"Oh, god, not again..." Rowen muttered, tightly gripping onto the side of his bed, bunching the sweat-soaked sheet in his hand. He could feel the bile burning the back of his throat, and he painfully tried to swallow it back down. He thought maybe lying flat would lessen his feelings of dizziness, but he felt a new wave of nausea hit him whenever he moved his head. "Not gonna hurl...not gonna-" He bit his lip down hard, fighting the urge.What had he eaten that night? So far, very little, and most of that was trying to make a comeback appearance. He never had a problem with spicy food, or rich food, or any food for that matter, so that couldn't have been it. Regardless, he knew something was wrong. Maybe he had the flu...
"S-s-sage..." Rowen hissed through his teeth. He needed help and fast, that was obvious. Slowly, he released his grip from his sheet and pressed his fists deeply into the mattress, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "Sage-!" He cried out, choking for breath.
"Rowen?" Sage's muffled voice was heard from behind the closed door. Rowen clenched his fists tightly and called out again. The door opened slightly, letting in a sliver of blinding light from the hall. "Are you all right?" The blonde peeked his head in, his face a mix of concern and compassion. Upon seeing Rowen's pain filled, glistening expression, he threw the door open, flooding the room in light. Rowen squeezed his eyes shut.
"Sage, I --" Rowen gasped. His paling form doubled over in pain, Sage staring all the while with disbelief in his eyes. In moments, he was cradling the sapphire-haired boy in his arms, rushing him out of their shared room and towards the stairs.
"It's gonna be okay, don't worry, try to relax..." Sage murmured over and over, practically jumping down the stairs to find his keys. Rowen refused to talk. He kept his lips shut tightly; the last thing he wanted was to puke all over Sage. Ryo, sitting casually in the breakfast nook, looked up at the pair, raising an eyebrow.
"Sage what are you doing? And why does Rowen look like that? Are you feeling okay, Row?" He asked. Sage glowered at him.
"No, he's not okay! I don't know what's wrong and where the hell are my car keys!?" Sage shouted, hugging Rowen tighter to him. Rowen winced at the tone of Sage's voice. Ryo's eyes jumped, shocked.
"Jeez, calm down. Your keys are on the hook by the back door. Should I go with you? You don't seem to be in a driving mood..." Ryo suggested. Sage was still trying to fry him with his gaze, but softened at Ryo's expression and concern. He sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, you drive. We're going to Urgent Care."
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Sage never had problems with driving at night, let alone when it was raining, but it was Ryo behind the wheel this time and the raven-haired boy was not fond of the conditions at all. He was going a lot slower than Sage found appropriate, but he avoided getting into an argument, for Rowen's sake. He was still holding him, refusing to even let him down to buckle him in the car. Rowen, on the other hand, was antsy and worried the bumps and hills Ryo hit every now and then were going to cause him to get sick."Ryo...'Urgent Care' means this is urgent. I'm sure I won't mind if we get there before sunrise." Rowen snarled. Ryo smirked and sped up to 45. "Oh, hell..." Rowen rolled his eyes and laid his head on Sage's shoulder. Sage smiled, thinking Rowen was being sarcastic, but quickly changed his mind when he felt him go slack.
"Rowen?!" Sage asked and shook the boy in his arms. Rowen didn't respond, enticing panic from both Sage and Ryo.
"Crap, what happened?! Sage, what happened?!" Ryo shouted, his eyes darting from the road ahead of him to his rearview mirror, into Sage's eyes. Sage shook his head, his eyes wide.
"I don't know!" He yelled back, his hand roving over Rowen's chest and neck, praying vehemently for a beating heart, a pulse. Thankfully, he detected both and he relaxed a little. "I don't...he fainted, I guess." Sage barely shrugged. Ryo appeared to release the breath he was holding and slowly nodded.
"Fainted...” Ryo muttered, biting his lip. “Sage, what did you say you thought he had?" He asked. Sage blinked, dumbfounded.
"I...well, I thought he might have had a stomach flu..." Ryo shook his head, speeding up.
