Disclaimer: I still don't own Shameless

A/N: I'm glad to hear that many of you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I hope I don't disappoint with this one. Once again there's some medical stuff in his chapter, I apologize if it's not a 100% accurate, I tried my best.

Self Preservation-Chapter Ten

Mickey just stands there for a minute, hoping that maybe Mandy would get pissed off with his silence and just walk away. Apparently his plan didn't work for the very next second Mandy asks again, "Tell me, Mickey. What the hell is going on with you and Ian?"

Mickey can't look his sister in the eye, his eyes fall to the floor.

"Mickey…" Mandy tries again in a gentle voice. "Just tell me. I know there's something going on. You disappearing every night. Now I hear that Fiona is texting you about Ian. What the hell's going on?"

And it's the look in Mandy's eyes that cuts through Mickey like a knife. She's begging him to be honest with her. To tell her what the hell's going on. To stop keeping her in the dark. And Mandy knows how to pull at Mickey's heartstrings. She has always had the ability to make her brother do things that he normally would never dream of doing.

"We're kinda…"Mickey starts to say as he runs his hand through his hair because how the hell does he describe his relationship with Gallagher. They're not a couple. No fucking way. That's too gay for him to even say.

"You're kinda what?" Mandy asks.

Mickey closes his eyes because what he's about to say he hasn't said to anyone else, "We're kinda…." Then Mickey says in a questioning tone "together."

That's probably the best way to describe what he and Ian are. They fuck like rabbits when they get the chance. Mickey hasn't fucked anyone since he and Ian started, and he knows that's the same with Gallagher. Mickey doesn't always tell firecrotch to shut the fuck up when the younger is in the mood to ramble on some shit. He doesn't kick Ian out of bed nearly as much as he used to when they first started fucking. That's stuff that people who are together do, right?

"Together as in?" Mandy says.

Jesus does he need to draw his sister a fucking picture?

"Together as we fuck." Mickey says softly.

Mandy's jaw drops, "You and Ian fuck? But, Ian's gay that means you're gay too. Like you like getting it up the ass gay."

Mickey shakes his head at Mandy's way of explaining things.

"Jesus, Mands. I fucking know what gay means!" Mickey exclaims.

"Ian's gay. You're gay? You're gay together?" Mandy puts together with a puzzled look on her face.

Mickey rolls his eyes, "Yes, I like cock. Okay. It doesn't mean that I wear pink underwear and want to go shopping with you at the mall." Mickey explains.

The ex-con thinks that his sister is going to make another stupid fucking comment. But, she doesn't. Instead a look of realization hits her face. She starts pacing back and forth in their living room. "That explains it. It didn't make sense at the time, but when you add it all together it does. Like when Ian asked me if I went to visit you in juvie after Kash shot you. Or when Ian insisted on coming with me to pick you up when you got out of juvie. Wait a second, is that why Kash shot you?" Mandy asks as she looks at her brother.

Mickey nods his head.

Mandy lights a cigarette and continues, "And you went after the Daniels brothers. It wasn't because you were upset that I was crying. It's because they broke what's yours, and you hate it when that happens. You broke Pauly's hand, like Ian's is. That wasn't business. It was personal." Mandy takes another drag of her cigarette and then she smiles softly, "That's why you don't mind Debs always being over here. Ian's told me how she always gets shoved to the side when shit goes down, and I bet he told you the same thing. That's why you haven't told her to get lost yet."

When Mandy stops speaking, Mickey responds "You done, Oprah?"

"I won't tell anyone, Mickey. Not dad, Iggy, no one." Mandy promises.

"I know you won't." Mickey responds, and he knows that's true. Mandy and he have always looked out for each other, and whenever they promised each something they always kept them.

Mandy gives him a shit eating grin.

"What the fuck is so funny?" Mickey asks.

Mandy just laughs.

"We're not gonna have fucking sleepovers and tell each other stories about the guys we fucked." Mickey says.

"Is Ian a good fuck? I bet he's a screamer." Mandy asks with a grin.

He's never gonna fucking hear the end of this. "I'm not answering that."

"Please, you owe mw. You were fucking my boyfriend."

Mickey leans over and gives Mandy's right tit a hard twist. "I don't give a shit. I'm not answering it. My sex life is off limits. Are we clear?" Because telling his sister he's gay is one thing, but telling him the inner workings of his sex life is something entirely different.

Mandy nods her head and Mickey lets go. She gives him a hard smack in the arm.

Mickey smirks. "Now, I really need a beer. Do you want one?" Mickey asks as he's walking towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, give me one." Mandy answers

Mickey grabs a couple of beers from the fridge, and heads back to the living room. That didn't go too bad. Now if only, firecrotch will only get better. He would like to say that the main reason why he hopes Ian will get better is that way he can take some of the shit that Mandy's no doubt gonna dish out now that she knows about the two of them. But, he knows that there's a much deeper reason why as well.

