Toxic [RenRyu Fanfic]

Chapter Nineteen

    For most of the bus ride, Ryuji was leaning his head on Ren's shoulder. Ren didn't notice before that the blond was running a fever, sweat slipping down his forehead a few times. When Ryuji's breathing labored or his hands twitched, Ren would nuzzle his hair and intertwine their fingers. Ryuji was content.

    When they got to the hospital and Ren told the woman at the front what was going on, she was up and yelling for a doctor. Ren watched as Ryuji was pulled away from him and put on stretcher to be taken to a room. He was startled when two more doctors hurried to his side and dragged him along bombarding him with questions.

    "How long have you been in contact with the infected? Have you felt any of the same symptoms?"

    Ren was shaking his head, eyes pricking with tears. "No! No! I'm not sick, I'm fine! Is he going to be ok? Please tell me my friend will be ok!"

   Despite hysterical cries for reassurance, Ren was dragged away to a room for tests. He didn't know how long he was there—maybe three hours, maybe four. Those doctor were for certain that he caught whatever Ryuji was sick with, even though he clearly had no symptoms. Despite that, Ren was stuck sitting in that lonely hospital room with a lock on the steel door. And on top of it all, he had no idea if Ryuji was ok.

   Ren glanced at the IV drip in his left arm and just as quickly turned his head away, quietly whimpering. He hated needles. His screaming when they put it in and took his blood could've easily been mistaken for someone being stabbed to death. None of the doctors were even kind enough to calm him down after and left him to cry his eyes out.

   Not wanting to think about the awful foreign object in his arm, Ren reached for his phone that sat on the bedside table by his clothes.

The battery was on 34%, he cursed to himself for not plugging it in earlier. Ren opened the music app and clicked a random song in the playlist before setting the phone down by his pillow and laying back down.

    🎶Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...🎶

   Ren shut his eyes and took a breath. His left arm felt heavy.

   🎶Remember me to one who lives there...
She once was a true love of mine...🎶

   The last time he had to deal with needles was around his first few weeks at the school. Everyone was required to get flu shots and Ren just about exploded when Tae came at him with the needle.

    🎶 Tell her to make me a cambric shirt (in the deep forest green)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground)
Without no seams nor needle work
(Bedclothes the child of the mountain)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call) ...🎶

   It was embarrassing for him to scream and cry the way he did. He remembered the looks people gave him and the smug remark from Goro—aren't you almost an adult, why are you crying like a child? Ren couldn't do anything then but press into a ball in the corner and sob while Tae tried to coax him out to no avail.

   🎶Tell her to find me an acre of land
(A sprinkling of leaves)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
(Washes the grave with silvery tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strands
(And polishes a gun)
Then she'll be a true love of mine ...🎶

   And then Ryuji was stepping up to them. He was asking Tae to step aside so he could crouch in front of Ren. They  weren't such good friends then and yet he was holding a hand out to him with a soft look in his eye as he said those words.