Another fill for my Bad Things Happen Bingo card! For the Sports Injury square!
Ignis' phone ringing wasn't an unusual occurrence. In fact, it rang rather often during the day with all the people who wanted something from him. Very rarely, the calls were of actual importance; most of the time people called because they wanted him to fix whatever they messed up.
What was unusual was that it was an unknown number calling him. Ignis' number wasn't just available to everyone. It being a work phone meant it was reserved for people associated with the citadel, period. And since he, plainly put, didn't have a life outside the citadel, there was no need for anyone else to have his number, either.
The unknown number caught him off guard, so it took him a few seconds longer to pick it up than it normally would as he considered if he should answer at all. In the end, there was always a chance something was wrong with Noct, though, and it was his duty and his pride to ensure Noct's well-being.
"Scientia speaking."
"Mr. Scientia? You were listed as Prompto Argentum's emergency contact, is that right?"
Ignis sat up straight, suddenly on high alert. "Who am I talking to? Is Prompto alright?"
There was noise in the background, but nothing that helped him figure out where the call was coming from. The caller was a woman he didn't recognize, but even though emergency contacts were for emergencies, she didn't sound terribly concerned.
"Oh, sorry, this is Prompto's track coach. He injured himself at practice today so I took him to the hospital. Your number is filed as his emergency contact in the school's system. Do you think you'll be able to pick him up?"
Already standing, Ignis closed his laptop and grabbed his keys. "I'm on my way."
He hoped Prompto wasn't hurt too badly. Aside from his own fondness of the boy, Noctis wouldn't forgive himself if anything grave happened to his best friend while he was away of all times.
Accompanied by Gladio, Noct was off to pay a diplomatic visit to a small principality and would only return by the end of the week. He'd complained about having to go for months, especially because it was a well-known fact that the ruler was looking to have his currently ten-year-old daughter marry Noctis. Virtually everyone shared Noct's opinion on the matter, the opinion being "What the hell, that's gross!", marriage of children that young having been abolished in Lucis over a century ago. Regardless, the visit had to be paid by both King and Prince, and so there was little anyone could do about it.
Due to evening traffic, the drive to the hospital took longer than Ignis would've liked. Even more so since he still didn't know what exactly was wrong with Prompto, and if there was anyone with him.
"My name is Ignis Scientia. I'm here for Prompto Argentum, his coach brought him here earlier today," he told the young man at the front desk.
But whilst the receptionist was still typing Prompto's name into the computer, a woman approached them.
"I've got it," she said to the man. "Mr. Scientia, I'm Prompto's coach. I'll take you to him."
Thanking the young man, Ignis followed Prompto's coach. "Thank you for contacting me…"
"Raymond. Izabelle Raymond. Prompto's not badly injured, but he dislocated his kneecap at practice. Poor boy's gonna be in some pain for a while."
Ignis nodded, relieved. A dislocated kneecap, whilst very painful and restricting, was neither life-threatening nor likely to leave permanent damage. Prompto would be alright, even more so because Ignis was going to ensure he was receiving only the best care from the Citadel's own physicians.
The coach led him to the room in which Prompto was being treated. "Prompto? Mr. Scientia is here."
The scene they walked in on tugged at Ignis' heartstrings. Prompto was alone in the room, lying on the examination table with his leg propped up and encased in a knee brace. The colour had drained from his face and he was even paler than usual., and his eyes were closed, but he opened them when he heard Ms. Raymond's voice.
"Hey, Iggy," he said with a weak and very obviously fake smile. He looked thoroughly exhausted and miserable, his expression tight When he made to sit up, he winced as the movement jarred his leg.
Quickly, Ignis made his way over to the table. He reached out and brushed his hand over Prompto's hair in an affectionate gesture, pretending not to notice how Prompto unconsciously leaned into the touch.
"Prompto, your coach told me what happened. How do you feel?" Ignis let his hand rest on Prompto's shoulder, granting him the comfort of physical touch without making him ask for it.
Prompto shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I mean, it hurts, but the doctor said all the ligaments are okay. Sorry I made you come here. I told Coach she didn't have to call you, but…"
"Nonsense, I'm glad she did. No need to worry," Ignis assured him, then looked at the coach. "Ms. Raymond, I must thank you for taking Prompto to the hospital and for staying with him until now."
"No problem. I'll leave it to you then," she said easily and smiled at Prompto. "Rest up, Prompto. I don't want to see you at practice until you're fully healed."
