14. ‘‘I shouldn’t be worried about you, but for some reason I am’’
Fao had been working flat out. Surgical training was no joke, the hours were long and the shifts gruelling. He wasn’t long back from his first tour, which had been amazing, but tiring, and now he was back to the rigours of the wards in Birmingham.
He’d not slept much that night, struggling with the changeover from night shifts to days, and he was looking forwards to getting home and to his bed. But that was a distant prospect now, he had a shift to work, even if he was falling asleep into his handover sheet.
He had a headache brewing, and had just rested his head on the desk for a second, just to breathe, that was all.
“Blackwood!”
The shout startled him, sitting up quickly. He must’ve dozed off. Shit.
A glance at his phone told him he was ten minutes late to the morning handover. Well, that was why he was being yelled at then.
“Sorry, Sir.” He said quickly, grabbing his stuff. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”
He managed to get through his meeting, though it was a struggle, and then it was straight to theatres. A mix of military and civilian patients, it certainly kept him busy, and he was shattered by the time it got to his break. He slipped out for a smoke, but it didn’t really help the headache, and he swung by the emergency department on his way back in to grab some chocolate, hoping that might help, along with the energy drink he’d shoved in his locker.
Harrison had been on shift when Fao passed through. He went to call over to him when he saw the state of him. His frown deepened, notes forgotten, he stood, padding over to Fao.
"Wolfie?"
“Mm? Hey, Tomcat.” Fao said softly.
"You look like shit."
“Charming as ever.”
"Are you feeling alright?" He rested a hand on his arm.
“Yeah, just a headache, you know how it is.” He murmured. “Got a bollocking for nearly missing handover this morning and I’ve only just got out of theatre.”
"Come sit down with me?" Harrison couldn't shake the worry.
“I’ve not got long.”
"Yeah, I know."
“Five minutes, whilst I eat this chocolate.” He said, caving all too easily.
"Good." He grinned, leading the way.
He followed Harrison tiredly, dragging a hand through his hair. If his head would just stop pounding, he could cope with the tiredness. But he could barely think straight.
"I'm sure we've got a spare treatment room."
“I’m not that bad.” He grumbled.
"I know." He lied. "Just for some peace."
“Staff room’s fine, it’s only five minutes.”
"Nah, come on. This way."
“I don’t need a treatment room.” He protested, but didn’t have the energy to argue.
Harrison pushed open the door, hopping up onto the bed. "How's today been, then?"
“Busy.” He said with a sigh, sitting next to Harrison. He used his teeth to open his chocolate wrapper, before offering Hars a square.
Harrison took it gratefully. "Thanks. You look like you've not slept in a week."
“I feel like it.” He murmured, breaking off a piece for himself. “I did the overnight on call all of last week and it was so busy it’s killed me off. Feel like I’ve not been able to get enough sleep in between shifts, and now I’ve changed to days and it’s just as busy.”
"Been dizzy?"
“Occasionally.” He admitted. “But sod off, I’m just dehydrated with low blood sugar, so’s half the hospital.”
Harrison hummed. "Sure, sure. And how bad is the headache?"
“Like someone is hammering a nail into my brain.”
"Any visual changes?"
“Stop doctoring and let me be miserable for five minutes.” He grumbled, eating another piece of chocolate.
"I need an answer." He nudged him, reaching to steal another square. "What about feeling sick?"
“No visual changes but my dyslexia’s worse because I’m tired.” He said, resting his head on Harrison’s shoulder. “Bit of nausea, but the sugar is helping.”
Harrison wrapped an arm around him. "Any auras?"
“Mm, no.”
"Anything else you're not telling me?"
“I just can’t think straight.” He admitted. “I need a holiday, for fuck’s sake.”
"Can I do a set of obs on you?"
“No, because if they’re shit I can’t go back to work and I need to go back to work because I’ve already gotten in the shit this morning.”
"All the more reason I want to do some."
“I told my consultant five minutes for a smoke and something to eat.”
"I'm worried about you." He admitted. "I shouldn’t be worried about you, but for some reason, I am."
“I’m fine, I’ve got a drink upstairs and I’ll sit and do some notes.”
"Please?"
“I should’ve gone to the vending machines outside theatres.” He huffed. “Fine. Make it quick.”
"You know we've got the best shit down here." He grinned, hopping off the bed. "I'll be quick. Sorry, the cuff's cold."
“I know, that’s why I came down. And it was on my way back.” He’d been hoping to bump into Harrison, admittedly, but not to be fussed over and bothered. He’d fancied five minutes to rant, that was all. “You’re not getting any more of my chocolate, though.”
"Rude. I'll live."
He had another square, letting it melt in his mouth as Harrison fussed. His bleep hadn’t gone off yet, which was a relief, because the way it had been squealing at him all morning really hadn’t been helping things. “You better.”
"Mhmm." He hummed, watching the machine. "Can you stand up a sec for me?"
“I’m comfy.” He protested.
"Please?"
“I know what you’re trying to do.” He complained, but stood up. His back was aching - his table hadn’t been high enough for his last case, and he was paying for it.
"Okay, you can sit." He pulled out his pen torch. "Stare at my nose, just gonna shine a light in your eyes."
Fao sat gratefully, ignoring how his head span. “No, c’mon, you said a set of obs, and I even went so far as to give you the standing BP. Enough, I need to go back to work.”
"No." Harrison was firm. "You're not. Not a chance."
“I’m tired and dehydrated, it can’t be that bad.”
"You're still not going back to work. I want you admitted."
“Leave off.” He protested. “I’ll go home, if you insist, but I don’t need admitting. It’s a headache.”
"Surely you'd feel better with some pain relief? Antiemetics? Please, it's for your own benefit."
“Chuck a couple of paracetamol at me and I’ll get Alex to take me home.”
"No."
Fao was about to argue when his bleep went off, and he winced. “Time’s up, I need to get that.” He said, frowning at the number on the screen.
Harrison pulled out his own phone, taking the bleep from Fao. "Yeah, I'm overruling you on that one."
“Tomcat!” He protested. “Let me call them back?”
"I said no." Harrison’s voice was uncharacteristically hard. "I'm calling them, you're gonna lie back on the bed and let me do my job."
He stepped back, deliberately out of Fao's reach, and dialled the number. Fao's observations weren't terrible, but they were enough to worry him, especially with how shit his friend looked. He didn't really care if Fao hated him for it; he couldn't, in good conscience, let him continue working when he was so obviously struggling so much.
He huffed, but his headache was much too bad to really give too much protest. He wasn’t going after Harrison, at any rate. He shuffled his bum back on the bed, swung his legs up and kicked his shoes off, feeling better for it almost instantly, though he’d never admit it. Guilt flared, knowing he was supposed to be busy, but Harrison making decisions meant it had been taken somewhat out of his hands, which he appreciated. Leaning back against the back of the bed he let his eyes close, listening to Hars on the phone.
