chance interruptions
The hospital food tasted like shit.
After listlessly pushing the contents of the plate around- the fake meat, cardboard vegetables and bland dessert- Lukas gave up, tossing his fork down with a sigh. He wasn't even hungry to begin with; just another perk of being ill, with all his body's attention focused on his heart. His gaze slid down to the plastic cup of water, and to the small container of pills resting beside it. Until further notice, the doctors had decided that the best course of action was to dope him up on medication until they decided what to do with him. The first time he'd taken them his heart had slowed down in his frantic beats... for a few hours, anyway, during most of which Lukas had slept. The heart medication was probably laced with sleeping powder in an effort to keep the patients quiet, or just to stop nurses from having to attend to his conscious needs.
It was an understatement to say that Lukas disliked taking medicine.
Three days in hospital, and he was already bored out of his mind. He was the only one on the four-bed ward- what was all that fuss about hospitals being overcrowded, it was as quiet as a church in here- though he doubted that he'd make the effort to talk to anyone else if they'd been here too. His days were a mixture of drawing, reading, sleeping, check ups, and being told over and over again 'that his case would be sorted soon, just as soon as the waiting list was cut down!' If he was here for much longer, the Norwegian was going to go mad.
Emil's visits were a temporary reprieve and relief, but it didn't stop the bitter taste in his mouth at the absence of their mother. Nevertheless, he filled the void by demanding information from his brother; leaving Emil to insist that yes, he was eating well, yes, he was getting enough sleep and yes, he was keeping himself out of trouble. Once he even managed to sneak Mr. Puffin in under his coat, and the two brothers watched the bird walking around Lukas' feet and squawking with dull amusement, until both Emil and Mr. Puffin were thrown out twenty minutes later a horrified nurse. It was concerning, that he'd let himself get so devoid of entertainment that he was resigned to watching a noisy bird for fun.
Giving a heavy sigh, Lukas scooped up the pills and threw them into his mouth, downing the water in one gulp and setting back against the pillows. There really was nothing to do but sleep, at least not until he could get a new pencil in replacement of the one he snapped in a fit of temper, or until Emil brought him some more books. As his eyes slid shut- the damn pills obviously working well- he had the depressing thought that this would probably be his day in, day out activities for the next few months.
If the worst came to the worst, Emil could always train as a first aider and look after him at home. At the very worst.
After a few hours of a peaceful, dreamless sleep, Lukas felt the unexpected sensation of a finger prodding at his cheek, apparently in an attempt to wake him up.
"Hey, you still alive? I don't think you're breathing..."
Lukas slid one eye open, the intention of maiming the intruder clear in his mind. As his eyes focused to the bright light he was suddenly aware of a stranger kneeling on his bed, legs either side of his waist and practically straddling him, with their finger poised to poke him again with an air of curiosity.
The Norseman's first move was to seize his forgotten dinner tray and smack the stranger around the head.
"Ow- hey, what the hell!" With a cry of pain his assailant ended up crumpled on the floor, hands clutching his head. "That hurt! You didn't have to hit me; I was just checking you were still alive!" The man glanced up, and Lukas caught sight of pouting lips and wide, hurt blue eyes. He stared down at the blond man, confusion swimming through his mind.
"Who the hell are you?"
What greeted his eyes was a long, muscular figure with an obvious air of cockiness about him, set off by his opalescent complexion and gravity-defying blond hair. A smooth face that was, at the moment, grinning at him as if he had not a care in the world. The boy- he couldn't be any older than Lukas himself- scrambled to his feet, thrusting a hand out for the Norwegian to shake. "Mathias Køhler. I'm in the bed beside you. Good to meet ya!" Lukas kept his arms glued to his eyes and with his smile sliding from his face, Mathias reluctantly retracted his hand. "I've been here for hours, and you've been asleep for the entire time! I was worried you'd died or something."
"Fatigue tends to happen when you're unwell." Still groggy from sleep and the drugs, Lukas didn't intend on entertaining this idiot. Now he could see him properly, the blond- Mathias, apparently- was also wearing a hospital gown, the familiar patient bracelet strapped around his wrist. What he said about also being treated appeared to be true, though he seemed to have pulled out his IV. "What do you want?"
