Chapter edited 29th January 2017.
For this particular chapter, I tried very hard to research just what would happen regarding the brain damage. I couldn't find much in terms of what happens after the confusion stage, so forgive me if this progress is inaccurate and please correct me if you know how it should have progressed instead.
When it soon became clear to everyone that Bel just couldn't look after Fran, everyone at the Varia Orphanage and their friends had chipped in to get the boy the help he needed. Squalo had taken him to the nearest rehabilitation hospital a few towns over several months ago, and though Bel went out to visit him as much as he could, sometimes it became too much for him to handle and went home in silence. There hadn't been much news in terms of whoever was behind the break-ins and attacks, but Kyouya was taking no chances and continued to have officers stationed outside of every house that belonged to someone with ties to Varia.
Today, Bel was on his way out to the hospital to bring Fran home; he had emerged from the Minimally Conscious State and into confusion a few weeks back, but he had gotten through it, and was slowly starting to overcome the brain damage. He still hadn't said a word to anyone, but he would often make soft noises, and the last the blond had heard, he was being taught how to walk again.
Bel could barely breathe as he made his way through the winding corridors to Fran's room; he had been looking forward to this day for so long, and now that Squalo had finally deemed him fit enough to look after Fran, he had never been so happy to be stopping outside the door to Fran's room. He pushed the door open and looked in, finding the boy sitting upright as one of the carers gave him his medication.
"I can take him straight home, right…?" Bel was quiet as he moved to the bed and reached out to take Fran's hand in his.
The black-haired woman smiled at Bel as she nodded and pulled the cup of water from Fran's mouth. "There are some prescriptions on the bedside table there for his medication. There are instructions written down as well, but if you have any questions, feel free to talk to your pharmacist or give us a call. Do you have a wheelchair for him or would you like to borrow one to take him to the car?"
"I can carry him." Bel moved to take the papers first so he could tuck them safely into his pocket. He then grabbed the bag containing clothes and toiletries for Fran and slipped the strap over his shoulder before he came back to Fran's side so he could scoop the younger up into his arms and hold him tight. Fran immediately dropped his head to the other's chest to rest against Bel's heart, but his expression was as blank as usual as he stared at his carer.
"He's quite dizzy, so try not to move him too abruptly." The woman smiled down at Fran as she reached out and patted her patient on the shoulder. "He's doing very well."
Bel hugged his boyfriend close to him. He could feel teal hair tickle against his cheek as the younger moved to rest his head beneath the blond's chin. Tiny fingers curled into his black jacket, and Bel couldn't help but feel relieved that Fran was more active now; it was no longer depressing to look at the lifeless body that would only stare for hours on end without moving a muscle.
"Do you need anyone to go over his current condition with you?"
Bel was quickly growing agitated with this woman; couldn't he just leave already? When he replied, he couldn't stop the bitterness from seeping into his voice. "No. I'm well aware of his 'current condition'. I just want to go home…"
The woman nodded, not saying another word as she watched the two leave; she already knew from previous encounters with Bel that the blond was very moody and didn't seem to know how to socialise properly.
Bel was silent as he carried Fran out of the facility and to his car. As careful as the blond tried to be with Fran, as soon as he got the younger into the front passenger seat and pulled his hands from the boy's shoulders, Fran fell to the side. The older male squeaked as he quickly grabbed Fran before anything else could happen.
"Are you okay, Froggy?" Bel was more careful this time, making sure the seatbelt was secured tightly around the boy before he stood up straight; Fran had bad balance issues, and he often struggled to stay upright by himself. "We're going home now, Froggy; I promise."
Fran slowly lifted his head and looked at Bel. He blinked a few times, his eyes half-lidded, before he looked down at the seatbelt around him and raised shaky hands to play with it.
Bel tried not to close the door too hard, knowing that his lover hated loud noises at the best of times. When he got back into the driver's seat, he leant over to check that Fran's belt was secure before he started the car; the last thing he wanted was for something else to go wrong. Throughout it all, Fran's lips moved, as if he were mouthing silent words, but he didn't seem to notice the blond leaning over him.
"Let's go home, Froggy." Bel turned the key in the ignition, and when he did so, he noticed that Fran seemed a tad more alert at this. He shifted the gear into reverse before he slowly moved the car out of its park, and what gave his stomach butterflies was the fact that Fran actually seemed to understand what was going on. "It's okay; we're going home now."
The younger blinked at Bel a few more times before he started to pick at the stitching on his pants, as quiet as ever. Bel hated that, no matter what he tried to say to the boy, Fran just didn't take much notice of him at all.
