Inspired by; Burning – Ludovico Einaudi
"Dan, bring the cups through!" Phil called from the kitchen, his hands soapy.
"Why?" Dan droned from his position in the living room, sounding sarcastic and bored at the same time.
"Because" started Phil, craning his head as far as possible, "The dishwasher won't work. I need to wash everything by hand!" He grabbed another Ribena stained glass that both had avoided for almost three days. When it finally came to that time that either would actually put the dishwasher on, Phil found it making odd sounds and sounding like it was crushing the plates to dust when he shut the door.
"Of course, it's going to work, you just need to press this button, here-" Dan strode into the kitchen faster than Phil could react, and slammed the door of it shut and jabbing one of the random buttons. Both of them held their hands to their ears as a colossal sound o crashing and moaning pipes filled the kitchen, rattling the windows. Phil leapt forward, a glass still in his hand, pressing every button on the dash until it stopped.
"Phil! Why didn't you tell me it wasn't working?" Dan cried, his hands slowly moving from his ears, looking at Phil who resembled a shocked baby deer.
"Well… you were at the shop! I didn't really think to-"
"To mention that our dishwasher, the only piece of equipment we can be bothered to use because of the minimal effort on our part, sounded like something from transformers and the centre of London mashed together? Phil, we need this! We can't handwash our plates – that's painful to say." Dan carried on moaning toPhil, his face crestfallen.
"Don't be so modest, there's nothing wrong with this. The water is clean and I much prefer to make sure my cups are actually clean anyway." Phil reacted to Dans sod-like mood, turning back and scrubbing the cup he had nearly dropped on the hard floor.
"Whatever Phil, you're no better than I" muttered back Dan, who knelt down and pulled open the door of the dishwasher, allowing a gush of water to splash across the kitchen. Both Dan and Phil screamed as the cold water soaked Dan's knees and legs, then Phil's robot socks. They jumped about, trying to avoid the icy river now flowing into the kitchen quickly.
"What do I do?" Screeched Dan, scrambling away from the mess and grabbing onto Phil, who reached towards a clump of tea towels on the side that he had dug from the pits of the draws. Doing so caused a chain reaction, of Dan grabbing onto Phil's legs as he scrambled for the towels, Phil stretching and slipping on the flooded floor and landing on his side. The towels all hit Dan in the face. He grabbed them and put them in the pipe where the water was seeping at the back of the machine, pressing down hard until all seemed settled. And when he lifted the tea towel, the waterworks had finally stopped and he could see the source of the problem.
"Phil" Dan spoke over calmly "You know, you just can't be putting placemats in the dishwasher." He pulled our shard of glass that had settled within the pipes and had pierced through the pipe itself. "Phil?"
Dan turned around and looked at Phil, who was still on the ground, his chest was jumping just like he was laughing. "Whats so funny?" he didn't respond, So Dan crawled over, not trusting himself on the slippery floor, behind Phil who was facing the cupboard. His chest was still shaking oddly. "Phil?" Dan questioned, sensing something was wrong. He pulled on Phil's shoulder and rolled his over, facing his worst nightmare.
Phil wasn't laughing – he was crying without a sound. His elbow, which stuck at an odd angle was being clutched at by his other hand. It was bleeding at some point, which made Dan heave a little from the shock of seeing Phil this way, his face was scrunched up as he made silent movements in agony. His shoulder was clinging to his cheek while he rocked slightly. T looked like Phil was somewhat vacant because of the pain.
"Oh my god Phil!" Dan screeched out, making many motions to try to pick Phil up but not knowing where to touch – it all looked so painful. "Why didn't you- you could have- Oh my god, what do it do?" he cried, tears verging. Looking around for the answers didn't help, as the flooded kitchen was soaking into Phil's clothes quickly, and provided absolutely no guarantee for survival if Dan even attempted to get his Phone, which was sitting comfortably on the settee in the living room. Dan looked back and Phil, noticing the rectangular shape in his slowly drenching jeans, where his phone normally sat. Dan scraped it from his pocket, dialling 999.
Only minutes later did Phil really respond, trying to push up.
"No, Phil you shouldn't move," Dan responded, gently pushing back down.
"I'm wet through and it hurts" Phil cried back, clutching at his armed even more and straining his neck as he dealt with the shockwave type pain.
"I don't know if I can move you, it looks too… painful."
"Please, Dan. It's hurting, even more, being on a tiled floor."
"I know, but…"
"Just try" He gasped desperately, trying to push himself up.
