Have you ever wondered how different your life might be if it weren't for that one small change of plans? No one ever does go out on an adventure intending to get knocked out cold, but that's exactly what happens when you don't think ahead. Again, Link ended up taking one too many hits, and again, he lost all the items he had rented from Ravio. When you're the type to charge headlong into danger without preparing for the worst, it becomes common practice to let yourself fall
After his latest defeat, Link woke up with his face pressed against the all too familiar floor of his house...Well, Ravio's shop, if he was going to be more accurate. He let out a painful, prolonged groan knowing what was coming next. Another pain-in-the-ass rupee hunt to rent back all the items he'd just lost. Ravio was leaned against one of the item counters wiping the dirt and saw dust off his beloved hookshot.
"Hey buddy...How are you holding up?" He held the hookshot up to the light. Satisfied with the clean shimmer, he put it back on display where it had originally been.
"Seems like you've been getting knocked around quite a bit lately" Ravio turning away from the counter to face towards the exhausted hero. Link could feel his eyes on him despite having no clear view of his face.
"Mr. Hero, wouldn't it be better to just buy the items? Since you keep getting the snot kicked out of you that is..." He sounded oddly concerned, as if he didn't like the thought of Link going to the trouble of renting the items only to lose them again. Ravio tried to cover up his seriousness with a light-hearted chuckle.
"You know, as much as I like your company, I'd prefer it if I didn't have to drag your ass home every time you get yourself hurt"
Link shot Ravio an annoyed glare.
"Hey, I'm the one getting kicked around out there while you're relaxing all day in MY house. You have no right to complain…" It wasn't intentional, but his voice was much harsher than usual. Ravio visibly tensed up, fearing that his teasing had struck a nerve.
"U-um...Perhaps you're right, Mr. Hero...Yeah, sorry about that" Link was a little stunned at how sincere he sounded. He kneeled next to Link, who was still laying face down in the floor. It had become common procedure for Ravio to give Link a once over when he'd been defeated in battle. Ravio pressed the palm of his hand into the Hero's shoulder, checking to make sure he hadn't dislocated anything. Link knew the routine, since Ravio had treated him more than a few times in the past. Even though Link hated being touched by other people, he tried to relax and let Ravio finish examining him.
"Does this hurt at all?" his hand pressed firmly against Link's ribs. Link winced and fought back the urge to turn over and slap his hand away.
"A- a little bit...Yeah, that hurts!" Ravio took his hand away quickly in a vain attempt to avoid causing Link any more grief. Link rolled over and propped himself on his elbow, rubbing the sore spot with his free hand. It was definitely bruised, and even a bit swollen. It must have happened when he took a forceful broadsided punch from a Hinox. That's one of the last things he could remember before fainting. Ravio was still standing a few feet away, torn between trying to help Link by proceeding, and wanting to avoid unintentionally hurting him again.
"Mr. Hero, I-I didn't mean to...Are you okay?" Link tried to get up from his position on the floor, but faltered, forcing him to brace himself against the item counter. Ravio couldn't take it anymore. He hurdled over the item counter where the bed lay propped up against the wall. He set the frame down with surprising ease. After he had made the bed suitable for laying in again, he turned to Link to find him struggling to stay standing. Apparently his injuries were worse than Ravio had anticipated. He ran to Links side and lifted the Hero's arm over his shoulder to help him walk. Despite his best efforts, Link couldn't stand on his own.
"Oh boy...Don't worry, you're gonna be okay." They hobbled awkwardly to the bed. Link was impressed at how able-bodied his roommate was when the situation called for it. Ravio sat him down on the bed and put a protective hand under Links head, laying him back carefully on the pillow. Link couldn't help but feel like an incredible burden in that moment of weakness. He couldn't help but feel like he didn't deserve to be taken care of if he wasn't able to make himself useful. His face grew red with embarrassment at the thought of needing Ravio to help him walk such a short distance. His face felt hot. Ravio looked down on Link and almost seemed taken back by Links expression. He put a hand up to cover his mouth and turned away, trying to hide what sounded like a nervous giggle. Link couldn't tell why he was laughing, but it irked him given the circumstances.
"Hey, what's so funny? Why are you laughing?" Ravio pulled his hood down further than usual.
"Aha- Uh, it's just...It's stupid, forget about it." Crap, Link was adorable when he didn't have the energy to look serious. Ravio was sure that his face was an impressive shade of red underneath the hood. He only hoped that he was able to hide his face away in time to keep Link from seeing.
