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“Prepare to intubate, he’s-“
“No, wait- he’s waking up. Sir? Can you hear me?”
“You have a severe infection. We’re going to give you antibiotics-“
Alastor tried his best to speak, but all that came out at first were mumbles.
“What?”
Why was speaking so difficult? What happened?
Where… was he?
“…no. No… not that.”
He couldn’t open his eyes.
The nurse looked confused, and turned to the other.
“Is he refusing?”
“He’s septic, I say we ignore him.”
The other nurse nodded in agreement and injected something into Alastor’s arm.
And then, it all went dark again.
When he next opened his eyes, everything sounded a lot quieter. He didn’t know how long had passed, but it felt like an instant. Blinded by the white glow of the room, he squinted at the fuzzy grey figure now hovering over him.
“Alastor?” The blob spoke.
He could feel something in his throat, he didn’t know what it was, but he wanted it out. Unfortunately, his hands weren’t really responding.
“Shit, uh- Nif, where’s his monocle?”
A smaller, reddish blob darted back and forth rapidly in his peripheral.
She had a higher voice. “Which eye is it?”
“I don’t fucking know, just try one of them!”
The blobs looked a little clearer now, and he could just about recognise the two faces. Neither of them were smiling.
Suddenly, a third face appeared, one that he didn’t recognise.
“Sleeping beauty decide to wake up, huh?” She leant in over him, and pulled at the tube in his mouth. “I suppose I’ll have to take this thing out so you can kiss me…”
He gagged as it came out, like he was choking in reverse, and then coughed horsely. Reaching up to his jaw, he saw yet another tube, a smaller one this time, running out the back of his hand. It was connected to a bag of clear fluid having off a pole next to the bed. Whatever it was, was being pumped into his blood at that very moment. The idea that all this had been done to him while he was completely unaware scared him.
His throat still hurt like hell, but hey, at least there wasn’t anything in his mouth anymore.
“… now here’s some oxygen, so I don’t take your breath away…”
Well, that didn’t last long. What was this new thing? Some sort of mask? There was a tube running out of it, leading to a cylindrical tank. Oxygen? Is that what she said? What an odd thing to do. There’s air in the room already.
“Is he going to be ok?”
He had never Niffty speak so softly before. It wasn’t in her nature.
The nurse took a puff of her cigarette. “No fucking idea. But, ya know, if he does make it out alive, tell him I’m single.” She gave him a wink as she strutted out the door. A muffled voice could be heard from another nurse; “Quit tryna date the overlords Tiffany, you’re an ugly bitch!”
Husk sat down, quietly and gently, in a chair next to the bed. A soft sigh escaped his lungs as he looked at Alastor lying there, stiller than he’d been since the day he’d originally died. He never thought he’d ever see his boss like this. And he certainly never imagined he’d be staying at his side like this when it happened. Unable to think of anything to say, he just watched Al’s chest rise and fall slowly underneath the hospital gown.
“You… we’re out quite a while. Almost… had me worried for ya, boss.”
Normally, he’d have a quip to give back, but today all Al could manage was lifting his left hand to give Husk the finger. This action reminded him of the tube running out of the other hand.
“Heh-heh, glad to see you’re still in there somewhere.”