"Hi, it's Dr Harrison from ED? No, you paged Blackwood, not me, that's right. Yeah, he's not coming back up, I'm admitting him." He kept his voice low, aware it wouldn't be helping Fao. "Honestly? You should be ashamed of yourself that you let him keep working. Anyone could see he wasn't well, I could tell a mile off. Go ahead, it's Harrison Cunningham, I don't care. Thanks, bye now."
“Harrison!” Fao hissed, reaching to throw a pillow at him.
"Hey, you'll need that. It's a luxury around here." He teased, passing it back. "I'll go grab you a blanket and get you booked in, too. Then I'll send someone across and we'll get some treatment sorted, yeah?"
“You’re an ass.”
"I know." There was a hint of pride behind his tone.
Fao rolled his eyes, but tucked his pillow back under his head. “I should call them.”
Harrison laughed. "You sound like every drunk girl on a Saturday night. Get some rest."
“Get me a cup of tea?”
"Sir, yes, sir." He teased. "I'll be right back."
“If you’re gonna admit me you could at least get me a cup of tea. Might as well milk it.”
"Might as well make the most of it. Want me to call Alex? Sheila?"
“Don’t bother Sheila, but call Alex? You can doctor at her.”
"Alright, I'll do that while I'm getting your tea, yeah?" He said softly. "I'll send a nurse through."
“Thanks.” He said, rolling onto his front to bury his face in the pillow.
Harrison hummed, shutting the door quietly behind him. He grabbed one of the nurses, smiling sweetly and apologising for the extra work. He then had the fun job of calling Alex, so scrolled through before pressing dial, heading to the staff room for the good tea.
Alex had been enjoying her day off, having taken the dog for a long walk that morning. Now he was napping, and she’d been watching some TV when her phone rang. She should’ve been studying, but of course she wasn’t, and she reached for her phone.
“Harrison?”
"I'm at work, you can't yell at me. But, I may have just admitted Fao?"
“I can definitely still yell at you. What’s happened? Is he okay?”
"He's got a migraine, don't think he's been sleeping. His obs aren't terrible, but honestly? He looks like shit. Got yelled at this morning, apparently, for falling asleep before handover. That's not like him."
“He didn’t sleep last night.” Alex agreed. “How bad is ‘not terrible’?”
"Fluids worthy but not resus?"
She sighed. “He’s such an ass. He’s been struggling for days with his sleep.”
"I'd say maybe he'd learn from this, but I know better."
“He definitely won’t. He needs to sort his mental health out again, keep an eye on him?”
"Don't we all?" He sighed. "You know I will. I'm just making him a cuppa, he's had some chocolate, but I'll get him something proper to eat."
“Thank you. Are you expecting to get him discharged in a couple of hours?”
"Depends how he behaves."
She laughed at that. “Yeah, true.”
"Are you wanting to come in?"
“If I can, yeah. I’ll kick his ass.”
"Cool, I'll let him know."
“Look after him, yeah? He’s trying to be a hard ass but he’s been really struggling.”
Harrison softened. "Of course I'll look after him. He's got me worried about him."
“Glad you’re looking out for him. I won’t be long, let him know I’m on my way.”
"I will. Drive safe."
“Always.” She murmured, and said her goodbyes before she hung up, grabbing some stuff for Fao.
When she arrived, he was on his side in the bed, though sipping the tea Harrison had brought him. He looked worse than he had done when he’d left the house that morning, but the smile he offered her as she appeared had her anger and worry evaporating like mist in the morning sun.
“You daft shite.” She said, settling next to him and running a hand through his hair. “You need to take better care of yourself.”
“I know.” He murmured. “Sit wit’ me properly?”
She was always a soft touch for him, and so she settled on the bed properly. Fao sat up as she did so, putting his tea down, and then laid back down again, his head in her lap. They’d already given him antiemetics, and he had fluids running, which were making him feel better, but Alex there was certainly doing the hard work. Her fingers carding through his hair, he was asleep in minutes, warm and safe.
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Fao and Harrison’s relationship had gotten off to a rocky start, that was certain, but after that they’d become hesitant friends, getting closer and closer as they got older. Hars obviously cared about Finn, about the family, and now he was living with Steve, he’d managed to pull himself together, get some half decent grades at school, stop drinking so much. That in turn made his relationship easier with Fao, who’d helped him through his uni interview prep. He’d gotten offers for a couple of places, which really surprised him, but Fao had told him sincerely he’d never doubted him.
He often spent time in Fao’s flat, a way to get away from Steve without him worrying, and he enjoyed the older boy’s company. Fao had a no alcohol rule, but they had fun in other ways, watching films (and occasionally sharing a joint). They were sat chatting one evening that summer, not long before Hars was due to move up North, on the little balcony out the back of Fao’s flat, watching the sun go down.
“I want to get a tattoo.” Harrison announced, after some time sat in silence.
Fao turned to him, frowning. After the one he’d gotten on his wrist for Finn, he’d started an addiction, and already had half a sleeve on his left arm. “You do?”
"It's stupid, I know."
“No, not stupid.” Fao said. “What would you want?”
“It’s really stupid.” Harrison said, not looking at him.
Fao nudged him. “Shut up and tell me.”
“An O’Malley.” He said under his breath.
“O’Malley the alleycat.” Fao said with a grin. “It’s perfect, Tomcat.”
Harrison had a fierce blush on his cheeks, not looking at Fao, embarrassed by something so childish. “Really?”
“Yeah. Why don’t I take you? As a going away to uni gift?” Fao suggested.
Harrison had tried to deny him, but it had been no use, and soon he had a time booked with an artist Fao apparently knew. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous, but having Fao as a companion helped to get rid of some of the nerves. And after all, how bad could a tattoo really be? He’d been through so much shit, it hardly seemed like a big deal.
He got settled in the chair, stencil on, and with Fao chatting away, they started. It really wasn’t so bad. Sore, and the vibration was kind of weird, especially on his chest, but it was fine. Like a cat scratch, when Apollo had dug his claws into his thighs. Going over ribs hurt more, but it was more that it startled him, and he grabbed at Fao’s hand in a rather undignified way. Fao hadn’t said anything, just squeezed it back wordlessly, giving him a little nod. It soon settled off again, Harrison relaxing back, and he was chatting away again. It faded into the background, barely even there, and before he knew it the lines and the colour was done. They’d been there hours, but it had hardly felt like any time at all.