Dan nodded, but only because it would make Phil happier if he could actually move. Both kept eye contact as Phil lifted himself up as far as possible, allowing Dan to slip his arm around Phil's back. Phil nodded, Dan bracing himself as he pulled upward on his back, slowly rising.
Phil almost screamed in pain and Dan jerked accidently and upset his elbow which continued to shape at an odd angle and hung rather limply.
"I'm sorry!" Dan cried as Phil bit his lower lip too much.
They waddled out of the kitchen slowly making their way down to the living room where Phil could at least sit comfortably for now. It only went pear-shaped whenPhillooked at his mashed armed, and half fainted at the bloody tried to grab a hold of him, resulting in them both slumping against the wall, Phil's head limp.
"Phil? Wake up! Come on, you can't go out on me like that!" Dan shook his good side, rousing Phil from his short burst of unconsciousness. His head lolled a little as the doorbell rang and voices called from down the stairwell. The ambulance was here finally and they wouldn't have to scramble across the floor anymore.
In the hospital, matters were not any better.
Dan has pushed aside as they pulled away Phil into an emergency room. it seemed to take hours upon hours for them to come back, but when they did, Dan would see the full extent of what a drugged up Phil would be like – and it wasn't pretty.
Morphine, gas and air – there was no end to the list they had squeezed into him. This left them at a point where Phil was refusing to take anything or allow anyone to actually touch him, and their last resort was to try and get Dan to convince him otherwise.
A nurse pushed Dan into the room and led him to Phil, who's eyes were rather spaced and his face relaxed and overly carefree like there was nothing in the world at all.
Approaching his side, Dan took hold of Phil's hand and leant over to reach his line of sight.
"Phil?" Called Dan softly, knowing the feeling of being this high from his own experience of pain relief. "Phil, you need to allow them to take care of you"
There was a long moment of silence where Phil looked at Dan with high concentration, his face eventually breaking into a large, goofy smile.
"Dan… everything looks really funny" he seemed to speak like a young child, "Your face… looks funny" he finished, beginning to laugh throatily.
"I'm sure it does, Phil. But you need to listen. Let them do their job, they will make you feel better.
"But it hurts!" cried Phil childishly, much like Dan had complained about bringing the glasses into the kitchen only an hour previous.
"I knoooow. I know it does. But they will stop it hurting, Okay? You just need to trust them and let them do it." Phil looked confused as Dan clutched his hand and looked gently into Phil's eyes, pleading and hoping he had chosen his words right.
"Okay," Dan breathed out in relief, the nurse setting to work and beckoning forward the rest of the team, already wearing aprons. "Only if you are with me."
Dan looked back ay the nurse who had brought him in, who nodded.
"Of course" Dan replied half-heartedly.
He had just seen Phil go through the agony of breaking his own elbow, and now he had to watch him suffer the pain of it going repaired – when would this day ever end?
The doctor reached forward and placed the mask back on Phil;s face, which instantly relaxed. I recognised the smell as the gas and air, knowing the floating feeling that his was going through as of now.
It wasn't long until they had all successfully grabbed Phil's limbs, Dan feeling the fear of what was about to happen – no pain relief was going to conquer this. They pushed on his arm after a count to three and I felt every ounce of pain emit from his body into mine.
Phil screamed absently through the mask, his shrieks not as powerful as before but still present as he crushed my hand that he clutched to, including the moments that followed the loud crack that allowed them all to let go of his writhing body. Phil began to relax as he panted and opened his eyes again. they had taken the mask off.
"Is it over?" He asked Dan rasperly.
"Yes" Replied a drained Dan, avoiding Phil's gaze.
"oh… it really hurts, Dan." He gasped, looking down at his now somewhat straight arm.
"I know, it's all over now, they will just want to make it better."
"Who?" Dan realised Phil must still be under the pain relief. Phil seemed to look around like everything was too bright.
"They doctors, silly," Dan laughed lightly, "Don't let them worry you, I told you they would help."
"But," His face strained in concentration, "They didn't help…" Phil concluded, looking back at Dan.
"Of course, they helped, I know it hurt but they-"
"You helped me." His voice was tired but Phil was still aware of what he was saying.
"Me? I was only holding your hand, Phil." Dan smiled, putting his spare hand to Phil's head and pushing his damp fringe out of his eyes and revealing his forehead.
"But it… was nice." Phil laughed a little, clasping onto Dan's hand a little stronger. Dan knew he was slowly feeling fewer effects from the morphine now.