"Got it. Thanks, Coach," Prompto said, giving her a little wave when she left the room.
Ignis looked around the room and found an uncomfortable-looking plastic chair to sit in. "I assume your doctor will return shortly?"
"Yeah. Said she had to get some papers to sign and stuff," Prompto confirmed.
Right on cue, the doctor walked in. "Ah, Mr. Argentum. I see someone arrived to pick you up. Is he your legal guardian? He needs to sign these papers."
Prompto shook his head. "No, but it's fine. I'm an emancipated minor, I can sign them myself."
Ignis frowned. That would explain why Prompto had chosen him as his emergency contact as opposed to a parent, but it was still rather odd. Due to the mandatory background check required for anyone associated with Noctis, he knew Prompto did, in fact, still live with his adoptive parents, both of which were in good health. From an outside point of view, there appeared to be no reason for Prompto to emancipate himself.
Prompto, upon catching Ignis' pensive expression, hurried to clarify, "It's not some tragic backstory or anything, my parents are just away a lot and let me become a legal adult for cases like these."
Ignis still thought that was rather tragic, leaving a child alone often enough to warrant legal emancipation, but he knew better than to voice these thoughts, especially in front of a stranger.
"Well then, you can go right ahead and sign them," the doctor said. "You can go home when you're done. I brought you some painkillers, you can take two pills at a time but with at least four hours in between two doses. Weight-bearing on the leg as tolerated, and I'd like to see you back next week to see if everything is healing nicely and to discuss physical therapy."
"Excuse me," Ignis cut in and handed her a business card. "I'd like to transfer him to the Citadel's own physicians. If you could send the x-rays and other necessary information to the head of department, that'd be much appreciated."
"The… Citadel?" the doctor repeated, shooting Prompto a doubtful look. "Sure, if the patient agrees. You'll have to sign this too, though."
"Uh, yeah, yeah, that's fine," Prompto quickly said, signing the additional file the doctor gave him and handed all signed papers back.
Once the doctor left, he took a deep breath and grabbed the crutches that were leaning against the wall. "Alright, let's do this."
"Do be careful," Ignis reminded him, hovering close in case he fell while trying not to seem overbearing. He wasn't sure he was very successful in that, though.
Getting out of the hospital and to the car was a slow and painful ordeal. Prompto was barely putting any weight on his leg, but he didn't once voice his discomfort despite the obvious pain he was in.
"I suppose you were already given pain medication?" Ignis asked after he'd helped Prompto into the backseat so he could put his leg up. If he was, he couldn't take Prompto to the Citadel to have him healed with potions straight away; magic and medication weren't compatible and could cause further harm if they were combined.
"Yeah. They gave me some before they popped my knee back in place, and some more before you arrived."
"I see. In that case, I'm afraid you'll have to make it through the night without further treatment, but I'll take you to the Citadel's doctors first thing tomorrow morning. Your parents aren't available, are they? I don't want you home alone, so I'll take you to my own apartment," Ignis mused, more thinking out loud than actually stating as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.
"What? No, no, Iggy, it's okay, really! You've already gone out of your way to pick me up, you can just drop me off at home and I'll be out of your hair!" Prompto protested from the backseat.
"I will do no such thing. I can, however, stop at your place to retrieve anything you might need for the night if you wish."
"Oh, man," Prompto moaned, "No, it's fine. I don't need anything. Uh, thank you. For taking me home with you, I mean."
"Of course," Ignis assured him. He'd almost feel offended that Prompto genuinely seemed to think he would just abandon him at his empty home after suffering an injury if he hadn't been well aware of Prompto's anxiety and general self-worth issues. Something they really needed to work on, he thought.
Luckily, Ignis' apartment building had a working elevator. He would've hated to make Prompto walk up stairs with a fresh leg injury considering Ignis lived on the sixth floor.
He held the door open for Prompto and directed him to the couch before disappearing to the bedroom to fetch him some spare pillows for his leg.
"Have you eaten today?" he asked. He knew Prompto had had a habit of only bringing a sandwich or a salad for lunch before Ignis had started packing meals for him alongside with Noct's. With Noct not attending school all week, there had been no opportunity to provide Prompto with food either. In retrospect, Ignis should have ensured Prompto was going to be fed whether Noct was there or not.
"Yeah, I got a sandwich from the cafeteria," Prompto confirmed his suspicions.
