En Själ Djup Och Sorgsna Farväl

[berwaldsverige]

 ((A Soul Deep and Sorrowful Farewell))

The ride to the airport early the morning of the 26th was subdued and Eino and Tino left Berwald to his withdrawn contemplation. They knew today was going to be very difficult and he was getting to an inner place of strength to carry out what was long overdue.

The Flight itself was just under 55 minutes and

Comments

[berwaldsverige]

"I apparently cracked my ssssskull h-h-harder than I thought." Berwald said his speech evidently slurred and not from alcohol, he was one dizzy giant seeing stars and showing several symptoms now of a concussion.

His absent appetite, the dizziness, heighten signs of depression and confusion, fatigue, ringing in the ears and of course the loss of consciousness earlier, all were symptoms. Being hockey players, both young men were familiar with concussions and able to read the signs. Berwald had had a few concussions in his life and knew he had another one.

Berwald groped his way over to the toilet, flipped down the lid and used it as a chair, putting his head between his shaky knees to stop the world spinning and fight off the sudden nausea creeping up his belly.

He took a few steadying breaths to settle his stomach before he puked on Tino's small feet, standing there concerned and the only thing Berwald could see at the moment from his position on the toilet and looking down at the floor.

"I s-s-s-should probably g-g-g-get an x-ray, but I k-k-know this, had concussssssssssionssss beffffffffffffffffore. G-g-g-got enough p-p-p-p-pucks in the fffffffface." Berwald held a hand up to his mouth to stop that next wave of nausea. Sometimes symptoms were delayed and they hit him the moment he stood up.

"You have ssssssssuch p-p-p-p-pretty fffffffffffffffffeet." Berwald added... yup his brain was addled and had Tino not been standing in front of Berwald, he'd have pitched himself right off the toilet and face first into the floor again.

He hot a face full of Tino's belly. Berwald nuzzled it and he said something that sounded like he "loved tellie tubbies" or "wanted to eat some bologna" Tino couldn't tell since Berwald's face was mashed into his flesh.

He was going a little kooky and he giggled... GIGGLED into Tino's stomach.

He was ABSOLUTELY not right in the head if he had a sudden and out of all character case of the giggles. Berwald *NEVER* giggled... ever.

EVER.

a smile and a snort or a even a brief chuckle MAYBE... a rare belly laugh once in a blue moon at something extremely funny... never a fit of the giggles. NEVER.

Berwald was going to need that x-ray, he'd bonked his brain a good one.

He was now DROOLING into Tino's belly button and making "om nom nom nom" noises.

Yes, he was NOT right. Amusing suddenly, but not right at all.

[tino_suomi]

He'd never, in his life, seen a concussion this bad. He'd gotten whacked in the head a few times himself, but right now he was feeling grateful that Berwald wasn't cross eyed from the fall. He watched him slump over onto the toilet and approached to say something comforting, but what came out was "waahhhhyyyyeeaaah... ew." Not a shout or anything, but really what can you say when you suddenly have half digested mashed potatoes between your toes? And mixed with the meat loaf, the scotch, and Berwald's natural stomach juices? Oh lord it smelled.

But he was quickly brought out of that thought by Berwald's sudden, drastic change from dizzy to silly and ... not-Berwald-ish. The giant's head made contact with Tino's belly as he muttered almost childish compliments to the Finn and nommed on his lower belly.

Dammit. He rolled his eyes up to heaven, hoping Jesus could see his accusing glance before gently putting his hands on Berwald's shoulders to steady him without toppling over. "No, it's not belly time. I think we need to get you cleaned up and see a doctor. Like you said, they need to scan your head. Come on let's get you as dressed as we can. I'll call my Isa and see if he'll take us. Thank god I know where you keep your insurance card after the events on halloween." He mused, trying to get Berwald up to his feet. If he could walk, even if he was dizzy, Tino could keep him stable and balanced, if he couldn't walk Tino was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to drag him this time. By now his muscles were sore enough from the first go around earlier in the day. "We need to get your clothes on so we can go to the doctor's office okay?" He soothed. Berwald had redirected the subject earlier when he had asked if he should worry about brain swelling, now the worry returned.

[berwaldsverige]

Berwald gave a lopsided smile and stumbled into the room and he tried to put TINO's pants on... backwards and he glared at the offending garment.

"My p-p-p-pants sssssssshrunk." The stuttering and the slurring was more pronounced now and had this been a cheech and chong movie, it would be incredibly funny.

