Strangers

Author: Lysis & Hyakinthos the Cat (because he insisted and suggested the idea in the first place), January 2012

Friendship/Comfort/Angst and more….and yeah, some sex.

*****Things just seem to go from difficult to worse for Jared who is confronted with unwanted personal issues and Alexandros who begins to respond to the new environment he finds himself in.

CHAPTER SIX

The tread of footsteps and the sound of someone clearing their throat woke Jared.

"You are really lucky I'm not one of the nurses or some paparazzi, Jared!" Jared rolled his eyes and moaned as he recognized the tenor of the voice. "Shit!" He muttered to himself. Well, Marcus was right, it could have been worse. With a groan he pulled himself up from the bed where he'd been laying. Without thinking he looked back at Alexandros and touched his hand. He was sound asleep or at least appeared to be.

"I was just comforting him, he was upset." Marcus Greene's face had a look that said he wasn't buying it.

"Ah, yeah, and what is it you do for a living? You're not doing a very good job of that right now."

Jared felt like hitting him but poured himself into a nearby chair as he pulled off his shoes which he thought was a stupid thing to do considering he'd been lying on Alexandros' bed with them on. He was still tired, and very bewildered by everything that had happened to him in the last twenty-four hours. He knew his responses to Alexandros were not within the normal realm of his behavior, but there was something about the man…. He yawned and looked up, Marcus was droning on, and Jared had been too caught up thinking about how to help Alexandros. He felt like he'd been hit in the stomach when Marcus' words began to register in his sleep deprived brain.

"Did you just say…?" Marcus just shook his head at him while studying him in a way that made Jared feel like he was a bug or something under a microscope.

"Yes," Marcus reiterated. "Your private life is your business, but I heard you bitch like crazy about the fallout when you played Hephaistion and how it was all over the Internet that you were gay. Well, right now…" Marcus just let his gaze settle on the man in the bed near them.

"I am not gay! Wha…! Fuck you, Marcus!" His friend just sat there smiling like the Cheshire cat.

"Jared, its okay if you are, or at least feel an inclination that way with your friend it's human nature. We can't run from who we are. He's a beautiful man there's something about him that compels one. Even I can sense it. There's no reason to be embarrassed. My only concern is that you both practice…"

"Don't fucking say another word!" Jared glared at Marcus and stomped from the room. He was so angry that he ran into someone on the way out of the hospital and didn't even stop to apologize. To him that was a clear sign he was screwing up big time. He always tried to be polite even if someone was an asshole, but right now he was so fucking angry he could…

Then he stopped as he got outside the hospital and began to laugh. He didn't have his shoes on. He laughed so hard tears began to run down his face. Then someone, or rather two someone's, both female, and young by the sound of their voices began to scream his name, and he groaned and ran back into the hospital. Without thinking he ran down a corridor and just stood at the end of it not knowing what to do next. He stood there panting staring at the ugly green wall opposite him. He hated hospitals; they always smelled like rubbing alcohol. He closed his eyes, focused on some meditative chants and took a deep breath. After about five minutes feeling calmer he knew he had to go back to Alexandros. He couldn't leave him alone up there. When he'd first seen him that morning, when he arrived earlier, it was clear he was becoming more alert and awake. There was no one else he could depend on, no one else he knew or felt safe with.

Stopping first to pick up some coffee and a yogurt and fruit he went back to face the music as he thought of it.

There was more activity on the floor and when he arrived in Alexandros' suite, he could hear male voices. He recognized Marcus'. He owed him an apology, but he knew the man hadn't taken his anger personally, but still he couldn't let it stay that way. Marcus' friendship meant a lot to him.

He set down the food and coffee on the coffee table and stepped quietly into the room. A male nurse was discussing something with Marcus. Seeing Jared Marcus turned and smiled.

"Ah, Jared this is Greg Portnoy, he's Alexandros' charge nurse for the day shift. Greg, this is Mr…., he is our patient's only family in the area right now, so he's allowed to in whenever he wants unless of course, there are medical reasons. " He smiled at them both and Jared shook his head to indicate he understood. Greg was very polite and professional in his manner. He didn't make a big deal out of meeting Jared, he showed what seemed to be appropriate concern for his job, or at least he was pretending to. At least that's what Jared tried to convince himself. He usually tried to be fair when he first met someone, he knew from his years of acting and the study of human nature that went along with being a good interpreter of any role people where not so easily summed up at first glance.

