And now part 3 of the mass update! I don't really have anything to say so... enjoy!
For suggestions I'll suggest anything by Mai Kusakabe and, even though I think I suggested it before, I'll once more tell you guys to try out Nightmare of Love by ThePhobiaPhoebe because she's recently updated :D
Fuck. Fuck. God fucking damn it!
Moving hurt. Moving hurt a lot.
Ace understood the nurses wanted to check his mobility. He understood that, after a week, they needed to keep an eye on things—to make sure he was healing properly. But they could have been a little gentler! Sitting up caused a pain to shoot through his back, and that was before they asked him to lift his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut, biting his lip as the helped him slowly lift the burned appendages from their place at his sides.
"We know this hurts," they would say. "We're sorry," they'd apologise. Yeah, right. Bull-fucking-shit they knew. Had they ever been in an accident? Had they suffered severe burns? They knew jack-shit.
…He found himself growing more vulgar as the days went by, as the pain increased.
One of the nurses happily informed him that the skin graft seemed to be healing nicely—that it wasn't as bad as they feared it would be around his left shoulder. He just glared at her. She seemed to get the message.
Next came the dressing. A rise of dread and true terror settled in the pit of his stomach, eyes wide with fear as he knew just how much it was going to hurt. He wanted to refuse—to lie back down and just go back to sleep—but he knew he couldn't, not if he wanted to heal. The sooner he healed, the sooner he got out of there, the sooner he could go home. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.
Ace turned pleading eyes to Marco, sending him a silent request. The two communicated well that way, if only because they always exchanged looks for the same thing. He saw the blond whisper something to Thatch who, in turn, managed to convince Sabo to leave the room with him. They'd learned after the first time that his brother didn't handle seeing the injuries well—or seeing him in pain.
Bracing himself with a large, inward breath, he nodded to the nurses. They asked Marco for assistance in helping him out of the bed and onto a wheelchair since his legs were, well, more or less shit as of late. It hurt too much to stand and he knew that once he was able to move around better they would have him start physical therapy. He'd been assured on more than one occasion that his legs would be fine in the end, though, and that eventually he'd be walking just as he always did. That was a relief. He didn't think he'd be able to handle being crippled atop everything else.
Eventually he was brought to a familiar room, one he visited daily, it seemed. He'd only recently been coherent more often than not. He was happy to know that Marco, even as an almost-stranger, didn't seem to mind accompanying him in Sabo's stead. He didn't like seeing his brother so clearly bothered when looking at his wounds. The nurses had been opposed to allowing a non-family member in with him but, well, eventually they caved. One good thing about being newly deformed was that he got his way through pity.
They went inside and as one nurse—Conis, he believed her name was—went about preparing the hydrotherapy tank, the other two began to remove his dressing. That was always the most painful part, feeling the bandages peel away from his skin, like they were ripping him apart in the process. Painkillers helped as he knew it could feel much worse, but they never seemed to fully numb him to the pain. He closed his eyes and clenched his muscles as they pulled off each layer of constricting wrappings one by one, slowly and painfully. They needed to give him a higher dose of meds. They really needed to give him a higher dose, because he didn't know how long he could handle going through that—every eight hours, was it? It was like cruel torture.
Ace released a breath when the dressing was finally off his left arm, knowing that the worst was yet to come. His chest always hurt the worst, the skin feeling tightest there, and he was thankful when they moved on to his face instead.
A hand slipping into his own had him looking up, locking onto lazy blue eyes. Marco didn't seem to wear many expressions, like nothing fazed him. Even still he was supportive, which still baffled Ace to no end because he'd never really met someone so willing to help a total stranger. He kept catching himself wondering if the blond had some ulterior motive but, really, what would have been good enough to keep him around for more than a few hours? Looking down at his left arm, at the disgusting disfigurement of red and white and brown, he narrowed his eyes. How could he stand to look at him, day after day?
Once they moved to his torso he gripped the blond's hand with all of his strength, thankful that he had one good arm and hoping he didn't manage to break any of Marco's fingers—though in reality he knew the strength he was summoning was rather weak. It felt like a lot, though.
He tried to find something to focus on to get his mind off what they were doing, off the pain. But the room was just as bland as ever and soon his eyes found their way to Marco's hair. It was so… poofy. How was it that poofy? How did it do that? It was obvious that the other was confused by his staring but he paid it no mind, decided he would blame it on meds and pain of he questioned anything.