"Strike that as a possibility. I never heard of someone fainting from the flu." He chuckled, and threw Sage a humorous glance. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say Blue Boy might be pregnant. I was talking to Cye a couple days ago, and he brought up how his sister was, like, 'plague sick' during her first two months, or something like that. Wouldn't it be hilarious if Row somehow got himself knocked up? Oh, man, I'd laugh for days." He winked. Sage grimaced, disgusted. Ryo rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. I’m just joking, you know that.”
"Get your head out of the gutter. He's just sick." Sage said, clutching Rowen closer to his chest. His head suddenly snapped up, a horrified expression shadowing his features. "Oh my god, what if he has appendicitis? Tons of people mistake appendicitis for the flu! What if his appendix is about to burst? Holy, Ryo, step on it!" Sage shouted. Ryo blinked, nodded, and sped up, momentarily forgetting the storm that was just beginning to brew and the more relaxed mood he was trying to set.
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"Excuse me, Mr. Date? The doctor will see your friend now. Please follow me." Sage bounced up from his seat in the waiting room, still carrying the limp form of Rowen in his arms. Ryo slowly rose from his chair and the trio followed the nurse down the sterile halls towards a dark hospital room. Sage scowled at the unnaturally pristine place, flicking the light on as he entered. He gently laid Rowen on the examining table, but continued to grasp onto his hand.It wasn't a long wait, but Sage was nonetheless impatient and a little annoyed at the doctor when she finally arrived. She calmly introduced herself as Dr. Dushku and asked both Sage and Ryo to take a seat. Sage grudgingly let go of Rowen and sat with Ryo.
"How long has this young man been unconscious?" Dr. Dushku asked, quickly scanning Rowen and raising an eyebrow. Ryo and Sage looked at each other and shrugged.
"Maybe a half hour now. He passed out in the car on the way over here." Ryo explained. She nodded distractedly, taking Rowen's pulse, touching his neck, and pressing on his stomach. The doctor quickly pulled her hand away, her eyes narrowing. Sage scowled.
"What's wrong? It's not his appendix...is it?" He asked, worried. She shook her head.
"No, but...well, I can safely say he is in pain, and I'm guessing it's source is located in or near his intestine. Do either of you know what he had eaten earlier? Are you aware of any allergies he may have?" She asked. Sage was about to speak, but the moan coming from the table interrupted him. Rowen lifted his head slowly, his eyes watering.
"What the...hell..." He muttered, his breath catching in his throat. Dr. Dushku immediately pulled Rowen into a sitting position and steadied him that way. Sage was quickly by Rowen, supporting him.
"Rowen, hey! Hey, you all right now? You fainted." Ryo asked, springing from his seat to join the group at the table. Rowen lifted his eyes to Ryo, confused.
"I...what? I fainted? I don't faint." He said drowsily, shaking his head. Dr. Dushku smiled.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Hashiba?" She asked, prying Rowen's eyes open, shining a mini flashlight in them. Naturally, he squinted them shut and tried to back away.
"Like I just swallowed a quart of Nyquil. And maybe a barrel of nails. No, make that two barrels..." He groaned and clutched at his gut. "And there's the fact that I feel like I'm in a never ending Hurl-A-Wheel ride." The doctor nodded once and stepped back.
"Well, Mr. Hashiba, I want to take a few tests, all right? I want a throat swab, and a blood sample. Those should be sufficient at the moment." Rowen winced. "If you'll give me a moment, I'll gather the necessities." She gave a smart little bow and exited the room. Rowen tried to lie back down, but Sage held him upright.
"Sit still." Sage whispered. Rowen glowered at him. Sage leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, causing Ryo to roll his eyes. "Don't worry, she'll be back in a minute. We need to know what's wrong, baby." Rowen pouted.
Dr. Dushku, followed by the same nurse from earlier, came in with a cart decorated with a multitude of unpleasant-looking objects. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves as her partner readied a needle and vial. Rowen shut his eyes tightly as he felt the doctor tying the tourniquet around his upper arm.
