DYSPHORIA

15. Smeraldo

-finley pov-

I gently tug at the thin hospital blanket up to his chest to cover his shivering body. 

I unzip my sweatshirt, after making sure it was clean, protected by my coat from any loose splatters of bodily fluids during the two incidents, and drape that over him as well. 

My hands were now clean after the vigorous washing before coming in to see him. Noell had decided to go home to explain to the crew what had happened. They might come by tomorrow depending on how he was feeling. 

"Better?"  I ask as the shivering starts to subside.

 Kaeden slowly nods his head. His pale cheeks start to regain some sort of rosy hue and I sit down next to him on the small bed. He closes his eyes, but as he does the small tears on his long eyelashes begin to fall. 

"Hey, Shh it's okay, please don't cry," I dab the tiny tears with the tip of my thumb. Swiping them away one by one. He opens his large light brown eyes again and goes to speak, but chokes on his words and goes into a coughing fit before continuing to shiver again. I stand up to move to the other side of the bed and for a moment he looked terrified as if I was going to leave him. 

"Hey, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere I promise. I just don't want to hurt you," I explain, knowing that I had to avoid his right wrist. His dark eyebrows knit together in a confused state until I lay down next to him on my side and carefully wrap my arms around him.

 "I just want to share some of my body warmth with you, it's all I can do." I quietly sigh and he lays still as I rest my head on his strong shoulder. One of two shoulders that had endured too much weight to bear on its own.

"Is this okay?" I ask and he gives a small nod while staring up at the ceiling, biting the edge of his lip in that way he always does when he's thinking hard about something. I usually saw it when he was staring at the light settings for too long or when a prop went missing and it was his job to figure out where one of our friends last left it. But I know he isn't currently in deep thought about the soundboard.

 "Kae?" I gently bring up one of my hands from around his chest to his chin, tilting it to my side so I could look him in the eyes. 

"You're still one of the strongest men I've ever met. That will never change," I had never been more honest and soft-spoken in my entire twenty-one years of life on this earth. But the small smile spread across his lips contagiously made its way to mine and affected me in a way no one had been able to before.

 The smile filled my heart with warmth, but it wasn't the brief flame of passion that I had grown accustomed to. It was a steady genuine fire that held so strong, the lightest touch of his skin or the tiniest smile set it off like a light high that lasted hours after we had parted ways. 

I push dark brown waves from covering his eyes before he closes them again. 

This time there were no tears, just calm breaths as he falls asleep. 

"Sorry to disturb you." 

I turn my head slightly to see the nurse standing in the doorway, looking embarrassed.

 "Is there a problem?" I ask, glancing for a second to see if I woke Kaeden from his well deserved slumber. 

"Yes, It says here that Uh...Esther Tremblay doesn't have insurance. She, I mean he, I think, can't be here longer than 12 hours without showing a way to pay for it," She says and I wave for her to come closer. 

"I'll pay for it," I offer but she shakes her head. 

"You can't do that sir, not unless you're a significant other and it says here that he doesn't have any parents, relatives, or spouses," She brings up the file on her tablet but I offer her my arm so she can scan my chip.

"He's my...spouse. This must just be some misunderstanding or file corruption. Here, just do it. Trust me," I talk quietly and nod to my arm.

 She goes to make another statement, but shakes her head and scans my wrist instead. The moment she reads my long ass name and title she goes into a low 90 degree bow.

 "I'm so sorry your royal highness," She quickly apologizes out loud. I turn back to Kaeden. His eyes were starting to flutter open again and I narrow my eyes at the stupid nurse. 

"Leave us," I command and away she runs as if she had never been here to begin with. Kaeden lets out a small cough and tilts his head a little to the left as if to ask what that was about. 

"Don't worry about it," I shrug as I curl up to him again, nuzzling my head onto his shoulder until I was comfortable. 

"...but if anyone asks we're married," I quietly add and he gives me a curious glance. 

"I....fell asleep...for two seconds," He huffs in a raspy breath and I place a single finger on his lips. 

"Shh just go back sleep," I can't help but chuckle just a little at his confused face. He rolls his eyes before closing them again. 

The sadness that overwhelmed him just a few minutes ago had disappeared to a bigger smile and a gentle giggle that fuelled the warmth from earlier.

 There was still a recovery period ahead but his light-hearted shift in attitude gave me something to hope for.