Sickbed

It was surreal being pushed into the lab on a wheelchair. More so because almost every employee was there to welcome him. In only two months, he had made more friends and good acquaintances in Kyourin Laboratories than in his whole time at university. They were shocked at first to see him in the wheelchair, but he assured them it was just because the bruising made it hard to walk. After they all drank tea together, so everyone could make sure he was actually okay, just shaken, Kyourin took him to his apartment.

While Shohei waited in the living room, enjoying the feeling of another painkiller kicking in, Kyourin went around the place and tidied up. It wasn’t dirty, just messy. He really had too much stuff. Finally, Kyourin helped him to the bedroom. Shohei was surprised to see a wide double-bed there. He had already expected to insist on sleeping on the sofa, but like this, there was no issue of both of them fitting.

“I had reason to get this bed in the past. I’m just glad there’s enough room for you,” Kyourin said when he saw Shohei’s surprised expression. “You should just lie down. Rest.”

“Alright.”

Shohei felt incredibly exhausted, so he was only too glad to comply. There was no reason for false pride. But there was reason for embarrassment, when Kyourin offered to help him undress. True to his word, he didn’t push Shohei into anything he felt uncomfortable with, but he did feel the weight of Kyourin’s gaze when he pulled off his shirt. With his muscles strained and bruised, every movement hurt, despite the painkillers, so he opted to forgo the pyjama top. His torso was wrapped in bandages anyway, as his whole right side was one big blue spot. He settled into the bedding and Kyourin sat down next to him.

“Can I get you anything?”

“I think I just need sleep. And maybe some more painkillers.”

Kyourin frowned. “Didn’t you just have some?”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

“I’ll make you one of the tea blends that helps me sleep. It’s sweet.”

“Mhm. Eisaku?”

“Thank you. Truly. I don’t know how I’d cope if I was alone right now.”

“Then I’m glad I can be here for you.”

Shohei accepted what tasted like a berry blend and fell asleep while nestled against Kyourin’s side, warm and content.

—--

He woke up sweating and shivering. It was disorienting to look at a different ceiling, smelling detergent that wasn’t his own. Shohei was alone in the bedroom and his whole body ached. There was a glass of water and two pills on the nightstand and he took them immediately. It was light out, and Kyourin must’ve been at the lab somewhere. Shohei felt nauseous, but he kept it down so the painkillers could work. Fever. Where did the fever come from? His injuries shouldn’t have caused it. Was he sick on top of it all? Just his luck…

Shohei drifted in and out of sleep over the next few hours, until Kyourin appeared at the bedside again, looking concerned. He wiped Shohei’s sweat from his face and neck, and the cool towel felt like a blessing.

“You look like you have the flu,” Kyourin said.

“I feel like I was run over,” Shohei replied.

“You were actually run over.”

“Ah. Well. The flu isn’t helping.”

“Let’s make sure it’s actually the flu and not something else. I can check.”

“You?”

Kyourin shrugged. “Did you forget we’re all experienced in medical analysis? I can take a bit of blood and run the tests. You don’t have to go back to the doctor for that if you feel this crappy. And if it’s not the flu, we can still go to the hospital again.”

“Okay.”

“Let me get the kit.”

It was strangely intimate in a completely wrong way to have Kyourin disinfect his arm and push the needle into his vein. Shohei didn’t know if something was wrong with him for finding it erotic to see the deep red of his blood fill the vial. He kept his mouth shut about it. It was probably just the painkillers talking. Still, he hoped Kyourin wouldn’t realise how much this little exercise had turned him on. Shohei was learning new things about himself by the second.

“Do you feel alright?” Kyourin asked when he put the bandaid on.

“Yeah,” Shohei said, looking away, his cheeks red.

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Shohei was caught like a deer in the headlights. He couldn't look Kyourin in the eye. Kyourin closed his hand around the place he’d taken the blood from and leaned forward to put his mouth next to Shohei’s ear and whisper.

“There’s no shame in it. I enjoyed it too.”

“Oh…”

“I’m going to do the analysis now. Be good and get some sleep,” he said and squeezed Shohei’s arm with his hand.

The sharp pain of the needle puncture wound made Shohei moan in shock. Oh god. What was happening to him? Kyourin kissed his forehead and left Shohei alone with his internal confusion. He only ever had one girlfriend in high school, and he’d never done anything with her before they’d broken up.

All his university life, from start to PhD, he hadn’t been interested in anything other than his work, and no one had been interested in him. How could there have been? He’d never met anyone except his classmates, and he hadn’t even gotten along with most of them. Besides, that was the time realised he preferred men over women and he’d been afraid to be excluded even more if that was known.

The fever made itself known again through body-wrecking shivers. Shohei reached for the pyjama top after all and squeezed into it under pain. Wrapped in the blanket, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

——

When Shohei woke, he couldn’t move. His body was heavy and his thoughts wrapped in cotton. Everything hurt from the accident, muscle ache due to the flu, headache… It was dark around him, but the bed was still the same, and he tried to relax, but the pain was too much.

“Eisaku…” he whispered.

A cool hand touched his forehead. The relief of not being alone let Shohei slump into the bedding. Whatever would he have done alone?

“Does it hurt? It’s been over twelve hours since your last dose. You can have another painkiller.”

Shohei couldn’t see him, but he recognised Kyourin’s voice.

“Yes, please.”

“The doctor said you’ll be uncomfortable for a while. I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault…”

Kyourin made a humming noise and helped Shohei sit up. With his help, he managed to swallow the pills and drink some water. Instead lying back down, he leaned into Kyourin and let himself be embraced.

“I should be sorry. You have better things to do than take care of me.”

“I trust my team with the work. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with you. I’m exactly where I should be.”

“You’re more romantic than I thought.”

Kyourin kissed the top of Shohei’s head.

“Come on, have some more water. I won’t tell you to eat right now, but you need fluids. Or I have to put you on a drip.”

“I’ll drink, I’ll drink…”

He reached for the glass with his left hand, but then the cloth of his top rubbed against the skin, he hissed in pain. Kyourin pulled it back to reveal the patch, skin an angry red, dry and scaly.

“I’ll get the antihistamines.”

Shohei groaned in frustration. What the hell was going on? Too weak to get up, he was content for Kyourin to fetch the pills, then wrap his arm again after applying the cream.

“It’s always something…” he mumbled.

“Don’t be so negative. I suggest you go back to sleep. The pills should be working soon.”

“Mhm.”

When Shohei was settled again, the soft bedding drew him down into sleep. Maybe the pills had something to do with it as well. He was already almost gone, when he heard a strange noise. Struggling to open his eyes, he saw light spilling out of a wall… but the door was on the other side of the room?

He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer.