Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Three Times A Charm ❯ Chapter 24

Title: Three Times A Charm

Author: JadeHeart

Archived: If anyone would like it, please ask me first!

Fandom: Fake

Rating: NC-17

Warnings: none really

Timeline: follows on directly from the end of Vol 7

Summary: Nursing the ill.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this, they belong to the creators of `Fake', nor am I making any profits from it.

 

 

Chapter 24

 

 

When Dee opened his eyes, as the first rays of light were slinking slowly through the cracks in the blinds, he found himself alone.

 

He almost wondered if he had dreamt what had happened during the night except when he moved his hand it rested upon a warm indent by his side as though a person's head had lain there not long before. He lightly caressed the area, feeling the warmth tingle on his fingertips and touch his heart. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he pictured Ryo's slumbering face, a lock of hair falling endearingly over his closed eyes, his warm breath ruffling the sheets, arms crossed and cushioning his head as he lay there. Oh, yes, Ryo had been here, there was no doubt.

 

With a last caress he moved his head to look towards the door which still stood closed. Ryo couldn't have been gone long, the dawn morning was still cool even within the climate controlled atmosphere of the hospital which hadn't yet robbed him of those last vestiges of Ryo's presence by his side.

 

A memory flashed before him, a memory of last night. He had thought he had heard something and opened his eyes to see Ryo's dark form huddled by the door. He had known it was Ryo, who else could it have been? Had Ryo been crying? It had sounded like sobs, very soft, barely heard but he had almost been sure that is what they had been.

 

He had hated seeing Ryo like that. He had looked so….lost. He had called Ryo to him, almost holding his breath whilst he had made his way to his side and not releasing it till their fingers had touched and he could hold that cold hand in his, holding it as tightly as he could. Yes, that had felt so right then, that was where Ryo's hand belonged, within his own clasp, always. There was no other place it could be and he would do everything it took to keep it like that. No more running away, no more doubts, no more trying to just see what was going to happen. He knew that Ryo may still have doubts, both about his own sexuality, his own wants and desires. He probably had doubts about Dee's devotion and love for him as well. Whatever his concerns, Dee still didn't intend to let him go. He could agonise all he wanted but Dee was not leaving his side ever again. He would continue to pursue him until he succumbed, like a hunting dog bringing its prey to ground. He would have Ryo. Body, mind and soul - at what ever the cost!

 

He touched the now rapidly cooling place on the bed one last time. He must have had to get to work, Dee thought, stretching his neck to see the clock resting by the bed. They could have at least given him another day off to get over things, he grumbled to himself, feeling a little disgruntled. He wanted Ryo with him, not off working. Bet it was that bastard, Berkley, who insisted he go back on shift!

 

He raised one hand slowly intending to push back his hair from his eyes, surprised to find it shaking. He frowned at it but it didn't change the fact that it shook. I suppose that's to be expected, he thought, trying to ignore the weakness. I've been out of it for a while so I guess I can't be expecting to just go jumping out of bed right away.

 

He managed to actually get his hand to its required destination and was surprised to find the hair on his forehead damp with sweat. Now he thought about it he realized he was feeling a little hot, his throat dry. He grimaced. Great, now it looked like he was coming down with a cold!

 

He looked over and saw a half filled glass of water on the table beside him. Ryo had probably topped it up for him before he left for there was condensation still on the sides. At the sight of the liquid it seemed that his mouth had suddenly turned into a desert, parched and scratchy, and he craved the coolness of that promised vision to salve his thirst.

 

He rolled gingerly to his side, trying to support himself as best he could with his injuries. Although the painkillers still feeding through his system kept it down to a dull ache they did still hurt. He felt further sweat beading over his face as he panted. It was as though he couldn't get enough oxygen, every breath making his lungs ache more.

 

Water, he had to have the water! He tried to reach towards the glass, fingers stretching towards their goal, focused entirely on his task. Sweat dripped into his eyes, blurring his vision. He blinked, trying to clear them as the glass before him seemed to sway and dip, even becoming double before reforming into one. What the hell was wrong with him!

 

He began to feel the first vestiges of panic clawing at him. What was happening, as dizziness assailed him, twisting his mind, distorting his view, gripping his body tightly.