Mathias Jensen would certainly be FILMING all this for later blackmailing.

[tino_suomi]

"No, those ones are mine." Tino chuckled, a little bit, trying not to find anything about this situation funny at all. "I flung your pants to the other side of the room earlier, you sit here on the end of the bed, I'll bring your clothes to you." He said, taking the pants from Berwald, locating his underwear, and hoping into both. At least he wouldn't be totally nude now.

He located Berwald's underwear, socks, slacks, and the white t-shirt that had been on under his button up shirt. Good enough. He'd be covered. He'd get the giant's coat later.

"Okay you're going to have to help me a little here Bear." He said gently as he tried to help his now very injured boyfriend dress. While doing that he also speed dialed his father on his cell and set it to speaker phone.

"Moi moi Ti. Everything okay?"

"No... we kind of need to go to the hospital."

"What the fuck?"

Tino could practically hear his father's incredulous expression. "Berwald fell down in the bathroom earlier and hit his head. He seemed okay for a while, but he spent most that time laying or sitting down, he got up to go to the bathroom and he nearly toppled over. He looks like he has a concussion and he said he may need an X-Ray." The youngest Vainamoinen explained.

"Well fucking shit. Alright, you look after him and make sure he doesn't get any more hurt, I'll be over in a second. Let me find the car keys and look up the hospitals address so I can put it in the GPS, your Mummi's going to kill me for this happening under my watch y'know." He sounded like he felt guilty, and maybe a little sleepy. Eino might have gone to bed early, but he seemed awake and alert now.

[berwaldsverige]

When Tino turned around, Berwald was crammed into Tino's Moomin's t-shirt. It clung to EVERYTHING, stretched and molded to every muscle and nearly bursting at the seams.

Had it been just a t-shirt, it may have been HOT to see it accentuating every hard muscle...

but with Moomin Papa emblazoned on the chest? Not so much. It really did show Tino however just how much LARGER Berwald really was. That shirt was fairly big on Tino, Berwald looked like he'd been shopping in the little boys section of the store and got confused. He really was a giant.

A Giant who was now trying to crawl into bed, he was sleepy and exhibited the disorientation and confusion that was very common with a concussion.

It probably wasn't going to be serious, but it was better safe than sorry.

[tino_suomi]

"No no no, You, don't be laying down. I can't move you." He said, pulling Berwald back up and gingerly trying to get the shirt off him. "No sleeping yet. Jesus I'm going to be in a world of shit with the people at the hospital, I know it." He bit down on a finger nail as he finally got the shirt off Berwald's head and pulled it on over his own. It was maybe even a little bigger now that it'd been stretched over Berwald's frame. "This one's your shirt." He corrected, putting it on over Berwald's head and then lifting the giant's arms into the sleeves.

"Can't go to sleep. Berwald. Hey." He made sure to keep the giant's attention. "Keep awake by telling me about something. What did you have for breakfast this morning?" He knew damn well what Berwald had, he'd made it himself, but if he kept Berwald talking he wouldn't fall asleep.

[berwaldsverige]

Berwald looked up and gave Tino a goofy smile. "I love youuuuuu. Du är så söt. Ganska söt Titi älskar mig också." ((You're so pretty. Pretty pretty Titi loves me too.)) Berwald almost sing-songed in Swedish.

He fell back into Finnish again as he wrapped arms around Tino's waist. "I d--don't r-r-remember. No f-f-f-food. I d-d-don't ffffeel good." Berwald did look a little green around the gills.

Eino arrived and let himself in and Berwald looked up, glassy eyed, and he could actually see across the room, he still wasn't wearing his glasses.

"Ti-pappa! W-w-w-what did I have f-f-f-f-f-for breaaaaaaaakfast? Titi w-w-wants t-t-t-t-t-to know." Berwald asked leaning forward, his cheek mashed against Tino's chest and he was still wearing that goofy drunken grin on his face.

It was invasion of the body snatchers, because this was NOT Berwald. This was some goofy, silly, clone.

[tino_suomi]

"Fuck." Was really all Eino could say, blinking at Berwald. This was nothing like him at all. "Okay, Ti, help me here." The father said, just as Tino finished buttoning the last button of Berwald's coat. Eino wrapped an arm around one side of Berwald and got the giant to rest his limp over his shoulders. Tino, though still smaller, took the other side after collecting Berwald's wallet, and anything that they may need while there. Mummi was going to be pissed. Once all those things were loaded into his bag he threw it over his shoulder and joined his father on Berwald's other side.

"We're going to the doctor now Berwald." Eino promised as he pushed the door open and closed it behind them with his foot.

They got him to the car and propped him up in the back seat. Luckily for Eino they kept a small waist bucket in the van. It was normally for catching empty donut cartons or coffee cups, but Eino pulled he bag and passed it to the back for Tino to hang onto... in case Berwald blew chunks again.

"He smells like booze, was he drinking?" Eino asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, but he wasn't that far passed a buzz, he was pretty coherent, wasn't even slurring his speech until he got up to go to the bathroom, and that had been maybe an hour after he'd stopped drinking. "The hospital is going to be mad." Tino groaned, rubbing Berwald's cheek gently.

[berwaldsverige]

Berwald looked like Hell... the bruise and bump on his noggin was already a dark purple with red spidery lines of broken blood vessels spreading across his brow.

Both eyes looked like he'd been in a bar-room brawl and he smelled like it too. There was a small cut on the bridge of his nose where his glasses had broken and a small cut under one eye, probably from the glass of the broken lens.

It was perhaps a good thing Tino had covered him up, all the coagulated bloody scratches on his torso, front *AND* back were hidden and still uncleaned. Tino would have to remember to have the E.R. Nurse bandage him up too. He could pick up a staff infection in the hospital in those wounds if he was not treated.

But that was secondary to the sudden rousing chorus of "Helan Går", a Swedish Snapsvisa (Drinking song) Berwald suddenly started belting from the backseat.

Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lallan lej
Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lej
Och den som inte helan tar
Han heller inte halvan får
Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lej

He was DEFINITELY so far out of character he was a totally different person... He was MATHIAS!

[tino_suomi]

"Oh Isa we are so fucked. He's going to be so embarrassed when he comes back to his senses." He face palmed.

"Maybe he won't find out?"

"Oh how to hell is he not going to find out!?" Tino wailed. Today was just the day from hell! Seriously. Not a lot of sleep the day before, confronting Bergren, rough sex, a mini fight between the two of them, Berwald getting hurt in the bathroom, bad dreams, resolving the fight, getting something to eat, being puked on, now on the way to the hospital with what felt like a giant Mathias Jensen! Berwald was going to just DIE from embarrassment when he was human again!

Wheeling into the hospital parking lot Eino handled most of the talking, thankfully he was rather proficient in Swedish. He explained what he could to the lady at the receptionist counter. Thank goodness she didn't seem to recognize him as a politician. In his own country this would have been difficult, but here in Sweden most people didn't know who he was or give a crap. Lucky for Eino!

A nurse came by with a wheel chair to put Berwald in, he seemed to be in no condition to fill out papers, but Tino could. He was aware of Berwald's medical history, he'd made sure to learn all he could after the halloween incident.

[berwaldsverige]

Berwald looked up at the nurse checking his vitals, gave her a smile and then pointed to Tino. "M'wife. So Pretty." Berwald drawled, giving lovey puppy dog eyes at Tino who was showing the charge nurse Berwald's pill bottle so she could write down what drugs were already in his system.

He told her about the scotch, got the paperwork filled out, got his visitor's pass and then joined Berwald who kept trying to take the thermometer out of his mouth.

The nurse looked up at Tino and winked. "He's so in love with you. He's called you pretty or beautiful probably a dozen times, proudly informed me you're going to marry him, called you his wife several times and then started reciting some pretty poems. How did he hit his head and get that Handsome face all smashed up?" The nurse asked, patiently returning the thermometer to Berwald's mouth time and time again, finally just holding it there to keep Berwald from taking it out.

[tino_suomi]

"I know he loves me. He tells me I'm pretty about eight times an hour even when he's not all banged up. He's really loopy right now. Normally he's much more reserved and stoic. But he hurt himself falling in the bathroom. I really don't know how he fell, he was in the bathroom, and he'd shut the door and suddenly I heard a loud thug and a crunch sound. I found him on the floor. He'd smacked his head into the marble sink of the hotel on the way down and broke his glasses, I have his spare pair with me, but he hadn't seemed to have wanted to wear them earlier. He's had a really bad, stress filled couple of days. And I think it all just culminated and messed with his hypertension?" The said. He could only form it as a question. He was no doctor or nurse, but thank God she was speaking English at him.

