Work Text:
Craig inhaled sharply, an abrupt return to consciousness. His head was spinning like a kaleidoscope. Every fibre of his body ached. He didn't dare open his eyes. He kept his eyes squeezed shut as the pain washed over him. He dared to move his index finger a few millimetres against soft fabric and winced.
Bad move.
He felt like he had been hit by a truck.
Oh, that's right.
His brain caught up.
He had been.
He'd been driving along the freeway to visit his best friend Clyde when a semi-trailer veered into his lane and collided with his sedan.
He tried to relax. His mouth felt as dry as cotton. His stomach started to feel queasy. In his mind's eye, the same images flashed across his mind.
The memory of looking out the window as the white truck approached him and threatened to collide.
The memory of Craig sharply turning the steering wheel left to defensively avoid contact but failing to.
The memory of the windscreen smashing, his head being hit.
He remembered the sounds. The smash. The sirens.
All of these memories were whirling in his head, distorted and out of order of the actual sequence of events.
It was cold in here. He felt his skin prickle, which intensified the pain.
He heard a voice. A deep, harsh tone.
“-MVA on the south freeway. Head strike, ruptured spleen, and the right humerus is broken. Brain scans came back clear. Taken in for emergency surgery for internal haemhorraging on the spleen, unfortunately couldn't do keyhole so it was open surgery. Think the dude is having trouble coming out of it, I have 25 mics of reversal drawn up that I was about to give him”.
Craig kept his eyes shut. He felt a soft hand on his left arm and heard quiet, slow breathing.
“Mmph, not necessary. He's coming round”.
He felt a soft thumb rub gently against his upper arm.
“It's okay, take your time”, the soft whisper encouraged.
“You baby them too much Tweek, he isn't even rousable”.
A small huff, whisper quiet.
“I like to put myself in their shoes”, the softer voice belonging to this Tweek person said gently, “Coming out of anaesthesia isn't a pleasant experience, Damien. Our patients still feel and hear things you know. Now come on, get out of here. Your shift is over”.
Craig heard rustling and footsteps.
“Should be an easy shift, it's just him and bed 4 is empty but we have someone coming in an hour from theatre after an emergency cholecystectomy. They've paused electives again, we just have no beds to put them”, the harsh voice belonging to this Damien fellow spoke again.
“Mmph, I got the memo at handover. Guess I have all that mandatory training to catch up on…”.
Craig felt the soft hand on his arm again.
“Have fun”, Damien's tone much more playful now, “Pip wants to go to the movies tonight, I have to go pick him up”.
A melodic chuckle, “Pip always wants to go to the movies”.
“Later, I'll see you tomorrow”, Damien said.
“Yeah, I'll see you”.
Craig heard footsteps and shuffling again.
“Alright, let's take a look at you”, Tweek's gentle voice was soothing and reassuring. A little bit of a rasp to it, but Craig could hear the care and concern in the tone, “Goodness, you've been roughed up. I might need to fill out two wound charts for you…mmph. Now…is Damien on top of the pain relief?”, Craig heard rustling of pages, “Of course not. Leave it to Damien to assume it's all been topped up in theatre. And you're probably pretty nauseous huh. Let's get you something for that”.
Craig let out a grumble in his throat, which felt dry and hoarse. It was supposed to communicate gratitude, but it was all he could manage right now.
“Easy…you're okay. Take your time. I'll be right back…”.
Craig's head continued to spin. He was too scared to open his eyes, but he was dying to have a look at this kind soul who was taking care of him.
Within no time, he heard shuffling again and felt a gentle hand on his left arm again. He felt his breathing calm once the touch was applied. Soothing.
“It's okay, you don't need to do anything. You have a cannula in, everything goes into the vein…I think you can hear me, and I like to nghh, explain what I'm doing. Okay now, here's the pain relief in 3….2….1”, A pause, the sound of something being dropped against something metal and a few scraping noises, “And you're getting the medicine for the nausea now…you know, these pain relievers are very strong and cause vomiting and nausea…and the anaesthetic does it too…so it's really important…there we go”.
Tweek had stopped talking, and all Craig heard now was soft breathing.
He chanced it. He slowly opened his eyes.
Blurry. Really blurry and unfocussed. Spinning lights…white. That's an almost white ceiling. but obstructing it….golden. An unfocussed, blurry face but a mass of gold surrounding them.