He stood up, checked it out in the mirror, and couldn’t stop beaming at Fao. It was red, and swollen, and it would probably hurt more soon, but he was proud of himself for actually following through with it. He went to pay, with some of his own money he’d saved and some Steve had given him, but Fao stopped him before he could get there, handing over the cash. Harrison had protested, but Fao had just looped his arm around his shoulders with a laugh.
No. 2 "I'll call out your name, but you won't call back."
@whumptober-archive
Thermometer | Delirium | "They don't care about you."
A 'recovery' fic set some time after this
Harrison had gone from strength to strength in his recovery. Even despite the sepsis and pneumonia, on top of the initial gsw and opened chest in the field.
It had been a long, hard slog to get there, though, that couldn't be forgotten. After the chest drain, he'd ended up with a little delirium from everything, and everyone dreaded that it was going backwards. Somehow, he kept progressing, kept improving, kept defying expectations.
It was several months later when he was finally allowed from the bed, graduating to being allowed to potter between there and the sofas. He was on strict instructions to not treat anyone, to not do anything stupid and outside of his current abilities. He still had a babysitter, though they denied that that was why they were there. It was obvious, but he didn't really mind; he enjoyed the company and conversation.
Harrison had lost so much weight with it all, far too much, and that brought its own problems. His prosthesis no longer fit properly, the bone rubbing against the hard plastic. It put him off walking with it, choosing instead to use his crutches where he could.
Fao didn’t mind ‘babysitting’ Hars. He was still getting over his own chest infection, easily tired, and so sitting around in the basement doing paperwork and making sure Hars had what he needed suited him just fine. Besides, he liked Harrison’s company, and it was still just so nice to have him ‘back’ after all they’d been through.
The past few nights, Harrison had been struggling to sleep. He just couldn't settle with pain and just wrongness in his bones. He'd tried to shake it off, busying himself in the basement to try and keep his mind active. The room spun each time he stood, but after a few moments of gripping whatever counter he was closest to, everything returned to normal. It was just tiredness, that's all.
Fao noticed as Harrison emerged from his room, somewhat unsteady on his crutches. Not unusual, and Fao wished he’d use his chair instead, but he wasn’t about to start that fight again.
“Hey. Need anything?” Fao asked.
He took a moment to reply, looking blankly at Fao before he shook his head. "No, I'm good."
“You okay?” He asked, frowning.
"Been better."
“Need something? Meds?”
"I want out of the basement."
“Want some fresh air?”
"Yeah. But I want to stay out."
“I can’t let you stay out.”
"You can't keep me here."
“You’re still not well, Hars.”
"I'm late, Fao. I don't have time to worry about not being well."
Fao frowned, standing up and putting his book down. “Late?”
"Yes, late. I'm trying to get ready."
“Late for what?”
Harrison turned to look at him, exasperated. "Work. Honestly, Fao. I don't get you."
“You don’t have to go to work, you’re off sick right now. You got hurt, remember?”
"I'm not stupid, I know I got hurt. I can fucking feel it."
“So you don’t need to go anywhere.”
"Yeah, I do." He turned back, swaying on his crutches. "I need to go."
“You don’t need to go to work, you can stay here. Why don’t we sit down, I’ll put the kettle on?”
"I don't want a drink. I want to go outside."
“Come on, it’s okay.”
"None of this is okay."
“I know, I know. But you don’t need to go out, you can stay here.”
He frowned. "I don't want to stay here."
“I know, but it’s for your own good.”
"It's obviously not."
“It is, Hars. I know it doesn’t feel like it.
"Where's Tai? He'll tell you."
“He’s at work today, he’ll be home soon.”
Harrison frowned at him. "Well where's Levi?"
“Your dad is with him.”
"He's my son."
“Nobody is saying otherwise.”
He huffed. "Right. Okay."
“I mean it, Hars.”
"Mean what?"
“Nobody’s saying otherwise about Levi.”
"Right. So I need to go."
“No, you don’t.”
"Whatever." He turned away, bored of the conversation and ready to do his own thing.
The turn made him dizzy, but he figured it would go, it had to. He stumbled forward, managing a few steps before his crutch slipped slightly. He struggled to right himself, but the dizziness was only getting worse, the room darkening at the corners.
Nausea rose too, only adding to the feeling that he was dying, but he didn't have the energy to do anything about it. His leg shook and he knew his knee wouldn't hold him, but the thought was quickly lost to the blackness.
“Hars? Harrison?” He called.
Fao spotted the way Harrison went blank, the stumble just another warning sign. He crossed the room quickly, aiming to help Harrison stay upright on his crutches, but his eyes rolled and he went down. He reached for him just as he went, stretching further than he should, and he staggered under the weight of him as they went to the floor. It was softer than it had been if he’d not caught him, but it wrenched Fao’s bad shoulder and he groaned, the pain already bad.
Harrison was still in Fao's arms, his chest rise and fall all too shallow. It took a few moments for him to start to come to, screwing his face up.
“Hey, you’re okay.” Fao said, running his fingers through Harrison’s hair. “Take a moment.”
He groaned, trying to get his bearings. He reached to rub his eyes, his head pounding.
"Tai? Tai?"' Harrison repeated, waiting for his husband to respond. "Tai."
"What?!" He whipped around, snapping at Harrison.
"Hey don't yell at me." He frowned, hurt. "You were the one ignoring me."
"Yeah, well, maybe I just want some bloody peace and quiet away from your pestering."
"What are you on about?" Harrison took a step towards where Tai was sitting at the kitchen island. "I'm confused."
"All of this I'm sick of, sick of all the pestering, it's just again and again. It's like you don't know what I'm doing and I'm always doing it."
Harrison narrowed his eyes, watching Tai critically. "How's that?!
"As if you don't know." He scoffed, shoving the chair back with a clatter. It hit the floor with an awful bang, and White Harrison grimaced, Tai didn't even seem to notice.
"Why don't we go sit in the living room?" Harrison offered.
"There you go again! You know what I think about that. And they're just as bad, you're just not getting it are you? Fucking stupid. I don't know why I bother."
Harrison gave a sharp sigh. "Where's your phone, Tai?"
"I'm not going to tell you that, am I? You'll take it off me like you've taken everything else, like the kids. Look at them. They've fucking gone, haven't they? An' scout. None of them like you. I don't fucking like you."
"Yeah, there's a long list, I'm sure.” He muttered, turning to rummage in the junk drawer. "Sit down, will you? I need to do your sugar."
“'No,you don't."
"Yeah, I do." He shrugged, moving to stand in front of Tai. "Give me a finger."
He stuck the middle one up. "Fuck off."
Despite the situation, Harrison had to laugh. "Yeah, I deserved that one. I still need to check your sugars, love. Just a second, yeah?"
