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“Jacq, are you even listening?”
Clavell crossed his arms, a look of displeasure set deep across his face. Frown lines punctuated the disdain he held in the moment, as he stared down at the mess of a professor in front of him. The staff meeting had been called to discuss “matters of great importance”, which included updating the dress code and what type of books would be brought into the library next semester.
“Great importance”, that simply couldn’t wait. Jacq absolutely had to be in attendance, or else he might miss the pertinent change of patterned leggings being added into the list of “acceptable legwear for underneath shorts”.
When Clavell snapped at him, Jacq nearly jumped out of his seat. His shrill voice sent a piercing pain through his head. He brought a hand up to his temple, pressing his fingers down to massage it in little circles. Unfortunately, it did nothing to help.
“I… yes, I’m listening.” He responded meekly. It was nothing like his typical bubbly demeanor, and his colleagues and peers took notice almost immediately.
“What did I just say, then?” Clavell sneered.
Jacq knew the answer to this one. At least, he thought he did. It was dress code stuff, right? That had to be it. “Ah… you were saying… that you’re planning on adding raincoats to the uniforms next year. The weather here in Paldea is… ah, volatile at best.” The scientist responded, struggling to form all of the syllables for each word. He hoped that no one noticed the way it made his voice slur.
“That’s… yes, that’s correct. Very good, Jacq.” The Director seemed surprised at his ability to recall the conversation. Jacq would have been offended if he had the energy to care. Instead, he was facing a brand-new problem.
His headache had gotten worse now that he sat under the harsh fluorescent bulbs of the conference room. With his hypersensitivity to sound and light, it already made for a difficult time when he was in the best of health. Now, it was just about unbearable. He was reaching a critical point, though, because his stomach started to make itself known. A discomfort in his belly had turned into a tangled-up knot. No matter how tightly he wrapped his arms around his waist, it didn’t seem to help. It had been over an hour since the meeting started, and Clavell had shown no signs of ending it anytime soon. Hunching over alleviated some of the pain, but it only drew more attention to himself.
All day, he had felt sick – but without any sick days to take, Jacq was forced to come in, and now he was paying the price. A hot sweat broke out on his forehead and neck. He would give anything for a cold towel draped over his head. Maybe when he got home, he could even take a cold shower. That sounded heavenly.
He glanced up, squinting in the harsh lights. How long had this meeting been going on again? He could scarcely remember when it had started, let alone the passage of time. Another sharp pain went through his head when he moved too quickly. Unable to help himself, Jacq let out a pathetic whimper, comparable to that of an injured Pokémon. If he didn’t get out of there soon, he was sure that he would overheat and faint in the process.
“Director Clavell?” Jacq raised his hand, trying to get his attention. It made him feel like he was back in his undergraduate studies.
“Jacq, the meeting only has fifteen minutes left. Can this wait?” Clavell sighed, irritated. It was obvious that he either didn’t realize Jacq was sick, or more likely, didn’t care.
“I-I…” Jacq began to feel lightheaded, an aura forming around his vision. “No, I…” He went to stand, only to find himself crashed onto the floor a moment later. A dull throbbing shot through his elbow, where he had smacked it on the edge of the table during his fall. Thankfully, he hadn’t hit his head.
Jacq laid flat on his back, taken by surprise at the way his world had suddenly, and quite literally, turned upside-down. Everyone else seemed to be just as shocked. Silence hung heavy in the air.
Then, Jacq did the most humiliating thing he could have done – he rolled on his side and began crying.
That certainly got people to move. In a flash, Professor Hassel was kneeling on the ground beside him, scanning over the scientist for any immediate harm. “Stay still, Jacq. I don’t want you to irritate any possible injuries.”
“Here, put this under his head.” Dendra took off her zip-up, folding it into a square. Her calloused hands helped lift his head up when she realized he was too disoriented to do it himself.
“We’ll take him to see Nurse Miriam.” Saguaro approached him, crouching down and taking his hands. “He looks grislier than a cubchoo, the poor kid.”
“No…” Jacq shook his head, as he tried to squirm into a more comfortable position on the linoleum floor. It made no difference to the larger professor. He was able to lift the younger man off of the floor and into his arms, much to the relief of Professor Hassel, who most likely had planned on doing it himself if Saguaro hadn’t been there to help.
“Hassel, Saguaro, you two head down to the nurse’s office with him. We don’t want to crowd him too much.” Professor Tyme instructed, her voice worried, but calm all the same. It was easy for her to keep her head on in the face of stress, unlike Jacq himself.
“No, no, no…” Jacq pushed weakly on Saguaro’s arms, confused. “Just wanna go home…” All he wanted was someone to help him get home. Couldn’t they see that? He didn’t have the energy to talk to Nurse Miriam, as nice as she was. He barely even had the energy to walk, yet Hassel and Saguaro were forcing him to go to have his temperature taken and whatever else they decided he required. He didn’t want to do that, he wanted to go home. “Put me down…” He smacked Saguaro on the chest, with as much strength as a light breeze.
With a soft sigh, Saguaro shook his head. “You must be very confused right now, but we’re going to help you. You need to go to see Miriam, not go back home on your own. You can hardly form sentences.”
