Worth it

Nosocomephobia Revisited

Lars regretted not having brought anything to do while he sat in the hospital waiting room. He had no intention of touching the magazines stacked on the end table (He was not even interested in home design or gardening, thank you very much). He had brought his headphones to listen to, but he couldn't decide on anything to listen to, nothing seemed distracting enough to zone him out from his anxieties.

For the last four days, he'd mentally tried to prepare himself for this, to repeat that yes, he could be worried, but everything was going to be fine, the doctors knew what they were doing, and this procedure was going to go well.

Lars checked his phone, seeing Sadie had messaged him.

How's it going? Ronaldo ok?

He texted back, It's fine. They just wheeled him in to surgery.

He wasn't freaking out was he?

No but he was telling me that if he died or if the doctors injected alien parasites in him while he was out, I could avenge him lol, Lars managed to snicker a bit, thinking of his friend handing him his laptop over, all sagelike. He had said that in the event of his death, Lars would have access to all of his passwords to continue on his legacy.

LOL ok lemme know when he's out and ill come visit after i close up the shop with Steven.

Cool. sorry for skipping out btw

She responded pretty quickly, its fine, he needs someone to see after waking up

Lars still wasn't 100% sure why he had volunteered to wait it out at the hospital. Yeah, he and Ronaldo were datemates, but he could have just been like Sadie and waited until after work to see him, and the Fryman family could have easily had the shop closed for the day out of support for the eldest child. But Lars had to suddenly pipe up, "You don't have to close the shop, I'll keep tabs on him for the day!", like a complete kiss-ass. Lars was kicking himself on the inside. On the other hand, he probably would have been a lot more nervous if he was stuck in there with Ronaldo's father and little brother, the latter probably would have been a nervous little pile of whining and snot, and Ronaldo's dad would have tried to 'play it cool' with his older son's friend. Good grief.

About four months ago, Ronaldo had been having shortness of breath, sudden exhaustion, and broke into sweats. Lars had expressed concern, and Ronaldo insisted he was fine. When he started having an irregular heartbeat and some chest pain, that was when he had started to worry about himself, and when he had suddenly passed out one morning, his father had no choice but to take him to their family doctor.

After a week of tests, questions, and examinations, they'd found a congenital heart defect that had been undetected until then. Peedee had a bit of a minor episode when his dad had casually noted that it was something that seemed to run in the family, since he had suffered from it as a child, and his father and grandfather too. Ronaldo was just relieved it wasn't aliens and their wiretapping technology in his system.

The doctor had continued on to say that in order for the defect to be repaired, he would need surgery, and Ronaldo had admittedly panicked momentarily, not liking the idea of anyone cutting him open. But quickly regaining the understanding this would be necessary if he wanted to have a healthy life, and continue his passion of exploration, Ronaldo agreed to it.

Lars was visibly stunned when the other told him about the surgery, only four days in advance, and asked him why he didn't tell him sooner.

"You hate hospitals. I didn't want you to worry about me," Ronaldo had admitted while they had sat on the Fryman family's living room couch, watching TV.