~~XX~~
When Bel finally got Fran into their home almost two hours later, the boy was sat on the couch as the blond moved to put away everything Fran had had at the rehabilitation centre. The youngest observed the room with tired eyes as vague recollections of being here before crossed his mind. As he looked around, he noticed something on the coffee table in front of him. Without hesitation, he pushed himself forward so he could reach out for the device, but he was still too weak to be moving himself around and he couldn't help but tumble forward and hit his head on the furnishing before he fell to the ground with a loud thump.
"Froggy?!" Loud footsteps came running to the living room at Fran's cries, Bel soon kneeling by the tiny boy's side. "Froggy, what happened?"
Fran sobbed loudly as he pressed his chest against Bel's. He shook his head, not noticing that his tears were staining the black fabric of Bel's jacket.
Bel frowned as he rubbed the younger's back and held him close. "It's okay, Froggy… It's okay…"
Fran soon stifled his cries before he curled his fingers into his boyfriend's striped shirt. He allowed himself to be picked up and moved back to the couch, and once he felt the soft cushion beneath him, he let himself fall onto his side so he could rest against the other's lap.
The blond caressed teal hair as he hooked his foot around the edge of the coffee table leg and pulled it closer. He shifted his position so that he could hunch over and open the lid of the laptop to turn it on. Fran hiccupped, but his eyes were fixed on Bel.
"Wanna watch me play some games?" Bel smiled down at Fran as he logged into the device and waited for it to load. Fran didn't reply; he just lifted his head to look up at Bel for a few seconds before he let it drop back down to the other's lap. "I got back into contact with someone I knew when I first got taken to Varia; she had stayed back in Italy, but was managing all the finances from there. Squalo and Xanxus asked her to make a Skype and add me because they knew she would be good support for me. Remember my old frog, Mammon? I named him after her nickname because of how close we were~"
Fran made no acknowledgement he had heard any of this and instead reached out to press his fingertips against the laptop screen, fascinated by the bright colours.
"We added each other on Skype, so now we just leave the camera on and talk~" Bel grinned down at Fran. He patted the boy's head gently as he accepted the incoming video call. He greeted his friend happily, a woman with long indigo locks who was seated on her own couch and sorting through stacks of paper. The two greeted each other, leaving Fran to wonder where that second voice was coming from.
The boy lifted his head as he looked around, trying to find whoever else was in the house with them. Bel laughed before he said, "That's Mammy's voice, Froggy! You can hear her over the laptop."
Fran blinked. He reached out to poke the picture of the woman in the top right corner of the screen, not able to understand what was happening, but he didn't question it; he instead just rested peacefully once more as Bel's soft voice soothed him.
Bel was sure he had only talked to his friend for maybe ten minutes before Fran was out to it, fast asleep on his lap. He smiled appreciatively down at the boy, feeling much better now that it didn't feel as if he was caring for a lifeless doll; even if it still hurt to see Fran like this, at least it didn't feel as if the boy's condition was ripping his heart into shreds.
"Is he asleep, Bel?" The woman on the other end of the internet connection looked as passive as ever, but there was a soft expression on her face that only Bel knew existed.
The man nodded as he caressed his boyfriend's hair. "I'm just going to go put him in bed. I'll be back, Mammy~"
Mammon was as patient as ever with Bel as the younger adult stood up and scooped Fran into his arms before leaving the room. She went back to her finances, just glad to see that Bel was much happier; he had been so lifeless the past few months, hardly spending any time at all on the computer in favour of sleeping for long periods of time. He hadn't been anything like the boy she remembered from years back, or even the teenager Squalo would ring her every morning to keep her updated on.
Hopefully, the more progress Fran made, the better Bel would become also.
~~XX~~
"Come again?" Squalo had his arms folded against his chest and was leaning against the doorway to the Varia Orphanage. Kyouya was standing before him, onyx eyes watching the older male in annoyance. "Let me get this straight… Someone attacks Hayato down the street, he gives a good description of the offender, and now you want to force Belphegor to watch every single fucking video in existence of his torture? What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"The description of the offender does not match anyone I am currently aware of relating to the green herbivore's case. I want the prince herbivore to point everyone out and tell me all about them so this case is easier for us to close."
"Do you have any fucking idea what bringing those videos near Belphegor is going to do to him? You're going to set his recovery back!"
"Would you rather him have to attend a few more therapy sessions, or lose perhaps several people you care about?" Kyouya sneered, already knowing the answer.
"…" Squalo closed his eyes and reached up to rub at his cheeks. "…Only if I'm there, too, Kyouya; it'll be too hard for him if he's alone."
"Tomorrow at noon. Be there, shark herbivore." With that said, Kyouya was gone.
Squalo stepped back into his home as he slammed the door shut, hoping with all his being Bel wouldn't hate them too much for what they were about to put him through.