"To talk to you, of course." Tone still cheerful, Mathias knelt on the cold floor beside his bed, chin propped up on his elbows. "It gets boring when you're stuck in here. You're the first person I've seen around my age- what are you, seventeen?"
"Eighteen." Lukas frowned, subconsciously inching up straighter. "What do you mean? Have you been here before?" The boy certainly looked at ease; he probably shouldn't have even been out of bed.
"This is my seventh time. Yeah, seriously; it gets really boring. I've got Cardiomegaly- an enlarged heart, basically. I was born with it, but it didn't get diagnosed 'till I was like two, three? It's okay most of the time- I just have to take medication and I don't really notice it." Mathias shrugged airily, mouth widening to a grin. How he spoke so easily about being ill, Lukas had no idea. "Then my breathing gets bad, or I get palpitations, and I have to come back in here. I get more medication, sometimes work on my valves, and they ship me home. It ain't so bad, 'cause it isn't a severe case. You?"
"An irregular heart. I've been here for three days, and I might have surgery or a pacemaker. I don't know yet- they aren't really telling me anything." Mathias pulled a face at his words, looking sympathetic.
"Rough. They never give me a straight answer either. Surgery is no fun but whatever, the nurses are hot!" Mathias laughed uproariously at his own words, appearing to miss- or ignore- Lukas' unamused expression. The Norwegian was vaguely interested in how he managed to stay so upbeat if he was a frequent visitor to the hospital, even if he tried to downplay his illness. "Hey, I don't even know your name. Lemme guess, from your accent, I'd say... uh... Jorgens?" He beamed at the suggestion, even as Lukas rolled his eyes.
"Lukas. Lukas Nilsen. I'm Norwegian."
"I'm Danish- that makes us practically neighbours! So, you'll be here for a while then? Are your heart problems bad?" At Mathias' question, Lukas felt all his defensive barriers go up. He didn't want to talk about how ill he was in front of this childish young man, even if he himself was suffering from heart problems. It was humiliating enough that he was stuck here, unable to breathe or escape or live and leaving Emil alone at home without a carer. Lukas was doing his usual tactic of burying his head in the sand, and talking to Mathias meant facing up to being ill. These thoughts tumbling in his mind, Lukas chose to keep his words and tone firm.
"I don't want to talk about it. I don't know how long I'm going to be here, either, and if you don't mind, I'm going to try and get to sleep again. My brother's going to come visit later, and I don't want to be tired for when he's here."
"Hey, my cousin's coming over too! You know you've been sleeping for hours already, right. But whatever." Despite his disappointed tone, Mathias obediently stood up and ambled over to his own bed which was, to Lukas' exasperation, only two meters away from his own. "You're cute; I can't complain. Sweet dreams!" By the time the blond fully digested the Dane's words and opened his mouth to complain indignantly, Mathias was already in his bed, earphones jammed in and his nose buried in a book. Lukas could just about make out the title- Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, of all things- before he settled back with a sigh, pulling a pillow over his head.
What did that boy mean, cute?
A few hours later, Mathias was happily chattering away to his two visitors while Lukas remained alone, nails digging into his palm as he clutched his phone with his free hand. Emil was late. His text- be ther soon, E- had done nothing to stem his inner frustration, or half-hearted hope that their mother would be coming with him.
He felt exposed, sitting here so obviously alone despite the curtain around his bed blocking him from view, with the conversation of Mathias' friends drifting over. Or one of them, at least; the other remained quiet, save for the occasional grunt or comment. Head bowed and willing Emil to arrive, Lukas could pick up bits and pieces of their conversation thanks to the raised voices.
"Seventh time? Why aren't you an honoured patient now?" The tone was sympathetic, and Lukas imagined the visitor leaning over and patting Mathias' arm. "I can't see why they can't just fix you once and for all, instead of you coming here time and time again. It's not fair for you!"
"Ah, Tino, it isn't that simple. They're not going to give me a heart transplant- there's not enough of them, and I wouldn't take one when I don't really even need one. Look at me, I'm fighting fit most of the time! Just look at my muscles, come on-" A probable pose from Mathias, and a laugh from Tino. "I'm fine, really. You've just got to get used to it."
"That's so commendable, thinking of the positives like that! Right, Berwald?" The other man- Berwald, apparently- made a non-committal noise, Mathias giving a snort of his own.
"Like Berwald's going to praise me about it. But besides- did you bring the licorice?"
