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 Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:27 am
Moving through the halls of the hospital was both familiar and foreign to Priam; he was greeted by old faces that he knew, people he worked with but hadn't seen since his accident, or any of his check ups since then. Some of them assumed he was coming back, some of them knew he was here looking over Sterling.
He gave them all the same polite, tired greeting, but he didn't really want to talk. Not socially.
He went to the doctors. He went to all the doctors, for second opinions. And thirds, and fourths. He spoke to the specialists, spoke to everyone he thought might have some feedback.
He'd seen cases like this. He knew they had, too. People who showed up with everything in good condition, everything fine, they just wouldn't wake up. They stayed on the machines and then they faded.
Most didn't make it past two weeks.
But, Sterling wasn't like most of them.
Soleiyu had left to try and recruit some others to help figure this out, so it was just him, alone, trying to deal with the weight of Yu gone and Sterling unconscious. He'd spoken to Jarvis briefly but he was taking care of the dogs. Priam had begged him not to let them out of his sight and Jarvis hadn't. He could trust him.
...He just hoped that whatever was going on didn't get Jarvis hurt, too.
There was doubt and confusion and guilt, and in the silence of the room it was easy to let the blame build and build and build.
There was no relief in talking to the doctors, but at least he wasn't left alone with his thoughts.
He exhaled as he entered the room; it still smelled a bit like the Chinese that Ilya had brought them. He hadn't been able to eat much, but he was going to try and force himself to have more. He needed his strength in case...
In case something happened. In case there was something, anything, he could do.
The machines beeped, the same as they had when he'd left. Sterling looked like he was sleeping, and if Priam tried hard enough, he could pretend. He walked back to his seat by the bedside and smoothed Sterling's hair, kissing his forehead gently before he took a seat and reached for the blanket, drawing it around himself.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 12:32 pm
Sterling was cold. He knew that much. He was cold but there was a warmth in his chest that had been missing...but then there was a warmth against his forehead, and something in his hair, touching his hair.
How strange. He felt so utterly tired, so tired and just a little lost. Confused, but the feeling on his hair...it felt nice.
He sighed and moved slightly, rolling to try to get a little more comfortable, trying to get warmer. Trying to...trying to…
Finally, it felt as though his brain decided to turn on and Sterling’s eyes snapped open, fear coursing through his body, the machines that he was hooked up to beginning to beep wildly. He struggled to sit up and found that he was short on breath, eyes darting around the room until they landed on Priam.
Priam. How did he get here? “How...What? Where...are we?” Sterling began trembling, both from the cold that still felt a part of him, and the fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:13 pm
The machines didn't make any noise to indicate a change; Priam noticed no difference in Sterling's demeanor from one breath to another until suddenly everything was going off.
The machines were screaming but Sterling was sitting up. He should have been touched that Sterling knew it was him even without his glasses.
He rose immediately, blanket falling to the ground. He put one hand on Sterling's cheek and the other his arm. "Sterling. Breathe. It's okay. Focus on me. You're with me. You're safe. We're in the hospital, ignore the machines. I need you to breathe, okay? You were unconscious in the snow. Soleiyu and I have been here, he went to try and find something to heal you. Ilya found you in the snow, he's been checking in on you. Please just catch your breath. It's okay. You're okay."
He didn't know how, or why, because nothing had changed. No prescriptions, no medications, no procedures. Just out one minute and back the next.
He stroked his cheek desperately, planting more kisses across his forehead.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:53 pm
Sterling trembled, shaking his head, but leaning into the touch, desperate for it. “...Parisite…” He gasped. “...He was by your house...I think he...I’m sure he’s the one that burned it down…” He was so relieved that it was Priam, he wanted to hold him, wanted to be held. MOre than that though, he wanted to rip out all of the things that were attached to him, he felt nauseated, trapped.
“We fought...I...I was so angry at him...I couldn’t find Yu...I wanted to find Yu so badly...” Tears were leaking from his eyes without his knowledge or consent, and Sterling didn’t even notice them. “I...I think he stabbed me. Parisite. I had turned to leave...and there was a pain in my back...and it felt...like something...he…”
It was a struggle, trying to fight the haze in his mind. “...He took something...took something from me...and I don’t...I don’t remember anything else. I‘m cold, Priam…”
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 2:08 pm
The information was alarming, and confusing--what would Parisite have been doing by his house? Had someone figured out who he was? He hadn't done anything wrong--even while powered up, he hadn't run into that much trouble.
There was a lump in his throat that he was choking on, but he swallowed it. For Sterling.
He reached for the blanket on the ground and draped it over him, frantically tucking him underneath it. "We'll get you warmed up. I know the hospitals are cold. Maybe we'll get to go home soon, Sterling. Ilya's been so helpful, he watched the dogs, he's been looking for Yu. He brought us dinner. He said he might have a lead, even. We've been texting a lot. Let me get your glasses, I can let you read everything. Jarvis is at the house watching the dogs, I hope that's all right. I didn't...I didn't have anyone to ask..."
