#ignore hospital inaccuracies guys i Know about hipaa i promise

[whumpbug]

whumperless whump event day 16: say goodbye to filters @whumperless-whump-event

half-conscious / delirious / “you would never say that in your right mind…”

see this post for character information!

caretaker: Simon

whumpee: Archie

cw: drug mention in the sense of anesthesia post-op and also mention of vomit but it doesn't happen in the fic (let me know if i should tag anything)

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The woman at the front desk smiled warmly as Simon approached. “Hello dear, how can I help you?”

Simon had his fingers wrapped around the edge of the counter in a white knuckle grip, feeling his breath hitch softly.

“I need to see a patient,” He said quickly.

“Patient’s name?” The woman asked, tapping away at her keyboard.

“Archie-- Archer. Archer Schultz.”

The woman didn’t say anything for a beat, and Simon felt all the breath leave him at once.

“Is he.. he’s fine, right? His work called me. I got here as fast as I could, so he’s okay, right?” He stammered, fingers drumming against the cool tile of the counter.

Simon isn’t even sure why he said it, the words just sort of tumbled out in an anxiety-induced frenzy. He felt like there was a vice around his lungs-- like he couldn’t take in enough air.

He had been in class when Archie’s work called him. Of course, he immediately dropped everything to step out and answer. Simon was Archie’s emergency contact, so the call only really meant one thing. An emergency.

And an emergency it was. 

Apparently, Archie had gone into work that day looking like death, and only lasted about an hour before his co-worker found him on the bathroom floor, covered in vomit, and screaming-- yes, screaming in pain. An ambulance was quickly called, and he was taken to the hospital. That was as far as Simon knew.

And it was killing him.

Usually, whenever Archie was hurt, Simon was right there by his side, doing everything he could to help him. He knew how to take care of Archie like it was breathing. He knew the difference between a “that hurts!” grimace and a “that tickles!” grimace. He knew what flavor of gatorade Archie liked best, and that he was allergic to latex. The fact that such a serious situation happened while Simon wasn’t there to pick up the pieces was sending him into a full-blown panic.

“Ah yes, here he is. He was admitted about an hour ago, yes?”

“Yes.” Simon’s voice came out breathless.

“Well it says here that he was admitted for an emergency appendectomy. But.. hold on a minute.”

Simon quite literally felt like he was going to pass out then and there. He was scrutinizing this poor woman’s face for some kind of information.

“It looks here that the procedure went well! He’s recovering in a post-op room right now, the whole thing only took about half an hour,” She said cheerfully.

The relief that crashed over Simon was dizzying. It almost felt like his knees would buckle then and there, but he steeled himself.

“Can I go see him?” He breathed, drumming his fingers once again.

“Im sorry dear, only immediate family are allowed in post-operative care--”

“I am his family.” Simon’s voice came out harsher than he expected, and he felt a blush creep up on his ears. “I just mean.. I’m his emergency contact. He doesn’t have anyone else nearby.”

The woman adjusted her glasses on her nose and tapped away on her keyboard. “Name?”

“Simon Guevara.”

After a few more clicks, she met Simon with a smile.

“That was my mistake. Your name checks out. He’s in Room 2043 to the left.”

Simon muttered a quick thank you before taking off down the hallway as fast as his legs would take him. His heart was thumping in his chest in time with every step.

Eventually, he stopped in front of the door and took a moment to breathe deeply. He needed to get himself together-- for Archie.

He gently pushed the door open, and his heart clenched at the sigh before him.

Archie was propped up in a hospital bed, tubes sticking out of his arms and he looked adorably out of it, no doubt from all the pain meds they had him on. His hair was an absolute mess-- sticking up in every direction and seemingly defying gravity. 

The most concerning thing, though, were the tear tracks down his face.

“Archie,” Simon breathed, finally closing the distance between them. “I’m here..”

He reached up and cradled Archie’s face, using his other hand to smooth his blond curls.

“S-Simon..” He slurred, before his breath hitched and his face scrunched up and he.. began to bawl. Loudly.

Simon froze. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting from Archie flying high as a kite, but this somehow wasn’t it.

“Hey, hey.. shh.. what’s the matter?” Simon murmured, running his thumb over Archie’s cheek. “It’s alright.. I’m right here..”

A nurse walked in with some folded blankets and greeted Simon politely.

“You must be Simon?” She asked, setting the bundle of fabric on the table beside Archie’s bed.

Simon nodded, absent-mindedly threading a hand through Archie’s locks.

“He’s been asking for you since he woke up. He’s a real mess.” She said, amusement lacing her voice. “Hasn’t stopped crying either. He’s not a big fan of hospitals, is he?”

Simon shook his head and turned back to Archie, who was blinking sleepily and jolting every few seconds with barely-contained sobs. His heart shattered into a million pieces.

Once the nurse left, he stepped closer to the bed and pulled Archie to his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head, feeling protectiveness swirl in his chest.

“S’mon..” He hiccupped. “They took my stomach.. I’m.. n’ver gonna eat again!”

This sent Archie into another round of fitful sobs, and Simon into stifled laughter.

“They didn’t take your stomach, Archie. They took your appendix. You don’t need your appendix. You can still eat whatever you want,” He huffed, a smile playing on his lips.

Archie considered this.

“French fries…?” The words came out as a soft whimper.

“Yes, even french fries. I will treat you to all the french fries you want once you’re feeling better.”

This seemed to placate Archie for the time being. He simply nuzzled closer to Simon, clutching at his shirt and burying his face into his stomach. He let out a stuttering sigh and blinked against the drowsiness coursing through his veins.

“You’re so.. nice..” He whispered.

Simon felt his ears heat up as he continued rubbing wide circles on Archie bare back, courtesy of the scratchy hospital gown.

“M’so lucky..” Archie continued, lifting his groggy eyes up to meet Simon’s. “I was sc’red you weren’t gonna come..”

Simon frowned.

“I’ll always come, Archie. No matter what.”

At this, Archie's face crumpled once again and he pushed it back into the fabric of Simon’s sweater.

“L’ve you, Simon..” He mumbled, words muffled by the position.

Simon went beet-red. “..What?”

Archie lifted his face again and sniffled.

“I love you. You’re.. mmhg.. you’re so nice to me..” He slurred, blinking sleepily.

Simon wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. All at once, he realized how deeply he cared about Archie. All the feelings he felt for him were compacted into just one, small word. Simon suddenly understood that he loved Archie too.

But he could say nothing.

“Archie, you’d never say that in your right mind… it’s the drugs talking.”

Archie hummed in disagreement, shaking his head, but it was clear that he had had quite enough of being awake. He stifled a yawn and leaned heavily into Simon’s arms.

Simon gently lowered him back onto the pillows, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead before settling into the chair next to the bed. He took Archie’s hand in his own.

Now, with only Archie’s soft, even breathing to fill the silence, Simon had a lot of feelings to work through. He sighed.

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