Craig blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
“Oh hello there, you're awake!”, Tweek's voice was still soft and gentle. It sounded pleased. Craig felt the small, soft hand on his arm again. The touch of reassurance.
His vision sharpened slightly. That golden colour was becoming sharper. Hair, lots of hair. And light?
“Are you….an angel?”, he croaked out slowly, still blinking and feeling very disorientated.
A small giggle in reply.
“I've heard that one before! mmph! N-no, you're alive. I'm the nurse taking care of you. You're in the hospital…don't panic, you're going to be just fine”.
Craig heard but didn't believe.
“But light…so bright…”.
Craig shivered.
Cold.
“You're cold. I'll get you some extra blankets, I already got them ready for when you woke up. I-I have one in the warmer to help too”.
Craig felt an extra blanket go over him, including his arms. He felt himself being tucked in with care and precision. He kept trying to focus on his vision becoming clearer. Now he could see that the mass of gold he saw before was a huge mass of soft looking hair belonging to Tweek. It stuck out in all directions. Thick and wavy, bright gold with the artificial hospital lights reflecting off of it. Tweek was walking away from him and turned a corner. Craig couldn't see his face, just the back of him. He was wearing colourful scrubs. Purple with coloured creatures on them…dragons maybe? Craig also noticed that Tweek had a small, petite stature.
Craig closed his eyes again. He registered that his pain was improving. He could move his fingers and only registered a dull ache. The most pain he felt was his head and abdomen. He focussed on his throat…still dry. He thought to ask Tweek for water when he returned.
He now felt the overwhelming relief of warmth flood through his body and opened his eyes. A warm, white blanket fresh out of the dryer was being placed on top of him.
Oh, sweet bliss, he thought.
His eyes fell on Tweek and he smiled.
Tweek lied when he said he wasn't an angel.
How dare he.
Craig had never seen a sweeter looking face. Now that he could focus better, Tweek's eyes were the colour of rare opals that he felt so lucky to even get a glance at. He had pale, milky skin and a dusting of delicate, brown barely-there freckles across his nose and cheeks. They reminded Craig of constellations in the sky that he did not know and that he longed to trace with his fingertip. Tweek's lips were pursed, dusty pink and they looked oh so sweet. He had pale eyebrows and long eyelashes. Every feature of his face was fine and delicate, as if anything more than a feather-light touch would distort them. Fragile as glass.
“You've come out of this beautifully Craig, well done”, Tweek praised in a sweet voice, then tutted, “The amount of times I have been shoved, hit or punched from post-anaesthesia anxiety and agitation…”, he shook his head and sighed.
Now Craig felt agitated.
How dare someone hurt this angel.
“Punching you?!”.
Tweek placed a gentle hand on Craig's chest.
“Nghh! You're okay, easy! Not you, other people!”.
“Who are these other people?! I'll…”, Craig cut off and cleared his throat. So dry.
“Think you can manage some sips of water Craig? Your throat must be really dry”.
Craig coughed and nodded. It's all he could manage.
Tweek moved off to the side table and poured a cup of water from a jug, then offered it to Craig.
“Slow”, he ordered gently.
As he gently held the cup for Craig to take, Craig's fingers touched Tweek's. His brain registered and his chest felt warmer than the rest of his body.
Tweek let go like his hand had been scalded and watched Craig closely as he took a few sips off water. Then he took the cup and placed it on the table beside Craig and wheeled it so it was within arms reach for him.
Craig laid his head back on the pillow and rested his head, allowing his muscles to relax.
“You're…really…pretty”, he sighed as he watched Tweek.
Tweek giggled, still watching Craig closely.
“I've heard that before…but then people realise I am a…mmph, boy”, Tweek responded quietly with a serene smile.
“I know you're a boy”.
Tweek tilted his head in confusion.
“Oh? You do?”.
“I like boys”, Craig felt drowsy and fluttered his eyelids, still gazing at Tweek, “Well not ALL of them…but I like you! You're…so nice…so beaut…i…ful”.
Tweek hummed quietly.
“It's okay…you're still coming out of the anaesthetic. Y-you probably won't remember any of this actually! You're in…the recovery ward see. We hear a lot of things in here, we don't…mmph, judge”.
“I'm…serious”, Craig spent the last of his energy trying to get Tweek to understand this.
A soft laugh.
“Is someone looking after you?”, Craig rambled, “You take care of all these people…I bet you have a partner that treats you so well. Because you're so…perfect”.