As they finished removing the last of the dressings and began to clean off the layer of old antibacterial ointment from his injuries—and this was the one time he wouldn't complain about being treated like glass because it didn't hurt that way—he looked down at their joined hands, studying them. It didn't feel like it did when his bastard co-worker touched him, no malice behind it, kind of like how it felt with Sabo. It was so similar, in fact, that he only then realised that he hadn't pulled away. That was certainly new.
Then came the one part he liked: submersion into the tank. They help him, lowered him into the water, and he felt himself relax. Of every treatment they'd put him through, that was his favourite. The water soothed his open wounds, made the pain of having them dressed worth it. It felt a little unnatural with how sterile it was, nothing like taking a bath at home—having people there with him was also off-putting—but still better than being bundled up in bandages that made some of his joints immobile.
The nurses learned to give him a minute or two to just unwind, which he was grateful for, as he liked to just soak in the feel of the water against his skin. Then, at a gradual pace, they began washing soft cloths down his back, gradually shifting to his side and undamaged arm. Hearing words so often repeated to him in his head, he carefully flexed the joints in his burned hand. They always encouraged him to move, even if it was slow, to avoid the formation of contractures during healing. Admittedly he knew fuck-all about burns and scars and all that—ironic, considering his current state—but after being told contractures could be debilitating, he was determined to avoid them as much as he could.
"How's it feel?" the blue-haired nurse, Vivi, asked with a smile.
Somehow he managed to return the gesture, a contented look on his face now that he could relax. "Not too bad," he admitted, but the smile faded when he looked at his chest, mouth twitching. It looked disgusting, a mix of red and dry brown that repulsed even him. God, was that what his face looked like? He knew it was sore—that it hurt in a way similar to his forearm—and that his blind side had been bandaged. That made a knot form in his stomach.
"I didn't recognise him at first. My own baby brother."
No fucking wonder.
"How do you girls put up with it?" he asked, trying to make at least minimal movements with his shoulder.
"With what?" Conis asked, gliding the cloth gently down his side.
He could feel the dead skin soften, lessening the pulling on his chest. "Seeing people like this every day."
She exchanged looks with Marco, almost as if asking for guidance. But when he just shrugged she went back to what she was doing, Vivi leaving to dispose of the only bandages. "Seeing people so hurt can be… hard, but I like watching their recovery. It's nice when they leave here, you know?"
Looking to the ceiling, Ace pondered that. Leave, huh? What would it be like when he finally got out of there?
Sabo sighed. "Trafalgar, as flattered as I am," he said this with sarcasm, "would you kindly stop staring at me?"
Grey eyes lingered on his for longer than he would have liked but eventually the student returned his attention to the book in front of him, looking it over with boredom. Over the past week, he'd learned a few things about the young master: he was surprisingly not as selfish as he first came off, he was calculating, he didn't like to listen and he was hard to manipulate. That last point was depressing; that was the tutor's favourite way to mess with his students, to get them to listen. But of course he just hated taking orders as well, making him insanely annoying to deal with.
But, well, Sabo always liked a challenge.
Since he assigned his young, not-so-promising pupil to read one of the books—obtained from his favourite crossdresser, of course—he'd been multitasking in the silence. While correcting an essay that Trafalgar surprisingly wrote despite his objections, the blond was also pondering just how he could afford the procedures his brother would have to undergo in the future. He felt money practically flying out of his wallet all-the-while but, well, Ace was worth it.
Even if it meant they'd go the entire summer without a working air conditioner.
That aside, he narrowed his eyes on the paper that sat between his arms, reading the words carefully. That was the second piece of writing he had Law do and, just like the first, he wasn't finding any errors. The logic was sound, the format, while dull, was by the book, and overall it got across exactly what it intended.
He was starting to see a very obvious discrepancy between his student's performance at school and his performance under the tutor's care. Why was that, then? How curious.
"Why are you here?" the teen asked, looking up once more from his reading material.
"It's my job," Sabo replied simply.
"Would you prefer to be with your brother? He's practically been mutilated."
The blond glared his hardest at the younger but he couldn't keep the look up, his head dropping to the wood of the table with a sigh. "Do you know what it's like to be poor?" He was met with silence and rolled his eyes. "Of course not; you're Trafalgar fucking Law."
