Wednesday Briefs - Waiting

So here we are again. ANOTHER Wednesday 

Here are today's prompts

 

  "I can see clearly now..."  

or use these alternate prompts:

canvas, moustache, pond 

or

"I'd follow you anywhere"

or

"Take your clothes off or I'll...."

or

chicken, pantomime, stock market

or

"His/her eyes were as green as..."

 

 

Luke didn’t believe in hell but if it existed he was in it. Rio kept pacing, ranting, praying. It annoyed Luke intensely, but he didn’t have the energy to tell him to shut up and sit down.

He dragged himself into a chair and slumped against the wall. Although he watched Rio, he didn’t see him.

“What are they doing? What the hell are they doing to him? Why won’t they tell me what’s going on?”

Luke didn’t answer. He knew Rio didn’t expect him to.

“What did they say they were going to do?”

“More tests. They… they’ve checked there’s no bleeding or clots or anything like that. Now they’re checking how high the pressure is and exactly what’s causing it and whether they need… if they need to…”

“To what?”

“Surgery,” he croaked. “If they need to drill into his head and—“

“Okay,” Luke stopped him. “I get the message.” He’d asked but he didn’t want to hear. His stomach was roiling and, if he opened his mouth again, he was going to be sick.

“I wish I knew what happening. Why won’t someone come? Why won’t someone--?”

He was cut off by the opening of the door. It was a different nurse. She was dressed all in blue, and Luke’s stomach very nearly got the upper hand when he thought ‘scrubs’, but it wasn’t, it was just an uniform.

Rio, too had frozen, looking decidedly green. “What…? What…?” he stammered.

The nurse smiled. “Why don’t you sit down?” she asked and Rio sat, as if his legs had given way.

“Is he…?” Rio gasped, choking.

“Calm down,” she said gently. “Try not to work yourself up so much. It’s isn’t going to help Rune if you fall apart, is it? It isn’t as bad as we thought it might be. He’s responding to medication and the pressure’s already beginning to come down.”

“Oh God. Oh God,” Rio moaned and let his head fell forward, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. Luke swallowed hard. His errant stomach, not satisfied, was still threatening to rebel. If anything, it was closer to exploding, rising into his throat. He couldn’t speak. “ He’s going to be alright?”

“It’s a little early to tell for sure.  Head injuries are unpredictable. The pressure in his head is coming down and he’s stable. That’s all we can say for now.”

Rio looked up. “But… but he’s going to be… He’s not going to… He’s going to be alright?”

“The signs are good,” she repeated firmly. “Let’s just wait and see.”

“Can I…?” He flashed a glance at Luke. “Can we see him?”

“In a little while. You should be prepared… Where there is any injury to the brain, especially where there is increased cranial pressure, it’s very important to do everything we can to help the brain heal. So we take over as many of his bodily functions as we can. He’s deeply sedated to give him as much rest as possible.”

“What…? What does that mean?” Rio asked, dazed.

“He’s in a coma,” Luke said, in a dull, dead voice. “They’ve put him in a medical coma, on life support.”

Rio’s eyes flew open and, unconsciously, he grabbed the nurse’s arm, his eyes flicking over her face. She smiled and patted his hand.

“That’s one way of saying it. Just think of it as… taking him offline for a while. Not long. Maybe only a day.”

“Just a day? Just one day?”

“Maybe. We’ll see.”

When the nurse left, Rio started to pace again. “What does it mean? It means he’s going to be okay, right? When they let him wake up, he’ll be okay? He doesn’t need surgery. He’s responding to the medication. That means… that means he’s going to be okay, right? Tomorrow…”

Luke didn’t answer. He hugged himself, staring at the wall.

After more waiting, the male nurse arrived. He looked surprised to see them both. “You can come see Rune, now. Um… It’s supposed to be only family but…”

Rio shook his head. “I’m not a complete bastard,” he said, glancing at Luke. “Besides, Rune would want him more than me.”

Luke could barely believe what he was hearing. Feeling stunned, he looked from Rio to the nurse.

“Oh, don’t look so shocked,” Rio snapped. “I’m not a monster. Just don’t piss me off.”

The nurse winked at Luke, who scrambled to his feet and followed them.

Nothing can prepare you for seeing someone you care about lying in a hospital bed, lost in a maze of medical equipment and looking fragile and vulnerable. Rune’s face was so pale it made his hair look less silver and more gold. His small frame looked tiny, like a faery creature, wings torn off, laid out on a dissecting table. Luke’s heart lurched and it did nothing to help get his stomach under control.

Rio was frozen, rigid and unmoving, so Luke dodged around him and drifted to the other side of the bed.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” the nurse said, encouragingly. “He’s just sleeping and, when we reduce the medication, he’ll wake up.” Neither failed to notice the slight hesitation, the unspoken ‘maybe’.

Luke looked up and gave him a quick, mirthless smile, before giving all his attention up to Rune. The room faded, the nurse and Rio disappeared, their voices blending with the bleeps and hisses of the medical equipment, nothing more than background noise. The only thing that existed for him, was Rune.

Gently, Luke reached out and brushed the hair from Rune’s face. Long strands were criss-crossing the pale skin and, for a moment, Luke was angry no one had bothered to do it before. Why had no one been so caught in his beauty they had to smooth his cheek, stroke his hair, touch his lips, hold his hand?

Bending close he whispered. “Don’t leave me. I’d follow you anywhere, but I can’t follow you there Stay with me.”

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