"Of course I did. It's practically tradition now, right?" There came a rustling and a whoop of delight, apparently of Mathias receiving said licorice. "Just hide it from the nurses, okay? You're terrible at hiding places."
"Shut up, Tee, that was one time. But hey, hey, guys, guess what? There's another guy here my age! Unbelievable or what? But he's right over there!" Mathias' was full of pride and with a sinking sensation, Lukas imagined him pointing to the curtain separating them. Oh, no. Please, no.
"You're not annoying someone, are you, Mathias?" Tino's tone was disapproving and for a moment, the Norseman relaxed. Surely now he was let off the hook. His hopes were dashed when, not a second later, the curtain was yanked back and he was presented with the image of three blond men, two grinning and the other still frowning. The shortest one- Tino, he presumed- still looked somewhat shy while the other- Berwald- was a towering giant, eyes cold behind his glasses. Lukas' attention was pulled from the intimidating sight as Tino began babbling again, voice rushed with sudden nerves.
"Hello! I'm sorry if we're interrupting you, but there's never anyone young here! Usually Mathias is surrounded by a bunch of eighty year olds, and believe me, it's us he always complains to. My name's Tino Väinämöinen, and this is Berwald Oxenstierna; we're friends of Mathias, but you've probably guessed that already." Berwald gave the slightest incline of his head at Tino's introduction while Tino beamed beside him. Lukas nodded slowly, still taken aback by the abrupt greeting. He made a mental note to hit Mathias whenever he could for the interruption, even if his friends seemed to be decent enough.
"I'm Lukas Nilsen. Nice to meet you." He didn't continue from his monotonous words, and Tino's smile slipped a fraction of an inch, clearly surprised by his lack of a proper response. It was at that moment that the doors to the ward swung open and Emil came stumbling in, identified by the click of his favoured white boots.
"I'm really sorry, Lukas, I was-" Emil's words were cut off as he caught sight of the other figures in the room, rooting to his position and blinking owlishly at them. "Oh. Hello." The Icelandic boy was shy around strangers- much like Lukas himself- and seemed unnerved by the three standing before him, hands tightening on the bag in his hands. Lukas beckoned him over, ignoring the curious looks of Mathias and his visitors, and Emil gratefully hurried to his side.
"So, this is your little bro? Is he lateee-" The Dane was cut off with a gasp as Berwald elbowed him sharply in the ribs, and Lukas reluctantly nodded, reaching out to grasp Emil's sleeve. His brother seemed smaller, somehow, without the noisy presence of Mr. Puffin, and Lukas immediately felt his protective instinct stirred up as he reluctantly turned to the other three men.
"This is my brother, Emil. Emil, this is Mathias-" he wondered if anyone heard him speak the boy's name through gritted teeth "-and his friends, Tino and Berwald. Mathias is in the bed beside me." Emil nodded briefly while Tino waved and Lukas gripped Emil's sleeve again as his brother sat down beside him on the bed, voice dropping to an undertone. "How have you been? Has everything been okay? Is... is Mom coming?" His vain, irrational hope faded as Emil looked down to the floor, unable to meet his gaze.
"I'm sorry, Lukas. She said she was busy, and that she'd try and make it soon..." He trailed off, their mother's distant behaviour obvious to them both. Lukas's eyes stung and he lowered his head, biting his lip in an attempt to keep his composure while Emil looked on in a worried fashion. He would not cry, and especially not in front of Emil. Why the hell would he, for the selfish mother that clearly didn't care? "Lukas? Are you okay?" He looked up at his brother, faint lines creased around Emil's violet eyes, and conjured up a weak smile.
"Don't worry about me. Now, have you been eating properly? Don't just tell me you've been living off the sweets at home, or I will discharge myself."
"No, no, don't do that!" Emil interrupted hastily, seemingly missing Lukas's sarcasm. "I've been fine- I've had dinner with Leon's family a few times this week, and I've been looking for recipes out of your old book. I can look after myself, you know."
"Hmm. Well. As long as you eat something other than Chinese. And I can't help it, I have to worry about you and make sure you're okay. Who else is?" Lukas had a suspicion that Mathias, and no doubt Tino and Berwald, may have been listening in, but ignored the thought. His attention was focused on Emil, and Emil alone. The chances to see him were sparse, and he seized whatever oppourtunity he could get. "What's been happening with you?"
