Decisions ~ BokuAka

1. Buckets at Dinner

Akaashi Keiji had no trouble getting people to do as he needed or wanted. He could simply look at someone and they would rush up with tea and water. He could stand and threw guards would rush to his side. Every when he was coming inside from walks the maids would come and hurry his feet into more comfortable shoes.

One thing he could not for the life of him get rid of was the man sitting across from him.

This man was well... someone who Akaashi did not like. He had challenged Akaashi in chess while Akashi was supposed to be sleeping and had been incredibly pushy about it. Akaashi loved chess and he loved the challenge but he was beyond exhausted. He'd come down with a really bad cold and whenever he got even an allergy flare up his body shut down which meant he couldn't focus well.

"Ha! Checkmate!"

Akaashi nodded. He looked to the window where it was bright outside. His head felt heavy.

The man sat back. "What's got you so down? A little cold?"

"I really do need rest, please sir."

"Oh loosen up Keiji."

Akaashi tried his best to sit up. "I'm sick. Very sick at that. Please let me sleep."

The other man stood and shrugged. "Alright."

Akaashi stood slowly and started towards his room door. The guard outside of it gave Akashi a worried look that he just looked away from. He held the door open and waited until his guest was gone to slump into the door.

"Sir!"

Akaashi tried to get himself up into his feet again but failed miserably and clung to the guard. "I just need to be helped to my bed. That's all."

The guard picked him up. "Would you like me to fetch a nurse?"

"Oh would you please? I need some water and a rag." Akaashi got under his blanket and coughed, achy. "And anything with mint."

"Yes sir."

Akaashi waited patiently, trying not to fall asleep until he had water. He drank and drank until finally his nurse eased him into bed fully. "I'll tell your father that you'd like to have no visitors and that you are ill."

Akaashi nodded. He closed his eyes and the nurse left, closing the curtains. Akaashi had been sick for about three days now. He suspected it was from the temperature drop outside because he had been outside more often. Taking walks through the far side of the parts of the gardens he liked had become a daily activity that he'd wanted to get back to.

Hopefully he was only sick for another day or two. Being sick physically hurt him and and made his father more disappointed. There was so much he already hated about his oldest son. For one, he was the only son. Secondly, his mother had died giving birth to him. Plus the fact that Akaashi had refused to be married to some random woman and was "too gentle" to be a man.

He had a stepmother who he adored now and a little sister. Speaking of which, he happened to be drifting back out of sleep and the sun was setting outside. Someone had opened the curtains while he was sleeping.

"Keiji! Hi!"

Akaashi sat up, confused a bit. He rubbed his eyes before seeing a mess of brown hair and smiled. "Sara."

Sara giggled. "Hi Keiji!"

"Hi sweetheart."

Sara climbed under the blankets. "I got to come with Ms. Ito to tell you that dinner is ready!"

Akaashi sighed heavily. "I'm sick."

"Again? You were sick three months ago."

"I get sick often." Akaashi rubbed Sara's hair. "Doesn't father know?"

Sara shrunk back. "Mhmm."

"And he still wants to see me?"

"Yes..."

"Alright." Akaashi stood slowly and managed his way to his wardrobe. Sara's maid hurried to hold Akaashi up. "Oh honey do sit down. I will get your clothes."

Akaashi nodded. He shivered and glanced at Sara. She was looking through his books again. He smiled to himself. Ito helped him into new clothes and got him warm enough to walk. She eased him up and the three of them went to the dining hall. Akaashi could barely keep himself standing, much less walking. He sat at his spot next to his father and clutched his napkin under the table. "Keiji, sit up. Now."

Akaashi tried to sit up again and was overcome with the heat from his fever, it going straight to his head. He gripped the table and his stepmother gave him a concerned stare. "Are you feeling okay? Does your head hurt?"

Akaashi glanced to his sisters, who all looked worried as well. He then looked at his father, who gave him a frown. "I'll be okay, it's likely a cold."

"Keiji you get very sick from colds. Just last year you were deathly ill from a bad cold."

"I'll rest after dinner, but thank you."

"Someone can bring you dinner. It's okay sweetheart." She stood and Akaashi's father sighed heavily. "What now?"

"He's just got a little cold. It happens. Getting sick isn't anything new for him so let him eat with us."

Akaashi smiled at his stepmother. "Mama please, it's okay."

"If you insist." She sat back down and dinner started.

Akaashi was able to get through nearly his whole plate and water but just couldn't seem to get another bite into his mouth. He was nauseous and tired and his head was starting to hurt.

"Keiji, finish the meat. You need it on bones like yours."

Akaashi picked up his fork and as he went to take another bite the rest of his dinner started to rise in his stomach. He leaned away from the table hurriedly and threw up before collapsing, out cold. Several different maids and guards and servants rushed to get him sat up. When he was able to sit up properly he started throwing up again, this time much more.

He was then hurried to a washroom where he was helped out of his clothes and where he dry heaved over a pail, shaking.

"Oh honey..."

Akaashi looked up at his stepmother and looked back to the pail. "I didn't mean to, honestly."

"It's alright. Let me help you." She walked over to the bathtub. A maid poured a bucket of warm water into the tub and several others repeated this. Akaashi was led into the tub where he tried his best to stay awake. He washed himself instead of letting his mother or maids do it, just wanting it done so he could go back to bed.

Finally he rinsed off and was eased up to get dressed. A guard had to carry him to his room where maids covered him in his blankets. He felt even worse now, knowing that his father would be angry. Being sick and being his only son really was not something he could handle.