 

Ryo, I need you!, he called desperately in his mind as he finally lost his battle and slumped forward half over the side of the bed, the outstretched hand falling to knock against what had been its intended target and sending it tumbling to the floor to shatter, shards and droplets flung through the air and catching the brightness in a dazzling display of prism lights.

 

**************

 

Ryo struggled through the day. He hadn't wanted to come in today, would have done anything to have been able to get out of it, had even contemplated calling in sick. It wasn't like he didn't have plenty of unused sick leave but he knew perfectly well that neither the Chief nor Commissioner would believe that he was really sick, and after the leniency they had shown him over these latest events he could not, in good conscious, turn his back on this second chance. So as much as he had hated leaving Dee he had, for if he hadn't he would most definitely lose his job and then he wouldn't have any chance of being with Dee after.

 

So when he had awoken to see Dee still sleeping soundly he had simply placed a soft kiss on the warm forehead, poured a glass of water for when Dee awoke and left quietly.

 

His arrival at the station had been greeted with much enthusiasm and no little relief. He had been both gratified and embarrassed by the attention, the well wishes and expressions of concern from so many personnel. He hadn't realised just how many people had thought so well of him and had found himself blushing brightly for much of the time until a bellow from the Chief had sent everyone scurrying back to their respective positions. Ryo himself had scuttled quickly into the office he had once shared with Dee to avoid facing his boss again. He didn't think it likely that the Chief was going to be in any better mood this morning than he had been last night!

 

When he had seen the piles of files and other paperwork neatly stacked on his desk, some reaching as high as 30centimetres in height he couldn't help his shoulders slumping in despair. He let out a deep sigh. Well, he supposed he should have expected this. Work doesn't stop just because he wasn't there.

 

He had just sat down and was reaching for the first of the piles when his door slammed open and a cry split the air, “DON'T TOUCH THAT!!”, startling him so much that he scooted his chair back on its wheels a good six feet before tipping it and crouching down behind, using it as a shield.

 

He looked over to see JJ still standing in the doorway, panting heavily, chest heaving, evidence of his exertions to reach here. The younger man looked over to where Ryo was still huddled on the floor, eyebrows rising towards his hairline. He blinked a couple of times then frowned before stepping further into the room. “Ah, Ryo, why are you down there?” he wanted to know quizzically.

 

Ryo glared at him, feeling more than a little foolish. “Because you barged in here and yelled at me to not touch anything!” he said, standing and brushing his slacks down. “I thought it must have been a bomb or something!”

 

“Oh!” Enlightenment dawned on JJ and he could see how Ryo could have thought such a thing. “Sorry.” He grinned impudently at the other man who just frowned back at him.

 

“So what was that all about?” Ryo asked as he righted his chair and checking that it had suffered no lasting damage. That was the last thing he needed - to have to put in a requisition to the Chief for a new chair the first day back!

 

“I just didn't want you to mess anything up.”

 

“What do you mean?” Ryo pushed the chair back into place and reseated himself gingerly. He shifted around carefully and sighed as all seemed well.

 

“Well, while you were…away, Drake and I covered most of the paperwork coming through and so we had it all organised in order. We didn't want you touching anything until we could let you know what we had done and where things stood so you would know where to pick things up from.”

 

Ryo was surprised and more than a little touched by this. For JJ and Drake to have helped him out they would have been working double time to still be able to cover their own work. He was almost overwhelmed by this show of kindness and didn't know how he would ever be able to repay them.

 

“Thanks, JJ.” He said quite sincerely, looking up at the younger man with a heartfelt smile, knowing his eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Thanks a lot.”

 

JJ blushed as he turned his head away, clearing his throat. Oh, man, he thought, his mind spinning. Ryo looked so damn desirable just at that moment, with that gentle smile and eyes glistening with tears that made JJ just want to kiss him. Oh, boy, would he be in trouble if he did that!

 

“Anyway,” JJ cleared his throat again, gaining a little more control over his feelings. It's no good him having waves of desire for Ryo now, he chastised himself. The only person Ryo's got eyes for is Dee - not that I blame him! Don't you go messing with him, JJ, he told himself firmly, watching the older man move a little closer to the desk. He's out of your league. And Dee'll kill you if you so much as touch a hair on his head! “Did you want to go through things now? Have you got time?”

 

Ryo smiled at him again and motioned that he should drag a second chair in next to him. “Yes, please,” he said. “If you've got the time to do so?”

