Control Alt Delete (A BH6 crossover)

Chapter Twenty Four: You still here?

In the end, Hiro had to wait three more days before he was released from the hospital. They removed the tube on the next day but kept him an extra two days when his fever refused to go down to a more acceptable range. But, finally, it did.

And he wasn't idle while he impatiently waited. Tadashi brought him a fresh notebook and a stash of pencils so he could at least do something. That and the nurses kept making him get up and walk around every couple of hours once the tube was out. He hated that part, bending over like an old man for the first day of it, but they were firm. And Tadashi was firm as well.

But finally! Finally! The doctor came in to give Hiro his last checkup, checking his incisions and vitals before telling him he could go home. They prescribed pain pills, more antibiotics (not the same as when he'd cracked his ribs), and orders to take things easy and rest, with no heavy lifting. He was also charged to come back in a week's time to make sure everything was healing correctly. That didn't sit well but couldn't be avoided.

Aunt Cass pulled up to the main entrance of the hospital while Tadashi walked down with Hiro. The going was slow, but then Hiro had insisted he not go out like an invalid. And the nurses agreed. Walking would help displace the air they'd had to pump into his abdominal cavity so they could remove his appendix, not to mention the remaining tubing.

"Why can't I ever seem to catch a break?" Hiro complained as he leaned against his brother. At least Tadashi was carrying his bag of stuff, and they'd thought to bring him appropriate clothes so he didn't have to go out in his pajamas. All the same, the exercise more than winded him, especially since they had to come down from the pediatric wing, which was on the far side of the hospital. Life wasn't fair.

Tadashi looked down fondly at his little brother. "I don't know," he seemed to smile. It was true. Hiro had had a rather rough go of things, though it wasn't unexpected. Graduating high school at thirteen was no mean feat, and had come with all kinds of difficulties, including bullying. It really wasn't a wonder that he was an introvert.

But Tadashi completely misunderstood what Hiro meant, mostly because he didn't know about the repeating timelines. Or his brother's bid to save his life, against all odds no less. But what he didn't know just might save him so Hiro kept his mouth shut on that point. For now. Time would tell if it stayed shut.

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Hiro must have zoned out after getting into the truck because the next thing he remembered was Aunt Cass parking outside the café and Tadashi helping him inside. He stumbled up the stairs to the second floor, feeling more than a little out of breath. Maybe the doctor was right to tell him to take things easy. After that, Tadashi carried him the rest of the way up, setting him on his bed.

"Looks like this took a lot out of you," Tadashi stated unnecessarily as he sat next to his brother on the mattress. "If you want, I can stick around instead of going to class."

But the boy knew his brother had already neglected going to school on his account for more than one day. "It's okay," he drawled as he lay back against the pillows. "I'll probably just sleep."

Tadashi set the bag from the hospital down on the desk next to Hiro's bed. "Okay. If you're sure. I don't mind staying." He didn't sound certain about this plan, probably wanting to keep an eye on his brother for at least another twenty-four hours. Or until he was sure Hiro wasn't going to relapse or anything.

Looking up from his resting position, Hiro nodded. "Yeah. Watching me sleep might not be as boring as some of your classes, but I'm sure it'll get old real fast."

Tadashi had to chuckle at that. "You're probably right. Call me if you need anything." He mimed dialing on a phone to emphasize his point.

Hiro smiled tiredly. "Yeah. I'll do that."