"I'm glad you felt better, I'm really proud you let them do that, I know it was really difficult."
Phil smiled as his head lolled back to look at the ceiling.
"I have two things to tell you, Dan" Phil sung lightly, giggling a little.
"Oh really?" Dan played along with Phil's high mood, only feeling better to know Phil couldn't really think properly. "And what's that?" he asked, feeling rather intrigued anyway.
"Well," Phil dragged out a long tone "They ceiling is still going in circles. \he said in an unfinished tone.
"Phil I know that already you special muppet, you told me before! I couldn't forget the spinning room." Dan replied,his laughter becoming stronger as he felt less dizzy himself from the whole ordeal.
"Also, I really like you" Dan froze as Phil turned back to face him, shuffling and giggling a bit. His eyes looked rather sleepy. "Like, really, really like you" he clarified as if Dan hadn't quite understood.
But he had, and it left his little heart beating faster than any F1 race car. But it wasn't true, thought Dan. Phil was just in his own little world, drugged out of his mind and with no idea of what he was actually saying. Dan knew it wasn't right to take that type of advantage now. Not whenPhil might as well have been drunk.
"I think it's time you got some rest, it been a long day," Dan finally said, changing the topic rather harshly. Phil nodded slightly as his eyes closed quickly and he began to sleep with almost is=nstan reaction.
It wasn't until much later that evening that Dan and Phil got home. It wasn't an easy affair either, with theTaxi driving kindly helping Dan half carry Phil to the door of their apartment before having to leave. This meant Dan would have to tackle the stairs all the way to Phil's room by himself with a rather drowsy Phil. The medication had now worn off, and after an x-ray, Phil was not suited with an obnoxiously large cast covering his fractured wrist, accompanied with a bright blue sling supporting his now replace shoulder and elbow, which needed some time to heal and would be very painful for the next few weeks. Phil was quiet, the ordeal having taken all the energy from his body and leaving him absolutely drained both of colour and life. It took Dan to Physically handle him to help him move, both in silence.
"There" Dan heaved laying an almost sleeping Phil into his bed, pulling the covers just over his arms. He was still fully clothed but Dan didn't feel he needed that duty as of yet. He placed Phil's medication on the side. "Please don't forget to take these when you get up" Phil's eyes had already shut, and Dan didn't know if he had actually heard anything ar all. So Dan just sighed leaving his room and entering the still flooded kitchen, grabbing the mop and starting to clean up the tedious mess that had seeped everywhere.
Dan had almost finished his newly acquired job as a cleaner when he heard shuffling along the corridor at almost four am. Phil, eyes red and hair messy, stepped into the blinding light of the kitchen.
He looked at Dan and smiled, walking over to the cupboard and opening it to reach for a glass.
"Hey, don't do that, you're not well enough" Dan spoke softly, grabbing Phil's hand. But rather than let go, Phil kept holding, causing Dan to look at Phil with confusion – this had never happened before.
Phil did something Dan would have never anticipated.
He moved into towards Dan, pressing him against the kitchen worktop and kissing his gently, too sleepy to move any quicker. It took a moment for Dan to respond and realise just what was happening.
Phil stepped back, his eyes very hard to read.
"Phil…" Dan whispered in shock.
"Don't over think this Dan," he replied in his sleepy voice, sending shivers down Dan's back.
"You're… still thinking funny… the drugs they gave you-"
"Have completely worn off now. I'm thinking completely straight. Probably better than you are right now." Phil replied, laughing a little nervously. Dan made a motion to try and somewhat push Phil back in shock, instead touching Phil's painful arm without realising. Phil reacted, of course, crying out a little and holding the part where Dan had hurt.
"Phil, oh my god I am so sorry I-I didn't mean to-"
"Dan! It's fine." Phil laughed through the pain. "I meant what I said earlier, about really liking you. I know I wasn't thinking straight then but I am now." Phil looked searchingly into Dan's blank eyes, which were starting to pour with tears. "Please, don't cry. I know you didn't-"
This time, Dan cut Phil off, returning the favour and kissing Phil so much more passionately on the lips, this time, them both in sync with each other's minds and motions. Dan kissed Phil, and Phil kissed back, both holding each other gently into place in the moment both had waited for yet denied for many years.
"And now I know how Harry felt when he kissed Cho that one time" Phil sighed, pulling away from their moment long, forever embrace.
They both giggled into each other shoulders, feeling the pain filter away into the morning sunrise of a new Day – the start of a new life.