Harrison wasn't expecting it, Tai taking a sharp step forward and shoving his husband square in the chest. It jarred his leg, and it was a surprisingly strong shove, sending Harrison tumbling back, unbalanced and unexpecting.
He cracked the back of his head against the cabinets, his back dragging down the edges of the doors.
Stars danced in Harrison's vision, pain immediately lancing down his neck and back, across his ribs, and annoyingly enough around his prosthesis.
It took him a moment for him to manage to catch his breath, and even then it was forced. Despite feeling like he was dying, he forced himself to his knees, and then staggered to his feet. It was all too similar to his accident, his mind reeling and trying not to dissolve into panic.
He knew he couldn't, though, knew Tai needed him. He grabbed the glucagon kit from the top drawer and managed to stumble into the living room. He sent out a quick emergency text to anyone that was around while he was at it; he knew he'd need help one way or another.
Tai was sitting on the sofa in the living room when Harrison found him, grumbling away to himself and covered in sweat. "Tai?"
"What do you want?"
"You must be feeling pretty shit, yeah? You gonna let me help you?" He was more than a little worried to get close, and spied his phone on the coffee table. He edged forward, tapping on the screen. Alert after alert after alert. Goddammit Tai. The CGM moved slower than capillary, and he didn't want to imagine where it actually was. He was all too aware what had happened the last time it got too low.
"Yeah, I feel like fucking shit."
Harrison nodded, one hand behind him as he sat by Tai's side. He was grateful his husband was still wearing a T-shirt, despite the weather outside, and briefly rested his hand on his bicep.
"Have you tried doing your sugars?"
"No, I don't care about them. I just feel shit, you're not helping and I'm sick of it." He started rambling again, barely making sense. Harrison knew he didn't have long, and he only had one chance. He took a breath to try and stop the nausea, and stabbed him. There was time for niceties or soft touches, quickly injecting the glucagon and deftly locking the needle away.
Tai shouted, a mix of pain and surprise, but Harrison had already moved away. He'd not made it far, missing the bin as he lost his breakfast on the carpet. Great. It only seemed to make it worse, and he groaned, suddenly glad of the other sofa behind his leg. He collapsed gratefully onto it, letting his eyes close for just a second.
"What the fuck, Hars?!"
"You act like a dick, you get treated like one." He muttered under his breath. "It's for your own good, love. You're having a hypo. You're not you."
"Fuck off."
"Once you're back up, sure.” He pulled his phone out, dialling for an ambulance. As much as he'd done all he could, and normally would have been able to manage it himself, he knew if things didn't improve then he wouldn't be able to help. He could feel wetness down his back and a ginger feel across the back of his head brought back red. Even better.
He struggled through the operator's questions, finding it harder to think with each one. Tai, at least, looked better, no longer shaking as much as he had been.
There was a clatter from the front door, the scarper of paws on wood, and the kids announcing they were home. Harrison sighed. This was going to be fun to explain.
"Living room, we've had a bit of an issue." He called.
“Dad?” Alfie called, frowning. “What’s happened?”
"Dad's had a hypo. Can you grab the rest of the sugary stuff? And some toast?"
Shit. “Yeah. Kieran?” He turned to his brother. “Do the toast?” He asked, and his brother did, whilst Alfie padded into the living room. It was a state, Harrison with blood dripping from his nose, Tai collapsed on the other sofa looking awful. There was vomit on the carpet too, though he honestly had no idea who’s it was, they both looked awful.
“What the fuck?”
"Yeah, I know." Harrison shook his head. "Don't even start."
He took in the absolute state of the room, pressing his lips together. “Has dad had something, at least?”
"Glucagon." He said, holding the phone out. "Speak to the ambulance?"
“Uh, yeah.” He said, taking the phone.
Harrison knew better than to try standing, just glad he'd dragged the bin closer. He'd hoped he'd grow out of the vomiting after every head injury, but it just felt like it got worse each time. He groaned, stomach spasming as he buried his head.
Alfie winced, watching his dad vomit again, before he tried to answer the operator’s questions, vague on the details.
With another groan, Harrison raised his head. He roughly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, making an unimpressed noise as he wiped blood from his nose. There was a flash of panic that he couldn't quite hide, but his worry for Tai easily overshadowed it.
Alfie couldn’t help the jolt of worry at the sight of his Dad, the blood dripping from his nose. Neither of them looked well, and the operator at the other end of the phone reassured him that they were on their way as soon as they could be. Kieran had appeared with the toast and other things for Tai, offering to him and trying to ignore the state of the room. Neither parent looked well, and the twins were out of their depth completely. They knew how to manage Tai’s diabetes, of course, but with Harrison looking so ill too, they didn’t have anyone to help them.
"What's his sugars doing, Kit?"
Kieran had grabbed his Dad’s phone, open to the CGM’s app. “Better, coming up now.” He said. Tai looked better, too, no longer as agitated, and was eating the toast without protest.
He shot them a smile. "Thanks, boys. Sorry you had to come into this."
“Are you okay?” He asked. “You look like shit.”
"I just took a tumble, I'm fine."
“You’re bleeding and you’ve been sick.”
"Head injuries bleed a lot. It's fine."
“Alfie is on the phone to the ambulance.”
Harrison hummed. "Yeah, for dad."
“Like you don’t need it too.”
"Course not. I need Tai sorted, then I can go to bed."
Given the seriousness of the situation, the ambulance arrived quickly, and Alfie rushed to the door to let him in, Keiran still trying to get Tai to eat.
“They’re in here. It’s kind of bad…”
Harrison glanced up, offering a sheepish smile. "I'm not the one I called about, I'm fine enough. Tai had a hypo."
“You don’t look too great yourself.” One said, whilst the other radioed for another set of hands. This was definitely more complicated than a simple hypo.
"I'm just concussed a bit. I'm always sick, I've got a bit of a lac to the back of my head, but I don't think it's that bad."
“What happened?”
Harrison glanced at the twins before returning his gaze to the floor. "I fell."
“Can you talk me through how you fell?”
"Nope. I'm not your patient. Tai is."
“You both are at this point, I’m afraid.”
"Nah, I'm good."
“With a concussion you don’t get to make that choice.”
Harrison narrowed his eyes at him. "Ah, fuck."
“You know I’m right. How did you fall?”
"Backwards, against the kitchen cabinets."
“Ah. Did you lose consciousness? Black out?”
"Remember the whole thing, got really dizzy and couldn't see properly. Winded, too, with how I hit the bench. Took a moment, followed Tai through here, managed to get his glucagon in and then I started throwing up. I always have done." He gave as much information as he could get away with while withholding the important bits. "I'm just a bit concussed, head injuries just piss everywhere, that's all. I'm really not that bad, I just need a lie down."
