Work Text:
Three days on, Jean’s fever was still lingering. Although he knew Jean was fine, and that it was just the flu, Rhemann couldn’t help but worry.
It all started on Friday afternoon. Flu season had arrived, and it was only to be expected that several teammates would be absent from training. Laia and Cat had come down with it last week, passing it on to Jeremy in the process; it was only to be expected that Jean would be next. So, when Rhemman saw him arrive at training wrapped up in his jumper, pale and shivering like a leaf, he wasn’t surprised. He approached him as calmly and reassuringly as possible and sent him to the infirmary, assuring him there would be no repercussions and that he should just focus on getting some rest. Jean felt ill enough to agree.
Before heading home, he told Jeremy to keep him updated on Jean’s condition and to ring if anything happened. Jean had just one weekend left in bed, surrounded by blankets and hot soup.
What he hadn’t expected was the call he received in the early hours of the following morning.
Both he and Adi jumped at the sound of the phone and went on high alert. It turned out to be Jeremy calling from the hospital’s A&E department. As they both put on their shoes without even changing out of their pyjamas, Jeremy explained that Jean had been in bed with a fever since the previous day, but that very night the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Her fever had spiralled out of control, leaving Jean delirious and muttering incomprehensible things in French. When they realised that paracetamol and cold compresses weren’t having any effect, they decided to go to A&E. As Jean had no family to contact and was a minor, they had to get in touch with her guardian, hence the call.
When they arrived at the hospital and explained who they were, the staff didn’t hesitate to let them both in. The sight broke their hearts. Rhemann couldn’t understand how someone so tall could look so small. Jean was lying on the bed, with a drip administering his medication. He was drenched in sweat, flushed, and had cold compresses to bring his fever down. He had a pained and worried expression. Jeremy stroked Jean’s hair, trying to calm him down.
At first, they didn’t notice him. However, when they realised they weren’t alone, Jeremy looked up, followed by a weary, unfocused glance from Jean. To her surprise, he was the first to speak.
‘I’m sorry, Coach,’ he said in a hoarse voice.
‘Oh, darling.’ Prompted by Jean’s words, Adi went over to him. She assessed the situation with her doctor’s eye and then stroked his cheek.
‘Adi?’
‘Hello, darling. How are you feeling?’
‘Davis told me I’ve got the flu.’
‘Yes, you have, lad, and quite a bad one at that,’ replied Rhemann, joining in the conversation.
‘When can I go home?’
‘Let’s wait and see what the doctor says.’
When he comes into the room, he explains that because Jean’s immune system isn’t as strong as that of someone who’s been exposed to illnesses from a young age, and because he hasn’t had all his vaccinations, he has a severe case of the flu. However, once they manage to stabilise his fever, he’ll be able to go home with instructions to rest completely.
They stay until the following morning, waiting for this to happen. Jeremy ends up falling asleep in the chair without letting go of Jean’s hand. Jean also falls asleep, though he wakes up intermittently, disoriented, with Adi or Rhemann having to remind him where he is. Jean apologises again each time, and they both hush him, their hearts in their mouths. When Jean is finally discharged with instructions to rest completely and spend at least a week in bed, they decide it would be best for Jean to go with the Coach.
And that’s where they are right now. They haven’t left him alone for a moment, except when one of them has to go to work or a team-mate comes to visit him. Laia and Cat have popped round to bring him some soup and give him a bit of a cuddle; Cody has turned up on the pretext of wanting to catch Jean up on the latest gossip. Jeremy has spent the most time there, putting on rubbish films to distract Jean, running his hands through Jean’s sweaty hair and sleeping in strange positions that are bound to give him a stiff neck.
Now it’s the coach who’s keeping Jean company whilst he sleeps. He’s still quite flushed, but his fever isn’t as high as it was. With Jeremy’s help, they’ve managed to give him a shower, change his pyjamas and change the sheets. After all that effort, he’s fallen asleep with a towel on his forehead.
Whilst Adi prepares dinner, Rhemann sits by his bed reading a book. He feels the sheets start to move and a drowsy Jean begins to open his eyes. Rhemann puts the book down on the bedside table
‘Good morning, lad.’
‘Coach? What time is it?’
‘It’s nearly time for dinner. I’m glad you’ve woken up. How are you feeling?’
‘I’m fine.’
Rhemann lets out a sigh. He helps Jean sit up against the pillows and hands him the glass of water on the bedside table. They hear footsteps approaching the room and a smiling Adi appears in the doorway. Seeing that Jean is awake, he doesn’t hesitate to come in. He kisses Rhemann on the cheek by way of greeting and places his hand on Jean’s forehead.
‘I can see your temperature’s coming down. How are you feeling, darling?’
‘I’m fine,’ Jean repeats once more. Rhemann sighs again, flashing a smile at Adi as he does so.
‘It’s all right if you’re not feeling well,’ he says, beginning to stroke Jean’s hair. At first, when Jean was more alert, he’d tense up at the touch. Now, however, he lets him do it without flinching.
‘I’m feeling better than I have been the last few days.’
‘If you like, you can come downstairs with us for dinner.’
Jean’s eyes light up for more than just the fever. He nods quickly.
‘Well then, let’s go—dinner’s ready!’
Slowly, Rhemann helps Jean out of the room and down the stairs. They don’t make it as far as the kitchen, but Adi is already setting the plates and glasses on the small table in the living room. They settle Jean on the sofa with a couple of blankets, and the three of them begin to eat their dinner in peace. Adi recounts how his shift at the hospital went, whilst they listen attentively. Jean asks how the training went, as he does every day, and Rhemann replies in great detail, reassuring him not to worry – once he’s feeling better, he’ll catch up.
They wait for Jean to finish his bowl of soup before washing up. As Jean seems to have the energy to stay awake, they decide it’s time to watch something on the telly. Adi decides a comedy would be nice, so they settle Jean down, half-reclining on the long side of the sofa, whilst Rhemann and Adi sit beside him.
A few minutes into the film, Rhemann falls asleep. What he doesn’t expect is to wake up to a heart-warming scene.
Both Adi and Jean have fallen asleep. Jean is leaning slightly against Adi, and her husband has his hand in Jean’s hair, where he’d been stroking her. With a smile, Rhemann settles down next to his little family and drifts back to sleep.