Burn (Barlyle) (COMPLETE)

50

He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he woke again. The room was dark and his body rattled with a fresh wave of pain that brought tears to his eyes. Any sort of morphine the doctors had given him earlier had worn away and he had to resist the urge to scream as the fire in his abdomen continued to spre—

A large hand covered his own and he gasped. Watery eyes - still fighting for vision, and now the swollen one was starting to throb - peered upwards. The face was fuzzy and blurred together as it looked down at him, but those eyes - wide honey-colored and lined with sorrow - were recognizable no matter how limited his sight was.

"P.T.," Phillip whispered.

"Phillip," Barnum choked. His hands moved, caressing Phillip's face, stroking his hair, "oh, my darling Phillip—" he broke off with a sob.

"Phin? What's wrong?" Phillip rasped. He coughed, once, and screamed out at the pain that rattled his abdomen. Barnum's lips were immediately on his, shushing him, though only for a moment. Phillip whimpered, tasting the salt from Barnum's tears as he pulled away.

"You have to fight for me, all right?" Barnum asked - no, begged. It was the most vulnerable Phillip had ever seen him and his head spun. "Please, 'Lip. Like the fire - you've got to be strong for me."

"Phin, what's wrong?" Phillip demanded. Another rattle of coughs shook him and he cried. Barnum's chest ached - he longed to make the pain go away and tell him it'd be all right, but there was no guaranteeing that. And, after the last time—

"Internal bleeding," he whispered. "They missed it the first time - performed a transfusion - oh, Phillip."

"Wh-What?"

"You're safe. Shhh. You're safe." Barnum repeated the phrase like a mantra. Behind them, the door was closed. He longed to lie with Phillip, like that night back at home, but, knowing he couldn't, knelt on the floor and rested his head against the hospital bed. Phillip's hands were ice in his.

"Ph-Phin...hurts..."

Outside, afternoon began to turn to evening. Barnum's time with Phillip was running out - he would be expected home soon, if he wasn't already - but he didn't move. Phillip clung to him.

"They almost got you," Barnum murmured. He ran his fingers up and down Phillip's arm. "But you're so strong, Phillip, so brave - you've got to keep fighting. For me, and for the c-circus." Barnum shuddered and closed his eyes. Tears wettened his eyelashes.

"Phin," Phillip whispered. He could see a little clearer - staying awake a little longer helped with that - and reached out to touch Barnum's face. Barnum's fingers closed over Phillip's as he opened his eyes and peered at the man's pale, scraped up face.

"You're going to keep fighting, Phillip Carlyle, do you hear me?"

"F-Fight."

"Good." Barnum's voice shook, but he squeezed Phillip's hand and pressed on. "You're going to keep fighting, God damnit, because I lo—"

"Mr. Barnum?"

Phillip and Barnum looked up at the same time. A very confused doctor stood in the doorway and Barnum scrambled to his feet.

"He can't see me," Barnum explained, a little shaken, but his voice coming out evenly enough. "I spoke to him of his lady Anne and knelt so he could see me easier."

The doctor nodded absentmindedly and looked down at his clipboard in hand. "Mr. Barnum, there's a call for you."

"A call?"

"Your wife," the doctor explained, looking up. "Says her parents are on their way to pick up your children."