“You’ll get a lie down.” He reassured him. “That’s a significant fall, you and I both know that.”
"A lie down in my own bed."
“Not going to happen I’m afraid."
"I'm not being rude to you, but that's bullshit." He sighed. "On second thoughts, you carry ondansetron?"
“Not being rude, eh? Yes, we carry ondansetron.”
"You can stab me for being rude then. I won’t say no to that." He adjusted his grip on the bin, trying and failing to breathe through it.
“Now you want something from us.” They knew Harrison, often seeing him at work, and knew where they could tease. That was flirting the limit, but he hoped it would be okay.
Harrison huffed. "Ah, but look. I pretty much fixed your patient for you."
“I suppose you helped.”
"Didn't want you to feel like I was doing all the hard work though." He broke off to vomit, giving a quiet apology before continuing. "So I decided to make another patient for you."
“Let me get that ondansetron sorted for you, then.” He said, reassuring him. But things were serious, especially with the vomiting.
"Yeah, thanks." He murmured. "What's Tai's sugars at?"
“Uh, 3.5 at the moment.”
"Mm, okay. He's coming up alright then."
“Going in the right direction.”
"I got a 1.3 on his phone."
“So likely even lower? Okay, yeah. Explains things.”
"Couldn't get a fingerprick."
“We’ve managed one, which is good.”
"Yeah, he's more compliant now."
“Things are moving in the right direction.”
Harrison retched. "Well, it makes one of us."
The other para had sorted the ondansetron quickly enough, and returned to Harrison. “Here, got this antisickness for you.”
"Who's the lucky one that gets to stab me?"
“That would be me.”
"I'm not gonna judge you, just stab me once yeah?"
“That’s the plan.” He said, getting his kit sorted. “Can get you some pain relief too, if you need it?”
"I might take you up on that."
“Alright, I can get that sorted in a mo.” He said, finding a good vein and prepping it carefully. “Right, sharp scratch.”
Harrison hummed, letting him get on with it. He focused on trying not to be sick while he worked, all too aware of being on the other side of things.
He got it in easily, and it flushed nicely. “There. Just gonna get this antisickness in for you now, well done.”
"Thanks."
“Hopefully this second crew should be here shortly and we can get you both off to hospital. Have you got someone to come and be with the kids?”
"Kit and Bug are seventeen."
“I’m sure it would be nice for them to have someone with them?”
"I don't know if anyone replied." He was starting to get more than a little tired of the situation, the nausea still there and the pain creeping in.
Alex had laughed at Fao when he’d said he wanted to take Finn camping over the summer. She’d asked if Afghanistan hadn’t been enough for him, if the English summer was the extra level of suffering he craved. He’d told her to piss off, that it would be a nice holiday, something to enjoy. He had his house, they could camp there, swim in the lake, and there were always showers, and warm beds if the weather got really shit. They’d buy a big tent, Finn could bring Jess, and Fao even invited Hars and Marcus. They both had time off, and had agreed, though Hars grumbled if he got cold overnight he’d be going inside and nobody was stopping him.
Sure enough they’d all driven down, hiked out to the camping spot next to the lake, and set up the big tent there, all cosy with airbeds and duvets. It was luxury compared to being on tour, that was for sure. Finn’s seizures were a worry, of course, but Steve had made sure they had the meds they needed, that plans were available if needed, and told them to enjoy themselves. After all, they had enough medics there to make sure he was safe.
They were sat around the campfire that first night, looking up at the stars as they toasted marshmallows, listening to the crackle of the fire. Finn had brought his guitar with him, and his soft strumming broke the night air every so often as he tried to work out what he wanted to play.
After a few hours just chatting and singing along to Finn’s guitar they all headed to bed, snuggling down under warm duvets. After a slap up breakfast the next morning, Fao insisted they at least go for a walk and enjoy nature. There were loads of footpaths leading off his land, and some of the walks had some amazing views. Alex teased him and told him he was turning into Fred, and Finn said the same, but Fao didn’t care. They were going to enjoy their holiday, and the countryside was perfect to unwind.
Mornings were far from Harrison’s favourite, the air still cold and not quite fixed by Fao's breakfast. He grumbled half heartedly as he ate. Marcus was much more of a morning person, laughing at the state of his boyfriend. He'd never been to Fao's, and was quite excited to go explore, even if Harrison wasn't.
Food was packed, as well as drinks and Finn's meds - it seemed everyone had double checked that one - and soon enough they were on the trails. Harrison had brightened up, happily joining in the conversation as they went. Finn was slightly withdrawn as they picked their path, a little tired and worried he'd ruin it as he always did. Jess, of course, told him to stop being daft, linking their fingers and swinging their hands as a distraction.
It didn't take long for Finn to start complaining he was hungry, so of course they had to stop for a snack. It was easier than listening to his complaining, that was for sure. Once Finn was happily chewing away, they continued, glad of the five minutes' peace.
Despite Finn’s grumblings, it was a nice walk, up into the hills and then down to the stream that cut through the land. They’d been going for a few hours now, and they were all in need of a rest, so Fao paused to sit on a large rock, digging around in his backpack for some water.
Finn had been trailing behind, having been distracted by a butterfly on a plant, crouched close to the edge. He'd sent a few photos to his dad, knowing he’d love to see them too. On his way back, his stomach twisted, his phone falling from his hand. He shook his head, swearing softly. It wasn’t a full aura, just a partial, nothing to worry about, he was sure.
Finn’s quiet swearing had caught Harrison's attention, frowning at the other man too close to the edge. He brushed it off, assuming he was just being overly cautious. But then, he caught the look on his face, all too aware of Finn’s seizures - tonic-clonic or not, Finn was too close to the edge. He jumped up, rushing to grab him before he just walked off the edge.
Finn made no move to stop himself, not even a frown as Harrison grabbed him. He pulled him away from the edge, Finn tripping over his own feet. He landed on his arse in the grass, dazed and disoriented.
Harrison, however, wasn’t so lucky. Everything happened all at once, his ankle twisting as the edge of the riverbank gave way. He gave a surprised shout, hands scrambling at the side to try and stop himself from falling. It was no use.
A sudden stab of pain in his palm saw him lose his grip, blood immediately dripping down his arm. It wasn't his main priority for long, finding himself dunked under the cold water. Instinctively, he gasped, river water in his lungs making him retch and cough. Head under water, it took him a moment to realise what happened, forcing himself to try to kick to the surface. As his head finally raised above, Marcus's hand grabbed at him, dragging him to the edge.
Harrison collapsed onto his side, his whole body shaking. He continued to retch and cough, Marcus trying to help by smacking his back. It took him a moment to realise he was speaking to him, crouched by him with soft words and gentle hands. He gratefully leaned into him, closing his eyes. They were both wet, soaked through, but it was the least of Marcus' worries.
