The Cure

Chapter 4

Gray entered the train station, immediately calling for help. The next few minutes were a blur as people helped him gather blankets and place Natsu in front of a warm fire. He called the doctor, who would be arriving any minute. He returned to Natsus side, holding his cold hand and praying he would pull through this. Stupid flame brain, why would he do this?! Gray thought, wishing he himself could warm the dragon slayer up. The doctor arrived, after checking Natsu over he pulled Gray to the side.

"He is suffering from sever hypothermia, as well as some serious injuries. Most look self inflicted, and need to be taken care of before we try to warm his body back up." said the doctor. "Unfortunately we don't have the tools required here, he needs to get to a hospital, quickly, or he might not pull through."

"How will we get him there? Ill do anything it takes to get him better doctor, he is my best friend Just tell me what I need to do!" he screamed, fearing for Natsus life.

"We need to keep his body cold, preferable just below freezing, until we can get him to the hospital. The closest one is a half days journey by train. Ill talk to the station master and see if there are any trains running where we need to go. Then ill call the hospital and let them know we are on the way." he said, turning to leave.

Gray returned to Natsus side, holding his hand and shivering despite the warm fire at his back. He would make sure the pinkette pulled through this. He would do whatever it took to get Natsu better, so he could tell him that he Loved him. So he could thank him for everything he had done. The doctor came back a few minutes later, instructing Gray to encase Natsu in a thin layer of ice to keep his body from warming up, and they boarded a train destined for the hospital.

The train ride was quiet, Gray fully concentrating on Natsu, and making sure he replenished the ice as needed. He stayed by his side, entwining his fingers with the only part of the pinkette not frozen. When they finally arrived, Gray picked Natsu up carefully, carrying him from the station to the hospital, where he was whisked away on a stretcher to be taken care of. Gray sat in the waiting room, he couldn't do anything but think. He had called Lucy, and knew she would be arriving soon, but now he felt as if he had no purpose.

He kept waiting for some news, but any time a doctor entered, it was always for someone else. He watched as a father got the news his baby and wife were healthy. He saw an older lady break down after finding out her husband had cancer. He had spent over ten hours seeing other people laugh and cry, and he could do nothing. He felt someone grab his hand, and looking up saw that Lucy had finally arrived.

"How is he?" she asked, taking a seat beside him.

"I...i don't know." he said, finally feeling the grief over take him. Lucy took his hand, giving it a squeeze as Erza walked through the door.

"What did he do this time?" asked the redhead.

"He, well he basically froze himself. He is suffering from hypothermia. They cant treat that until the fix his wounds though."

"WOUNDS?" said Lucy questiningly. Gray shook his head.

"The doctor that gave the initial exam said he had multiple bad wounds. All self inflicted. I'm not sure of everything, but I'm waiting on the doctors to finish treating him so I know more." he said solemnly.

Just then a doctor walked up, "Family of Natsu Dragneel?" he asked looking around questioningly. Gray rose, walking to the doctors side. The doctor took him into a small room, asking him to take a seat.

"Mr. Fullbuster?" he asked. Gray shook his head and the doctor continued. "Mr. Dragneel had some pretty serious injuries, sir. They all looked self inflicted, almost like he was trying to …... end his life." he said hesitantly.

Gray looked shocked, "What all is wrong with him?!"

"Well, he has a broken leg, shattered really. Along with a wrist fracture and broken collarbone. He also has deep cuts along both arms, multiple small stab wounds, and some deeper ones on his chest and torso. We have to take our time heating his body, otherwise he could go into shock. This will take a lot of time to heal, but he should pull through physically. However, the emotional turmoil that put him in this position to begin with, will also need to be dealt with."

Gray couldn't believe what he was hearing, Natsu had actually harmed himself? He had tried to even Kill himself? What had pushed him that far?! The more Gray thought about it, the more he realized it. This was his fault. He had pushed Natsu into this with his callousness and uncaring attitude. His inability to remember the time they spent together. It was his fault Natsu was laying in a hospital bed now. Broken inside and out. This was all too much to handle. He left the small office, relaying the list of injuries to the others, and then left the hospital.

He walked the unfamiliar town, finding a small bar he sat down to drink. He drank until Erza found him, pulling him out by his ear and dragging him into a narrow alleyway.

"WHAT THE HELL GRAY!" she shouted. "Natsu is laying in the hospital, damn near dead, and you go and drink yourself into a stupor at some bar?! Do you even care about him at all?"

