Part Seventy-Six: Sick Ian

Ian is still sick, but at least his fever has gone down. It's not gone completely, but it's not dangerously high like it was. Ian's now stuffed up and pronounces my name as "Meeky". Ryan fucking chuckles every time and I give him a death glare.

Ian's body temperature is still hot, but he's not radiator hot. I lean against him and he sniffles into a tissue. "Dobt look at me, Meeky. I'm ugly," Ian says, my heart swells up. You're still fucking beautiful, asshole.

"Ian, I brought you some soup and ginger ale," says Fiona. Ian sits up in bed. Fiona has put his food on a tray for him. I watch him try to alternate between eating and breathing. It's pathetic but adorable.

"I like you like this," Ryan tells Ian as he finishes reading to him. Ian seems happy for the company. Fiona takes his temperature.

"Still 101. I don't like it at all, but it could be worse. We might have to dunk you in ice again."

"No." Fiona leaves and Ian tries to eat. He has tears in his eyes. I want to hold him, but he doesn't want to be touched. I can't blame him. He probably doesn't feel very sexy, even though he is. Ian's always sexy.

"I'm pawetic," Ian says.

"What?" Ryan asks.

"Pathetic," I translate. Ian gets mad and his cheeks puff out as he sets his jaw. He puts the tray of food aside and crosses his arms.

"I hate being sick," Ian moves the tray and makes himself into a burrito in his blankets. "Meeky?"

"Yeah," I say.

"Woulb you cubble wif me?" Ian asks.

If looks could kill Ryan would be fucking dead. I flip him off and make him leave. I find a way inside Ian's blanket burrito and cuddle him. He's hot as fuck. It's like touching the fucking sun, but I hold on to him. I start to sweat, but I don't let go. "You need a fucking shower, man."

"Hey," says Lip.

"Fuck off, man."

"Get out of there. Ian needs to be bringing his temperature down, not raising it. Get up."

"I want Meeky."

"I'm sure you do, Ian, but you need to get better. You've been sick for two days. I'm running out of things to tell the club."

Okay, I'm sick of this fucking asshole. His name should be Chip rather than Lip, because he has a big one on his shoulder. I really want to kick his ass. His brother was so sick he almost died, and he still acts like an asshole.

I wiggle out of Ian's burrito and deck Lip. We engage in a fight that has been long overdue. I have wanted to do this for fucking ever. Lip is a terrible fighter. I don't stop until I hear a thunk behind me. Ian has fallen out of bed. Lip and I scramble to help him. He landed on his face and his nose is bleeding.

"Stop fighting."

"Look what you did, Mickey."

"I didn't do this."

"Oh my god. Stop it."

Ian's crying again. I know it's because he's sick, but I still feel like a fucking asshole. Lip and I help Ian back into bed. He's still burning up. I grab Fiona's thermometer and take his temp. It's risen to 102. I thought he was getting better.

Ian retches on me. I take a step back as Lip grabs the bucket from the foot of the bed and puts it in front of Ian. Ian moans before puking again and then curls back into his blankets.

"Wip," Ian says. He groans and tries again. "Lip."

"What?"

"Can I go to the free clinic?"

"You can barely get out of bed, Ian."

Ian tries to prove Lip wrong by standing but he just pukes and falls down and starts crying again. I give him a painkiller and rub his back. He sobs harder and actually starts shaking. I can almost see the heat rising off him.

Carl, Lip, Debbie, and Kev leave to get ice. Fiona and I try to get Ian to put some fluids in him. He refuses to take anything. "Hold me." I don't know which one of us Ian is talking to, but I am more than happy to oblige. Ryan comes in with a pharmacy bag.

"You're not giving him unprescribed drugs," I snatch the bag from Ryan. Most of the stuff is over the counter. I apologize and start to go through it with Fiona.

"Don't let Frank find these, okay, I am going to give him one of these right now and two more in four hours." Fiona makes Ian swallow a really big pill. He doesn't protest.

"Can I please go to the hospital?" Ian asks, he rolls over and starts sobbing hysterically. My heart is breaking seeing him in this condition. He has no color in his skin. I sit Ian. He has no energy to sit up on his own. I lean him against a wall while I feed him soup. Ian's head falls against my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him. "Please."

"Fuck," I say. I get off the bed and throw Ian over my shoulder. Lip and the others have returned with Ice but I tell them Ian is going to the hospital. Lip tries to fight me, and I almost drop Ian twice, but I win out. Kev offers to drive. I put Ian in the middle between me and Kev and hold him up.

"I'm cold," Ian says.

"No, you're not. Your body feels like the fucking sun."

Fiona and the rest of the Gallagher clan arrive by the L a little later. Kev and I have already gotten Ian into a wheel chair. The Emergency room is packed with people with problems, and we have to wait. Why the fuck is it call the Emergency Room. I throw a fucking fit that it's so long for them to see Ian. He's fucking miserable.

"Could you please take a look at Ian?" I ask a nurse who walks by. She ignores me. I grab a stapler off the counter and throw it at her. "Hey, bitch, I'm talking to you. See the red head over there," I physically turn her face in Ian's direction, "He's been sick for two days. His fever isn't breaking. I want you to get someone to take him and examine him."