“He’s right, Jacq. You collapsed during a meeting – it’s cause for alarm. We’re doing this to ensure that you’re well enough to go home on your own. If everything is okay, I can take you back myself… but you have to cooperate with me, first. You can’t be trying to squirm away from us when we’re attempting to help you, and you can’t keep hitting Mister Saguaro.” Hassel spoke to him in the same tone he used when he had to gently reprimand his students – stern and commanding, but no hint of malice or disgust.
It wasn’t mean, not at all, but being in such a vulnerable state didn’t lend Jacq the ability to discern that he wasn’t in trouble. He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his glasses up onto his head. They had been giving him a headache, too. His stomach did a barrel roll, and he burst into tears.
“I’m sorry…” The professor sobbed out, rubbing tears from his eyes with his balled-up fists.
Both colleagues paused, surprised, and saddened to see their younger peer in such a state. Saguaro was his acquaintance, and it was deeply troubling that the usually happy professor was a sobbing, childish mess in his arms. However, the scene was even more difficult for Hassel to witness. As Jacq’s mentor, and a member of his hiring process, he had come to see the young man as family. Jacq had spent countless hours chatting with Brassius about his art and the plants he painted, and Hassel loved hearing about his most recent updates on the Pokedex. He knew that the pain must have commenced considerably earlier in the day than the professor had let on, for him to be in such distress. Seeing him reduced to tears, vulnerable and terrified, made him tear up himself.
“Oh, Jacq, you’re not in trouble… oh, not at all.” Hassel held a brisk pace alongside Saguaro, growing relieved when he saw Nurse Miriam up ahead. Thank goodness she seemed to recognize what was happening, as she turned on her heel, hastily approaching the office to prepare for their arrival. Professor Tyme must have called ahead to let her know they were coming.
“Hi, Jacq.” Nurse Miriam presented him a sympathetic smile as Saguaro brought him into the office, placing him cautiously on the exam chair. “Professor Tyme called me and said you weren’t feeling very well… can you tell me what’s wrong?”
Jacq sniffled, rubbing harshly at the tears in his eyes. “Stomach.” He had given up on masking – he was barely verbal, with no energy leftover to do anything. He wanted someone to take care of him. He couldn’t do it himself, not this time.
“That must be one nasty tummy ache.” Miriam nodded to herself, carefully adjusting him so that he was laying back against the exam chair. “Is it sharp?”
Jacq nodded his head, squeezing his eyes shut.
She sucked in a quick breath, trying to decide the best course of action. Unfortunately, it was exactly what Jacq didn’t want to happen – she began to pull his shirt up, after telling him she was going to feel his stomach for any lumps or swelling. While her hands were surprisingly warm, he still flinched at the touch. That was nothing paralleled to the moment she applied pressure on his abdomen, though. He instantly cried out at the discomfort it caused. “Stop!”
Miriam removed her hand, tugging his shirt back down. “It’s okay, Jacq, it’s okay. I’m sorry, I won’t touch it anymore, okay?” Her voice was reassuring and peaceful.
“What’s wrong? Is he alright?” Hassel frowned, looking over his mentee.
“His abdomen isn’t swollen, thankfully, so we can rule out appendicitis. I think he just has a nasty stomachache. Maybe there’s a bug going around the school? I wouldn’t be surprised… but I’d keep a close eye on this, Jacq. If you end up having even more discomfort, you should go to a doctor.”
“Not to worry. I’ll bring him home with me. He’s far too sick to be on his own.” Hassel declared, with no room for dispute from Jacq.
If he happened to have been any less sick, Jacq would have fought tooth and nail to assert that he was alright – but Jacq wasn’t in that state of mind. Instead, he sat up on his elbows, trembling. “Don’t have any sick time.” He murmured.
“If Clavell expects you to stay for the rest of that meeting, he’s got another thing coming.” Saguaro shook his head. “I’ll go talk to him. You focus on getting home.”
Hassel took Jacq’s arms, helping him to his feet. “There we are. I’ll call a cab and take you back to my place. I let Brassius know you weren’t feeling well, so he’s expecting you to come along.”
“Thank you…” Jacq murmured, leaning on Hassel for support. When they stepped into the blaring Paldean sun, he shut his eyes, shaking his head. “No…”
“I know, I know,” Hassel bit his lip, frowning. Despite knowing Jacq since the beginning of his teaching career, he had never seen him in such a state of disarray. As quickly as he could, he positioned him in the cab and aided in buckling his seatbelt. “I’ll get you to a bed as soon as I can, Jacq. Just a few more minutes of moving about, and then you’ll be inside. Can you do that for me?” He placed an arm around his shoulders, as the fluff of purple hair came to rest on his chest. His brows knitted in concern when he felt how sweaty his forehead was.
Jacq fussed in place, clutching Hassel’s shirt in his fist. Overstimulated, uncomfortable, and distraught, he tried desperately to keep it together, for a little while longer. Unable to bring himself to speak, he simply nodded. It was the only way he could communicate at this point, far too gone to even attempt the exhausting task of formulating words.