Gray looked up with murder in his eyes. He backhanded Erza, the first time he had ever raised his hand to the scary redhead. "OF COURSE I FUCKING CARE!" he yelled back, watching as Erza put a hand to the cheek he had slapped.

"I'm sorry for hitting you. Its all my fault Erza. ITS MY FAULT HE DID THIS! I'm the reason he is …... broken." he finished quietly, looking down at his feet. Suddenly Erza grabbed him in a fierce hug. She pulled him tightly against her, stroking his dark hair to calm him.

"Shhhh. Its OK Gray. Its not your fault. Natsu did this to himself."

"NO!" he screamed pulling back roughly, "it is my fault. Because I couldn't …... I couldn't remember Erza. I LOVED HIM AND I COULDNT REMEMBER! He has dealt with this pain on his own for so long, and now I might never get the chance to fix things!"

"You cant do anything when you are drunk, silly. This is just making things worse. You need to sober up and come back to the hospital. He needs you Gray. He needs all of us. I booked you a room, go sleep off the booze, and meet me in the waiting room in the morning."

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Natsu still hadn't opened his eyes. The others took turns visiting his room every day, but Gray only left long enough to bath and eat. After his drunken talk with Erza, he realized she was right. He needed to be there when Natsu woke up. He had to tell him that he loved him too. That he would help him through this. That he was sorry.

Gray sat in his uncomfortable chair, his hand wrapped around that of Natsus. He hated seeing the casts, and all of the tubes going into and out of the dragon slayers body. To see the once proud warrior reduced to a broken body killed him. To know it was his fault made it hurt even more. He listened to the soft beep of machinery, signaling that Natsu was still alive, although he was locked inside his own head. Gray talked to him everyday, convinced that somehow Natsu could hear him.

"Once you get better, were going to go somewhere together. I'm going to show you how much you mean to me Natsu. I'm going to prove to you that I love you, no matter how long it takes, and I'm going to help heal you. Your cast will be coming off later today, so that should make you more comfortable. Most of your cuts are healed, and you are looking better every day." he said quietly, trying to coax some sort of response from the pinkette. When Lucy walked in he got up to get something to eat.

"Ill be back in ten minutes or less Lucy."

"OK, ill keep a watch on him while you are gone." she said with a smile, taking residence in the chair Gray had just vacated.

"Hey Natsu. How's it going buddy?" she asked quietly, picking up his hand and giving it a squeeze. "I really hope you can hear us in there. Gray is by your side every day, just like you were his. He's getting really bad Natsu, he is so thin and he rarely sleeps. He needs you to wake up. We all need you. Erza and I will have to go home for a while, but we will be back as soon as we make some money. I hope you wake up soon." she said. Leaning over him to plant a soft kiss on his brow.

She tidied up the hospital room some, throwing away empty cups and folding the blanket Gray slept under all the time. She watered the flowers Gray had bought, taking care to pull off the dead leaves. Just as the door opened, and Gray stepped inside, they heard a horrible siren. Gray dropped his food, rushing to the heart monitor as he watched the erratic beats.

"Code Blue." screamed a nurse, pushing the other two out of the way. The room was suddenly full of nurses and doctors, everyone crowded around the bed tending Natsu. Gray and Lucy were pushed out of the room, the door slammed in their faces.

"What happened?" asked Gray, an accusatory look in his eyes.

"I don't know! I was straightening up the room and all of a sudden the alarm went off!" Lucy said, panicked as she tried to see through the door. The doctors worked on Natsu for thirty minutes, finally opening the door, one pulled Lucy and Gray to the side.

"What happened?" asked Gray, panicked.

"It would appear his heart stopped. We were able to resuscitate him, but he will have to be watched even more closely now. There is a chance it could happen again at any time." the doctor said, turning to leave. The two teens returned to Natsus room, solemn faced and quiet as they each took a seat beside his bed.

"Gray, I hate to do this, but Erza and I need to go make some money. We will be back in a month or so, but we have to leave later today." she said with a sad look in her eyes.

"I understand." is all Gray said, still holding Natsus hand. Lucy quietly got up and left, stopping to place a kiss on both Gray and Natsus head. Gray stayed by his side all night. He couldn't close his eyes for fear that the alarm would go off again. Early the next morning he left to get some breakfast while a nurse bathed Natsu.

He sat in the cafeteria of the hospital, chewing the stale bread and soggy eggs as he stared off into space. He felt useless, he couldn't do anything to make Natsu better and he was really starting to hate it. He was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep. He didn't deserve sleep after what he put Natsu through. He washed his breakfast down with some milk, then made his way back upstairs. The nurse was gone, so he sat and talked to Natsu for a while. Telling him about the last mission he had gone on. He talked for hours, until the sky outside the window darkened Finally, when he couldn't keep his eyes opened any longer, he laid his head down on the bed, holding onto Natsus hand tightly, he drifted off to sleep.

