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SickFic- he’s my remedy
Alex woke to a rustling in the middle of the night. That much wasn’t new. Henry often got out of bed and sat in the living room when his bouts of insomnia kicked in. Alex fell back asleep quickly.
Hours later, Alex woke up to a shrill alarm. Henry usually only let his alarms go for a few seconds before he turned them off, unlike Alex who often hit snooze. However, this time Henry’s alarm continued.
“Hen,” Alex said, getting annoyed. He turned over to face Henry.
“Hen, your alarm is..” Alex stopped when he realized that Henry wasn’t there. Alex sat up quickly. He turned Henry’s alarm off. No matter how bad Henry’s insomnia was, he always made it back to bed before Alex got up. Even if he hadn’t slept, he wanted the comfort of Alex, which of course Alex teased him about.
Alex threw the covers off and stood up. He pulled on one of Henry’s sweatshirts, one that said I Love NY which Alex delighted in purchasing for him after their move. He felt the cold floor on his feet as he walked out of the bedroom to find Henry. The bathroom door was open with the light off, so he knew Henry was not there. He poked his head into the kitchen, where the morning sun was just beginning to light the room enough to discover that Henry wasn’t there. Alex rounded the corner and flicked on the living room light. He heard a groan and saw a Henry sized blanket pile cover his face. Alex knelt on the floor next to him. He gently pulled the covers up just a tad so that he could see his fiancé’s face.
“Lex,” he croaked out. “Too bright.”
Alex lowered the blanket again. He rubbed blanket pile Henry’s back.
“What’s wrong baby?” Alex murmured.
“Don’t feel good,” Henry mumbled.
“I can see sweetheart. But you’re gonna have to give me more information so I can help you,” Alex told him.
“Hurts. Body and head. Chills and dizzy and congestion,” Henry said, punctuating his statement with a cough.
Alex mentally added a cough and likely shortness of breath to Henry’s list. Alex felt his forehead and then paused. He was certain that Henry had a fever.
“I’m going to call Pez. There is no way that you should be going into work today,” Alex told him, continuing to rub his back. He already knew Henry was going to resist the idea.
“No. Can’t. We have that new grief counselor coming in today,” Henry said as he tried sitting up. He wobbled slightly.
“Hen. Baby. If you go in, you’re gonna get the kids sick too. You can’t take help them if you don’t help you first,” Alex reminded him. Henry laid back down and Alex knew he had won. Henry let out an agreement in a small voice.
Alex texted Pez and then started dialing the phone. Henry was confused because they never really called Pez, just mostly texted.
“Who are you calling?” Henry asked as the phone started ringing.
“My office,” Alex replied. Henry reached for his phone and hung up before Alex had a chance to move out of the way. Alex let out a scoff at Henry’s audacity. He started to try to counter, but Henry spoke first.
“No. You need to go in,” Henry told him.
Alex sighed. “Nothing is more important to me than you. You don’t feel good baby. I want to be able to take care of you.”
“I’ll just feel guilty if you spend all day with me,” Henry argued. Alex did some brief calculating. Maybe he could just take a half day. That was he could take care of Henry and make him not feel as bad.
“Fine. But I’m only doing a half day and you have to promise to rest and take medicine,” Alex told him. Henry tried to argue but all Alex did was shush him and give him a kiss on his head.
Before getting ready for work. Alex set out a few pills for Henry to take as well as some toast and some water. He also took David out so Henry wouldn’t have to do that. He put on his shoes and grabbed his briefcase. He gave Henry one last kiss on the top of his head and made him promise that he’d call Alex if he needed anything.
An hour after he got to work, he sent off a quick text to Henry to check in. Henry replied that he was fine and that he took the rest of his medicine. He let Alex know that he would probably be sleeping when Alex got home, which comforted Alex. It made him feel like a layer of anxiety was peeling off. He liked knowing that Henry was putting himself first for once.
By the afternoon, Alex was itching to go home. Henry had not responded to his last two texts, which should have been fine considering Henry said that he would be sleeping. But somehow, anxiety had still wormed its way back into Alex’s brain. He was thankful that his boss let him take a half day, but even more thankful that he was finally going to get home to Henry. Right as he got in the car, his phone rang with a call from Henry.
“Alex,” Henry started. Alex could hear the fear in his voice. Before Alex could even respond, Henry continued.
“When are you getting home?” He asked the wobble in his voice getting more prominent.
“So soon baby. I’m on my way home right now. Hold on, I’ll be right…” Alex tried to reply trying not to let the worry envade his voice. He could tell Henry was seriously not doing well.
“Gonna. Gonna pass out,” Henry interrupted in a strangled voice.
“Oh my god baby. I’ll be right there. Are you sitting down?” Alex asked as his heart rate picked up.
“Alex. Lex… I,” Henry moaned out.
“You’re okay baby. It’s okay. I’m gonna be right there. Five more minutes. Just…” before Alex could finish, he heard the sound of Henry’s body fall against what sounded like the tile of the kitchen floor.