Tweek's eyes like deep lagoons were sparkling as they fell on Craig's.
“You won't remember this so I'll, mmph, indulge you. I…no, I don't”, Tweek was examining him and fixing up his blankets carefully, “A-and I like boys too. But its funny", Tweek chuckled, “You'll get transferred to a surgical ward tomorrow and poof! You'll be straight and not remember anything about me”.
Craig shook his head.
“Nooooo…don't want to…I will stay here”.
Tweek giggled again.
“You look tired Craig, it's been about twenty minutes and those medications would be in good effect now…they make you drowsy…please rest. Would you like some more water?”.
Craig nodded.
“Let me check your charts again…I need to fill them out, nngh. They've documented what you had in theatre…oh, you're due for more acetaminophen…don't worry, it's through the vein again…Just rest Craig, it's okay’.
Such a soothing voice.
Craig was almost out for the count by the time Tweek returned with a vial of acetaminophen.
“Marry…me”, Craig murmured.
The last thing he heard was another sweet, melodic giggle, and the last thing he felt was a gentle hand on his bare left arm.
“Okay Craig”.
______________________
Craig woke again to movement. His bed was being moved.
That meant he was being moved.
He didn't want to be moved.
He heard Tweek's voice in the distance.
“-wound charts are done, he had about ten abrasions and cuts not written up. I cleaned and dressed them while he was out. I've just administered more fentanyl and ondansetron intravenously for the pain and nausea. He's probably going to go on patient controlled anaesthesia once the pain team see him up there, nngh…otherwise, mmph, take good care of him…”.
“Thanks, you got the ward transfer form?”.
“Y-yes!”, Craig snapped his eyes open as he saw Tweek dash past him and grab a manilla folder.
“Wait”, Craig called out, “Where am I…going?”.
“Short Stay Surgical ward, level 3 buddy. Your family is waiting there for you, they've been so worried”, another male nurse with a husky, loud voice informed him, holding the side of his bed rail.
“Mom and dad?”, he enquired.
“Yeah, and your sister. Come on, let's get you up to them hey?”.
Tweek's face appeared beside his bed again, and he felt instant relief flood him. He was smiling at him and his eyes were warm and inviting to look into. Craig's bright green eyes stared transfixed. He was getting lost in the pools of green and blue he found within Tweek's.
“Are you coming too?”, he asked hopefully.
Tweek shook his head and smiled.
“N-no Craig, I am rostered to this ward again today. But don't worry! The nurses up there are really really nice! I work there sometimes. I promise they will take good care of you!”.
Craig shook his head.
“No…need you”.
Tweek placed his small, warm hand on Craig's left arm again. Craig melted into the touch.
“You'll be okay. I might, mmph, see you there tomorrow”.
“Please?”, Craig asked hopefully.
Tweek smiled.
“We'll see”.
______________________________
Despite Tweek's assurance that Craig would forget everything that happened in recovery, Craig thought of barely anything else over the next two days.
Each time there was a change of shift he glanced hopefully at the board and at the nurses station for a mass of golden hair - only to be left disappointed.
It was nice when his mom and dad visited each day. His sister Tricia came in the evening after work.
But he just wanted to see Tweek. He couldn't get him off his mind.
Tweek was right, the nurses he had were nice. But they had nothing on providing the care he received from Tweek. That was special. Tweek was special, he knew it.
His heart leapt on the morning of day three when he felt a small, warm hand on his left arm.
He opened his eyes hopefully and smiled broadly when his vision registered Tweek's smiling face above his.
“Hey, sleepyhead, I was hoping you'd be one of my patients today”, he smiled sweetly and met Craig's gaze.
“It's you…”, Craig replied in a soft voice.
Craig was in a four bed bay with the curtains drawn by the window. Tweek had kept the curtains closed and stood close with a trolley beside him.
“Have they been taking good care of you?”, he asked kindly, glancing at the IV pole and then flicking his eyes down to any exposed appendages with bandages on them. Craig was so tall he had to keep his legs slightly bent at the end of the bed.
Craig nodded but said quietly, “Not as good care as you do”.
Tweek's eyes popped.
“So you remember me?”.
“I couldn't forget you…”.
Tweek smiled and ran a thumb gently over Craig's arm.
“I didn't forget you either. I just hoped you were doing okay…I mmph, thought of visiting but…that's a bit weird, isn't it?”.
