Foreign Ailment

The Weak Phase

"Can I please sit up? My head feels weird," The other shuffled in his spot. By this point (Garak was on his second day here even though the doctor's sleeping schedule had been rocky. Garak hadn't slept a wink being concerned for the other in the way he struggled to breathe while asleep) Julian had switched the hand he took from Garak thankfully, this way his dominant hand was available to give the other medication and a fresh towel when he needed it a little more gracefully.

"Of course my dear, here let me fix those pillows for you," He used his hand to stack the pillow behind him so the other could sit up. He still looked incredibly weak but his flushed features were becoming paler. Although he couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not yet since lack of any color was also a bad sign. He was still in the range of a fever...luckily not as bad though. Julian grunted.

"Thank you...did I really throw things at the others?" Garak chuckled. Bashir's sanity had slowly been climbing in their conversation in between the others, making attempts to sleep some more. After all rest and drugs were the only things from making the condition far worse.

 A few other of the staff had come by for visiting but the doctor was still slightly wary of them...especially when it came up that Garak should leave. It was almost flattering having it so the doctor would only allow for Garak to care for him in his sick state yet at the same time wasn't like him...it made Garak weary because he was reminded by the others clinginess that this was not him, the sickness from that plant was messing with him neurologically into thinking Garak was the only one who could help him. 

Bashir in his right mind would surely trust medical staff to help him, he was sure though knowing the doctor he would never let sickness get this bad and merely treat himself for any problems...yet there he was. Helpless. Trusting Garak. Garak of all people. Even the doctor wouldn't normally trust him not to kill him. But Garak supposed this wasn't normal.

"Yes you did doctor, that's why the others were so afraid of you when coming to visit. I don't think any of them are looking forward to another thrashing from their doctor," Julian sighed and cracked his neck.

"I suppose I'll have to apologize," Garak shook his head.

"I'm sure they understand doctor, after all, you weren't in your right mind," Julian looked to Garak. His face was pale now and his towel was now wrapped around his neck.

"I hate being sick," Garak smiled, an almost parental smile.

"I don't think anybody wants to be a sick doctor. Only crazy people enjoy being taken over by sniffles and fevers. But that's why we have people like you now don't we?" Julian looked very annoyed.

"Yes but, I haven't been sick in many years. Being caged to this bed just because I didn't get into my proper safety equipment...it's just that I never get sick. It's frustrating, and to make such a fool of myself-" The other got caught up in a fit of coughs that had been coming up more frequently. Garak reached for another hypospray and the doctor merely bared his neck, pushing the towel aside slightly to inject the other.

"Why, even doctors need to be patients eventually,"

"Yes but usually with other doctors." Garak felt something stir for a moment, was this his way of telling him he was ready for Garak to leave? He felt a little saddened by the news but he was no doctor and should have never been trusted with the opportunity to play as such...still it was a disappointment since he rather enjoyed this little fake trusting scenario they had going on.

"I can take my leave anytime d-" Julian interrupted, grabbing the other's wrist, alarming Garak.

"No! No, there's no need for that. That's not what I meant, it's just..." Another fit of coughing. Right right, the other still mentally couldn't let the other go. By insinuating that he had only panicked the other and stress was horrible for sickness. He interlocks his fingers with the doctor ignoring the intimacy of the gesture, focusing on soothing the other.

"I'm not leaving, it's alright I'm right here. Don't stress over an old tailor such as me, I'm hardly worth the energy," The other squeezed his hand back and it took everything in Garak not to blush at the gesture. This was a human form of comforting, ignore your Cardassian for a moment Garak.

"I don't want you to leave, you're the only thing keeping me safe," Yes, he did keep saying that and almost believed it for a moment. If not for the fact the doctor had repeated himself every time the topic came up of him leaving and the fact that the other was sick he would have thought the other cared for him that much...what a foolish idea that was.

"I'm not going anywhere, not ever my dear doctor,"

---

"How dare you attack her if she is my favorite character in the story! By attacking her dynamic with the protagonist you might as well-" Julian went into another fit of coughs.

"I insisted we wait for the literary discussion until after you were feeling better doctor, you can't get this emotional."

"It's not-" Coughing fit.

"It's not my fault you chose this moment to voice your opinions you knew would make me upset. How am I not supposed to defend-" Yet another fit. Garak took that moment to take a spot on the bed, using his free hand to observe the other's features, running a thumb over his face.

"What are your symptoms doctor, your coughing is getting worse," The sudden closeness seemed to catch the other's attention.

"I feel cold now, I have a sore throat, and-" Garak was put on full alert when the other faltered in his words.

"And I...hmmm get the...the oribi-" The other was cut off, looking a thousand times paler than before. Shit. Garak started looking through his bag, noticing the doctor falling back to a lying position as he struggled to breathe...he was even spasming. 

Anaphylactic shock. He had gone through the experience himself in the presence of the doctor so he happened to know exactly what he needed. He noted the other's head is protected and proceeded to put more drugs into his system, seeming to calm down his muscle spasms. 

Slowly...so slowly it hurt Garak he watched the other slowly go to an unmoving state. He immediately checked the other pulse feeling realized it was still there. He was just passed out at this point. There was no use, he couldn't be playing doctor anymore.

"Garak to the infirmary, the doctor just had an episode of anaphylactic shock. The correct medication has been administered but I think he needs to get to the infirmary right away."

"Alright Mr. Garak you are dismissed from your duties but please be present. We can't have another rampage. We just finished cleaning from the last time," Garak couldn't even find joy in the comment. Instead, he looked to the doctor as he lay there, pale as ever after just having gone into spasms...just when he thought things were looking up.