"In that case, you must be hungry. It's about dinner time anyway." Ignis didn't stick around to wait for a reply. It was only going to be Prompto telling him he needn't bother, anyway.
Prompto liked spicy food, and Ignis wanted to make a comfort food of sorts. He thought a moment before snapping his fingers; spicy ramen would do nicely.
The apartment was quiet aside from the noise he made in the kitchen as he cooked. He'd stepped out of the kitchen briefly to tell Prompto he was welcome to watch television or play on the gaming system he owned - thanks to Noct - but never used, to pass the time until the food was ready, but Prompto had politely declined. That, plus the lack of Prompto's usual cheerful chatter was proof that he wasn't doing so great, even though he was being remarkably brave about his more than unfortunate situation.
Ignis added an extra dash of chili flakes to the ramen even though he himself didn't handle spiciness too well, hoping it wouldn't leave him coughing and sputtering, before distributing it into two bowls and carrying them out into the living room. He normally had a strict no-food-on-my-couch rule, one he had to fight hard to enforce with Noct, but tonight he would make an exception.
"Careful, it's hot," he said, handing Prompto a bowl. Balancing his own bowl, full to the brim with ramen, he sat down in the armchair on the other side of the table.
"Aw, Iggy, you really didn't have to. Thank you," Prompto said, cheeks red with embarrassment at the unfamiliarity of care and attention. His expression, upon closer inspection, was more relaxed than before, so the painkillers had most likely kicked in by now.
"Oh, I'm aware. Rest assured, it was no trouble at all. In fact, I would have cooked for myself, anyway. It is a lot less lonely this way."
That wasn't entirely the truth. Ignis was guilty of skipping meals himself at times, mainly because he lost track of the time, deemed it less important than his other duties, or simply forgot. Tonight, one of the three would most likely have occurred as well, considering he didn't have to cook for Noct this week. But Prompto didn't need to know that.
"If you say so… Mh, this is like, so good! I love spicy food!"
Ignis smiled innocently. "Do you now?"
The smile wavered immediately upon taking the first mouthful of his own ramen and having to force himself not to cough as the food set his mouth and throat on fire. In retrospect, he should probably have made the bowl for himself without the extra chili flakes. How Prompto could enjoy this was truly beyond him.
Thankfully, Prompto was too engrossed in his meal to notice Ignis' fight against his food. After the first few bites, though, he laid down his fork and hesitantly looked over at Ignis.
"So… about that whole emergency contact business… I'm sorry I gave them your number, and without asking you, too. It's just, I had to put someone, and my parents aren't home often and I get sick like, never, so I didn't think they'd ever have to call anyway. You were the first person that came to my mind, but tomorrow I'll drop by the office and tell them to change it, I promise."
Ignis was mildly impressed by Prompto's ability to ramble this much without taking a breath in between, but there was a lot to unpack in what he said.
"First of all, you won't attend school tomorrow. I already told you we are going to the Citadel to have your knee healed, but after that, you'll be coming home with me again to rest for the day. I'll inform the school of your absence in the morning. Second," he said firmly, making Prompto close his mouth again before he had the chance to protest, "I'll remain your emergency contact. I will, however, need to call the office myself and ask them to add Gladio's number as well in case I am unavailable."
Prompto's eyes went wide. "Dude, no! Not Gladio too!"
"I'm afraid yes," Ignis told him, trying not to smile. "If I find myself unable to come for any reason, Gladio will gladly be there in my stead."
"Don't you two have super stuffed schedules with all sorts of royal things to do?" Prompto half-pleaded. It was rather amusing, but even more so, it was heartbreaking to see how desperately he tried to avert the attention from himself and insisted that nobody trouble themselves over him.
"We do, but even in the busiest of schedules, there is always time for a friend," Ignis said gently but in a way that left no room for argument.
This time, Prompto's stare was one of awe and happiness. "You… mean that?"
"Of course. Now, do eat up. There's more in the kitchen, by the way."
Prompto smiled softly down at his bowl. "Thanks, Iggy."
Prompto accepted a second helping of the ramen and curled up as much as he could with his knee afterward as Ignis turned on the TV and selected a movie he thought Prompto might like, but he only made it halfway through the movie before he was visibly fighting to remain awake.
"Perhaps you should relocate before you fall asleep. I daresay my couch is rather comfortable, but there is a perfectly good bed ready for you to sleep in," Ignis pointed out, amused.