 

“Sure!” JJ said sitting next to him, feeling Ryo's body warmth through the sleeve of the thin business shirt covering his arm that rested near JJ's own. Get your mind back on work, he reminded himself. This is nothing more than work! The fact that he was finding a smile curving his lips and a feeling of happiness warming his heart he ignored.

 

By the end of his shift Ryo was even more indebted to JJ and Drake for all the work they had done. They had made sure that everything urgent had been dealt with, both efficiently and correctly, and everything else had been placed in priority order. They had made good headway on almost everything in at least keeping it all up to date so Ryo just had to pick things up from today. That meant dealing with it all had been so much easier than he had been anticipating. He had called the hospital a couple of times but had received nothing more than the stock-standard answer of, `Mr Laytner's condition is stable.”, which did nothing to reassure him and he couldn't help worrying still.

 

When it finally came to shift end he couldn't wait to escape as quickly as he could and even had to concentrate to prevent himself from speeding on his way to the hospital. Getting booked was not something he wanted to happen!

 

He parked and hurriedly made his way to Dee's room, clutching the brown bag of grapes in his hand, knowing that his partner would appreciate them and no doubt demand that Ryo feed them to him one by one as well. He blushed at the vision that came to him of himself kneeling next to a reclining Dee, both clad only in loincloths as he peeled a grape then holding it between his teeth before passing it to Dee to take delicately from him.

 

He could imagine gazing into Dee's dark emerald eyes, smouldering with passion, the look that always set his whole body on fire. He could almost feel the warm moistness of Dee's luscious lips brushing against his as they searched for the firm flesh of the grape, the feel of the fruit crushing as Dee would bite into it, the surge of sweetness as the juices ran down his throat and coating the lips pressed against his, the pressure of Dee's tongue slipping inside his mouth to swirl behind the grape and slide it sensuously into his own. Dee would then draw back so he could look more clearly at Ryo, his pink tongue flicking out to lick his shining lips before swooping forward and pushing Ryo backwards, covering his body with his own, pressing their lips back together, tongue probing, as their bodies pressed tightly against each other.

 

Ryo had no choice but to stop now, reaching out with one shaking hand to the wall at his side to try and steady himself. He was breathing rapidly, his heart pounding and his body burning. He flushed with embarrassment to realise that he had an erection, the front of his trousers taut. He dragged his jacket around him quickly, thankful for its length, and glanced hurriedly up and down the corridor before letting out a sigh of relief when seeing he was alone. Thank goodness for that!

 

He straightened up and took a deep calming breath, willing his mind back to the practical matters at hand and away from such fantasies, however erotic they were! When he felt capable once more of walking he continued on his way. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He wondered what Dee would have thought of that little scenario? He chuckled, knowing exactly how Dee would have responded. He would have let out a crow of delight and jumped Ryo then and there and there would be no escape for him! So, no, he'd better not tell Dee about that little thought. At least not yet!

 

Ryo was still smiling when he reached Dee's room and pushed open the door where the sight inside stopped him in his tracks, making his heart freeze in his chest and the bag clutched in his hands plummeted to the floor.

 

Dee lay half-propped up in bed, breathing apparatus covering his flushed and sweating face. He was moaning and tossing as he coughed violently, every spasm seeming to cause him more pain. Two nurses were hovering over him, trying to make him comfortable, one checking the drip that was still connected to his arm.

 

Ryo was horrified. What had happened? What had gone wrong? What was happening to Dee?!

 

He saw Dee's head turn in his direction, glazed eyes open but it was obvious he wasn't seeing anything before him, then another coughing spasm took him, and the cries of pain punctuating each cough was more than Ryo could bear. He rushed forward, not feeling the bag of grapes crushed beneath his shoes as he flew to Dee's side.

 

“What's going on?!” he pleaded with the nurses, frantic, reaching out to Dee as his partner tossed restlessly.

 

“Please, sir, stay back whilst we finish. You'll only be in the way.” The nurse spoke calmly and softly as she continued with her work.

 

Ryo didn't want to move away, he wanted to hold Dee, to try and make things better. “Please, tell me!!” he begged, almost in tears with worry.

 

His despair must have been heard in his voice because the other nurse looked up and, at seeing the state he was in, her gaze softened. “Your friend has pneumonia,” she answered him although she didn't cease her duties.

