Heart's Done Time (Aerosmith Fanfiction)

Chapter twenty-three

Chapter twenty-three
Sesame's POV
I didn't even remember falling asleep, but apparently I had because within a matter of moments I was stirred by the sound of Dr. Hanover's voice followed closely by Mr. and Mrs. Tallarico's, growing closer and closer as they apparently made their way down the corridor to Steven's room.
"Oh, Steven," said his mother, petting down his hair and giving him a look, but certainly not throwing herself at him as I had. Not that I expected her to from what I'd heard about her, but I couldn't help but note the difference.
"So, I'll get straight to the point," said Dr. Hanover, taking the time to look at each of us with a serious expression.
My heartbeat grew suddenly more frantic, and I could tell Steven could feel it from the way his hand found mine and squeezed encouragingly. I knew he didn't blame me for my concern, though; he understood that just because he had a complete disregard for his health didn't mean that I was the same, and I nestled closer, thanking God for my stupid-ass boyfriend.
"You don't need to look so morbid," said Dr. Hanover, sounding slightly more upbeat but still as serious in expression. "Steven will be fine in time. Granted, it won't be comfortable, but he will heal. You see," he said, looking straight at Steven and I. "You have pneumonia." I drew in a sharp breath. "But your girlfriend got you here just in time, and with some antibiotics and rest, you'll make a full recovery in about two weeks."
His parents seemed happy to hear this. "Oh, thank goodness," said Mrs. Tallarico, shaking hands with Dr. Hanover. "Thank you, doctor."
"My pleasure," said the doctor, holding up an index finger. "But there is one more thing."
All eyes turned to him and he looked back at Steven again. "Steven," he said, looking like he meant business, and I felt my heart skip a beat in a moment of anxiety. "If you're going to heal properly, you're going to need to make some changes to your diet. Quite frankly, you're malnourished and quite a bit underweight, and you won't be able to recover with just the nutrients you're bringing in now. Mr. and Mrs. Tallarico," he said, turning to the parents. "Please see to it that your son has something to eat everyday. It may be hard at first to get him to keep anything down, but it's very important that he eats. I'm really not surprised that he got this sick in the first place with his habits being what they are."
"Of course, doctor," said Mr. Tallarico, giving Steven and I a strange look I couldn't decipher. "Can he come home now then?"
"Absolutely," beamed Dr. Hanover. "I'll have a nurse drop his prescription at the front desk so you can get it when you check him out."
"Thank you again," said Mrs. Tallarico, shaking the doctor's hand again before he departed and she moved towards the bed. "Here you are, sweetie," she said to Steven, handing him a change of clothes they'd brought. "Why don't you change and we'll head out?"
Steven nodded his understanding, and then slowly moved towards the bathroom with the clothes tucked under his arm.
When he reemerged, he was dressed in his favorite jeans and a long-sleeved shirt beneath a jacket and a coat I barely remembered returning to him, his hair a mess both from changing, and just because his hair was always a tangly wreck. He smiled when he saw me waiting for him just outside the door.
"Need a hand?" I asked, cocking my head to the side slightly.
"Walking?" he asked with a laugh. "I think I'll be okay. You could hold my hand, though." He winked, and I obliged.
We walked hand-in-hand to the front desk, whereupon Steven's parents checked him out and retrieved his prescription--along with a doctor's note for the school--and then we departed.
"Wait a second," I said before we'd exited, turning to face the two eldest Tallaricos. "You two were going somewhere before you came here. Where were you going, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Oh yeah, you guys weren't supposed to be home today," said Steven, seemingly winded from the short walk we'd taken from the desk to nearer the door. "Didn't you have a church meeting thingy?"
"Yes, we have a meeting about the Christmas play," said Mrs. Tallarico. "But they'll understand that we need to get Steven all settled back at home."
"Well, I'll take care of him, Mrs. Tallarico," I offered. "I'll take him home and stay with him until you two get back."
"Oh, thank you, Sesame, but I could never ask that of you," said Steven's mother.
I shook my head; she had no idea how adamant I was. "No, it's no trouble at all. I was going to stop by after school to bring him his homework and even tutor him if he wanted, so what's one more afternoon?" I said, smiling when Steven squeezed my hand thankfully. "Besides, I'm happy to help in any way I can."
"You are just such a giving girl," Mrs. Tallarico said, patting my shoulder. "That would be wonderful. Thank you so much."
"No problem," I said with a smile, allowing the family a moment to say their less-than-sentimental goodbyes before I walked Steven to my van, blankets from earlier now slung over my shoulder.
"Okay, hot stuff," I said, giving him a hand getting in his seat and buckled in, despite his griping that he wasn't a baby. "Let's get you home."
I shut his door and then went around to my side of the car, climbing up and shutting my own door before buckling and slipping the key in the ignition. I switched gears, pulled out, and then drove off towards Steven's house, saying my thanks to anyone who was listening that my love was in the clear, at least for now. Steven was asleep in the passenger seat almost immediately.
---
Some time later, we were parked safely in the driveway of the Tallarico residence and I was clambering out into the cold December air to help Steven inside.
"Christmas play?" he asked when we were in the door and halfway down the hall to his bedroom. "What're they doing planning a Christmas play? Christmas is ages from now, isn't it?"
I laughed. "No, dear," I said, closing his bedroom door and searching for his pajamas. "Christmas is about two and a half weeks away."
"Really?" he asked, looking more than a little shocked. "I haven't bought any presents."
When I'd located them, he changed rather quickly into his pajamas and climbed immediately into bed, greedily sapping warmth from the blankets and patting the spot beside him.
I joined him, kicking off my shoes and cuddling up to him. "You could just get better. That's probably all anyone wants," I told him, stroking his hair. "I know that's what I want."
But before he could respond, he'd fallen fast asleep, and I followed soon after.