"Since you're awake now, I can ask you directly. Do you have any particular allergies, Mr. Hashiba? To any particular food or herb?" Dushku asked as she felt the crease in Rowen's arm at the joint of his elbow. Rowen bit his lip and shook his head. He tensed at the sensation of the alcohol being swabbed onto his arm. Sage offered his hand to Rowen, and he accepted it gratefully.
"God, I hate needles." Rowen hissed quietly, squeezing Sage's hand as hard as he could. Sage smiled, gently caressing Rowen’s fingers with his own.
"You can let go of your friend's hand now, Mr. Hashiba. We have the sample." Dr. Dushku said. Rowen's eyes flew open and he quickly let go of Sage. He blushed lightly when he noticed the red imprints he left on the blonde's hand. He muttered an apology and Sage chuckled.
"It'll take a little while for the results from the blood test." Dushku said, turning towards her assistant who handed her a rather long q-tip. Rowen grimaced.
"And now you want to gag me. You medical people are merciless." He sighed. Dushku giggled and shook her head.
"Oh, this won't be as bad as the needle. This will tell me if you have a virus trying to grow in the back of your throat." She smiled. "Now, open up and try not to talk. Or make any sounds, for that matter." She smirked. Rowen complied, though he regretted it the moment he opened his mouth. He quickly pushed her away and jumped down from the table, biting his lips closed. He could feel the bile rising and he shot a look of panic over at Sage.
"Uh, are there any restrooms nearby?" Sage asked, grabbing onto Rowen's arm, heading for the door. Rowen winced, but clamped his other hand over his lips.
"Right across the hall..." The nurse pointed half-heartedly at the door. Sage nodded and raced with Rowen out into the hall. Rowen rushed ahead and locked himself into the single occupant latrine.
Sage waited outside the door, sighing unhappily. Ryo stuck his head out of the examination room, his eyebrows raised, asking his unspoken question. Sage glanced at the bathroom a moment then walked over to Ryo.
"Well, he did say he was feeling nauseous. Should have figured that was gonna happen, what with her sticking that thing down his throat." Sage said, looking back down the hallway. Ryo grimaced. "Maybe we should tell Dr. Dushku that she'll just have to forget about the throat test, or whatever it was she was trying to do. I'm positive Rowen won't be up for another try at that." Ryo nodded and stepped back into the room.
The two ladies looked up at Sage when he re-entered the room. He shook his head and leaned on the doorframe, hesitant to take a seat. If Rowen needed him, he wanted to be there as quickly as possible.
"I'm sorry, but I hope the blood sample was enough. I don't think Rowen can go through with the ---" Dr. Dushku nodded and waved her hand dismissively.
"I understand. It won't be much longer now for the results." She smiled, and taking her cart, she and her nurse left.
Ryo stretched his arms over his head as he took his seat. Bringing his arms down, he took a quick glance at his watch. He shook his head and yawned.
"Sage, man, we've been here for two hours." Ryo said, rubbing his eyes. Sage looked over at him and grimaced.
"Do you remember if we left a note, or even told anyone where we were going?" He asked. Ryo gave a little smile and shook his head.
"Nah, it's okay. Cye and Kento went out, and Mia had night classes. I've got a beeper, just in case anyone comes home early and notices we're not there. We're fine." Sage heaved a sigh of relief and smirked.
"I didn't even notice no one else was home. Boy, I've got a one-track mind, huh?" He laughed. The sound of heavy breathing from behind forced him to turn around.
Rowen looked decidedly worse. He was leaning heavily onto the wall; understandable considering it was rather doubtful his legs would continue to support him. It looked like he just ran a mile, sweat was pouring down his face. Sage quickly wrapped his arms around Rowen and felt him go slack again. Shaking his head and shifting Rowen a bit, he carried him back into the room and laid him back onto the table.
"S'okay...m'not dead or nothin'." Rowen mumbled. Sage blinked, though quite glad Rowen retained consciousness this time. He leaned over and kissed him on his forehead, but quickly pulled away, confused.
"Rowen," Sage said, tilting his head. "You don't have a fever." Rowen shrugged.