He could practically feel those aggravated eyes on him.
"This is the only job I have," he confessed reluctantly. There was no telling what that brat would do with that information, but it was too late to take it back now, wasn't it? "And Ace? He's not going to be able to work for a while. A long while. In essence, you're my lifeline. And I hate that fact."
At first he didn't say anything, then, "You shouldn't have told me that." The grin was practically visible through the tone of his voice.
"I… figured as much." Lifting his head once more, he furrowed his brow at the corrected essay he'd been looking at. There were very few alterations needed. That wasn't to say it was perfect, and he noticed an interesting pattern in where his student messed up. "So, Trafalgar, you'll be happy to note that I've deemed you competent."
"Oh joy." His tone was flat.
Putting his hands together in a mess of digits, he stared across at the younger with contemplative eyes. "So tell me: you were about fourteen when you stopped putting an effort into your school work, then?"
Narrowed eyes told him all he needed to know, leading him to smirk.
"Good to see you're cooperating."
"I'm not."
"Not willingly," Sabo admitted, "but I think I'm starting to understand you."
"Oh?"
He wondered if he should blurt out all of his observations—that the things Trafalgar didn't seem to know were all taught in the ninth grade and above, that all earlier material was remarkably well done—but instead he met the younger's expectant stare with silence. It wasn't his place to delve into a client's past, no matter how curious he was to know what cause such a brilliant mind—and he would never tell him that, mind you—to dull as it had. He had potential. He had spark. He wasn't as completely hopeless as Doflamingo seemed to think. And yet there he was, working at an eighth grade level. It almost made him angry.
Sabo sighed. "You, my friend, have got to start trying. Apply yourself—maybe stop seeing that bedmate of yours as frequently as you do." He reached out to pat the teen on the shoulder only to pull back to raise placating hands when he received a glare. "Hey, it's no business of mine what you do in your free time, but you shouldn't let it interfere with your studies."
"Just as you shouldn't let work interfere with family," Law countered.
And so they had reached an impasse.
Leaning back in his chair with a huff, Sabo looked around the room. They always seemed to meet in Trafalgar's bedroom, which he didn't really mind since the rest of the estate was mind-numbingly empty. It was always kept dark, as the youth was like a vampire with how much he abhorred natural light, and Sabo hated it because—because it was so nice outside! The sun was out, there was a breeze. Sitting in the shade with cool drinks… ah, if only Ace were there; he would understand.
…Well, even if he were there he'd have to keep out of the sunlight, what with the burns and all. Ace was going to be miserable when he got out of there, he just knew it. He'd have to be so damn worried until his wounds properly closed that it would drive him insane.
"Say," he started absently, deciding not to mention that his pupil wasn't currently doing the work he assigned, "are you trying to get rid of me?"
"And if I am?"
"You're not."
"Then why ask?"
Suddenly the blond leant forward, pressing his thumb and index finger to his chin as he bore holes into the table with his eyes. The first two days or so, yes, Trafalgar had really done everything in his power to try to force him out. Somehow since then his attempts seemed… forced, half-hearted. The first time he acted like that was when Ace—
He grinned. So that was it. "Have a soft spot for family, do we?" Law turned away. Good, good, that was good. That meant Sabo was onto something. "I suppose it seems a bit foreign, given your circumstances." Both of his parents were dead, weren't they?
"Shut up."
"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to pry. I was stating an observation, is all." Law crossed his arms, staring into the dark of the room. Dark, dark—it was always dark. He was sick of it. So, getting up from his seat, he headed for those blasted curtains, noting the look of irritation on the other's face. "Either I open these or we leave this room—and no weapons. Can not one day be civil with you?"
Again, Law glared.
"What, do you have another naked visitor you're trying to hide?"
"What? No, I—"
"Then get up, Traffy."
"What did you just—"
"I've had about as much as I can take of this place." Marching over to the door, Sabo looked expectantly at his student. "Let's go, then."
Law did not look amused.
Watching Ace eat was always amusing. Maybe it was bad for him to think that, but it was. Granted Ace got a portion of his nutrients intravenously, they still tried to give him whatever they could during the hours he was awake—which varied greatly depending on his medication and overall mood, as he tended to sleep more on his bad days. The problem, then, was that the bandages on his arm were restricting around the elbow. He had is other arm, yes, but he had problems keeping the bowl in place. No one was really sure why that was, or at least the doctors didn't look concerned enough to bother asking, but it was amusing to watch nonetheless.
