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 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 7:08 am
Nelson wanted to be a doctor, he wanted to help people, but honestly, he thought he might just be better at nursing. Sure it was more of the dirty stuff, but nursing was where you got to connect with the patients, where you got to form a connection…
Nurses didn’t have to give the really bad news…
He volunteered for the hospital every few days, and today was visiting the rooms of some patients, giving balloons and flowers and just trying to cheer them up. These were the ones who had been admitted from the emergency room for observation, so normally it was nothing too terribly serious.
With a soft knock, he entered the room of a Malcolm Everly, a shiny mylar balloon with a colorful ‘Get Well Soon!’ and a smiling sunshine in one hand, and a small white teddy bear in the other.
“Um...H-hello! I hope that you don’t mind some company...I’m Nelson...I’m um. One of the volunteers here...I brought you some feel better presents!”
This was the worst part of this job at least. The awkward introduction. He was never good at introductions, and honestly...he doubted that he ever would be.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 8:26 am
Malcolm wanted to go home. Technically, he should have gone home. He was ready to go home. He had his stitches, his jaw had been taken care of. He’d passed out a few times, but that was more shock than anything, and that was why he was still here. Probably. He wasn’t really sure, the blur of people telling him that he was going to stay for just a little while longer was nonsensical.
His face was swollen, he hurt all over, and he’d cried enough for the next year, so everyone probably thought he was a big baby.
He just couldn’t help it. He didn't want to be alone, didn’t want to be here. Hadn’t told his parents he was here because he didn’t want them to worry again, and he was trying to figure out how he was going to explain his stupid face.
He understood why the others weren’t here. They were better off trying to find Cambria. Or, whatever was left of her.
He was tucked in, hardly comfortable, when Nelson came in--and he was worried that he was in the wrong room. He wiped at his eyes carefully; they felt dry and agitated but they wouldn’t stop leaking.
“Hi, sorry,” he said; he spoke carefully so he didn’t have to move much in his mouth. “That’s--thank you,” he said, because he didn’t really know what else to say. “Malcolm,” he introduced cautiously, like he wanted to make sure this guy was in the right room.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 9:32 am
Nelson swallowed and moved a little closer, tying the balloon to the side of the bed and gently tucking the bear into Malcolm’s arms. “Hi Malcolm.” He gave a little smile and hesitated, glancing at one of the chairs by the window and moving it towards the side of the bed. “...Do you want some company? You don’t have to talk...um. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay...I’m uh. I’m in medical school and like to help people and...I thought you’d like something to brighten up the room some...since hospital rooms are lonely…”
He hesitated and drew in a breath, rambling as he always did when he got nervous. “I think you’ll be able to leave tomorrow they said, they just want to make sure that the stitches aren’t going to come undone...and that your jaw doesn’t need any extra help.”
Nelson wrinkled his nose. “...not that I have that information but I heard them talking about your case...um. I guess...I guess that’s breaking some ethical code but...I think it’s better than keeping you in suspense!”
He swallowed and looked suddenly nervous. “...D-don’t tell them I said anything please?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:00 am
Malcolm looked a little confused because--on one hand, here was some guy who he didn’t know, talking to him about medical things. On the other hand, he said he was in medical school, and--
He didn’t care, as long as he wasn’t some reporter, or some Negaverse agent who was going to try and corrupt him too. His eyes were wet again and he looked so guilty; he reached again to rub at them, drawing the bear a little tighter.
“I won’t,” he assured, and let out a shaky little breath as he tried to relax. “Medical students intern, right? I bet it’s educational.”
He hoped it was. “I want to go home now,” he confessed, but he wasn’t confrontational, he didn’t argue. “I really don’t like hospitals,” he added, quieter. “But I guess you must hear that a lot.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:19 am
“I can imagine!” Nelson nodded and swallowed. “Yeah! We intern...that’ll be next year or the year after for me, I think...I spend my time volunteering here so that the hospital staff can...ah. Can get to know me a little. That way hopefully they’ll accept me as an intern...and when it gets to that point, maybe they’ll even hire me…”
Reaching out, Nelson smoothed out Malcolm’s blankets for him and looked like he wished he could do more.
“I know you want to go home...but you...you’ll go soon! If um...if you want I can stay and keep you company for a little bit...You must be lonely…”
...There was nobody else visiting him, after all.
“Not many people do like them...so I understand that...they...they’re a place of pain and death...but also one of miracles...so...there’s always some light in the darkness…”
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:34 am
Malcolm flashed a quick, hurried smile in an attempt to be polite but realized his mistake as soon as the pain shot through his whole face. He almost reached a hand up to press over his mouth to keep from crying out, but he knew that would have only hurt worse so instead he made a choked noise--because, yeah, that made sense. Just choke instead of not smile.
