(no subject)
Title: No, Not Crazy
Author: riku_aura777
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jalex
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: Alex is sick, Jack takes care of him. Not much of a plot, I don't think.
Notes: Just something I wrote in a half hour and felt like posting. I'm half asleep, so this probably isn't the best, but I hope you like it anyway.
Everything was blurry. Colors blended together, hardly forming any distinguishable shape. Alex wanted to blink in an attempt to refocus his vision, but his eyelids lacked the strength. They were only partially open, small slits that couldn’t rise anymore.
Why was everything so blurry?
“Hey, you awake?”
No, no he wasn’t awake. He was just staring at the ceiling-at least, it looked like a ceiling-for no reason at all. Wait, the ceiling? How could he be staring at the ceiling? Weren’t they on the bus? If Alex was lying down, he would only be able to see the bottom of Jack’s bunk.
What was going on?
“Open your eyes more.”
He wanted to protest, wanted to ask why he needed to, wanted to refuse. Alex wanted to do many things. But his mouth felt unbelievably dry, like he hadn’t had a drink in years. Like his eyes, it also didn’t want to cooperate.
So, no, he couldn’t open his eyes. Alex couldn’t even see who was talking to him. Was it Jack? He hoped it was Jack. Because as unreliable as Jack could be at times, maybe he would know what was wrong. Alex really wanted to know.
If it was Jack, he gave him no answers. He said nothing else, but Alex could feel a hand lightly touching his forehead, his hair. It felt nice, so it had to be Jack. Regardless, his barely-open eyes gave up, and Alex didn’t resist.
--
Some time later, Alex woke up again. And he felt worse than before. He couldn’t even open his eyes. His head was pounding in time with his heart, so he clenched his eyes, hoping to ward off the growing headache.
Was that it? A mere headache was crippling him to the point where he wanted to rip his eyes out?
Unable to think about it, Alex internally sighed, because his mouth still felt like a desert. And, unless he was hearing things, people were talking. They sounded like they were nearby, but like they were talking underwater. Alex was suddenly jealous; he’d kill for a glass of water.
Someone mentioned that something was too high, and that only confused Alex more. Was he high? He couldn’t remember taking anything. After all, he wasn’t really into the whole drug thing; if he did take something, it would kind of suck it he forgot about it. Maybe someone spiked his drink.
Alex made some type of noise. At least, he was pretty sure he did. A moan, a groan, something that hopefully communicated the level of frustration he was feeling. His thoughts were jumping rapidly, mixing into a whirlpool of delirium.
The voices were closer, talking to him again, rather than around him. He tried responding, he really did, but Alex felt himself drifting off again. Sleep won the battle.
--
The third time he woke up, Alex wished that he hadn’t found the energy to open his eyes.
Things were still hazy, but this time, more focused. No one was around, no Jack, no-
No, someone was around. Someone who shouldn’t have been. On top of everything Alex was feeling-the wanna-be migraine, the chills that now ravaged his body-he was hallucinating. And hallucinating was never good.
“Danny?” Alex forced himself to say, even though it sounded more like a croak.
The Daniel he was imagining stood in the corner of the room, staring straight at him with no emotion. Alex looked at him for a moment, not at all disturbed that he was looking at his dead brother. He was more… confused, puzzled.
More than that, he wanted Jack, because maybe he could explain it. He almost asked Daniel to get Jack, but refrained because 1) It would hurt his throat and 2) It was possibly the most irrational thought he’d ever had.
Instead, he rolled onto his stomach, away from his brother. Although his achy body didn’t approve of the movement, he stayed like that, falling asleep again. Alex hoped that Daniel remained though, because he had a feeling that he would say his name aloud a few times. And calling out his dead brother’s name was bad enough, but him not being there to hear it was even worse.
--
Jack was talking to him the next time he woke up, so Alex forced his eyes open. Considering the fact that he loved Jack, it seemed like the right thing to do
He was sitting on a bed a few feet away from the one he was on. Alex realized they must’ve been in a hotel room. He didn’t remember going to a hotel though. Someone probably dragged his unconscious body inside.
“You finally awake now?”
Still unable to talk, Alex nodded. Jack got the message though, disappearing into the bathroom for a moment, emerging with a glass of water. Propping himself up with his elbow, while, at the same time, ignoring the dizziness caused from it, Alex grabbed the cup, gulping the drink down, until Jack told him to slow down. Then his gulps turned into sips.
