Chapter Text
It had been months since you’d first been admitted to the hospital, your room feeling like a second home by now. At first, you almost always had someone visiting you. Some far off relative coming to ask if you were alright, a friend or two from your high school days stopping by. But, gradually, you stopped receiving gifts. The flowers by your bedside began to wilt. The concerned faces stopped showing up. You didn’t know when the last time someone other than the medical staff had visited you. You’d stopped keeping count after a few weeks of radio silence from the ones you knew. You were alone, truly, alone.
Well, not really. You had a certain doctor keeping you company.
Doctor Faust was an odd one. He stood out like a sore thumb, his height causing him to tower over just about everyone, the bag over his head giving him a rather eerie quality. Yet, somehow, he was one of the kindest people you had ever met. He seemed to be truly passionate about his job, always treating you with the utmost gentleness and care. Rationally, you knew he was just being professional, that he probably treated all of his patients the same way, but you couldn’t help but get attached. What were you supposed to do when a giant of a man practically fussed over you everyday? It was inevitable, really.
‘’There you are!’’ Faust's voice rang through the room, the good doctor stepping through the doorway. He always acted like he was surprised to find you in your room, as if you weren’t practically bedbound. You couldn’t help the way you perked up as soon as you heard him, sitting up a bit straighter in your bed.
‘’How's my patient doing, hm? Wonderful, I hope,’’ Faust continued before you could greet him, making his way to your bedside in only a few strides. His hands found your wrist, feeling for your pulse. He never wasted any time in getting to work.
As usual, you tensed up at his touch, trying so hard to be normal about it. ‘’I’m doing okay, i think- a bit bored, if anything…’’ You managed to respond, keeping your voice steady for the most part. Your eyes fell to the side, struggling to make eye contact.
A rather exaggerated disappointed sigh escaped Faust as he shook his head. ‘’You always say that, you know. You could switch it up, live a little!’’ He teased, his hands moving from your wrist to just below your jawline, feeling for abnormalities in your lymph nodes. Your breath hitched at the action, something Faust took note of.
‘’Easier said than done,’’ You said with a dry chuckle. It was hard to enjoy living when all of your days were spent in a room with white walls. ‘’Can’t exactly live it up when I’m stuck in a hospital room,’’ You added, tone slightly bitter.
Faust’s eyebrows knit together at your words, the expression somehow being clear even through the paper bag. ‘’Such a downer… as always…’’ He let out another sigh. His hand moved to tuck your hair behind your ear before drawing it back, now holding a little orange flower. Where did it come from? You had no idea. The man just had the ability to materialize things from thin air. Either way, the action made your heart flutter a little ‘’Cheer up, won’t you? You still have life left to live.’’ The good doctor continued, leaning down, offering the flower to you.
You willed yourself to be normal about this, pushing your feelings to the side. ‘’... Thank you, doctor,’’ You replied, reaching out to pluck the flower from his hand. You inspected it, noticing it had a silly little face in the middle of it. Odd, you thought. Odd, but cute. It brought a small smile to your face.
Seeing your smile, Faust found one of his own tugging at his lips. He loved making his patients smile. He straightened back up, folding his hands behind his back. There were a few moments of silence before Faust spoke up again. ‘’You know… I think it would do you good to get out of this room once in a while!’’ He exclaimed, pointing a finger up as if he had just made a grand discovery.
You raised your eyebrow, wondering just what Faust was getting at. You agreed, of course, but it wasn’t like you could go anywhere by yourself. You couldn’t walk for very long on a good day, and were prone to fainting. A recipe for disaster, really. ‘’Yeah, but I can't really go out. You know that-’’
‘’I could chaperone you,’’ Faust interrupted, his smile clear in his voice. He seemed to think it was a great idea.
The doctor's suggestion made you pause for a moment. That… didn’t sound too bad, actually. You would get to go out and spend more time with Faust. You were silent for a bit, choosing your words carefully. ‘’...Aren’t you busy, though?’’ You ended up asking, giving Faust a chance to back out, even though you hoped he wouldn’t.
‘’I’ll make time!’’ He was quick to announce, seeming set on getting you out of your room. His lack of hesitation made you feel a little warm. ‘’I can fetch a wheelchair for you, so you could just sit back, relax, and not worry about walking!’’ He added, looking happy with himself for the idea.
‘’...I… I suppose-’’ Before you could respond properly, Faust interrupted you again. ‘’Wonderful! I’ll be back in a jiffy, dear patient!’’ And with that, Faust walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
You sat there in silence, thinking about what you had just agreed to. You would be going out with the doctor. Your mind likened it to a date. Suddenly, you felt oddly nervous.