Fao and the girls had been just too far away from the edge of the river once they realised there was an issue, as everything fell apart and Harrison ended up under the water. At least Marcus had been close to him, and as Fao scrambled to his feet to get over to the edge he’d already hauled him out and onto the bank, Harrison coughing and retching at the water he’d taken in. Jess had gone straight to Finn, fussing over him where he was still rather confused.
“Fucking hell.” Fao commented, moving closer to the pair. Harrison was pissing blood from a cut somewhere, too, and he looked shocking. “Are you hurt, Marcus?” He asked, eyes flicking over both men.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." He said quickly. "Hars? Sit up a bit for me, yeah?"
Harrison shook his head, surprisingly exhausted. He continued trembling, unable to stop himself.
Harrison had properly shut down, Fao could see it in his eyes. He knelt in front of him. “Hars? Did you hit your head?”
He shook his head again. His throat was too raw to speak, and he wasn't sure he even had the energy to. He managed a weak smile as Marcus brushed his hair from his forehead, stopping the water from dripping in his face.
“‘Lex, did you bring the first aid kit?” Fao called over his shoulder. His girlfriend dug around in their bag for it, and then shook her head.
“Must’ve left it.”
“Fuck’s sake.” Fao muttered, and then pulled his t-shirt off over his head. “This’ll have to do, otherwise you’re going to bleed everywhere.” He paused, and then ripped a couple of strips from it with some difficulty.
Harrison flinched away from him instinctively, turning into Marcus for protection.
"It's alright. You're okay." He hummed, pressing a kiss to his hair. "Just relax."
“Sorry, Tomcat.” Fao said gently. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Can I have a look at your hand? That’s gotta be sore.”
Marcus took Harrison's arm, holding it out for Fao to sort. "You're okay."
“Thank you.” He murmured, glancing up at Marcus. “I’m gonna sort it, yeah? And we’ll look at it properly when we get back. He wiped the worst of the blood away as gently as he could, and then set about wrapping it tightly. It wasn’t ideal, but it would do for now. As he did it, he turned to look at his brother. “Jess? How’s Finn?”
It was Finn that answered. "I'm fine. I didn't mean for Hars to get hurt. I don't know what happened."
“Just an accident Finn, not your fault.” Fao told his brother.
"Is Hars okay?" His voice wavered with guilt and worry.
"Just a bit bruised, I think." Marcus replied, glancing at Fao. It was obvious Finn was blaming himself, and it wouldn't help anyone if they let it.
“Bruised and dazed. He’s alright.” Fao told him. “Think we’ll head back to camp though.”
Harrison pulled away from the pair of them, turning away to cough and vomit. He instinctively reached for Marcus to steady himself, crying out as he used the wrong hand.
“Careful, careful.” Fao said. “Maybe he did hit his head. We’ll keep an eye.”
Harrison shook his head, his back still to the pair as he retched again. He tried not to be sick, but it was no use, bringing up more water.
"Swallowed it." Harrison managed, breathing heavily as he all but collapsed against his boyfriend.
“Yeah, okay.” Fao said, wanting to reach out and comfort him but knowing it would just make him worse. “We’ll stay here a bit, let everyone get their breath back and then we’ll head back.”
Marcus wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. "We're okay, yeah? We're okay."
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No.5 "You better pray I don't get up this time around."
@whumptober-archive
Debris | Pinned Down | "It's broken."
When Harrison had met Tai, he’d certainly not expected to grow so fond of him so quickly. But it had just felt… right. They’d somehow got good chemistry, hitting it off immediately after a slightly rocky start. Even though Harrison was busy with university, he still found time to see the Irishman, and they’d fallen into bed on more than one occasion.
They’d decided to change things up a bit and go for a hike rather than their usual bars, and it was nice, the change of pace. It was a short enough drive out of the city, up into the hills, and they enjoyed the warm sun on their faces and good conversation as they walked.
They’d stopped to eat lunch, taking in the views over the city, and when Tai had leaned in for a kiss, Harrison hadn’t pushed him away. It was nice, the casual domesticity of it all. It felt like the most natural thing in the world to kiss him.
As they headed back down the hills, they had to pay attention a bit more as to where they were putting their feet, loose stones and dust easy to lose their footing on. Hars had already done it once, his knee giving out on him, but Tai had caught him with a breathless laugh. They were virtually back at the car when Tai stumbled, twisting his ankle as he went.
He definitely heard a crunch, and the pain was immediate, red hot agony. He just about managed to keep himself upright, but couldn’t take any weight through that foot, gripping onto Harrison like his life depended on it, knuckles white.
"Hey, hey, easy." Harrison was quick to take his weight, wrapping a strong arm around him. "I've got you."
“Fuck.” He whimpered.
"What's wrong?"
“My ankle.” Tai groaned. He tentatively stretched it out towards the ground and recoiled almost immediately. “Nope.”
"Careful!" He couldn't hide his worry. "Let's sit, let me have a look."
“I felt something go.”
"I heard it." Harrison admitted.
“You’re gonna have to drive.” He whined.
"That's the least of my worries."
“Hurts.” He panted, feeling woozy. “Where are we sitting?”
"Just down, you look like you're gonna pass out." He said softly.
Tai nodded, and sat with Harrison’s help on the dirt. “Fuck.”
"I've got you, you're gonna be okay." He soothed, rubbing Tai's back.
“How bad does it look? It felt bad.”
Harrison pulled a face. "I've seen worse. But it's broken, there's no doubt."
“I was hoping you weren’t gonna say that.”
"So was I."
“I’m not gonna be able to stand.”
"I can carry you?"
Tai scoffed. “Really?”
"Hey, don’t be so mean."
“I don’t want you to hurt yourself too.”
"I'll be fine."
“Mm.” He mumbled. “Hurts like fuck.”
"If we get back to my car, I've got stuff in the boot."
He nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
"Or I can go get it, but I'll have to leave you alone for ten minutes." He absently pressed a kiss to his hair. "Hey, if I do that, you'll be high as a kite for the rest of the hike. You might enjoy it."
“I just want to go home.”
"I know, love." He rubbed Tai's arm, the affection instinctive. "I know."
“Can we go back to the car?”
"Of course. Want me to carry you?"
He nodded sheepishly. “I’m not gonna be able to stand.”
"You know, there are easier ways to get close to me." He teased, standing up.
“You don’t like the damsel in distress routine?” Tai joked weakly.
He helped him to his feet, balancing himself s moment before looping an arm under his knees. He moved as gentle as he could, aware each movement would be agony for Tai. Concern covered his face as he frowned at him, eyes wide with worry.