Yu was gone. Sterling couldn't reply. Priam wasn't exactly a guest in the house anymore but it didn't mean he felt like he owned the place or should be making those decisions without talking to someone.
"But--aside from being unconscious, you're--you're okay, Sterling. You have no stab wounds. You were cold, you'll probably still be cold for a while. But you're okay. There's no long term damage. You and Ilya both might be sick, but at least you're in bed. He won't stop moving. When we get you home, I'll get you under a heated blanket, we'll get you warmed up. They might want to keep you here overnight, run a few more tests, but...I could get you home sooner if you're ready to leave."
Another kiss, another hair stroke. "You don't remember what happened, what he took from you?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:05 pm
Sterling swallowed and finally seemed to relax a little, Priam’s words and concern washing over him, and the blanket feeling wonderful against the chill. “...I’m glad that I’m okay...I..he didn’t stab me? My magic...it upset him a lot, I think…” He shivered slightly and felt better with the glasses on. He could at least see Priam’s face then, and that sight relaxed him further. “...I like Jarvis...wish...wish he could come when nobody was in the hospital though. That sucks. One day he’ll have to visit for a good reason, I hope.”
He tried to crack a smile but it was short lived. “...I’m okay staying here overnight...I...can you stay with me? Priam, Please stay with me...I’m sorry. I don’t know what he was doing there. I...my magic...It hurts him a lot...I wish I knew how but...I turned to walk away…” He knew that he had said all of this before, but he was trying to remember. Trying to piece it all together.
“...It...might have been my starseed...he was holding a gem in his hand…” The thought was terrifying, but his face grew pale after a moment. “...How...do I just not have my starseed now?”
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:57 pm
Priam just laced fingers with him, squeezing his hand and holding on gently enough that he wouldn't hurt him, but strong enough that he would know he was there.
"I'm not leaving you, Sterling. Nothing could move me from your side. I'm going to text Soleiyu that you're awake, but I'm not leaving. I've got Chinese food here if you're up to trying to eat something. I'll feed you myself so you can relax. It's okay. I'm here," he promised, and kissed him again. He sat back down, but he made sure the seat was as close to Sterling's side as he could manage, and he didn't let go of his hand once.
His mind was racing, even as he drew out his phone to text Soleiyu. It was short--'He's awake.'
He tried to text Ilya the same, but he wasn't even sure if he could get out a short message; he couldn't focus and kept trying to think--Starseed? Pulled?
...How did one return?
He swallowed, because Soleiyu's lecture on it had left little to the imagination--if someone took your starseed and held it hostage, your body died. Maybe, maybe, if the starseed had a chance, if it wasn't held in the grip of chaos, it would try to return to its host.
...But where had it come from? Why would it have been let go?
"My love," he soothed, in the voice he managed to conjure when he was scared out of his mind but trying so hard to be strong for someone else--in the voice that sounded like he was all right, and that everything else would be all right too. "I don't know. But if he did take your starseed, perhaps he made a mistake. Perhaps it's come back to you."
...If he hadn't had his starseed, he'd have slept. He'd have slept until he withered, like all the others.
It was a cold, painful, disgusting realization. He'd seen so many unconscious faces, so many people too young, too full of life, just gone.
It was murder.
...But Sterling was alive, somehow.
It was no small miracle, and he held his hand tighter, drawing it to his lips and kissing the back of it.
"...No matter what happened, you're safe here."
At the building where he'd been thrown off the roof. His heart seized, and he wasn't hooked up to the machines, too.
"I'm here," he said, with more confidence; it was a promise. "I won't let anyone hurt you. We'll figure this out. Soleiyu will come, he might have more answers. But I won't leave your side."
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2021 7:54 pm
Sterling drew in a deep, steadying breath and nodded, squeezing Priam’s hand tightly. “Is...it okay if we don’t really talk about it anymore right now? I think...I could use some time to process this…”
That and...he simply didn't know what to say. Or do.
He was quiet for a moment and then looked at Priam, biting his lip. “...Are they going to get upset if I ask you to get into bed with me? I...really would like to be...to have more than just your hand. I’m…” He swallowed, fighting back sudden tears.
God, he wanted Yu. He wanted to be smushed in the middle of a sandwich with the two of them holding him...he wanted things to go back to normal. “I love you...if you don’t want to...I understand…” Sterling wouldn’t like it...but he would understand.
Maybe...he could just take a nap now. That sounded like it might be the best thing to do. “...Love you.”
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:44 am
"I love you, Sterling, scoot over a bit," he said gently, and didn't really wait for him to do so before he carefully maneuvered himself into the bed. He didn't have it in his heart for chastising Sterling for doubting him; he'd have done anything for the man.
The hospital bed was small and cramped, but he made it work and was mindful not to knock anything loose.
He wrapped his arms around him, pulled up the blankets, and just rested his head on his shoulder. He had to curl close to fit comfortably, but even if it had been painful for himself, he still would have done it.
"It's okay," he soothed again. "Just rest. I've got you. Everything will be okay."
He didn't know how, but he meant it.
They'd figure this out, somehow.
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