"He's, ugh, also got a lot of scratches on him." He quietly admitted to her while his father was still talking to the receptionist. "He'd been in a bad way and one thing led to another ... and we were maybe just a little too rough with each other." He confessed, bashfully. "I didn't mean to dig him up so bad, I know it looks like I beat the crap out of him." He moaned, caressing the back of his hand against Berwald's cheek.

[berwaldsverige]

"Hypertension? Do you think he might have hyperventilated? Does he often have breathing problems when he's having an episode? That might explain meeting the sink face first." The nurse asked taking notes (and noting to look for and take care of the scratches, but not dwelling on it, the poor thing was embarrassed. Sometimes Sex got a little rough but he was young.)

During this, Berwald started playing with the blood pressure cuff bulb.

*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*Squeeze*

"Cool." Berwald offered the bulb to Tino to squeeze.

[tino_suomi]

"I think so, maybe a little when he's having a panic attack. Usually he wanders off away from me to have his episodes. He doesn't like me to see him vulnerable so he probably has episodes that I don't even know about sometimes. I don't like to encourage it." He sighed, accepting the bulb and squeezing it once or twice. They had just had a talk about his bottling up his problems. Hopefully from now on he wasn't going to have to worry to the same degree. Hopefully Berwald would be more willing to come to him with his problems.

"Yes it's very cool Kulta." He cooed, giving Berwald back the bulb and returning his attention to the nurse. "Is it normal for people with a concussion to suddenly start seeming more childlike or like they're drunk? I swear he didn't drink that much before we came." He asked. He wasn't as aware of all the symptoms as Berwald was, and so Berwald's dramatic behavior shift had him worried. He didn't seem to have amnesia, as he knew exactly who Tino was, knew that they were going to get married, but it was that he was presenting the information with childlike wonder. The way he was experiencing the world around him seemed almost childlike as well.

[berwaldsverige]

"Well let's see. He has had alcohol, he drank that on anti-depressants which is not a good thing to begin with and then he smacked his head hard against a rock. I'd say he's acting perfectly normal for a Tipsy Giant with a concussion. But we'll get him some x-rays to make sure there is no swelling or fractures and the doctor will see him too. But I wouldn't worry too much, he'll probably sleep this off and be himself again in no time at all." She said taking off Berwald's shirt and handing it to Tino.

"My goodness, buy a nail file sweetie." The nurse said grabbing some gauze and hibicleanse just as Eino walked in, took one look at Berwald, then looked over at Tino and sighed as he sat.

The nurse started washing the cuts clean and putting bandages on the really bad ones before pulling a hospital gown over Berwald's arm and tied it behind his neck.

Another nurse came in with an IV and Berwald watched her ENTHRALLED as she stuck a vein and got him hooked up to some fluids.

"This has Phenegren in it, it will take away his nausea." The nurse said putting a syringe into the IV tubing and administering the anti-nausea medication.

"This one is Dilaudid. Say goodnight to your giant. This is a pain killer and it will probably put him to sleep. It's a narcotic." She said administering the second drug and if Tino thought Berwald seemed drunk before, he was even more so now.

It was an IMMEDIATE reaction as the drug washed through his body. "Wow..." Berwald said, his hands grabbing at something only he could see, like a child chasing butterflies.

He gave Tino another SAPPY smile, mumbled something unintelligible and went to sleep almost before the nurse was finished putting the drug into his system.

She chuckled as she tossed away the empty syringe in the bio-container and wrote in Berwald's chart.

"Oxenstierna. Is he any relation to Bergren Oxenstierna? His wife used to be a nurse here." She asked Tino and Eino as she finished her notes.

[tino_suomi]

Before Eino could even use his public image skills Tino grunted and clenched his fists. "If that rotten son of a bitch had anything to say about it they wouldn't! How could a man tell people that his son is dead huh! That son of a bitch had Berwald hidden away at a fucking boarding school in the middle of the ocean while letting the world thing he was dead and didn't exist! Let alone that bastard emotionally tormented an 8 year old into believing his mother's death was his fault. ALL of Berwald's isms and neuropathies are all that cock sucker's fault! If I could blame that hairless ballsack on his hypertension too I would!" He ranted, stomping his foot as the schpeel flew out of his mouth. Finally Eino calmed him down by patting him on the shoulder. Gulping some air Tino threw himself in the chair beside his father. "He's still a dick hole." He muttered.