"Is that okay?"
Tai had definitely paled, everything spinning a little, but he nodded. “Yeah.” He replied tensely.
He grinned down at Tai. "Y’know, there's easier ways."
“Probably less painful too.”
"Oh, most definitely."
“Was a nice hike, though.”
"I certainly enjoyed the view."
“Yeah?”
He hummed. "And the scenery was nice, too."
“Oh, shut up.”
"I'm serious."
“So am I.”
"I'll be quiet then."
Tai leaned into him with a soft hum. “You can keep talking.”
"Ah, no. You've made your bed, you can lie in it, suffer in silence and all that." He'd barely made it a few steps before his act broke and he laughed.
“See, you can’t resist me.”
He hummed. "Yeah, something like that."
He was quiet for a minute. “You think it’s definitely broken?”
"I'd put money on it." He said softly.
“Ugh.”
"Hey, you'll have to come stay with me." He murmured. "I can look after you then, make sure you have everything you need."
No.13 "It comes and goes like the strength in your bones."
@whumptober-archive
Cold Compress | Infection | "I don't feel so good."
Kieran woke up feeling not right, confused and shaky. He couldn’t work out why - had he had a bad dream and not remembered? His heart felt like it was pounding, and he whimpered, curling in on himself. He tried going back to sleep, but he really didn’t feel good.
“Alfie?” He whispered to his brother. “Alfie!”
He didn’t wake up, grumbling and rolling over in bed. Tears threatened to fall, his lip trembling, and he grabbed his little cat toy, his mind made up. He stood up on shaky legs, feeling dizzy and weird, but padded down the hall, pushing the door to his Dads’ room open.
“Dads?” He called out into the darkness.
It was Tai who woke first, groaning softly before sitting up. “Kit? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t feel so good.” He whimpered, padding over.
“Oh, Kit. Do you feel sick?”
“No. I just feel all wrong.”
Tai nudged Harrison next to him, helping Kieran up onto the bed and into his lap. “Can you try and use your words? Do you feel all dizzy? Like you’ve been spinning around in circles? Or do you feel all sweaty and hot?”
“Yeah dizzy.” He mumbled, burying his face in his Dad’s chest.
"You're absolutely drenched, Kit." Harrison rubbed Kieran's back.
“Don’t feel well.”
And of course they were still waiting for his monitors, his having come off during rough play with his brothers. "Tai, can you get your kit?"
“Yeah, course. You go cuddle with dad, Kit.” Tai said, gently moving him over. He reached for the kit in his drawer, digging around to find it.
"Oh, kiddo." Harrison took Kieran, bundling him in his arms. "You must feel rubbish."
He nodded. “Mm.”
"You're gonna be okay."
“Don’t feel well.” He whined.
"Can daddy borrow your finger?"
He nodded again, stretching out a shaky hand.
“Thank you, kit.” Tai said, grabbing the lancet he needed. “Little poke, okay? It’ll hurt but only for a second. Ready?”
When Kieran made a small noise, Tai quickly did what he needed to, glad he’d flicked the light on by the bed. The glucose monitor beeped as it did its job, and Tai let it read as he fussed over his son.
“Well done.”
"You're being so brave."
“So, so brave. Braver than me, for sure.”
Harrison leaned over, impatient. "What is it?"
“Uh, 3.2.” Tai murmured. “You’re a bit low, Kit.”
"Why don't we get some juice?"
“Yeah, some juice and maybe some toast?” Tai said. “You cuddle with Dad and I’ll go get it. Do you want jam?”
“Yeah. Strawberry?”
“Of course.” Tai said, kissing the crown of his head.
"You're gonna be okay." Harrison held him close. "Well done for coming and waking us up."
“I tried waking Alfie up but he was asleep.” He grumbled.
10. “The only place we’re going is to the pharmacy”
Harrison hadn't moved from Tai's sofa all weekend. They'd been out together on the Friday, a date night quickly turning into a weekend. They'd gotten more than a little tipsy, falling into bed together when they got home.
Of course they both felt rather worse for wear the morning after, but they curled into each other and pulled the duvet over their heads to block out the world. By the afternoon, the worst of the hangover had faded, but Harrison was left with a scratchy throat and sniffles he couldn't stop. His body ached too, but he'd brushed that off being active the night before. Tai made a late lunch for them, just snacky food from the fridge, things to pick at.
Tai had been looking forwards to the food, settled on the sofa next to Hars, but the other man had been quiet, and he had to admit he was worried. He’d hardly touched the food, unlike him, and he frowned.
“You still hungover?” He asked softly.
"Mm?" Harrison raised his head, trying to focus on Tai. Everything was fuzzy and thick, and just not right. "Oh, probably, yeah."
“I feel you. Not as young as I used to be. Can’t remember how I used to drink as much as I did at Uni.”
"Yeah, I didn't think I'd had that much, though."
“More time on the sofa required, then. We can order in tonight.”
"Oh, sure, yeah." Harrison blushed. "I'd like that."
“Me too.”
"Thought I was gonna be home alone tonight again."
“Mm, no. I’m selfish, I want to keep you here.”
"I'm not gonna argue at that." Harrison grinned, though quickly turned away to sneeze. "Ugh. Sorry."
“You alright?”
"Came out of nowhere."
“I should probably dust or something.”
"It's not your place. Just a random one."
“Mm, okay.”
"What are you fancying for tea?" He asked, stretching for a snack.
“Not sure. Chinese?”
"Mm, yeah."
“We’ll get that, then.”
"Maybe not any beer, not tonight."
Tai groaned. “God no.”
"You're not meant to get hungover if you stay drunk."
“I’m pretty certain that doesn’t work, but you’re the doctor.”
"It does, for a while." Tai didn't need to know the real reason he knew that.
“Just delaying the inevitable.”
He hummed. "Maybe, yeah."
“No beer tonight, I think I’ll die.”
"I definitely will."
“No dying.”
"So no beer."
“No beer, just greasy food.”
Harrison made a noise in agreement. "Lemon chicken, some chicken and sweetcorn soup, ooh, some proper fried rice? Ah, prawn crackers!"
“Oh, that’s settled then.”
"Mhmm, definitely." He snuggled into Tai's side, suddenly exhausted.
“You going to nap?”
He shook his head. "No, just comfortable. I like lying in your lap."
“You’re like a cat.” He teased.
"Where do you think I got it from?" He grinned, rolling onto his back.
“Cute like that. Do you want belly rubs?”
"I'm not an actual cat." He protested, but didn't complain.
Tai settled for running his hand through his hair. “You sure about that?”
He couldn't help the sigh in contentment. "Mhmm, sure."
“You’re practically purring.”
Hars cracked an eye open, deliberately purring at Tai. "How's that?"
