Disclaimer: I don't own Loveless or information from the website Heal-from-a-Collapsed-Lung
A/N: Some of the details mentioned are suppositions while some are from personal experience i.e. the punctured right lung, so I know enough to provide such details. I'm not a doctor though.
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Chap 7: "Smile"
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Soubi spent the night on a visitor's cot in Ritsuka's hospital room.
The fighter awoke at dawn and watched his young sacrifice as he slept. His sweet face was still colored by a blush due to fever, and in the light of the rising sun he appeared as a spirit.
He nearly had been but a spirit severed from a living body. Nearly, but he had bypassed Death.
The thought arose to mind of his precious Ritsuka going home to receive a beating for being gone for days. He would need to return to the hospital barely a day after leaving... this likelihood brought Soubi great anguish.
I will not see Death meet Ritsuka, I would perish first in his place…
Ritsuka's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled when Soubi was his first sight of the day. His flaxen hair spilled over his shoulders, not tied back, and had not been brushed in days, but he retained his noble appearance.
Seeing him wake, Soubi clasped Ritsuka's hand and kissed his cheek "Good morning my love", the first one all week. "Yeah" Ritsuka whispered, and with tears of happiness brightening his eyes, reached his arms upward, disregarding the pain at the side of his breastbone. It was nothing compared to the disabling horror of demonic claws tearing at his chest for days.
Soubi bent down and relished in the hug he received, "I love you".
Ritsuka's smile widened, and after a full minute he released his fighter who then sat beside him on the hospital bed.
"How are you feeling Ritsuka?" Soubi asked, unable to remove his gaze from the sole life he needed in this world.
"Better... stronger" his voice remained weak with lesser pain in his lung, the doctor told them it would hurt but likely would not be so in a week.
I'm glad to be alive…
"Seeing your brightness return brings me great joy. I am happy you're well Ritsuka."
I'm thankful you survived…
He lightly wrapped his arms around Ritsuka again and pressed their cheeks together, hiding the emotions that flashed in his eyes. Ritsuka could tell he was filled with emotions not in his nature. He did not lift his right arm this time, so he did not tear the stitches, he rested his head against his fighter's body.
"Thank you Soubi… for being here for me." Scratching behind a cat ear he replied "I will always be here for you Ritsuka".
They heard three knocks. "Come in" Soubi called, face changing as he turned.
A man with a cart topped with trays of food stepped in "I was instructed to deliver a meal to this room for Aoyagi Ritsuka".
Soubi accepted the fish, spinach, and white rice. "Thank you" Ritsuka whispered as he departed. Soubi passed him a bottle of water, and the pain medicine prescribed by Dr. Shimizu- Tylenol 3 with Codeine. Ritsuka swallowed water and a pill.
The quality of the food was less then tolerable, but he ate as much as he was able. Noting his expression of dissatisfaction, Soubi offered hope, "When the doctor says you can leave the hospital, I will prepare a meal composed of every food you desire." Ritsuka cheerfully nodded.
That afternoon, a member of hospital staff handed Soubi a bag. "A Kaido Kio left this for you." He accepted the bundle and removed a note: Sou-chan- I hope your playmate is okay. Please turn on your phone! Here are a few things to occupy you both. ~ Kio
He removed the contents- a manga with two smiling girls on the cover, a book about the basics of Humanistic Psychology which Ritsuka forgot in Soubi's apartment a two months ago, and one large sketch pad and drawing pencils.
As repayment he did call his friend that afternoon, to provide varied points about the current circumstance.
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During the two weeks of his hospital stay, with therapy for his lung capacity Ritsuka felt the life return to him, it was no longer as though he had moments to live.
He completed the intriguing book one day ago, but Soubi had not given him the manga, seeing that it included many nude scenes. Said fighter kept himself occupied when he wasn't watching Ritsuka by filling his pad with some sketches- another butterfly, a joke sketch of Ritsuka as an actual cat, and a drawing which represented his sacrifice. On the page, a tree grew so tall it reached above the clouds- to represent Ritsuka's great strength and long life, and that he would forever be growing and changing to form the person he was meant to be.
Ritsuka went his usual morning routine of bathing, dressing, and eating breakfast, with Soubi watching rather than standing beside him. After the first week Ritsuka wanted to do as much on his own as possible, and his fighter respectfully stood aside and only helped when asked.
Dr. Shimizu arrived at 11:13am. *"Aoyagi-kun, how are you feeling? If there is any pain or discomfort, well that will happen, but do continue using the medicines I prescribed. Full recovery from a pneumothorax may take a few weeks. Be sure to rest, no heavy lifting, or racing. You will be discharged this afternoon. I recommend you stay home for at least one more week, I'll provide a note for your teachers, call the hospital and ask for me if there is a problem. Here is a packet that explains all the details about the operation and recovery."
After he left to check on other patients, Ritsuka and Soubi read the packet together:
*Follow your doctor's orders of resting and slowly returning to normal routines and exercise.
Avoid flying after a pneumothorax. Changes in air pressure can collapse the lung again.
Smokers are required to stop smoking in order to let the collapsed lung heal. Doctors recommend that they stop smoking altogether to avoid this condition in the future...
Upon reading that, Ritsuka glanced at Soubi, whose face displayed guilt "I will smoke outdoors, and never with Ritsuka near" he swore, placing his right hand atop the boy's heart.
The final lines read:
Some patients who undergo treatment for a collapsed lung can experience chronic pain after the lung has healed. This is due to the formation of scar tissue in the body.
After his final therapy sessions, Ritsuka would depart the hospital.
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End of chap 7
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A/N: I'll write one or two more chapters to finish this off, unless details I come up with for the next chaps lead to something...
