Live in the Moment - Lashton

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

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Luke let his eyes naturally, but slowly open as his sight adjusted to the light. He could feel his torso moving up and down with each breath and he felt as calm as ever.

The blonde suddenly groaned as he clutched onto his side, his eyes watering up. He suddenly felt a hand on his own, the skin and all its bumps felt familiar, one he knew to be Ashton's. "Shh, it's okay. The nurse has just given you something, it'll go soon."

Luke nodded in response, turning his head so he could see Ashton. Ashton smiled sadly at him, gently creating small circles on the boy's palm.

"I didn't think I'd end up back here," Luke sighed looking at all the hospital equipment around him, resting his eyes shut once again trying to ease the pain.

"Neither did I," Ashton admitted softly. "You have been so strong these past weeks."

Luke let a little smile appear on his face, he was glad Ashton was proud of him. "What happened?" Luke asked confused. His free hand still clutching at his stomach in agony.

"I haven't really been told much," Ashton admitted in honesty. "They still want to run a few more tests to be certain, but it's something to do with you eating again as you haven't in so long."

Luke gently nodded, he knew the general problems he would be having, just not what or to what extent. "How's Theo? I probably scared him," Luke asked, remembering that his son was upset but from there it was a blur due to the agonising pain that overcame him.

"I mean he was already crying, I think he was just confused, thought you fell asleep. From what I heard after the ambulance took you here, he ate my Chinese!"

Luke groaned. "He's going to end up being a lump!" he complained the food his son was eating getting to him once again with the medication he was under, something he was beginning to understand and accept.

"A lump?" Ashton questioned chuckling. "What kinda metaphor is that!"

"None!" Luke shot back. "You need to stop feeding him all this rubbish, look what it's done to me!"

Ashton wanted to argue back, explaining to the blonde that his son was just over what was deemed a healthy weight and that it was not why he was here for. But, he knew how stubborn Luke could be by now and just agreed. "Okay, I will watch what I give him."

Luke opened his eyes to look at Ashton who sat there with a neutral expression, he saw the pain in the blondes blue eyes, however. He leant forward, untangling his hand from the blondes and cupping his face. The angle for awkward and uncomfortable for the older man but he didn't mind.

"You're beautiful Luke," he said softly, placing a small kiss on the blondes left cheek. "And you are so unbelievably strong." He placed another on the right. Luke began to open his mouth but Ashton did not want to hear what he had to say and he smashed his lips against the blondes. Luke made a noise out of shock but twisted his body slightly to make the position easier, clutching the back of Ashton's neck, kissing him passionately.

"I always appear to walk in on you two having an intimate moment," the doctor spoke up as he entered the room, pulling out a chair and sitting in front of the bed.

Both men move apart, slightly mortified that they had been witnessed by a doctor but smiled at him politely. Luke was glad that he recognised the man as Clint, as he didn't want a doctor who didn't know his situation and didn't understand.

"How are you feeling Luke?" he asked, placing his clipboard on his lap and looking and the young blonde man.

"The pain is fading, but Ashton said I was given something," he said, trying to hoist himself up into a sitting position, eventually giving up with remaining in a comfortable slouched position.

"That's good, but what we need to work on is riding of the pain altogether," Clint stated, looking at the blonde.

Luke and Ashton both nodded in agreement. It pained Ashton to seek Luke suffering. "Is that possible?" Ashton asked curiously.

"Definitely," Clint confirmed. "Of course it requires both of our input Luke, and I need you to be as cooperative as you can be." Luke nodded in agreement. "And that involves continuing to eat as much as you are now and maybe slightly more."

Luke felt his breath hitch slightly, as he began to fiddle with his fingers. Ashton took them in his own to stop them from shaking, radiating confidence and strength into the younger man.

"You can disagree with this, but I do not recommend it and will do everything in my will as your doctor to keep you here for treatment. But, you would be here for a week or two, and as well as monitoring you closely we would like you to work alongside a dietician, and your therapist to make the treatment as effective as possible."

Luke nodded. "What about Theo? I have to look after him, he can't live alone?" His mind was hazy and could not figure on the other solutions.

"I'm sure your parents will look after him Luke, he is no trouble." Luke nodded in acceptance, leaning back again, his eyes feeling heavy from the number of drugs he had been given.

Clint noticed the small man dozing off into a sleep, and turned his body to face the teacher. "From the facts, I have been given, and I can tell from looking at Luke he has been eating, he does look healthier, we are pretty sure that Luke is suffering from refeeding syndrome and thus the pain he was feeling was due to heart arrhythmia."

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