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Gray was awoken by the feel of a hand in his hair. Startled he sat up, looking for the unknown person touching him. He looked around the room, not seeing anyone or anything, until he looked at the bed in front of him. Natsu had moved! The whole time the pinkette was in the bed, he lay in the same position, on his back with his hands beside him. Now, he was curled to the side, his hand stretched out to where Grays head had been. Gray immediately called for a nurse.

The nurse checked Natsus vitals, noting that they were looking a lot better. His heart beat was strong, and his body seemed to finally be giving off heat again. Gray almost cried he was so happy. He called Lucy to let her know of the change. He clasped Natsus hand, his thumb running over the scarred knuckles of his friend as he talked to Lucy After the conversation he pulled Natsus blankets aside, and wrapped his lithe body around the dragon slayer. He slept like that for days, no one said anything when they would come to check Natsus vitals, so Gray assumed it would be OK

Two weeks after the first movement, Natsu had his casts removed. After further x-rays his bones were found to be fully healed, although he would always have pain in the leg he had broken. Gray told him the good news, stroking his hair as he sat beside him in the bed. Natsu had started moving some, just small things like turning in his sleep, but he had yet to open his eyes. Gray was confident he was going to pull through. He felt like he needed to keep talking to the pinkette, give him something to anchor him to the present and bring him out of his coma.

A few days after the casts came off, Gray was straightening the room when he heard something that made his heart stop. He rushed to the bed, leaning down, he strained, trying to hear what he was certain had been Natsu talking.

"Gra...close...nee" Gray jumped at the words whispered in his ear, they were barely there, as if it could have been the wind coming through a window. He pressed the little red button that linked to the nurses station, telling one what had happed while hugged Natsu close. The nurse entered the room, checking the monitors she grabbed a small light.

"Can you get off the bed for a minute?" she asked, motioning for Gray to sit in a chair instead. He complied, moving the chair so that he could still see what she was doing. She held the light up, lifting Natsus lids as she checked for dilation.

"Bri...bright." he said, trying to keep his eyes closed. The nurse jumped back in surprise.

"Good morning Mr. Dragneel. Can you hear me OK?" she asked quietly. Natsu shook his head slightly, then groaned.

"Mr. Dragneel, I'm nurse Lexie. Do you know where you are?"

"No." he replied plainly, as Gray smiled in hope.

"You are in the hospital." replied the nurse. "Your friend found you wandering in the arctic, almost frozen to death. He brought you here for treatment. You have been in this bed for a while now, so don't try to move. Your body was severely damaged, and is still in the healing process. I'm going to get the doctor so he can talk to you OK? By the way, its nice to finally meet you Mr. Dragneel." Once the nurse left Gray slid next to the bed again. Grabbing Natsus hand, he leaned over him.

"Natsu?"

"Too loud." groaned Natsu, shrinking from the boys voice.

"I'm so sorry Natsu." whispered Gray, bringing his hand to the other boys face. "I'm sorry for everything Natsu...I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you." Gray said, breaking down in tears as he stared at the other boys face.

" S'ok." said Natsu, drifting off to sleep again. Gray got up when the doctor entered, taking time to get some food. Natsu would be OK He had finally woken up. Gray felt the world open up around him as he rushed back to the room after his meal.

By the time he returned, Natsus bed was no longer flat. The dragon slayer was sitting up, although his eyes were still closed, Gray noticed some of the machines were gone. Gray once again crawled into the bed beside him. Putting his arm around Natsus shoulders, he pulled his head to his chest, cuddling the dragon slayer as he slept. Natsu didn't wake up for the rest of the night. The nurses explained his body was still healing, and that it would take time before he could be awake for more than a few minutes.

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Natsu woke up to an annoying beeping sound. Opening his eyes he looked around to locate it, planning on incinerating it on the spot, when he notice a figure slumped in a chair beside his bed. Gray...he thought, seeing the familiar dark hair. He sat up, finally realizing the beeping was from a machine to his right. Groaning, he leaned over to turn it off, which immediately brought in a flood of nurses. They checked him over, removing more of the machines he was hooked to, then left again. When he looked to the chair, Natsu saw that Gray had been awoken by the commotion.

"Hey." said Gray hesitantly.