What was less entertaining was the way Ace's strength in that arm seemed to fade so quickly. He tired out within no time, completely exhausted. It was disturbing. Ace wasn't like that. Ace was high energy, to the point that he could be a nuisance.
"You know," Sabo started, "I wouldn't mind helping you, Ace."
The younger brother snorted. "I don't need help."
Sabo sighed, dropping his head into his palm. "You thick-skulled moron."
"Shut up, you blond bastard."
"Meathead."
"Dumbass."
"I love you too, little brother." He received a glare in response, or what looked like a glare; between the bandages and the burns it was hard to tell.
…He wouldn't say that out loud, for fear of further ruining the patient's self-esteem. Marco said that Ace had been saying things as of late—worrying things centered around appearance. He supposed that was signal enough to inform the psychologist. That… wasn't going to turn out well, he suspected.
"What happened?"
"Hm?" His sibling's question had him blinking, suddenly remembering the purple and green mark beneath his eye. "Oh, that. Right. Ace, if there's ever anything you learn from your big brother, let it be to quit while you're behind."
"Don't you mean ahead?"
"If I were ahead, Ace, I wouldn't have gotten hit."
So I'd like to remind you guys that for the hospital stuff I'm basing it off my own experience just because it's easier to write that way, but that leaves it a little dated. Like for hydrotherapy nowadays I know they use showers more often than tanks, for example. But anyways, sorry not much happened. Next chapter there'll be more going on, though, and less of a focus on the burns since it's going to be a recap chapter from either Law or Marco's perspective.
To my lovelies~
gdesertsand: Law's chapter might not be for a while. I'm still deciding on whether I want to write the next one from his or Marco's perspectives. Lol yes, this Sabo's pretty mellow in comparison XD There won't be a Kidd chapter. He's not an important character. The person who hit the car will be mentioned, but they're not that important.
chimera-chin: Well that was sort of touched upon this chapter but there'll be more on it later. I'm trying to avoid too much focus on the accident in one chapter just because it can get annoying. That's not all there is to the story, after all. But for a while it'll be a big part of it, so yeah, it'll be mentioned.
Justa Little Puppy: Pfft XD Yes, everyone is burning. She did not die. Lol nope, no 5th degree burns. I'm glad you found my mini essay interesting XD
viv-heart: Really? Yay :,D I'm happy to hear there are people interested in that aspect of the story. Their relationships should definitely prove to be interesting.
ssspooky: Yay, another person I didn't bore :,D Though warning, Ace is going to bitch about his nurses from time to time ^^; I liked the nurses from my burn unit but Ace is, well, not me, so... XD Though he doesn't hate them, he just complains a lot. You're welcome dear~
Aerle: Longest review you've ever left me XD Yup, those questions will all be answered~ Lol you don't have to force yourself to leave long reviews, you know XD Yep, Ace'll need counseling. And for some people the counseling goes on well past the injuries healing. It can get... pretty bad. The MarcoAce will be difficult to pull off in this story because of the touching, yes. Though Marco's on Ace's good side so it helps (though being able to hold hands really isn't much of anything, but it's a start). Should be a fun journey muahaha. Honestly, I thought it was going to be a nice little relaxing fix too XD This is what winging it does :,D You're welcome~
Kitsune Foxfire: Lol yes, Law actually stepped into the sunlight. 'Tis a miracle. Using my own experience can be difficult, but not because I'm nervous, more like I need to remember what to change to make it fit the story and character.
Leite Destiny: More non-boring voters! :,D Yep, Ace needs to talk about his perspective on the crash. That'll be the next chapter that isn't recap. Ace's reaction was that, but also it was toned down because of the meds XD Yup. Sucks for them not being Canadian. Lol I'm going to mention his hair a lot in this story XD
Yvonne Park: You're welcome~
Guest: Please don't leave spam T_T
Vergina-spva: More not boring :,D There relationships will be slow and complex and frustrating to no end XD
nakama-king: Of course there's more ;)
Thanks for the reviews! Please tell me what you think and I hope you have a wonderful holiday!
