Nothing /// Mullette Asylum Fic

1 - Needles and Angry Angie

Lafayette
"Lafayette come on", Alexander pleaded. He was trying to get his stubborn friend to come to dinner. Lafayette shook his head and stubbornly crossed his arms. "I'll have Washington come in and drag you out", Alex said irritably. "Please? We're getting a new guy."
The sheer curiosity of the new person, along with the fact that Alex wouldn't leave him alone 'til he obliged made Lafayette cave in and follow his friend to the kitchen.

The others were already there, Jefferson bouncing in his seat next to Madison who was having a conversation with Eliza in sign language.
John Laurens sat next to an empty chair, fiddling with his shirt sleeves. Peggy was talking animatedly with Angelica who laughed as she served plates of food.
She glanced up and smiled when she saw Lafayette enter the room, trying and failing to hide behind a considerably shorter Alex.

"Good of you to join us, Laf!" she said cheerfully as she finished putting all the food out.
Lafayette sat next to Alex. Everyone began eating, including Lafayette after a stern glare from George. There was an empty seat across from him where the new guy was going to sit.

Speaking of the new guy, another doctor brought in a tall, dark-skinned man and handed him off to Washington who directed him to the chair across from Lafayette. The new guy sat down and nodded disinterestedly at whatever George was saying.
He seemed to have an interest in Lafayette however, who stared down at his food which he listlessly pushed around his plate with his fork.

George finally left and the new guy looked once again to Lafayette. "Hey", he said in a chillingly deep voice. "I'm Hercules Mulligan."
"Lafayette", Lafayette replied quietly.
"Hi Hercules, I'm Angelica Schuyler!" said the nurse, appearing seemingly from nowhere. "This is Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, that doctor over there is George Washington, and these are my sisters, Eliza-"
"AND PEGGY!" everyone but Lafayette and Hercules screamed.

Hercules chuckled before turning to Lafayette. "You're the first person I've seen here so you're going to be my tour guide if that's okay with you?"
Lafayette nodded, then jumped ten feet when George screamed his name. "You, young man, are not leaving until everything on that plate is gone!"
Lafayette stood up and swept his plate off the table, food scattering everywhere. "It's gone", he smirked.
He held out his hand to a dumbfounded Hercules, who took it and stood up. The two left the kitchen together, leaving behind laughter and angry screeches.

"Jeez, I took you to be the quiet one, but that was pretty good!" Hercules said happily as they walked.
Lafayette just smiled and showed him the whole facility. Their rooms were across the hall from each other.
At some point, Lafayette realized his hand was still intertwined with the taller man's, but made no move to separate them.

His stomach began growling and aching as he led Hercules around, and he twisted slightly in pain and discomfort.
Hercules noticed this as they walked. "Are you... alright?" he asked.
Lafayette nodded and winced slightly. He knew he shouldn't have eaten. It just made him feel worse. Eventually, he had to stop and lean against a wall.

Hercules looked at him in concern. His stomach was so unused to even half a plate of food that it didn't know how to properly handle it.
The room spun slightly as Lafayette tried to stand straight. Hercules ended up carrying him, the Frenchman reflexively placing his head against his chest and huddling close to him.

Hercules brought him to his room and went to leave before Lafayette grabbed his wrist. "Don't go", he said. He didn't know why he did it, he just found comfort in the bigger man's presence.
Hercules looked torn, but sat on the edge of the bed. Lafayette tiredly put his head on his lap, curling up.
He was vaguely aware of Hercules muttering and stroking his hair, but mostly felt tired and annoyed at himself for following Alex to the kitchen and even attempting to eat. He usually lived off of medicine, water and the occasional fruit, never most of a steak and a couple of fries.

A new thought occurred to him as he lay with his head in Hercules' lap; he was getting cuddly with a guy he met an hour and a half ago. Lafayette mentally facepalmed. It was too late now, he was basically asleep.

A moment later, however, he was awoken by a hand shaking his shoulder. He was moved against his will from Hercules' lap. He whined and tried to return to his resting place but he was hit on the arm.
Rubbing his eyes, Lafayette looked at the rude someone that had dragged him from his slumber. An annoyed looking Angelica stood there with a needle in hand. Lafayette stiffened at the sight of it.

"What's that for?" he asked.
"I'm going to stick it in your arm, dimwit", Angelica growled.
Lafayette recoiled slightly. Hercules looked at him worriedly. "W-why?" Lafayette asked, voice shaking.
"You need an extra dose because of your negative reaction to the food or something", Angelica said.
"Can't you j-just give me the pills?"
"No", she said simply, grabbing his arm.

Lafayette flinched and tried to pull away, but he was weak and she had a grip like iron, so he could only watch as she pulled up his sleeve and looked for a good place to stick the needle into his skinny arm.
"Hey, be glad I'm not George. He wanted to put you into solitary confinement for your little fiasco", Angelica said coldly.
Lafayette stared. George Washington, the man who treated the young Frenchman like his own son, wanted to put him in solitary confinement?

"That seems a little overboard, doesn't it?" Hercules said, finally speaking up.
Angelica sighed. "George is really stressed right now. He's had barely any sleep, a load of paperwork, and he's even more worried for Frenchy here."
Angelica plunged the needle into his arm and Lafayette bit his lip against the pain, not noticing it started to bleed a little.
The drug was forced into his bloodstream, then the needle was pulled out and a plaster hastily stuck over the pinprick wound.

Who knew such a tiny needle could sting like a bitch?
"Angelica?" Lafayette asked as she prepared to leave.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you mad at me?" She sighed. "I'm not mad, Laf. I'm just... really worried about you."
Lafayette looked away.
"Anyways, I'm going to check on Eliza and Peggy, goodnight", she said, leaving the room.
Lafayette sighed and lay down.

"Are you going to be alright?" Hercules asked, genuine concern on his face.
Lafayette chuckled. "When am I not?" he asked drily. Hercules smiled and absentmindedly wiped the blood from Lafayette's lip with his thumb.
Lafayette closed his eyes from the contact and settled down.
Hercules took one last look at the smaller man before leaving for his own room.