"...Uh,...Hey..." replied Natsu. Looking everywhere but at the teen sitting across the room. The last time Natsu remembered seeing Gray, he had professed his love to him. And he abandoned you, Natsu reminded himself. "Why are you here Gray." he said with an accusatory tone to his voice.

Gray looked away with shame in his eyes. He couldn't help but remember seeing those eyes filled with pain, and tears, as Natsu had confessed his love. The pain flashing through them when Gray had said he same while he was sick. And now the simmering hate that seemed to radiate from the dragon slayer as he challenged him to speak.

"I... I saved you. I found you wandering in the arctic, half frozen. You scared me to death Natsu. I couldn't help you, and it almost killed me" Gray said, tears coming to his eyes.

"Now you know how I feel. Do you even know what I had to go through Gray? The things I had to do to save your life? Of course not, because you got to be lucky. YOU GOT TO FORGET!" Natsu screamed.

"... I know Natsu... and I'm sorry. For everything." Gray said, cowering from the anger radiating off the other teen. "Ill leave if you want. I just had to know you would pull through. Lucy is coming back tonight. In fact she should be here any minute, so ill go ahead and leave." he said, getting up and heading for the door. Gray walked out of the hospital, his heart breaking as he recalled the venom in Natsus eyes, and the sting in his heart from the words. Gray wouldn't let Natsu know he remembered. He wouldn't put him through that again.

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Lucy was sitting in the waiting room, she had Natsus old clothes in a bag at her feet, and she was waiting on him to finish signing his release papers so she could take him home. Gray had disappeared a few weeks earlier, returning back to Magnolia, so she was left with the task of bringing Natsu home. Although she didn't know where he would stay, since he had burned his house down. She looked up, and seeing Natsu, put a big smile on her face.

"You ready?" she asked cheerfully.

"Do we have to take the train?!" he wined.

"Yes Natsu, we do. I promise you will be OK" He still sounds like the same old Natsu, she thought, taking his arm and practically dragging him to the station. The ride was quiet, other than the sounds of Natsu retching. By the time they reached Magnolia it was early morning. Natsu exited the train, bending down to comically kiss the ground. Looking up he saw the platform crowded with the members of Fairy Tail. They took turns hugging him and welcoming him back, then lead him to the guild for an early morning celebration.

After partying late into the afternoon, Natsu started to get sad. He realized he had no home anymore, no where to go after the celebration. Hell, I don't even have any of my belongings anymore he thought sadly. Seeing his sudden mood change, Erza approached him.

"Whats wrong Natsu?"

"I just realized I don't have anywhere to go..." he said, a sad look in his eyes as he stared up at her. Suddenly Erza got a huge grin on her face. Pulling him from the bench he was on, she clapped her hands, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

"Its time guys and gals!" she screamed as they all rushed forward. By the time it was all said and done, Natsu was blindfolded and being carried somewhere out of the guild.

"OK, put 'em down." said Erza, moving to untie the blindfold. Natsu blinked in the afternoon sun, when his eyes finally adjusted, they were full of tears. Standing in front of him was a house. His house he noted, looking at the intricate dragon design on the front door. Erza pushed him inside, giving him a tour.

"This house is definitely an upgrade for you. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one of which has an in ground tub, as well as a living room and kitchen." she said excitedly, "Also, if you burn it down, ill be forced to kill you." she said, looking suddenly serious.

" O...OK... I promise I wont burn it down Erza." Natsu said. "Thank you guys so much for making sure I had something to come home to!"

"Don't thank us Natsu. Gray had this built for you. He paid for everything and even did most of the work himself." Lucy said, coming up behind the other two. Natsu was stunned, just now realizing that he hadn't seen Gray since that night in the hospital.

"Where is the ice block?" he asked.

"He is at home, said he wasn't feeling well." said Lucy.

Natsu turned, leaving his new house to visit the infuriating ice mage and figure out why he had done this.

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Author Notes:

Uzukun89: I'm glad you are enjoying this story. It does seem like Gray is kind of ignorant doesn't it? But you will understand the reasoning behind it soon:) Hope you enjoyed reading!

Unlikely Yaio Pairing: I promise Natsu sill remembers everything :) I couldn't be that cruel twice in one story! Lol I know this was another kind of sad chapter, but from here on out it should get a little happier :) Hope you enjoyed reading!

I hope everyone enjoyed the newest update, I promise the heartache is almost over! I wasn't going to post another chapter today, but since I hit 2,000 views I felt like I had made a big accomplishment and felt like giving back a little:) I thank everyone that takes the time to read and especially those that review!

Please don't forget to R&R!

~Skittles~