"Okay...Uh, would you mind lifting your shirt up a bit? So I can see what's wrong?" Ravio felt extremely dirty for asking such a thing. His only intentions were to treat the injury, but that didn't make it sound any better. Link nodded silently. He pulled his tunic over his head first, throwing it on the floor next to the bed, then he lifted his shirt. Ravio choked a little at the sight of him. He had a slightly pink complexion to his skin, not to mention a bit of muscle tone. No, stop thinking like that! Focus on the injury! There was a bruise in the shape of a giant fist that reached from his armpit to his bottom rib. Ravio could see that his ribs weren't broken, but they were probably fractured under the muscle.
"Does it hurt when you breathe?"
"Like Hell...Why? Do you know what's wrong?"
"I think you fractured some ribs, Mr. Hero. That kinda thing takes a long time to heal, too."
"Oh, great...How long exactly?"
"Uhm...It depends on how fast you heal naturally...But usually around a month, maybe longer"
Link groaned, flopping back into the pillow and running his hand from his forehead to his chin. He was prepared for worse, but just thinking about laying in bed that long made him contemplate escaping out the window.
"I think I've got something that'll help the pain around here somewhere…" Ravio walked across the room and began rummaging through his bag. Link could hear rupees clattering against each other. Exactly how much had he spent on Ravio's items? A small fortune?
"Ah, here it is!" Ravio enthusiastically held up a bottle filled with a green potion to show Link, who didn't share the excitement. He honestly had no idea what was significant about it.
"What is it?" Link asked a bit quietly. Not being able to breathe easy made his voice sound pretty weak.
"This is gonna make you feel much better, my friend! It'll help relieve the pain and make it easier to rest, but it probably won't make your rib heal any faster" Ravio felt like he should let the Hero know that. Just to avoid him trying to get up and go right back out there after using it.
"Can't I just drink a red potion, or use a fairy?" Clearly Link didn't like the idea of being stuck in the house for such a long time
"No no, when you break bones you need to let them heal naturally. A fairy would only heal surface wounds anyway. Sorry Mr. Hero, but doctor Ravio knows what's best!" He sat down beside Link and brought the bottle in front of him, motioning for him to sit up before drinking. Link strained to get up and take it, but he was too weak to even lift his head. Now that he was laying down, his body just didn't seem to coöperate with him. Link twisted his face into a frustrated expression.
"Oh...Okay, Uh...Let me help you out a bit" Ravio scooped the Hero's head into his arm and pressed him against his chest, out of a lack of a better way to help him sit up. Links face burned bright red again, but this time because his head was resting on Ravio's shoulder, closer to him than he had ever been. Link caught a glimpse of his dark hair from under the hood and had to wonder what he looked like underneath it. Ravio brought the bottle to the his lips and gave him a few sips before setting it aside. He held Link a bit longer to let him get the remaining gulps out of the way without choking.
"There now...That should ease the pain in a while" Link felt vulnerable and helpless, but at the same time, safe and cared for. It was a little easier to breathe with Ravio holding him, so he tried to relax and ignore how fast his heart was beating. It was abundantly clear that he'd let his injuries go too far this time...Or maybe he just needed to toughen up?
"You know, nobody want's to see you get yourself hurt, right?" Ravio snapped Link out of his thoughts. What was he trying to say? Was he actually worried all this time? Suddenly it was obvious. Of course his friends...of course Ravio would be worried about him. Ravio has had to patch him up on more than one occasion. He let himself get punched so hard that his ribs were almost broken that day. He always ended up passing out from exhaustion because he didn't feel like he deserved a break...
"W-well...I know that, but…" Link struggled to find an appropriate excuse for accepting every punch and kick, but there was none. He always thought his injuries were his alone. Only then did he realize that when he let himself get beaten down and broken bodied, he was also hurting everyone that cared about him.
"I'm sorry…" Link was speechless for a while after that. Now he could feel the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes, partially due to the pain, part happiness and guilt for Ravio's concern for him. Ravio gently eased him back to rest on the pillow and ruffled his hair playfully with one hand.
"Aw, don't cry now. Just, uh...Try to be more careful, okay?" Ravio cleared his throat, getting up and pulling the hood down even further.
"Okay…" The Hero tried to ignore how flustered he was. His stomach was doing flips and he could feel the heat spreading across his face. He tried to hide it under the blanket, pulling it up and over his nose. Maybe staying home for a while wouldn't be as bad as he thought. By this time, his eyelids had become heavy, probably due to the medicine.
"I think I'm going to sleep now..."
"Okay. Goodnight, Mr. Hero"
"Goodnight...and thank you for everything"
Ravio wanted to deny his thanks as being no trouble for him at all, but by the time he opened his mouth, Link was already asleep. Well, that was fast… Ravio sat in the stool next to him and watched his chest rise and fall. His whole body ached when he looked at him. It was hard being this close to him without pouring his heart out, confessing everything that weighed on his mind. He wondered if the Hero had any feelings towards him in return, but that was a dilemma for another day. For now, he was perfectly content to sleep in the floor.