XXXXX

Mickey's chewing gum in the vain attempt that Fiona and Lip won't smell the beer on his breath. He's happy that he was able to get out of doing those shots that Mandy was trying to get him to do. He knows that she was only trying to get him to do them in hopes of getting him to divulge some of the dirty details of his and Gallagher's relationship. Her nagging almost caused him to give in and do a shot when he got a text from Fiona

You should get down here.

It was that simple text that somewhat sobered Mickey up and made him all but run out of his house, with his sister in tow. They're silent as they walk from the El to the hospital. The situation at hand weighing heavily on their mind.

Mickey's not used to his sister being this quiet. Just an hour ago she was laughing and trying to trick him into telling if firecrotch was the top or the bottom. But then the ex-con got that dire five word text message. He didn't realize it, but he must have had a strange look on his face because all of his sister's giggling abruptly stopped. She asked him what was wrong, and he couldn't even tell her. Funny, just a little while before that he told her that he's gay but, he couldn't get out the few words that Fiona texted him. He settled for showing his sister the text. After she read it, she told him in a few clipped words that they were going to the fucking hospital.

Those words were the last that his sister said to him since they left their house. Neither speaks again until they reach the hospital door.

"It's bad, isn't it Mick?" Mandy whispers.

Mickey's heart skips a beat for Mandy's the only other one other than Ian that he lets call him Mick.

"It's bad." Mickey answers simply as they head towards the bank of elevators.

"What exactly is wrong with him?" Mandy asks.

Mickey rubs his bottom lip, "The staples in his wrist got infected. It's bad."

"Bad, how?"

"He has a fever of like 104. He's fucking delirious. He's not making any sense." Mickey says as he hits the button for the fourth floor.

"Jesus."

The siblings walk off the elevator and head towards Ian's room. They pass by Jimmy, who's on his phone, in the hallway. He doesn't seem too surprised to see the Milkovich's there. He's hoping that Jimmy thinks that he's just there for emotional support for his sister. Then again Jimmy has enough secrets, he should know how important it is to keep others'.

The Milkovich's walk in, and see Lip and Fiona sitting besides Gallagher. Fiona gives Mickey a small, tired smile.

"Oh my God, Ian!" Mandy says as she brings a hand to her mouth.

Lip jumps up from his chair and immediately goes to comfort his girlfriend.

With Lip comforting his sister, Mickey is able to step closer to Ian's bedside. He thought that Gallagher looked awful before, he was wrong. Firecrotch looks so much worse now. His cheeks are a deep red, his freckles sticking out more than they usually do. Even though you can feel the heat coming off his body, his body is still wracked with chills. How the fuck can someone be so cold and hot at the same time?

As If his sister could read his mind, she asks "Why is he shivering? I thought he has a fever?"

Fiona turns around in her chair and answers, "He does. They put a cooling blanket on him. That could be why he's shivering."

With his arm wrapped out around his girlfriend Lip explains, "The body's basic defense mechanism to fight an infection is to raise its temperature. The shivering is just another way to help generate heat."

"Why can't they get it to stop?" Mandy asks, sincerely.

That's what Mickey wants to know.

"They're trying, Mandy. They're gonna give this anti-biotic another couple of hours, if it doesn't do what they want it to they're gonna try another one." Lip explains.

Mickey's only half listening to Lip and Mandy's conversation because most of his attention is on his Gallagher. He's no longer mumbling nonsense, and his eyes are open to tiny slits. Mickey doesn't like seeing Ian like this. He's too still. Even his arms are no longer moving in the restless way they were earlier. That's when Mickey sees that Ian's good wrist is secured to the bedrail in a thick cuff.

"He's in restraints," Mickey utters quietly.

Fiona gets up from her chair, and stands near Mickey. "They had to, Mickey. He tried ripping out his IV line. Luckily, Lip was able to stop him."

"Fuck!" Mickey curses. "How high is his fever?"

"Last time the nurses checked it, it was at 104.2." Fiona leans in closer to Mickey so that he can only hear, "I really hate to do this, but can you stay with him for awhile?" Fiona pushes a piece of hair behind her ear, "I need to tell Debbie and Carl what's going on."

Mickey nods his head silently. He doesn't envy Fiona at all. He can only imagine how the two rugrats are gonna take the news. Well, he knows that it's gonna hit Debs hard. He really doesn't know how the little sociopath will take it. He has tried to stay clear from the kid because the nutcase freaks him the hell out.

"I guess I should try and find Frank too. Let him know what the hell's going on," Fiona says in a louder voice.

Mickey's gaze turns from Ian to Fiona. Like hell he should be here. It was his stupid fucking bet that put Ian in the hospital in the first place.

