pain for everyone (or hopefully Robb).

Robb tries to get in but is denied per Theon’s request. Robb tries to visit as a civilian but Theon blacklists him. Robb refuses to give up because at the very least, Robb has come to think of Theon as a friend.

Robb resorts to writing notes and having his coworkers bring them to Theon because he at least wants to say goodbye and see Theon one last time.

A week and twenty seven little notes later, Theon finally lets Robb visit. Robb ends up spending the entire day by Theon’s side as they talk. Theon breaks down at some point about how it is fitting that a good thing finally comes into his life as it is about to end.

They say goodbye holding hands instead of sharing a kiss because Theon knows how unfair it would be to Robb and doesn’t want to dig a hole as his time comes nearer and nearer.

(Although he really wishes he got to kiss Robb at least once.)

Robb insists being by Theon’s very side until the end. Theon argues at first but Robb is stubborn on the issue.