 

“Pneu…monia?” Ryo was stunned. How could this be? Dee had seemed fine yesterday and even this morning. How can he be so ill?

 

“It isn't unexpected,” the nurse said, sounding a little reassuring. “With his immersion in the cold water and the possible duration he was in it for, not to mention the damage that the lungs suffer naturally under near drowning circumstances and the potential for bacterial infection, it would have been highly unlikely if he hadn't become ill with something like this.”

 

Dee coughed violently again and both nurses calmly moved him more upright, checking carefully to see that he wasn't bringing up any phlegm that would then obstruct his breathing further. Ryo's heart clenched with every retch, almost sobbing with seeing the pain etched on Dee's face.

 

“What can I do?” Ryo asked plaintively. He hated seeing Dee like this and unable to help him.

 

The nurse looked at him warmly, though a little sadly, “There's not really anything you can do. I won't try to pretend that it isn't serious. However he is young and physically fit so he has a far better chance of a full recovery. The antibiotics he was on previously will keep the risk of a full infection to a minimum and should help stabilise him. After that it is just going to take time. The biggest danger is that the coughing places a tremendous strain on his wounds and we will be monitoring him carefully to ensure that he doesn't break his stitches or that there is any internal bleeding.”

 

Ryo felt cold at hearing the list of possible problems that Dee could be facing. It didn't sound that comforting to him. A hand touched his arm gently and he looked over at the nurse standing by his side with a warm smile. “You can sit with him. He has a fever at the moment which should come under control soon with the medication but if you would like to you can bathe his face to help keep him cool. That will help.”

 

“Thank….you,” Ryo said brokenly and moved immediately to Dee's side as the second nurse vacated the position. She passed a cloth to Ryo who saw that there was already a bowl of water on the bedside table.

 

“If you need anything or you become worried about how he is, don't hesitate to call us.” The first nurse spoke to him again, holding up the call buzzer. She looked at him with a very serious gaze. “It's very important that you contact us at any change you see. The sooner we can do something about it, the sooner he will get better.”

 

Ryo nodded, “I will,” he promised.

 

The nurse smiled again then turned to walk to the door, “Don't forget to sleep yourself at some stage.” she said, holding the door open for her companion who had paused to scoop up the crushed bag on the floor.

 

Ryo turned back to Dee, dipping the cloth in the water and wringing out some of the water but still leaving it moist enough to cool the heated flesh. He laid it on Dee's forehead, surprised at how much heat was emanating from his body even through the cloth. He really did have a high fever.

 

Dee coughed again and Ryo grabbed hold of one of the flailing hands, holding it tightly as he kept the other holding the cloth in place. After the spasm had passed the grip in his loosened and he used that moment to replenish the almost dried out cloth before returning it to its previous position.

 

He didn't know how many hours went by as he continued with his task. The nurses returned a few times, checking Dee's readings, his temperature, the drip. The drip was an essential part as it ensured that the fever raging through Dee's body did not dehydrate him completely. Ryo began to talk to Dee softly, hoping that perhaps the sound of his voice would help calm his partner or at least give him some solace in knowing that he wasn't going through all of this alone. It was really all he could do and Ryo hated feeling so helpless, as much as he hated seeing Dee so weakened.

 

The first touches of dawn were filtering through the blinds when the hand Ryo had held through another coughing spasm didn't relax at the end of it as it normally had. Frightened he looked down to see the fingers still wound around his and felt them squeeze weakly. Glancing up he saw Dee's eyes open and looking at him. They were still a little overly bright, made more so by the drawn face and darkness shadowing them but they were focussed clearly enough on Ryo's own. He saw Dee's lips move behind the mask but couldn't hear anything.

 

“Just wait a moment,” he said quickly, releasing Dee's hand and reaching out to lift the mask a fraction, concerned about removing it completely in Dee's current state. “What is it?” he asked, leaning in close and turning his head so his ear was near Dee's lips.

 

“Love…..you,” he heard and felt the rasp of dry lips as they brushed his ear.

 

Flushing he sat back a little to see Dee smirking at him weakly, a twinkle in his eye. Ryo looked away quickly, feeling quite embarrassed. “You only did that because you know I can't do anything back to you when you're like this.” he accused as he refixed the mask.

