"Geez flame brain, how many time are you gonna upchuck? Seriously, it's disgusting"
Natsu wiped his lips as he lay back down on the bed, glaring daggers at Gray.
"Shut up stripper, you'd be puking your guts out too if you had cancer"
The group was waiting patiently for doctor Nightingale to show up, and so far since lunch Natsu's deposited three bedpans worth of horrible smelling gunk. Natsu and Gray bickered back and forth between bites of hospital food garbage during lunch and wouldn't stop until Erza threaten to beat the everloving crap out of them. They've been quiet so far, that is until Gray couldn't stand to watch the pinkette barf any longer...
"Quit while your ahead. Dr. Nightingale will be in any second now"
They shut up quickly, not wanting Erza angry. She's a demon when she's angry...
Just then a young man walked in, his white lab coat covering his blue scrubs.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Nightingale. I'm Mr. Dragneel's oncologist"
Did I mention he's handsome?
Lucy's jaw dropped, recognizing the man instantly.
"David?!"
"We meet again, Lucy, sooner than I hoped"
"Your Natsu's oncologist?"
"Of course"
"Why..."
"Suprise"
"Yay?"
"Uh, hi" Natsu interjected, confusion present in his tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's wonderful to meet you Mr. Dragneel. I'm your oncologist"
"Natsu. Nice tah meet yah too Mr. Doctor-person"
They shook hands, Natsu sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"And you are..."
"Erza, a friend. And this is Gray and Happy"
"A pleasure to meet you"
Once everyone was acquainted, Dr. Nightingale opened the chart in his hands.
"So, it looks like your white blood cell count is abnormal"
"Yeah..."
WTF?
"In-fused court? What's that?"
Dr. Nightingale looked up from Natsu's chart at the slaphappy pinkette. The debilitated dragon slayer's head was inclined to the right as his obsidian eyes blinked rapidly. Gray was passed out on the chair across the room and Erza had gone to retrieve some awful tasting juice from the cafeteria to quench the ill boy's thirst. Happy was munching merrily on a fish oblivious to his surroundings. Only Lucy was paying any heed to the young doctor's words.
"Infusacourt? Isn't that the valve that is inserted into the body to get easy access to the vain?" Lucy inquired, her eyebrow perked up in question. Nightingale chuckled, smiling at the blonde's question.
"You really know your facts Miss Heartfilia. Yes, the Infusacourt is implanted into the patient's chest onto the vain. When the skin heals it provides easy access to the vain when we need to inject him with a needle"
The blonde contemplated for a moment before placing a hand on the still be withered dragon slayer. "Wouldn't that imply surgery then?" At this point Natsu's eyes had widened significantly as he swallowed a lump in his parched throat. Lucy noticed his anxiety and clutched his hand in comfort.
"Yes, it is a surgical procedure but the operation is minor. He should be out of the operating room within less than three hours at best" Nightingale concluded just as Erza stepped into the room.
"Surgery?" the reequip mage checked handing her ill friend his drink. Natsu gulped the acidic liquid down, smacking his lips when his cup was empty. The red head frowned crossly at Nightingale expectantly waiting for the doctor to fill her in on the details of this so called 'surgery'.
The young male cleared his throat before continuing on with his explanation.
"I believe the Infusacourt would be the best protocol to go with for now. It would be easier to inject chemo directly into his veins rather than poking up his arm"
The redhead nodded returning her piercing gaze onto the pinkette. His eyebrows furrowed as he grimaced to himself. Lucy shared a look with the reequip mage before placing a delicate hand on his hunched shoulder. Jerking her hand back the moment he flinched the dragon slayer grinned weakly at her as his gaze filled with rueful apology.
"Sorry Lucy, it just stings when you touch there" returning hiss attention towards the doctor he quirked an eyebrow "How much jewel will the surgery cost?"
Nightingale looked thoughtful for a moment. As the doctor estimated the total cost in his mind Lucy and Erza began an argument with the suborn dragon slayer.
"Natsu we don't care about the cost! Everyone in Fairy Tail is working extra hard to collect money so you can get better!"
"But it's expensive! None of us have any money for it"
"Since when have you been concerned with money?"
"Since I couldn't pay for anything because I'm too sick to go on jobs!" Natsu hollered "I'm a grown man and I have to be taken care of like a baby by the whole guild Lucy!" By now the blonde mage was silent.
"I'm a burden"
Charcoal eyes squinted as sunbeams shone onto the perspiring skin of his face, making locks of cherry tresses fasten to the young man's forehead. Groaning, he sat up in his cot blinking away the bleariness from his tired eyes. A glass of humid water sat beside his bedside seemingly poured the night before into a blue plastic cup; letting him know the nurses hadn't been in his room that morning. Turning his head he stared up at the clock in his hospital room. Surprisingly it was only six in the morning. Rounds didn't start until eight meaning he had a whole two hours before anyone would come in to poke at him. Returning his gaze to the cup of water he decided to get up and check the room for anything else someone might have left. Tossing the blanket off himself he took hold of his IV stand and using all his remaining strength pushed himself out of the bed. It wasn't like him to be this drained or frail but ever since chemo therapy started life seemed to be a living hell. He could also tell by how the doctors and nurses checked on him less frequently that it seemed to be working; which was both a plus and a minus. It was a plus because he can go home soon and a minus because the guild was going to be all over him.
Shuffling across the room he noticed the small table in the corner bearing 'Get Well Soon' presents and cards atop it. Chuckling he picked up a piece of paper taped to a small box. The handwritten note was addressed to him.
Natsu,
The entire guild is visiting today around 10:00am this morning to see how you are. Do NOT forget.
Erza
Crumbling the note up and throwing it onto the bed three feet behind him he tore open the package that came along with it. Inside was a burgundy beanie with a black rim to make it seem somewhat gangsta. Two months prior after he had started chemo his hair started to fall out slowly. In order to stop the shedding he decided to just shave it all off; even if it did make him bald for the time being. Silently thanking his redheaded sister-figure he slipped the hat on over his head. It fit snuggly around the width of his head, covering down to his ears. Throwing the empty box in the garbage bin next to the table he decided to go through his other 'presents' later when the guild came. Trudging back to his hospital bed he lay down letting his cap covered head rest against the wall. Sleepiness began to wash over him as he finally felt extremely tuckered out; sinking under the warm covers. His heavy eyelids closed shut and he drifted into dreamless sleep.
.
.
.
"Mr. Dragneel?" Natsu's eyelids opened groggily as he let out a pained moan; his head pounding in agitation. Staring at the doctor in front of him he blinked the blurriness from his watery eyes, irritated by the commotion. Sitting up he opened his lips to answer, but before he could say a word he became faint and nauseous. A nurse quickly stuck a thermometer in his mouth, telling him to move it under his tongue. Doing as he was told he heard a small beep come from the object and the nurse jerked it out of his mouth.
"His temperature is normal Doctor" Nodding the white-coated man noted it on his chart; his brow furrowed. "Send him to CT for a Neuro-scan as quickly as possible. It's emergent"
"Right on it doctor" Natsu was pushed onto his back as they pushed up the bedrails. Rolling him out the door he leaned over emptying the contents of his stomach onto the feet of doctors and nurses. Mumbling an apology under his breath he stared up at the ceiling blocking out the noise coming from the background. Drowsily he closed his eyes, drowning in the peaceful darkness once again.