“You have the flu,” Jack explained a little later. “You have a really high fever.”
How could he have a fever? He was so cold.
“Hopefully it’s just a twenty-four hour thing or something,” he continued, “because I’ll probably get it too, and they probably won’t take care of both of us.”
Even though he didn’t hear everything Jack said, Alex nodded. Lying back down, he asked, “Where’s Daniel?”
He expected Jack to stare at him like he was crazy, but he didn’t. For some reason, he didn’t. “He’s, uh, not here, Alex.”
Biting back the urge to call him a liar, Alex merely shook his head. Daniel was still there, leaning against the wall, staring at them with mild interest. “You can’t see him?”
Jack sat down on his bed, “No, sorry, I can’t.”
And, suddenly, Alex couldn’t either.
“Danny?” He called, attempting to sit up again. “Danny?”
“Alex, he’s not here,” Jack gently reminded, pushing him back down.
“He was. He just left.” Alex could feel his chest tightening. Why did his brother enjoy leaving him without giving any warming? “Can you look for him?”
“I can’t, he’s not here.”
Alex continued like Jack had said nothing. “What if he’s in the bathroom?” He really needed Jack to check, because what if Daniel really was there? What if he was there, and Alex was lying down, unable to help, unable to do anything, unable to prevent anything?”
When Alex whimpered, whimpered, Jack finally relented. He walked into the other room, coming out shortly after, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, he’s not in there.”
But Alex didn’t really hear him. He passed out again.
--
Waking up was becoming annoying, because he wasn’t feeling any better. He felt no worse though, but he didn’t really feel like looking at the optimistic side of it.
“Jack? He said, seeing someone sitting at the end of the bed. Except it wasn’t Jack, it was Rian. Why did he say Jack?
Shaking his head, Rian asked, “How’re you feeling?”
Shrugging, Alex looked over at his brother’s new favorite spot. Daniel was back. “Do you see him?” He asked, voice raspy.
“Who, Daniel?”
“You do see him?” Alex repeated in sluggish wonder.
“No, but Jack told me.”
Not wanting to reveal how disappointed he was, Alex closed his eyes. Rian left not long after. He opened his eyes a few more times before going to sleep. Daniel was gone again.
--
Maybe waking up wasn’t so bad, Alex decided, when he didn’t feel hazy anymore. Still tired, still exhausted, but the fog-like state he had been wrapped in had faded.
Cautiously sitting up, he could feel his precarious good mood rising when he didn’t feel quite as dizzy. However, Alex had mixed feelings about Daniel not being there, and the fact that he most likely wouldn’t be there ever again.
“Hey.”
Looking to his left, Alex was surprised to see Jack lying down next to him. “Did I wake you up?”
Jack nodded. “It’s okay.” Sitting up as well, he touched Alex’s forehead. “You’re still warm. How do you feel?”
“Better. Not great, but better,” he answered truthfully. “Damn, I should get sick more if you’ll treat me like this.”
Weakly grinning, Jack replied, “Sure, just no more 103 degree fevers, okay?”
“It got that high?”
“Yeah, for awhile. We thought about taking you to the hospital, but then it started going down.”
Alex wanted to apologize, even though it probably wasn’t his fault for getting sick. But what he actually asked was, “Do you think I’m crazy?” He hoped he didn’t have to explain.
And, of course, he didn’t. “Not really. Besides, I kind of love you, so I guess I’m crazy too.”
“Just kind of? Bitch.”
“That’s how you talk to the person who just nursed you back to health?” Jack asked, lying back down.
Alex did the same. “Shut up.” He learned forward and kissed him. “What’s wrong?” He asked when Jack pulled away.
“I don’t want to get sick.”
“You mean you don’t want to watch Home Alone for hours without me complaining about it?” Alex questioned, smiling.
“Why can’t we do that now?”
“Uh, because I’m the one that’s sick and I’d rather play Call of Duty or something.”
Jack was quiet for a second before shrugging a shoulder and resuming the kiss. And, yeah, Alex knew he was skilled at being persuasive, even while recovering. Maybe Jack really was that good at taking care of him. Or maybe, maybe they really were just crazy.