Homesick
Chapter Seven
Nowaki was up in the interns' locker room when Tsumori walked in. The blond senior gave pediatrics' newest player the once over.
"That's not exactly appropriate ward-wear, Nowaki."
Nowaki looked down at his sweats and tee-shirt.
"Ah… I know. Sorry, Senpai. I had a friend that had to be rushed to emergency here just a few hours ago and I have been with him until just recently.
"I left home so quickly when I heard he was ill I didn't even think about changing. I understand if you need to report me."
Tsumori looked at Nowaki and smiled. Though he had been working with the tall youth for just a few weeks he already liked Nowaki immensely. He waved off Nowaki's concern since he'd really just been teasing. It tickled him that the kid was just always so serious about everything.
"What was the diagnosis?"
"Ruptured appendix and peritonitis," Nowaki replied sadly.
"Tsk… well that sucks."
"Ummm." Nowaki nodded, trying hard to hide how upset the older intern's cold comment made him. He'd quickly learned that while Tsumori was good with the children in his care, outside of this he could be quite blunt at times.
"Hey Nowaki, why don't you call your girlfriend, Hiro, and ask her to bring you down a change of clothes?" Tsumori suggested.
Nowaki had mentioned a person named "Hiro-san" more than once in the casual conversations they'd shared since they began sharing shifts. He said the appellation so lovingly it was obvious he was in a relationship: the honeymoon phase.
Tsumori had pressed and gotten Nowaki to finally admit to this just recently and now that he had this information he couldn't help but tease a bit.
"I'd love to meet this cutie of yours. Though you better be careful; if she's too cute I might be tempted to try and steal her away from you."
"Ummm… Hiro-san is busy," Nowaki said after a moment, turning back to his locker to take out his white coat.
"What kind of woman is too preoccupied to take care of her boyfriend? Let me tell you, Nowaki, I don't agree with how progressive a lot of Japanese ladies are getting these days."
"Hiro-san works very hard, Senpai and I admire that," Nowaki murmured mildly.
"Oh, Kusama-sensei!" a nurse called cheerfully from the door. She held up a pair of long blue scrubs and moved over towards Nowaki. "So sorry to disturb, but I found these for you. I know you said you didn't want me to bother, but honestly I don't mind.
"Thank you so much, Asami-san." Nowaki gratefully took the garments from the nurse. He nodded at Tsumori.
"These will be better, neh? I best go change quickly so I'm not late for my shift."
Nowaki thanked the nurse again before disappearing into the locker's bathroom to don this new outfit. Asami watched him depart with unveiled admiration.
"He has a girlfriend already, you know," Tsumori said coolly. He watched the nurse blush at his comment.
"I, on the other hand, am available." He offered the young woman a sly grin.
Asami looked at Tsumori and her eyes narrowed.
"Hmph, I can see why." she sniffed and walked out of the locker room haughtily.
Tsumori eyed the woman's pert ass as she left and clucked his tongue with regret.
"Like I said," he sighed as he moved over to his own locker, "modern women."
As soon as his shift ended, Nowaki headed off, still in his scrubs and smock, to the I.C.U.
This was another reason he'd wanted to bring Hiro-san here.
He knew that with the restrictions regarding visitors, that as a same sex partner, normally he would have no rights to see Hiro-san. But dressed as he was and being an intern, few would question his visits.
It didn't take Nowaki long to locate Hiroki's room. Fortunately, no one else was there.
Kamijou-san must have gone to get some sleep.
He paused at the threshold; his chest ached the moment he opened the door and saw Hiroki.
Though this was a scene he encountered regularly now and would for as long as he was in medicine, he had a new appreciation of the grief that his patients' families felt.
Across the room in a hospital bed laid his beloved Hiro-san, his lean arms now veined with tubes. Machines measuring Hiroki's vitals stood in attendance, making soft noises that competed with his deep breathing.
Nowaki noticed the tubes in Hiroki's nose. A catheter bag was hooked to the side of the bed on a low rail, half covered by the disarrayed sheets.
He hoped these things had been added while Hiro-san was still knocked out. He couldn't imagine how his professor would have responded if they'd tried to apply them while Hiroki was conscious.
Quietly Nowaki moved over to the bed. He picked up the clipboard attached to its foot.