He leaned over to shake Greg's hand, but couldn't help it, he didn't like the man. Clearly, his thoughts were illogical. He just had a feeling… Greg was a good looking guy, of medium height, a little taller than Jared, with wavy blond hair which was carefully styled, his scrubs were immaculate, and he moved with a lazy, athletic grace, everything about him was just too perfect. For a minute Jared felt like growling at him.

Don't be an ass, he scolded himself. Be fair, the guy clearly knew his stuff, he was efficient and his name tag indicated he was a registered RN, so what was the problem?

The problem was Jared argued with himself was that he didn't care for the way he was checking him out and when he watched him checking Alexander's dressings and examine him, he liked him even less. He kept patting Alexandros' hand and smiling at him. His hand seemed to linger a little too long on Alexandros face when he checked the bruising around his eyes. His smile was just a little too friendly. Alexandros, now wide awake smiled back and seemed to be taking an active interest in everything going on around him.

When Greg attempted to check his reflexes with a small hammer, Alexandros' responded with laughter and pointed to have the exercise repeated. He got the little hammer away for a moment and gestured toward Jared to extend his leg so Alexandros could test his reflexes. He tried to keep the small hammer by tucking it inside his hospital gown, and finally, with a show of great disappointment which Jared found amusing as he considered that Alexandros' no doubt considered it a weapon gave it up but would only let Jared retrieve it from where he had set it against his chest.

He kept pointing at things and asking questions though no one could understand them. At one point when Greg lifted his eyelids to check his irises Alexandros batted his eyelashes in response in a way that all Jared, Marcus and Greg burst out laughing. Alexandros joined in and gave them a mischievous grin. He kept rubbing his hands together and looking pointedly at Jared, who couldn't understand the gesture and frowned. He muttered something that by its very tone was clearly obscene and they laughed again, but Jared was concerned. He wanted to help him, but didn't know what to do but sit quietly by and observe. He did admit it was worthy entertainment.

Alexandros tried to "help" with the blood pressure cuff by trying to rip it off when it began to puff up, and then when Greg bent down to check his heartbeat he plucked the stethoscope from his hands and tried to examine it. There was a short tug of war when Greg tried to get it back. He kept moving his head around when Greg tried to check his eyes, again. Jared thought that was unnecessary, but enjoyed the show. And when nurse Greg tried to get him to open his mouth, stick his tongue out and demonstrated the "ahh" sound, so he could check his throat Alexandros' jerked back and tilted his head looking at Greg like he had gone mad. He turned to Jared with a look on his face that was clear enough.

However, what really funny is when Greg took Alexandros' wrist to check his pulse. Alexandros lay quietly, and then took Greg's arm in his and returned the favor. The nurse was so shocked he actually just stood there and when Alexandros released his arm he raised an eyebrow at Greg and shook his finger at him and even though Jared didn't know what Alexandros was saying he was pretty sure it was that the nurse's pulse was too fast.

Jared smothered a laugh. Actually, he thought Alexandros' actions were kind of cute and made sense. It was just that Greg was getting a little irritated and Marcus who was watching was frowning. It got a bit more serious though when Alexandros began to fidget with the IV needle in his arm. He began to poke at it. Quickly both Marcus and Greg flew at him and pushed his hands away. Alexandros glared at them and again, Jared found himself "playing" Hephaistion. He smoothed his hand over the needle site and for a moment Alexandros was calm until Greg turned from a counter where he had been inserting some medication into a syringe. Alexandros shouted at the sight of the needle, leapt from the bed so fast the IV line ripped out. For a moment there was a tense stand-off as Alexandros began to back toward the door and shouted as he held his fisted hand up before him. Greg's face was filled with irritation and Marcus huffed, "I'm getting tired of this."

"Psych consult?" Greg said tersely.

"Security first!" Marcus responded as he headed for the wall phone.

"No!" Jared cried out as he kept eye contact with Alexandros the entire time. "Wait. He's not crazy! Look, he spent a week with me, there were no problems, nothing like this ever happened."

"This can't continued, Jared. Something has to be done." Marcus' voice was said there was no discussion and picked up the phone's handle. Jared slammed his hand down on it. "Wait! Please, he just doesn't understand. Marcus, this may be his first time in a hospital. I don't know what his life's been like over there…I mean, you know in Macedon." He gave a look at Greg that he hoped would help explain things. "The medical facilities he's been exposed to may be really primitive compared to ours. It's a new experience for him. Give it a chance, please." He was thinking fast improvising. "Let me have a few moments with him, okay."