"I'll call the police," the nurse says.

"Just fucking look at him. That's it."

It's another twenty minutes before someone gets to Ian. They wheel him back when I'm screaming at a different nurse. Kev tries to calm me down. The Gallaghers have arrived. They're spread out like cockroaches. Fiona looks nervous.

"He'll be fine, Mickey," says Kev.

"Yeah, what makes you so sure?"

"Ian's tough."

"He's gentle and kind, and beautiful," I say, and feel embarrassed and flustered for admitting that to Kev. But Kev understands. "We've been through a lot. We have been through enough shit that would break up any normal couple, but somehow Ian and I always find our way back to each other. We can't stay away."

"What happened?" Kev asks.

"What?"

"What happened that made Ian leave?"

I go into great detail about those events. I was trying to forget about them, but that's not something that will ever be forgotten. Kev is speechless when I finish. He puts his hand on my knee and squeezes it. "That's why you hate Svetlana!"

"I don't hate Svetlana."

"You know what I mean. That is some crazy shit. You should have just told Ian you loved him when he told you he enlisted."

Everyone says that. I fucking know that!

"It's not so easy for me."

"Miss Gallagher," says some woman. We all stand up. The nurse approaches Fiona. I push everyone out of my way to hear what's being said. "Ian has a fever 104. This is nothing to ignore. He should have been brought in sooner."

"What's wrong with him?" I ask.

"He has severe pneumonia."

"Is he dying?" Carl asks.

"No, he isn't dying."

"Are we allowed to see him?" Fiona asks.

"Family only," she says looking at me and Kev.

"Fuck you and your fucking rules," I tell her.

"You can't let him back there to see Ian for five minutes?"

The nurse considers it. She says no, and I go anyway. I don't care if they throw me the fuck out. It'll take the police a while to get here and I'll have time to see Ian. I kick the door open and search for Ian. When I find him he's holding his blanket to his chin and sobbing.

"Hey, Tough Guy, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit. Stay with me." Ian takes my hand.

"I can't. I'm not supposed to be back here."

The nurse comes in with the officers and Ian asks them to let me stay. She doesn't have the heart to tell him no. I stroke Ian's hair and lean over to kiss him. He burrows into his covers again.

"No."

"Sorry."

"I'm ugly."

He's fucking beautiful.

"I'm ugly too, but I'm not bitching about it."

That puts a smile on his face. Only then does he allow me to kiss him. I look up and see Fiona watching us. I kiss Ian again and give her some time with him. "I'll be right outside."

Fiona goes in to be with Ian. I lean against the wall and sigh. I want to kick myself for not bringing him in sooner. I look in the window at Ian lying in that bed hopeless and my heart constricts. He's sick and I can't do a fucking thing about it. That realization makes me wonder if I'm cut out for this.

How can I love someone if I can't take care of them when they're sick? Let him go. Fuck that. I let him go once and he came back. Aren't those the fucking rules? If it comes back I can keep it? Or some bull shit.

I'm going to fight for him. I want to be with him so badly it fucking hurts. I press myself against the window. Ian is smiling at Fiona.

"Hey," says Lip.

"What do you want, asshole?"

"You made a good call bringing Ian in. I still don't trust you."

"Fuck off, man. I care about Ian."

"Yeah, see I'm not buying it."

"I honestly don't give a fuck what you think, Gallagher."

Lip goes in to see Ian and I linger in the hallway watching from the window. Debbie tells me they're admitting Ian. He'll have to stay overnight. Over my fucking dead body. They set him up a room and I make camp. They try to make me leave but I won't budge. The room has a big arm chair. I'll sleep there. I tell every nurse or whoever comes in to fuck off when they ask me to leave.

"Let him stay," Ian mumbles.

"Yeah, let him stay," says Fiona, "I want someone here with Ian."

"But Mickey?" Lip says.

"He's protective," Fiona says in my favor.

Someone brings me a pillow and a blanket. I make a bed for myself. Ian goes right to sleep. I stay awake for awhile staring at him or watching TV on silent. Ian wakes up shivering several times. I kiss his head and pull his covers up.

"Are you married?" A woman asks me.

"Yeah."

"I'll tell the front desk. If they knew all along that he was your husband they wouldn't have made a big deal about you staying." They think I'm married to Ian. "How long have you been married?"

"Two years."

"So you got married out of state then? That's sweet. I bet it was a beautiful ceremony."

Uh. What am I doing?

"Not really."

"Well, he seems to have everything he needs, I will be on duty all night so let me know if I can get anything for you, Mr. Gallagher. My name is Maggie."

"Mickey."

Sometime before dawn, I am awakened by Ian's long freckled arm reaching out to hold my hand. The warmth of his hand pulls me out slumber. He's staring at me. I peck him a quick kiss. His fever is going down. It hasn't broken yet.

"Did you really tell my nurse we're married?"

"She assumed. I didn't correct her."

Ian laughs until he coughs and the stops and explains that it hurts him to do so.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

Ian scoots over and makes room for me on his bed. I sit next to him and hold him. I want him to get better. I need him to get better. I kiss the side of his head.