Good job, Malcolm.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I’m still getting used to this. My friends are just--it’s bad timing this time. One of our friends is missing and we can’t find her,” he lied, and it felt like needles on his tongue and heart and in his blood, and--he just wanted Cambria back. He could feel wetness in his eyes and he inhaled. He didn't know why he felt the need to insist that he had friends, or that he wasn't pathetic. He was afraid if he said it out loud it would be a lie, so he tried to change the subject instead. "It sounds like you have a good plan. I hope you get hired. You seem nice, I bet you make a lot of people feel better.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:17 pm
Nelson frowned and nodded, hesitating and drawing a small notepad out of his pocket, jotting his number down. “...I’m so sorry about your friend, Malcolm...um...I hope that you find her...I...if you ever need help looking, here’s my number...or um...if you ever just want to talk or complain or...or just anything…”
He swallowed and shrugged. “I could always use more friends...and um...I’m always too shy to make them…”
Even now, when he wasn’t being shy...he felt guilty...taking advantage of someone else…
It almost felt wrong.
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:23 pm
Malcolm could have cried again; he was overwhelmed already, and the small gesture of kindness was enough to make him sniffle again. He could have probably just cried forever, but he was trying to hold himself together.
He accepted the number a bit awkwardly, but he held it gently in his hand like he thought if he crumbled the paper it might become unreadable.
“That’s surprising,” he said, trying to work through the perpetually lost emotions, “You seem really nice. I’m not good at making friends. I psych myself out. I mostly just stay at home and play on the computer. I sort of get in trouble when I’m out for too long. Um. Obviously,” he said, and tried to make a joke of his condition, even if he hurt from the inside out, and he was scared, and he was grieving.
Even if Nelson had been horrible, Malcolm probably wouldn’t have tried to get him to leave him alone; he didn’t really know how to be rude and, on top of that, he didn’t want to be alone.
“...You must be pretty brave to try and comfort complete strangers in the hospital, um. Just so you know. I couldn’t do that. So, I just wanted to say thank you. Again.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:28 pm
Nelson swallowed and looked even more guilty at the fact that he must have made the male cry. Hesitating, he pressed the bear closer to him. “It’s what I like to do...I like to help people...I...I like to help them feel better...um...I mean it, please text me or call me. Even if it’s just to talk to someone when you feel sad...I don’t care what time it is I...I’ll keep my phone on for you, okay? You don’t have to be alone and sad or alone and afraid…”
He shrugged and nodded at the thanks.
“...You don’t have to ever think you’re alone when you have friends who care about you...I had to...to learn that too...um...Thank you for thinking I’m brave...I...That means a lot to me...do you want me to stay or...or head out? I don’t mind staying, I would like to keep you company…”
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 4:52 pm
Malcolm tried to smile again but he was more careful this time, mindful not to pull a muscle or agitate something swollen. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be weepy. I’m just stressed out here. You can stay. If you want. I’m not making a good first impression, I know. The last time I was in the hospital I thought I was going to die and I hated it. Just wanna be in bed. With my blankets. And my cat.”
...He was a bad friend, he should have been out looking for Cambria.
“I might be less awkward in texts. I talk online a lot. Also my face hurts a little right now. But I’m usually awkward anyway.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 5:07 pm
“I’ll stay for a while then.” He managed a small smile and leaned back in his chair. “...I’m...not as awkward in texts or online either...I um. I don’t stutter there, which is nice...as you can imagine I’m sure…”
He fell quiet and closed his eyes, hesitating before humming a lullaby that Q used to sing to him, hoping this wasn’t too weird.
“Rest, Malcolm...remember that the sooner you sleep, the sooner you’ll be back home with your bed and blankets and cat...and I can send you stupid memes…” Nelson continued humming and felt himself relaxing as he did so. “...Stupid memes make everything a little better...It’s…”
He yawned. “...Clinically proven…”
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2021 9:11 am
Honestly, Malcolm was so exhausted already; if it was weird that Nelson was humming him a lullaby, it never even registered.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. But you are studying medicine so. I feel like I should believe you.”
Nelson seemed pretty trustworthy, and he did have good advice.
He glanced at his phone, heart sinking when there were no new messages. It meant they still hadn’t found her.
But, maybe if he just took one little nap, they would. He made sure his phone was on high volume, just in case.
“If I do go to sleep,” he he could, easily he felt it creeping in already. His eyes felt heavy and his mind felt foggy. “...It’s just because I’m tired. You seem nice. I am tired. I hope we can talk more, though. When things are better.”
Maybe, Cambria would even be proud of him for making a new friend. When she got back.
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