"Don' feel warm." He said softly, turning onto his side. Sage scowled and turned from Rowen, heading for the door. As he reached for the handle, Dr. Dushku entered, a clipboard in her hands and an expression of puzzlement on her countenance. Sage stopped in front of her, crossing his arms and looking quite angry.
"All right, doctor. What's wrong with Rowen? He doesn't have a fever, so I highly doubt he's got some kind of virus. I know I'm no professional or anything, but that's suspicious. What's his body trying to expel if not some bug?" He asked, almost growling. Dushku narrowed her gaze, biting her lip.
"Honestly, Mr. Date, I'm not sure what's wrong. This is very confusing." She said, scratching her head and flipping through the pages on her clipboard. Sage leaned back against the examining table and raised an eyebrow. Dushku moved around him to stand in front of Rowen. "I thought I was the only one using the blood room this evening, but I must have gotten the samples switched with someone else. The results say that the owner of the blood I took was exactly one month pregnant." Rowen's eyes flew open wide and he sat up straight.
"Excuse me, what?" He asked, incredulous. Ryo was trying very hard to conceal his grin in the background, but the sound of him chuckling was obvious. Sage turned and shot him a nasty glance. Dushku laughed nervously, shrugging.
"I guess we're just going to have to take another blood sample. I've put a note in the lab, asking that my area to not be touched." She said, opening the door, ushering the nurse and cart back in. What little color was left in Rowen's face was drained when he saw the nurse readying another needle. Sage, noting Rowen's expression, stepped in.
"Isn't there some other way? I mean, can't you find out who else was using your lab? Maybe see if someone picked up Rowen's blood by mistake?" He asked. Dushku shook her head tersely.
"No, and I've already disposed of the previous sample. This won't take long, and it's very important that we go through with this so we may diagnose your friend correctly." She said, pulling on a fresh pair of gloves. Sage nodded slowly and once again held out his hand for Rowen.
"Ooohh, I'm gonna kill someone for this..." Rowen muttered, wringing the heck out of Sage's hand once again.
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The wait for the results this time seemed to take longer, but that may have been due to the unusual tension. Weren't doctors supposed to be a little more organized, a little more coordinated? How could they bungle something so easy as setting aside two different blood samples? Or maybe it was because the trio of warriors had been sitting in the same hospital room for a little over three hours, no one could really tell at this point. When Dushku returned again, that same expression of bewilderment lit up her face."I don't get this. I thought I made it clear that no one was to go near my working space..." She muttered, flipping through a new sheaf of papers on her clipboard. Sage scowled and rose from his seat next to Rowen.
"Now what? Does he all of a sudden have chicken pox? Kidney stones? What?" Sage asked, obviously losing his patience. Dushku shook her head angrily, tossing aside the documents.
"This is stupid. Someone must be playing a joke on me." She said, slumping into a chair. Sage crossed his arms, waiting for her diagnosis. She glared up at him. "Look, the reports say your blue-haired friend here is pregnant. At least, the reports I'm getting are saying that." Sage groaned, Rowen growled, and Ryo banged his head against the wall.
"Lady, we have been here for who knows how long now. Rowen really doesn't like having his blood taken, and you've done it twice already. We still don't have any clue as to what's wrong with him and if this is all the help you're going to be, we might as well just go home." Ryo yawned, rising from his seat. Dushku rubbed her eyes and shrugged, her patience going as well.
"The most I can do is guess, since testing is apparently out of the question. Considering the vomiting, the sweating and the abdominal pain, he's got a virus. I can't explain the lack of fever or the fainting, but there you go. I can prescribe an antibiotic to lessen the vomiting." She sighed. Sage rolled his eyes and turned to Rowen.
"Sorry, Row. I guess this is the best we can do right now." Rowen bit his lip and nodded. Sage held out his hand for Rowen's and helped him down from the table. Rowen was hesitant to release his grip from Sage. He leaned heavily onto him, laying his head on the blonde's shoulder.
"We'll go home now, okay? We'll talk to Mia in the morning. Maybe she'll be able to help." Sage murmured, caressing the back of Rowen’s neck.