His handsome brow furrowed as he read through the chart. Looking up from the pages at his pale lover, he sighed and set the clipboard down.
Understanding what was written there was one thing, seeing it in action in the person he most loved in the world was entirely another.
Nowaki stepped over to the side of the bed. He gently brushed a damp lock to the side on Hiroki's fevered forehead.
He looked up as a nurse came in carrying a syringe and a new I.V. bag. The woman was surprised to see someone else in the room.
She stepped over to the monitors looking inquiringly at Nowaki.
"Um… Sensei…?"
"Ah, no I'm an intern here in Pediatrics, Kusama," Nowaki offered the nurse a slight bow. "Kamijou-san is a friend of mine and I wanted to check on him. I hope that's okay."
"Well, technically, there shouldn't be anyone but his family in here," the nurse said a bit nervously after returning the bow. Then looking at Nowaki's expression she softened.
"But since you're an intern, I suppose it's alright."
She changed the I.V. bag and administered the syringe of pain meds intravenously. She checked the monitors and then moved to straighten the bedclothes.
Her eyes widened slightly as Nowaki assisted in this from the other side of the bed.
"May I sit with him a bit?"
The nurse smiled at the sweet way Nowaki spoke. That he was so handsome didn't hurt either.
"I don't see why not."
"Thank you." Nowaki politely offered another slight bow and pulled a chair up next to Hiroki's bed and sat down.
The woman nodded and then looked at Nowaki curiously. She watched as he reached over and gently placed his hand on top of Hiroki's but she said nothing and instead turned and quietly made her exit.
Nowaki was entirely unaware that the woman had left: all his focus was on Hiro-san.
His eyes roamed over the contours of his lover's pale face.
He noted the light blush on Hiroki's cheeks caused by fever rather than fervor. His gaze traced the soft blue of the veins just beneath the surface of his partner's closed eyelids. He was amazed that this man, who was the embodiment of strength to him, could suddenly look so fragile.
Nowaki was hypnotized momentarily watching the vein pulse in Hiroki's long, strong neck. He thanked the heavens for every beat. A tear gathered in the corner of his eye and began its languid slide down his cheek.
Leaning over, Nowaki lifted Hiroki's hand, and softly kissed the back of it. He allowed his lips to linger there, not wanting to break this tender connection.
"What are you doing, Dumb-ass?" a weak growl sounded from above his bowed head.
Nowaki's head shot up and his eyes met a weary hazel gaze.
"Hiro-san! You're awake!"
"Mmmm," Hiroki nodded slightly. His eyes drifted shut as though the lids were too heavy to stay raised.
"But you shouldn't be," he mumbled. "Why aren't you at home asleep?"
"I was worried about you, Hiro-san," Nowaki said softly.
Hiroki sighed at this and was silent a minute. The new pain medication the nurse had given was already taking effect and he was fighting to stay awake.
"Nowaki, I am in the hospital, surrounded by nurses and doctors checking on me every five minutes.
"Go home.
"It's not going to help you do your residency if you're exhausted." Hiroki's chiding lacked its usual sternness as his words grew increasingly thick.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, Hiro-san."
One dark eye slowly opened and regarded Nowaki. It was lit momentarily by a bit of the professor's usual fierceness.
"Nowaki, I just had my stomach cut open; my guts are burning; my throat is so dry I can barely talk and they won't let me drink anything; and they stuck a tube in my dick.
"I am so far from 'okay' it isn't funny..."
Nowaki frowned at this, but the frown slipped when Hiroki weakly raised his hand to his dry lips and gave it a small peck. Both Hiroki's eyes opened then and he looked into Nowaki's deep blue gaze.
"But... thanks to you, I'll live."
Hiroki let their joined hands slip gently back down to the surface of the bed and his eyelids lowered again.
"Now get your intern ass home, before I have to get up and kick it there myself." Even as he said this though, his growl was fading.
Nowaki smiled at his lover's false threat and watched Hiro-san drift off completely.
"Okay, Hiro-san." Nowaki rose. He placed a kiss on Hiroki's smooth forehead.
"I love you, Hiro-san" he whispered before he finally released Hiroki's hand.
He sighed and reluctantly left the room.
A little fluff to temper the angst.
Sorry no AN's today. Limited internet time. But will as soon as I can.
Hope to hear from you!