“Baby?” Alex asked. “Hen? Hen, I need to know that you’re okay. Henry!” By the last time he called Henry’s name, he knew that he was yelling. He began to drive far over the speed limit trying to get home faster. He kept calling Henry’s name, hands shaking and desperately willing Henry to wake up.
Alex had been scared before. The emails leaking. Getting lost by himself on a remote hike. June getting a terrible case of chicken pox when she was 8. The almost fatal car crash he got into when he was in high school. But nothing, nothing had prepared him for this terror. Of not knowing what was happening to the love of his life.
As soon as Alex left the car, he scrambled up the steps of the brownstone. He burst through the frond door so hard that he was afraid he would break the hinges. Alex raced across the kitchen, calling Henry’s name. There Henry laid, crumpled against the cabinets. His hair was covering his eyes and one of his hands was stretched out. He looked so frail and fragile, like a baby bird with a broken body that fell from its nest. Alex’s heart caught in his throat. For a moment, he almost believed Henry was gone.
“Baby?” Alex asked, quickly kneeling in front of Henry. He rubbed his chest hard, hoping to spark any consciousness left in Henry.
“Mhm,” Henry managed to respond. His eyes fluttered open, dazed and unfocused but still that bright blue. Even if it was only for a brief second before he closed them again, it brought Alex some comfort. Henry tried to feebly raise his head off of the kitchen tiles. Alex laid Henry’s head to the side in his lap. He shivered in Alex’s arms. Henry grabbed Alex’s shirt in an attempt to ground himself. Alex brushed his fingers through Henry’s blonde hair.
“I’m right here. I’ve got you baby. I’m right here,” Alex soothed as Henry clung tighter to his shirt. Henry began to tear up.
“I… I don’t feel good,” Henry told him. Alex felt his throat tighten. He was doing everything in his power not to scare Henry worse.
“I know baby. You passed out. We need to get you to a doctor,” Alex said. Henry tried to halfheartedly argue that he wanted to stay home but Alex continued, “I know you feel really bad but you have to go baby.” Henry finally nodded into Alex’s shirt. Alex helped him sit up before picking him up. Alex carried him outside and placed him gently in the car. He buckled his seat belt before hopping into the drivers seat. Normally, Alex picking up Henry led to giggles and flirty touches, but this time all it led to was Henry’s head leaning against the car window.
When they got to the hospital, Alex helped Henry inside. After several hours of waiting and then tests and then more waiting and then more tests, it was determined that Henry had a very bad bout of flu. Henry was given IV fluids and grabbed Alex’s hand when he felt the pinch of the needle. Alex was encouraged by this bout of strength, feeble as it may be. They were told to make sure that Henry got lots of fluids and plenty of rest. Alex gave Henry a pointed look at the second statement.
Once they were discharged, Henry insisted on walking to the car (Honestly darling, I think there’s been enough theatrics for a day). Alex still held him close and encouraged Henry to lean on him.
Once they got home, Alex helped Henry into a warm bath to wash the hospital off of him. He helped Henry dress in sweats, even though Henry insisted he could put his own clothes on. He settled Henry to the bed and tucked Henry the blankets. He made Henry a cup of tea which he eagerly took, much to Alex’s delight. He gave Henry a gentle kiss. After a quick promise to Alex that he wasn’t going to die in the next five minutes, Alex took a quick shower of his own. He finally allowed himself to cry. Sobs let loose from him as he let himself process the fear of seeing Henry so sick. His brain couldn’t even picture what his life would be like without Henry. Every time it tried, all it could conjure was a black hole. He realized that he had been in the shower longer than he had intended so he rallied to finishing washing his hair.
When he was finally finished, Alex put Henry’s sweatshirt on from that morning, which now felt like eons ago. He took Henry’s empty tea cup into the kitchen and came back to bed. He ensured that Henry didn’t need anything else before climbing in next to him. He grabbed Henry by the waist and pulled him against himself, despite Henry voicing his concerns that he would get Alex sick.
“It’s okay. I think I just need to sleep with you tonight. I thought I was going to lose you today, Alex said as he pulled Henry in closer. He tried unsuccessfully to keep the shakiness out of his voice.
“I’m sorry,” Henry replied in a small voice.
“Don’t be sorry baby. I just got a little scared. I feel better now that you’re home. Now get some rest. I love you,” Alex replied. His heart rate was finally starting to level out after all of these hours. Henry mumbled an I love you back, although it was clear that he was already falling asleep.
Alex buried his nose in the top of Henry’s hair. He felt weird sniffing the top of Henry’s head so much more aggressively than normal, but smelling it brought him comfort. He started to let himself finally believe that Henry was not made of porcelain. He moved his arms tightly around Henry’s chest and let himself be soothed by the rhythmic rise and fall of Henry’s chest. Even when it evened out as Henry fell asleep, he craved the physical proof that Henry was still alive and would be okay.