 

Dee just nodded and leered at him then his expression softened into a true smile. Ryo felt a touch on his hand and laced his fingers with Dee's, holding on tightly. He watched as Dee's eyes drifted shut again and laid his hand quickly against his forehead. It seemed cooler than before. He leant in closer and listened. Was Dee's breathing a little easier? There still seemed to be a nasty rattle in his chest with every breath he took but was the breathing a little less strained?

 

Just then a nurse entered, one of those who had been there when he had first arrived yesterday. “How's the patient?” she asked softly as she moved to the other side of the bed.

 

“He woke up just now,” Ryo said, looking up at her hopefully. “He seemed to know where he was and he recognised me.” All through the night Dee had been in a delirium due to the fever and although he had frequently seemed to awaken he obviously saw nothing of what was around him, not even recognising Ryo who had remained at his side the whole time, seeing nothing but some kind of nightmare inside his own mind.

 

Ryo remained silent as the nurse carried out her checks, hoping against hope that there would be some good news. Finally he was rewarded for his patience. She turned to him with a smile, “Well, his fever has gone down which is a very good sign,” she said. “The doctor will be by later this morning to do a thorough check but his breathing does appear to be a little easier. This should mean that the worst of the infection is under control and it will just be a matter of lots of rest as his lungs recover from this ordeal.”

 

“How long will he have to be in hospital?” Ryo asked, gently stroking the hand he held.

 

“That will depend on his rate of recovery and what the doctor thinks,” she replied. “I really can't tell you anything more than that. I do know that for severe cases of pneumonia it's not uncommon to spend six to eight weeks in hospital.”

 

“That long!” Ryo tried not to sound dismayed. Dee could be away from him for that long? Up to two months!

 

“Let's wait to see how things go over the next few days, okay?” the friendly nurse said, smiling at him. “It might not be that long.” She straightened the bedding around Dee, ensuring that he was still comfortable. “Now, shouldn't you be getting home yourself?” she said. “You need rest too.”

 

“I….” Ryo began when she interrupted him with a stern look. “You aren't going to do anyone any good if you fall ill because you aren't taking care of yourself.” She planted her hands on her hips and glared down at him. “Now you get yourself home, and get a shower, a decent meal and sleep. How do you expect to be able to look after him when he gets out of hospital if all you do is get sick and end up in here as well, hmm?”

 

Ryo dropped his head, feeling like he had just been chastised by his mother. “Yes, ma'am,” he muttered.

 

“Good,” she said briskly. “Now go on.”

 

Ryo looked up, surprised. “Now?” he asked.

 

“Yes, now,” she said firmly, making shooing motions at him. “I'm not leaving this room until I know that you've actually gone.”

 

“Oh,” Ryo stood and with a last squeeze of the hand held in his he reluctantly let go of Dee's hand.

 

“And there's no point in thinking that you can sneak back in after I'm gone,” the nurse called out as he walked to the door. “Because the others will just tell me you did and then you'll catch it from me next time I see you, understand?”

 

“Yes, ma'am,” Ryo said a little shamed as that was exactly what he had half considered.

 

The nurse smiled back at him, dropping her school-ma'am expression. “He's a lot better now and in good hands. I promise we'll take care of him for you and if there's any change we'll call you.”

 

“You promise?” Ryo hated sounding so plaintive but he really needed that reassurance.

 

She seemed to sense that and nodded her head, “I promise.” she affirmed.

 

“Thank you,” Ryo said sincerely and then left the room before he could change his mind. He glanced at his watch. He had time to get back to his apartment and have a shower and change his clothes but that would be all before he had to be at work. He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his tired eyes. Two nights with hardly any sleep, he thought wearily as he made his way down to his car. She's right, I'm not going to last much longer.

 

As he pulled out into the rapidly increasing flow of traffic he sighed. Perhaps he could sneak away somewhere at work and grab an hour or two of sleep. He knew he had a pile of filing to do and most people detested going to the dark and dingy file-room. That could be the perfect place, he wasn't likely to be found out down there.

 

He rubbed at his face again, feeling the stubble scratching the palm of his hand. He'd better make certain he kept up his shaving. He knew that Dee wasn't fond of facial hair and complained that it scratched his sensitive skin. Ryo couldn't prevent the tired chuckle at that thought. Well, he couldn't have his delicate Dee getting all roughed up, could he?