Tai couldn’t help but laugh. “Weirdo.”
Harrison broke off to cough, though quickly grinned. "Hey, you started it."
His cough didn’t sound great, but Tai didn’t push it. He was probably just run down on top of the hangover. “That’s true.”
"It is nice, though." Harrison admitted, not meeting his gaze.
“I won’t stop, then.”
"Thank you."
“You’re nice and warm in my lap.”
"Really? I'm kinda cold." He admitted.
“There’s a blanket on the back of the sofa.” Tai said, reaching to pull it down. “Here.”
"Won't you get too warm?"
“I’ll be okay.”
Harrison made a quiet noise, but stretched to grab the blanket.
Tai helped, spreading it out over him gently. “There. Better?”
He didn't think it was possible, but he fell further in love with him. He settled down, a smile on his face. "Thank you."
“Should we put a film on?”
"Mm, yeah."
Tai scrolled through idly, eventually finding something to put on. It wasn’t exactly thrilling, but it was some background noise for the pair of them to relax to.
Harrison dozed on Tai's lap, occasionally making a comment at the film. There was something intimate about just existing with each other, and Harrison didn't want to break the spell.
They spent most of the day there, watching shit films and dozing off the hangover. It felt tantalisingly perfect, like it was always supposed to be like that. They ordered their food that evening, and ate it laughing, the worst of Tai’s hangover gone.
Still, they headed to be early, Tai unwilling to let Hars leave. He knew he should, but the other man wasn’t exactly complaining, and like this he could pretend things would always be like this.
Harrison happily joined Tai in bed, curling around the other man. He still felt a bit rough, but Tai seemed to fix everything. With his head on his shoulder and his arm draped across his chest, he could almost imagine it was forever.
Tai fell asleep quite quickly, comfortable with Harrison and still tired despite the sleep he’d had during the day. He hoped Harrison would feel better soon, worried about him.
Harrison woke in the early hours, rolling over to go to the toilet. He sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, waiting for his head to clear. His nose was blocked, and his throat was beyond dry. It took him a moment to realise he was ill, not just hungover, and his heart sank. He shoved his leg on, padding to the bathroom.
Sat on the toilet, he made up his mind. It wasn't fair on Tai for Harrison to get him sick, so that meant no sleeping in his bed. He hauled himself to his feet, washed his hands and then made his way to the living room, curling up on the sofa there.
Tai had woken when Harrison had, though once he’d gone to the toilet he’d dozed off again. When he didn’t come back, though, he didn’t understand, the bed empty.
He found him curled on the living room sofa, and still didn’t quite understand what was going on. “Hars?”
He startled awake, half sitting up in confusion. "Oh. Tai."
“Hey. Why are you on the sofa?”
He lay back down, coughing into his arm. "Think I've got a cold."
“And? Come back to bed, this isn’t comfortable.”
"I'm not getting you sick." He shook his head.
“Don’t be daft, c’mon. Come back to bed.”
"No, I'm serious." He sniffed. "I'm fine here."
“So am I. You can’t be comfortable here, you’ll sleep better in bed.”
"I'm comfy enough. And not getting you sick here."
“I think if you were going to get me sick it’s probably already happened, don’t think sharing the bed is going to make much of a difference.”
His face fell. "I know."
“Don’t worry about it, come on.”
He sighed, but didn’t sit up or make any attempt to move. "No, I'm okay here."
“I miss you in bed.”
"I miss it, too."
“So come back to bed.”
"I can't."
“You can, come on.”
"Tai." He whined.
Tai reached out to squeeze his shoulder. “Come on, you’ll feel better for it.”
He sniffed again. "But I'm sick. I need to go home so you don't get sick."
“I don’t mind. You can stay, then I can look after you.”
Harrison couldn't help the pang of want, to just snuggle up with Tai and be looked after. His shoulders slumped in defeat. "You won't get mad if I get you sick?"
“I won’t get mad. Promise.”
He sat up slowly, reaching for his leg. "Promise Promise?"
“Promise promise.”
With his leg back on, Harrison took Tai's hand, pulling himself up. "I'm sorry."
“It’s okay.” Tai reassured. “Do you want some paracetamol or something?”
"If you've got some." He admitted quietly.
“Yeah, of course. Go to bed, I’ll get some.”
Harrison murmured his thanks, meekly heading back to bed. There, he happily curled under the covers, wrapping himself up in Tai's scent.
Tai left him to it, digging around in the bedroom cupboards to find the paracetamol. He only had two tablets left, shit. He’d have to go and buy some more in the morning, but they’d do for now. He brought them to Harrison with a glass of water, melting at how sweet he looked under the duvet.
“Got your paracetamol.”
Harrison rubbed his face, taking a second to catch up. He must have dozed while he waited for Tai, but he didn’t remember. He sat up, gratefully reaching for the water.
"Thank you."
“You’re welcome.”
"I'm sorry." He said quietly, swallowing the paracetamol. "I can go home when it's light out."
“You don’t have to.”
"Yeah, then you don't have to put up with me."
“I like having you around.”
"Not when I'm sick." He mumbled. "You'll hate me."
“I couldn’t hate you.”
He managed a smile. "You say that now."
“It’s true.”
"Are you sure I'm alright to stay in the bed?" He asked, making no move to leave.
“Of course you are.”
Harrison let Tai lie back down, gingerly curling into his side. "'m sorry."
“What for?” Tai asked, running his fingers through Harrison’s hair.
His response was lost to a contented sigh, Harrison stretching out as Tai played with his hair.
They fell asleep again soon enough, Tai relieved to have Harrison back with him.
When Harrison woke properly, he felt absolutely rotten. He shivered, though knew he had a temperature, and his nose just wouldn't stop running. He must have been coughing all night; his throat was dry and scratchy, his voice nonexistent as he tried to say good morning to Tai. The paracetamol must have been wearing off, but Tai didn’t have any more. Which meant, as much as he didn't really want to move, he needed to go home. He managed to get Tai up and in the car, surprised that his boyfriend had been so agreeable to drive him home.
The only reason Tai had agreed to drive was to get Harrison into the car and stop him being so daft as to try and go home. He needed to get more meds, so he might as well take Harrison with him. They’d stop off at the supermarket and get some snacks and bits for him, too.
It wasn't until they were almost there that Harrison seemed to realise it wasn't the route home, and he turned to Tai with a frown. "You said home."
“The only place we’re going is the pharmacy.”
"You're kidnapping me."
“I wouldn’t say kidnapping.”
"I would." He stretched his hand out for Tai's.
“I’m just gonna buy some more paracetamol, and then we can go back to mine.”
Harrison considered it for a moment, weighing up the argument. "Mm, okay.”