“Thank you, Jacq. You’re doing well. We’re nearly there, okay?” Hassel rubbed his back, as he watched his home appear in the distance. It was a sight for sore eyes, and the relief he felt when they landed uncoiled the knot of anxiety in his stomach. “Here we are. Let’s get you inside.” He stepped out of the cab, opening up the door. “Do you think you can walk?”
“Mhmm.” When he felt ready, Jacq shuffled out of the cab, taking Hassel’s hands to get down the small step onto the sidewalk. A gust of wind made him sigh, satisfied at the air that cooled his body. The blast of cold air that hit him when he entered Hassel’s home even brought a smile to his face, if only for a moment.
Brassius had set up the guest bedroom on the first floor, and he hurried to greet them. “Oh, Jacq, sweetheart – come here, darling, lets get you cleaned up.” He took his other arm, walking him to the bedroom down the hall. “Hassel, get a wet washcloth for me, would you?”
“On it, love.” Hassel stepped out of the room, leaving Brassius and Jacq to themselves.
“Jacq, dear? I want to help wash the sweat off of you, but I need to know if you consent to me undressing you to your underwear, first.” Brassius rubbed his back, as he took a seat beside him. “You can say no, darling.”
He nodded faintly, content to be sitting once more. Being near Brassius made him feel at ease. The artist had always been kind to him, kinder than most, and much more understanding of his accommodations and boundaries. It meant more to him than he could ever realize.
“Thank you, Jacq. Hass and I are going to make you feel much better.” Gentle hands moved over the shoulders of his lab coat, as it was pulled off. He tried not to crinkle his nose at the damp feeling beneath his fingers, though it couldn’t be wholly avoided. “I’ll wash these for you, too. No need to worry. Now, arms up, if you please.”
Jacq set his glasses down and lifted his arms above his head. He shivered when the cold air touched his bare chest and back, though he would admit, he was eager to have the sweat-stained garment off of his body.
“There we are.” Brassius smiled, causing the crows feet by his eyes to crinkle. “Can you nod for me if you think you can take your pants off yourself?”
The scientist nodded, standing up slowly. He unbuttoned his pants with unsteady hands. A blush dusted his cheeks, as he was a tad embarrassed to be in only his boxers in front of Brassius. Not to mention, in front of Hassel, his coworker and mentor. However, he had no other option – he would much rather be comfortable and clean. He slid his jeans down to just above his knees and sat back down on the bed. Before he could finish undressing, though, Brassius took over the process.
“Good job, Jacq, dear. I know this must be very uncomfortable for you right now, and you’re doing so well.” Slender hands came to rest on either side of him, as the older man got to his feet. When Hassel entered a moment later, Brassius took it upon himself to wash Jacq’s face and neck. “Hass, why don’t you clean off his legs?”
“Jacq, is it okay if I do that?” The professor waited for a response. When he received an affirmative thumbs up, he couldn’t help the smile on his face, and carefully took his place on the floor. “It may be bit cold, though, that might feel nice in your case.”
The scientist squirmed at the feeling of the washcloth on his calves, though he didn’t pull away. Hassel was wrong – it didn’t feel nice, it felt heavenly. He hardly realized that Brassius was massaging the knots in his shoulders, as his head floated in the clouds.
A knowing look was shared between the couple. They were relieved to see that their friend was calmed down, going so far as to relax under their caring touch. When they both pulled away to set the washcloths down, Jacq opened his eyes again, seemingly to make sure they were still in the room with him.
“Don’t worry, Jacq. We’re still here.” Hassel reassured him, ruffling the youngers hair. He hummed in approval when Jacq leaned into his hand, chasing the comforting touch.
“Why don’t you lay down, darling? You must be exhausted.” Brassius suggested, chuckling softly at the pout that involuntarily formed on Jacq’s face. “You need your rest, dear. Your stomach will feel considerably better if you do.” He lightly guided Jacq to lay down. Blankets were drawn to his chest, as he was tucked into bed.
“We’ll only be down the hall should you need us, Jacq.” Hassel brushed the hair from his eyes with a fond smile. “We’re more than happy to take care of anything you need. Understand?”
“Mhmm.” The soft hum only made the couple more excited. It was a small step in coming out of a meltdown, but it was a step taken all the same.
“Get some sleep, dear.” Brassius squeezed his hand, then stood from his place upon the edge of the bed. “Like Hassel said, we’ll be right down the hall.” He reached out, taking his husbands hand in his own. When Jacq laid his head down and closed his eyes, he felt satisfied enough to leave the room with the lights dimmed behind him.
Jacq laid in bed, his stomach finally beginning to settle after a day of discomfort. Although he would be incredibly embarrassed when he woke up the next morning - practically tripping over flustered apologies – he allowed himself the comfort of their care that night. It wasn’t often that he was given the treatment that Hassel and Brassius afforded him, and he was always grateful for it. Never before had he felt so coddled, so loved, by anyone. Despite their relationship starting as colleagues, it had turned into a mentorship, and then a friendship. Now, Jacq was as beloved to them as they were to him. With quiet sigh of relief, he tucked his face into the pillow and fell asleep.