The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 14: Making the most of it

Summary:

Alec is spending his last evening with Magnus, before he moves to the communal hospital bay. Jace finally gets to go home and Izzy wont tell Jace where she's getting her nice sweets from.

The sunlight was just fading past the window as Magnus sat in the chair next to Alec's bed. He hadn't been able to concentrate in school all day and had literally ran through the car park and up the stairs on his way there.

Alec slept soundly on his side. His mouth moved in a little smile and Magnus watched as the fibres, on the blanket by his nose, swayed back and forth with his breathing.

Magnus ran his fingers over Alec's head and behind his ears. His new chemo hadn't been making his hair fall out and there was a shadow over Alec's head, where it had grown back a few millimetres. Magnus' breath caught as Alec leaned into the feel of his hand.

There was a cough from the door. One of Alec's nurses had stuck her head in. She whispered as she walked over. "Sorry for disturbing you."

Magnus went more than slightly red and sat back. He whispered, so not to wake Alec up.

"It's fine."

She walked over with a little cup with a few tablets in it. "We usually insist on watching patients take the tablets. You know, in case they forget or something-" She looked at Alec, as he snoozed on happily. "But it feels like a crime to wake him when he looks so content-" Magnus looked over and held his hand out. "I can give them to him when he wakes up." The nurse smiled.

"Are you sure?"

Magnus nodded and she handed them over. "Can I ask what they're for? I used to have cancer myself. I could probably qualify as a pharmacist, tomorrow, with all the stuff I learned when I was in."

She looked over to Alec and pointed back and forth between them. Magnus spoke again.

"He's my boyfriend." He tried very unsuccessfully to hide his smile.

She looked at the tablets. "It's not much. Anti-biotics, hormone regulation, anti sickness."

Magnus raised an eyebrow and gulped. Hormone regulation? I thought he was off that.

The nurse checked Alec's file before waving and leaving the room. Alec was still on his side and opened one little beady eye. He chuckled at Magnus' expression as he looked in the little cup. He hadn't noticed that Alec had been lying there with his eyes shut the entire time.

"You heard her."

Magnus moved closer to Alec and laughed. "You faker! I thought you were asleep!"

Alec ignored him and rolled onto his back. He stretched his arms out adorably and Magnus tried not to look as his pyjama top rode up. "You heard the lady. Hand them over."

Magnus gulped and looked down again at the tablets. Oh dear Lord.

***

"Mom, I can walk. It's fine."

Jace tried to turn in his seat as he was wheeled down the hospital corridor. He winced as he turned back round.

"Mom! Seriously! They wouldn't let me go home if I wasn't!"

Izzy skipped in tow of the wheelchair. She was grinning into a bag of fizzy pic-a-mix that Jace knew they didn't sell in the shop. She'd rudely refused to share. She'd been turning up all week with all sorts of sweets but wouldn't tell Jace where she was buying them. He'd have to do some snooping.