Trying - and failing spectacularly - to suppress a yawn, Prompto nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You got a guest room? I don't mind sleeping on the couch, you know."
"I don't doubt that," Ignis said, helping Prompto stand. "I'd still rather you sleep in a real bed."
He did not, in fact, have a guest room. Mostly due to the distinct lack of both space and guests, and the few times Noct had stayed over, Ignis had simply let him sleep in his own bed. Such was also the plan with Prompto tonight, although if he were to tell him there was only the one bed, surely he would insist on being the one to sleep on the couch. Therefore, it was easier to simply avoid the question and redirect Prompto to his room. Chances were he was too tired to notice, anyway.
Prompto gingerly made his way towards the bedroom door, grimacing. "I don't suppose I get another painkiller?"
Ignis checked his watch, deciding there was enough time until they went to see the doctors. "You may have two pills for the night, although tomorrow morning you'll have to do without. Magic needs to work on its own and cannot be mixed with medication, or we would be at risk of doing you more harm than good."
He went to get a glass of water and Prompto's painkillers from his backpack. When he returned to the bedroom, Prompto was already wrapped up in the blanket, leg carefully elevated on a few pillows.
"This bed feels like actual clouds," he declared, taking the pills and the glass with a grateful smile.
"I imagine actual clouds would feel rather wet and not at all pleasant," Ignis pointed out.
Prompto rolled his eyes, but the effect was lost due to the fluffy blanket all around him. "You must be fun at parties."
"Yes, very. Good night, Prompto. Rest, I'll wake you up in time tomorrow."
Prompto yawned, burrowing even deeper into the blanket- Ignis hadn't thought it possible. "Night, Iggy."
Ignis, unsurprisingly, was up before Prompto. When he checked, the boy was still fast asleep, and so Ignis let him sleep some more while he showered and made breakfast.
Then, keeping his promise from last night, he phoned the school's office both to notify them of Prompto's absence and to update Prompto's emergency contacts with Gladio's contact info.
Finally, he went to rouse Prompto and was greeted with a smile and a delightfully comprehensive "Good morning," which was a welcome change from the experience of waking Noct in the mornings.
After breakfast, Ignis helped Prompto into the car to go see the Citadel's head physician. He found himself looking forward to Prompto's treatment; having had to deny him pain medication this morning even though his knee was clearly aching had done strange things to Ignis' heart despite the necessity of it.
And so, he felt nearly as much relief as Prompto did when the doctor, after carefully feeling around Prompto's knee to make sure everything was still aligned, cracked a potion over the injured leg.
"Your knee is healed the same way it would if it had healed naturally, but you're still going to need physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles around your knee. That way, your knee is less likely to dislocate again," the doctor explained. "Until then, you are to wear a brace to stabilize your knee, and you shouldn't participate in gym class just yet. Other than that, you can walk on it normally. Lord Scientia, you've informed me that you'll personally be handling Mr. Argentum's physiotherapy?"
"Gladiolus Amicitia will," Ignis corrected. "Prompto, Gladio will be your physiotherapist. He's had a full education in the field following Prince Noctis' injury. If you're alright with that, you'll be in very capable hands."
Eagerly, Prompto nodded. "Of course! I mean, if Gladio doesn't mind. Maybe I'll even end up all muscly like him!"
"You should tell him that. I'm sure he'll work out a nice, intense training plan just for you if you ask nicely."
"Uh… you know what, maybe I don't wanna become all muscly after all," Prompto laughed nervously as he slid off the table to test his leg. Delighted, he beamed at the doctor when he realized it didn't hurt at all to put weight on it anymore. "Thanks for fixing me up, doc!"
The doctor, looking terribly amused at his antics, bid them goodbye and sent them on their way.
"So, this really earned me today off? Even though it's all good now?" Prompto asked on the way back to the car.
"Indeed it did. You can still catch up on your homework, of course," Ignis teased.
"Ugh. Only if you let me destroy you in a video game afterward. You can even choose the game," Prompto tried to negotiate.
"Very well. I'll see how you… destroy me."
When they got back home, Ignis fucking obliterated him in the game.
This one was a pain to write, but I hope it brought you some joy!
I'm also on Twitter ( Butterfly_OnIce) and Tumblr (thisfairytalegonebad), and even on Discord too (thisfairytalegonebad#2939) and I'm always happy to chat!