"He needs the meds, Jared. They are antibiotics; you know how serious this is. We can't have any sort of infection start." Marcus paused. "If you were anyone else, I wouldn't do this, but… I'll give you five minutes okay, if he doesn't cooperate, I'm sorry, but I'll move him up to the psych ward."

Jared closed his eyes for a second as relief flooded through him. His mind whirled. He looked up. "Look, I've got an idea, is there any way you can give me an injection? Something that won't hurt me, a, a vitamin B shot? Please, if he sees me get one, I know he'll be okay with it." He looked up at Marcus who was grimacing while keeping his eyes on his patient who hadn't moved a muscle but was watching them all like a predator ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

"Come on, I know it won't hurt me." While he was talking he moved slowly toward Alexandros who stayed where he was. When his eyes met Jared's they were so pale they were almost colorless, but they still managed to flash with anger.

I don't care even if he decks me, Jared told himself, I've got to do something. If they put him in the psych ward it'll be worse than ever. I'll have to get a lawyer to get him out and that….shit! Slowly, he held out his hand. He didn't smile this time, but kept his expression solemn. "Alexandros listen to me now!" He kept his voice even but commanding, he pointed to bed. "Get back in bed." Alexandros was studying him his head turning to the side; Jared drew in a breath and shouted "NOW! MOVE IT!" To his amazement Alexandros let out a great sigh but complied. When Jared came near him he pulled the blanket up almost over his head and turned his head away refusing to look at him.

"That's okay, sulk, just don't do anything like that again." Jared told him in a tone that would brook no disobedience. He wondered for a moment if the real Hephaistion had ever spoken to Alexandros in this manner. He decided he probably had. The guy was stubborn as hell, and he remembered reading somewhere that Hephaistion was the only one who could really get him to listen.

He turned to Marcus, "Can we try it, the shot?" Marcus grumbled and ran his hands through his hair. "This goes against my better judgment, but okay, but if it doesn't work that's it Jared, he goes up to psych." He gave Greg orders to get some Vitamin B. Both Marcus and Jared were quiet while they waited for Greg to return with the syringe. Alexandros slowly let down the blanket and when he looked at either Jared or Marcus his expression was one of severe irritation. For a moment Jared could only think that this was a man you wouldn't want as an enemy. Then he felt his feelings soften. How would he be if he were to suddenly find himself in the reverse situation, Alexandros' world and not able to speak the language or understand the customs? He bent over and touched Alexandros' hand gently, however he received no response.

When Greg returned with the syringe he kept it hidden from Alexandros sight on a small tray.

"Alexandros," Jared tapped his hand, he turned and gave him a look that clearly said "I will look at you only because I chose to; I am greatly displeased with you." Jared couldn't help but smiling. That broke the ice and Alexandros smiled back. However, he tensed up when Jared moved. To calm him, Jared put his hand on Alexandros' arm rubbing it and smiled as he took off his sweatshirt and pulled up the short sleeve of his t-shirt he was okay with what would happen.

Greg approached him and they all held their breath's as the needle was inserted into Jared's upper arm. Jared smiled and chatted easily with Greg, keeping eye contact with Alexandros the entire time and made a silly face when Greg applied a small bandage.

Immediately Alexandros held his arm out and gestured with a smile to Greg he could approach him.. His intention was clear. The IV lines were carefully reinserted and the meds injected. Alexandros indicated toward Jared's arm and touched the bandage. Both Greg and Marcus laughed and Greg pulled off a piece of transparent tape and applied it over the already taped down IV needle. Alexandros touched it, smiled and lay back with a satisfied sigh against his pillows. He looked up at Greg who was hovering nearby looking confused and with a warm smile gestured for him to come close. With a wary look on his face he did, Alexandros held out his hand and when Greg took it he shook it and patted it and held onto it as he said something, his voice calm and conciliatory and gave him such a beguiling smile that Jared just knew that Greg would bow at his feet if he asked him to.

"Crisis adverted." Jared exclaimed and swung his arms around grinning widely and sat next to Alexandros who pursed his lips and eyed him with thoughtful consideration. I wonder what's going on in that head of yours. Jared thought as he returned the look.

To be continued …..