The Icelandic boy shrugged delicately, as if unsure of what to say. "Nothing, really. Pops said to tell you that he's been keeping an eye on me, so you, um, 'don't have to freak out like a little bitch'. His words, not mine, I swear." Lukas scowled at the message. Emil was fond of their Turkish neighbour Sadık- who he seemed to have adopted as somewhat of a surrogate father in the absence of his own- but the same friendship didn't extend to Lukas, who could have listed dozens of people he'd prefer to have looking out for Emil. "And Norge and Icey are okay. That's about it."
The two lapsed into a comfortable sort of silence again as behind them, the other men resumed their conversation. Lukas was perfectly happy at the lack of words between them, satisfied with Emil just being there. All too soon, Tino checked his watch and announced that they would have to leave, and Emil unwillingly rose to his feet. "I guess I have to go, too, before they throw me out. I have some homework to do, but I'd stay-"
"No. I understand. Don't get behind on your work because of me, all right? How many times do I have to tell you?" Emil managed a small smile at his words, and Lukas waved him away. "Go on, get out of here. Keep yourself safe, and do not let Sadık take you to any bars."
"I won't. Promise. See you later, Lukas." The Norwegian raised a thin hand as Emil left reluctantly, soon followed by Tino and Berwald.
"It was nice to meet you!" Tino said cheerfully as they passed, waving to him. "Try not to let Mathias wind you up- he's a good guy, really, he just hides it under a lot of layers. Bye!" Lukas nodded briefly to them, and the door to their ward slammed shut with a bang. Lukas settled back against the pillows but a sudden gasp from beside him had him scrambling to a sitting position, head whipping around to his left. Mathias appeared in his range of vision, grinning sheepishly and gripping his arm, a book pressed into his side.
"Sorry. Pulled my IV- you kind of have to take it out slowly and hang it up, or else you start bleeding everywhere and it leaks all over the floor. Trust me, I know." Despite Lukas' noise of protest, Mathias perched himself on the end of his bed, mouth stretched in a wide smile. "It makes the nurses mad, but I hate being hooked to that thing-"
"What do you want?" Lukas said abruptly, cutting the Dane off mid-rant. Mathias blinked at him for a moment, taken aback and his expression one of hurt. A moment later and he was grinning again, diminishing Lukas' sudden guilty feeling. Slightly.
"To talk to you, of course. Tino seems to like you already. Berwald- well, I don't know what the guy thinks!" Giving a loud laugh, Mathias shook his head wonderingly. "Your brother was pretty quiet. Was your mother supposed to come or something? Did she bail on you?"
"Shut up," the Norwegian snapped, taking them both by surprise. "Don't act as if you care. What do you really want?" The hurt look returned to Mathias' face, but he abruptly shook his head with an unreadable expression present.
"I told you. I wanted to get to know you, because you seemed like a nice guy when you were talking to your brother. We could all see how much you care about him. But if you don't-" He broke off, reaching under his arm and tossing the book onto the bed. "Well. I thought you'd like to read this. I'll leave you alone now. You know, you're lucky that there's even a chance your mother would visit you." With a strained, hesitant smile Mathias stood, retreating silently to his own bed and throwing himself down face first, grappling for his IV line.
Lukas stared after him, almost regretting his words. He hadn't intended to upset the Dane, if he had- to distract himself from his unwelcome guilt Lukas glanced down at the book, eyebrows pulled together in a frown.
Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. The book Mathias had been so engrossed in when he first arrived. Lukas felt another twist of embarrassment in his stomach but spoke up suddenly, jerking Mathias out of his search for his earphones.
"Thank you, Mathias. I appreciate it. Try talking to me when I'm not drugged up, or not on the topic of my family, and I'll try to give you a polite response then."
Mathias stared at him for a few moments, bemused. Then, his face broke into a wide smile.
Once again, I'm not a doctor, but I'm trying to be as accurate as possible with the medical side here (as well as keeping them all in character). A family member of mine has an enlarged heart. It's not fun or lighthearted. Also, it's really not a good idea to take out your IV, but if you really insist on doing it, do not yank it out like they do in movies.
Thank you so much for the response to the first chapter! Everyone who is following or put this in your favourites, please try to leave a review letting me know what you think~
-sascake