Craig shook his head vigorously.
“No! I…wanted you to. I kept hoping…”.
Tweek smiled radiantly.
“Let me check your charts…”.
Tweek frowned as he looked through them.
“Nghh! …they aren't, mmph, offering you the pain relief enough are they? Are you okay!?”.
“I'm sore”.
Tweek looked at Craig sympathetically.
“Please don't act tough Craig, ask for it if they aren't offering it to you…and, Gah!”, his eyes popped even wider, “Your dressings need to be changed! Have they been, nghh, checking them?”.
Craig shrugged.
“Oh goodness me”, Tweek fussed, diving into his trolley.
Craig loved every second of Tweek at his bedside. Fussing over topping up his pain relief, calling doctors to adjust doses from the bedside phone. Checking every wound and using a measuring tape to carefully examine the diameter and document how they were looking. Freaking out that one of the wounds was purulent and needed investigation. With gentle care cleaning his wounds and changing each dressing. Taking his basic observations.
“Do you remember what I said to you after my surgery?”, Craig asked finally when Tweek withdrew a thermometer from his ear and it beeped.
“I do. Do you?”.
“Yeah”, Craig replied with a smile.
The thermometer beeped and Tweek looked at it.
“Memory exercise…what did you say to me?”.
“That you're beautiful…pretty…so kind…that someone should be taking care of you…”, he whispered so no other patients could hear, “And I meant it too…and still do”.
Tweek blushed.
“You passed the test”, he breathed back.
“I also remember that you're single and like boys…do you like boys who are good patients and who would promise to give you the sun, moon and stars if you agreed to go on a date with him?”.
Tweek flushed a deeper red and stilled his hand on Craig's arm.
But he didn't withdraw it.
“C-Craig…you can't say things like that”, Tweek seemed to be trying to recover from Craig's suave words.
“I can and I did”, he replied boldly with a smile.
He had to shoot his shot.
Tweek patted his shoulder.
“Buzz if you need me, okay?”.
“Wait…”.
________________________________
The next day was the day of discharge.
There was no sign of Tweek today and Craig was crestfallen. On what should be a happy day to finally be free of the hospital and back at home actually felt like something Craig wished to delay as long as possible.
It wasn't the anaesthesia affecting him - that wore off days ago. It also wasn't the medication. - his pain relief had been weaned right down.
He genuinely wanted to - no, he needed to see Tweek.
Not just to thank him, but he needed to shoot his shot again.
Tweek was unforgettable.
2pm came around and the afternoon doctors cleared Craig for discharge. Clyde was picking him up, and that would be any moment now.
He heard hurried footsteps approach and gazed at the drawn curtain.
A mass of golden hair, bright opal eyes and a sweet smile.
Tweek.
“Hey, who is going home today hmm?”, Tweek greeted in his soft, gentle voice. He walked to his bedside, today in scrubs of deep emerald green.
Craig returned his smile.
“I thought about it…my answer is…yes”.
Craig's eyes widened.
“You mean?”.
“Well”, Tweek blushed and whispered, “I need to be sure someone is taking care of you…nngh, your dressings need changing again in a couple of days…”.
“That's not a date”, Craig flirted back.
Tweek placed his hand gently on Craig's and Craig willingly turned it around so they were holding hands.
“I'm not meant to be here…mmph, it's my break and I am working recovery again…I just…I saw you on the discharge list, and I needed to…I just, sorry - I have never done anything like this before”, Tweek seemed startled and nervous.
Craig ran his thumb along Tweek's palm ever so gently.
“Either”.
They smiled at each other and held each other's gaze.
“How does one contact you if I need reminding to take my medication?”, Craig asked in a whisper.
Tweek grabbed a pen out of his pocket and gazed at Craig, smiling as he clicked the end of it to start writing on a napkin on Craig's bedside table.
For a visit from an angel, call 043-9498855
Tweek <3
He passed it to Craig, blushing and smiling at him.
“Thank you, angel”, Craig whispered and kissed Tweek's hand.
Tweek seemed to lose his footing for a moment and smiled sweetly at Craig.
“Bye Craig”, in his soft and gentle voice, and with a small wink.
Then he was gone.
Craig sent him a text message straight away.
Clear your calendar for Saturday evening at sunset. I am going to show you the sun, moon, stars and the night of your life
A reply within thirty seconds.
I look forward to it :)