"What the hell, Fiona!" Lip yells. "You're gonna tell Frank about Ian, so what. So he can show up here, inebriated? I thought that nurses and doctors wanted us to keep Ian calm. Do you think having him here is gonna actually help him?"

"Damn it, Lip! I'm just gonna tell him that Ian's sick. I'm not gonna ask him to play the role of father of the year." Fiona tries to defend herself.

Lip throws his hands up in exasperation, "Why should you give him the courtesy? He didn't give us the courtesy of letting us know that Pauly and Ronny Daniels were looking for him. He hasn't once asked about how Ian's doing. Hell, it took a day to fucking find him after Ian was attacked!"

Mandy tries to interject, "Lip, calm down."

Sensing the tension in the room, Ian lifts his head from the pillow and begins to mumble "stop…stop…no fighting." The hand of his restrained arm is clenched into a fist.

Mickey bends down and whispers so softly that only Ian can hear what he's saying, "Easy, man. Everything's okay."

"Yeah, well. You didn't have the damn courtesy to-"Fiona says.

"What the hell is going on in here?!" Jimmy says as he rushes back into the room. "Did you guys forget that you're in the hospital?"

Lip and Fiona both back down. But, Ian's muttering continues, "stop…stop."

Fiona turns her attention back to her brother. Mickey stands back to give the siblings room. Fiona gently rubs Ian's arm, "Take it easy, Ian. No more fighting. We're gonna get going." She glances over at Mickey," Mickey'll be here." She bends down and kisses her brother's hot forehead, "Love you, E."

Learning that Mickey's going to stay has the desired effect for Ian's mumbling has stopped and instead he remains silent.

She stands up and gives Mickey a small smile. "Take good care of him Mickey," she says quietly.

Mickey nods his head and she takes Jimmy's outstretched hand and the couple leaves the room.

Then Lip and Mandy make their way to Ian's bedside. "Hey bro, I'm gonna get going too. I gotta help Fiona with the kids. I'll be back later. I promise." He gently pats his brother on the hand.

Mandy bends down and gently kisses Ian on the cheek, "You better get better, Ian. You're the best boyfriend I ever had."

Lip gives her a look.

She smacks him gently. "I meant to say that he's my best ex-boyfriend." She then turns to her brother, and gives him a hug. "Bye, Mick. Call me if you need anything."

Mickey returns the hug and nods his head. "I will." He quickly disentangles himself from his sister's embrace because he has gotten way too experienced with hugs as of late because of Gallagher's kid sister. "Now get the fuck out of here."

She gives him one last look and heads for the door with Lip.

Now that they're alone Mickey takes the seat by his lover's bedside. He rubs his hand across his face. "Jesus, firecrotch. Nothing can ever be simple with you, can it?"

He looks into Ian's eyes and sees that they're open more now. They're glazed but for the first time since Ian's gotten sick it seems that he's actually looking at Mickey, not thru him. "Mick…" he whispers.

"Hey, firecrotch. You with me?" the ex-con asks uncertainly.

The redhead nods his head and moves his lips like a fish out of water, "thirsty."

"You want some water?"

Ian nods his head, and Mickey pours a cup of water from the pitcher that's on the tray. Ian goes to lift his hand to take the cup, but realizes he can't because of the restraints.

"Why…tied down."

Mickey explains "Apparently you tried ripping out your IV. They had no choice."

"Don't want…tied down…don'…tied." Ian says, his aggravation is clear with his rising voice and the frantic attempt to move his restrained arm back and forth.

"Hey! Take it a fucking easy!" Mickey says as he puts down the cup of water. He looks around to make sure that no nurses are around. Satisfied that they're alone, Mickey leans over the bed and unstraps Ian's wrist from the bedrail. "Here you go." He says as he helps Ian bring the cup to his lips. Ian greedily sips from the cup, and when he has his fill he falls back into bed.

"As long as you behave, I'll keep the cuff off. But, if you cause a scene and Rachel has to come in here and I get bitched at then I'll personally put it back on you. Got it?" Mickey reasons.

Ian nods his head and with what looks like some kind of comprehension. He whispers, "got it."

"Good." Mickey says with a smirk.

Ian then closes his eyes and drifts off into a restless sleep. Every so often he lets out a pained moan and mumbles some nonsense. When he moves his arm restlessly, Mickey gently eases it back down onto the bed and threatens lightly "Easy, firecrotch. Keep that up, and I'll put the restraint back on." When he's not making idle threats or hesitantly putting his hand on Ian's overheated hand, he sits and watches Ian fade in and out of a fevered sleep. It's not like he has anything else to do.

Chapter Eleven Sneak Peak; Ian's fighting with everything he has. But, is it enough? Debs doesn't take the news of her brother's condition too well.