"Do you feel like you want to lie down again?" Hikaru asked standing next to the exam table in the doctor's office.
"I'm okay sitting up." Kaoru replied, though he was still tired.
"You're going to tell me if you do right?"
"If I feel like I need to,you'll know." Hikaru remained skeptical.
The twins had been waiting for what felt like hours. Hikaru knew Kaoru was tired again. He hoped they could go home soon so his brother could sleep.
"What's taking them so long?" Hikaru sighed.
I'm not the only one who needs to see the doctor Hika. Everyone has to -"
"But you're not everyone,you're my brother. They need to get in here."
"Hikaru, I know you want to be done here, so do I, but if you want to go and -"
"You know better than that Kaoru,I'm not going to leave you." Hikaru insisted.
"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable and anxious about this visit. The worst thing that the doctor can say is I'm not ready to go back to school yet. If that happens,I'll have you to make that happen." Hikaru forced Kaoru to look into his eyes.
"What matters is that you see the doctor,not my comfort."
"You know that when you have anxiety, I get it from watching you. It's important for both of us to -"
"Damn it Kaoru, you're sick,stop making excuses to worry about me. Yes, I know you have anxiety when I do,but it's not getting to you right now so you have the chance to -" The conversation was cut short by the doctor's arrival. She smiled warmly as she greeted them.
"So Kaoru,you're here for a follow up for pneumonia?" Kaoru nodded.
"How have you been feeling this last week?"
"He's been really tired, he would walk around just a little bit and then need to lie down." Kaoru shook his head.
"I can answer the questions myself Hika."
"I know you can,I just don't want you to forget anything."The doctor chuckled softly.
"You're very fortunate Kaoru, to have a brother who cares about you so much."
"You're right, I am. Hikaru's been taking care of me since I started feeling sick. I don't know what I'd do without him."
"Don't worry little brother,you're not going to find out."Kaoru smiled.
"Promise big brother?" Hikaru hugged him.
"I promise."
"Should we get started?" The doctor asked, Kaoru nodded and allowed her to place the stethoscope on his chest,she noticed that he winced when she did this.
"Does your chest hurt?"
"It's still aching a little."
"Your heart rate is better, you should rest when it bothers you. It's from being sick and coughing so much. It does go away," she moved to check his lunges followed by his belly.
"Have you been eating?"
"A little, I haven't really wanted much."
"I talked to my nurse about Hikaru's concern with your fever and I understand its a lot better but you can't seem to get rid of it. I'm going to give you something to help. Another week taking it easy at home should help too. You don't have to stay in bed the entire time but until you're chest feels better it's best to rest when you need you get home, continue to work on slowly getting back to your activities. Under the circumstances,with the first medicine not working,you're healing very well, Hikaru,you'd be a great doctor." Hikaru shook his head.
"I doubt it, I was just being a big brother, Kaoru needed me." The doctor nodded.
"You must love him very much,there are siblings that would've arranged for their ill brother or sister to be cared for by someone else. If you hadn't spoken up when I asked if you had someone who could look after him at home, I would have had him stay in the hospital, you did very well."
"See Hika, I told you that you were taking good care of me."Hikaru smiled.
"Yeah, you did Kao." He said softly.
"Well then, I'll write you a prescription and I want you to come back in a week just to be sure everything is still healing." After leaving the doctor's office and returning home, Hikaru walked with Kaoru back up to their room and the twins climbed into bed.
"I just want to sleep a little." Kaoru said moving close to his brother.
"Sleep as much as you need to, we're going to have visitors later,and you need your rest,you're not over it completely." Hikaru smiled when Kaoru fell asleep beside him,his brother was going to get better,he knew that now but if you were to ask Kaoru about his recovery,the younger twin would tell you that although the medicine helped,Hikaru was the real reason he was getting well, and of course the host club.