vigorli

Title: Seeing the Light
Author: Snow Days
Rating: PG 13 for language and general emotional trauma.
Pairing: OB/VM
Summary: When Orlando is diagnosed with an incurable, but treatable, disease, he loses all hope and love of life. Can Viggo help him see the path he strayed from? OB/VM
Feedback: Of course.
Disclaimer: Never happened. Not pretending it did. Don’t know anyone featured in this story, complete fiction, just for fun, etc. Also, I don’t have this disease, and any symptoms are researched, not experienced. I’m sorry if I hurt anybody with this material.

A/N: Thanks for reviewing!

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Orlando was discharged the following afternoon. On top of the hypocortisolism, he had also been diagnosed with inactive tuberculosis, one of the more common causes of hypocortisolism. He still had the TB germs, but they were not currently causing him any problems to his health, nor were they currently contagious. He had been given a six month prescription for pills to get rid of the bacteria completely from his system, on top of hydrocortisine pills that he would have to take for the rest of his life.

The thing that concerned the doctors the most was where he could possibly have contracted TB from. The only countries he had been to in the past few years were England and New Zealand, both of which had near obsolete TB ratios. They had eventually put it down to a friend of Harry Bloom’s from South Africa who had been to visit Sonia and her family two years ago. Orlando couldn’t remember whether he had been immunized or not, as his mother had had some “alternative” views as he grew up.

He was very quiet on the way home, Viggo noticed. He had volunteered to collect Orli from the hospital himself, and the suggestion was met by a gaze that was almost too knowing from Ian. Was he that obvious?

“They’re filming that scene where Sam cooks the rabbits Gollum catches today,” he said, just for something to break the silence. “Andy’s really excited, he has some really good moves and the tragic voice to match.”

“Hm,” muttered Orlando, still looking out of the window at the houses that flew by.

“Yeah,” said Viggo, and he winced. This was quite possibly the most awkward conversation he’d ever been involved in. “But there’s some good stuff on the cards for us, too!” he said, almost desperately. “You know how we’re starting the Battle of Helm’s Deep in a month? PJ’s decided to let you surf down some stairs on an Uruk-hai shield while firing arrows. I was there when he thought of it.”

“Were you really?” said Orlando, in a voice that clearly screamed, “I don’t give a shit”.

Viggo bit his lip and decided to throw caution to the winds. “What’s up, Orli?”

This was the first thing he had said all drive that awoke any response worth anything in the elf. He turned away from the window and looked at Viggo. “What do you mean what’s up? Everything’s fine.”

“Seriously, Orli, if you want to lie at least make it something believable,” said Viggo. He didn’t care if he hurt Orlando’s feelings; he needed to hear the truth. “You won’t talk to me. Why?”

Orlando turned back to staring out of the window, not responding.

Viggo sighed. “Orlando, I care about you. If something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”

“You wouldn’t understand,” said Orlando quietly.

Viggo stopped the car at a red light. “Why not? I think I’d understand better than you think.”

“Have you ever been told you have a chronic disease?” asked Orli, turning back to face the older man. His expressive brown eyes bored into Viggo’s blue ones.

“No,” said Viggo. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know some – some – of what you’re feeling. Scared, angry, confused, lonely –“ He broke off as Orlando turned back to the window, thinking he may have seen a slight glimmer in his eyes. He sighed. “Look, just know that I’m here for you and I care about you, okay?”

He didn’t get an answer.

**********

Orlando took the rest of the day off but was back at work the following morning. The change in the elf was incredible; he joked around with the hobbits, he joined in with the conversations of the older people on set and he worked hard to get the scene that had been interrupted by his collapse done. Sure enough, it was only three takes before Peter said the shot was perfect, and none of the previous shots had been ruined by Orli.

Orlando was trying to make up for the way he had been acting the past couple of days. After all, these were his friends and they worried about him. He bit back his comments when Beanie blatantly asked if he had taken his pills, and thanked Elijah with good grace when he served lunch for him, noticeably giving him far more food than was normal. Orlando tried to eat it all, but only managed around three quarters before he swapped it with Dom’s empty plate when Elijah’s back was turned.

Like a young child, he felt proud of the way he had treated everybody so well even when inside he still wanted to rage and scream. No, he had acted with extreme courtesy all day; when something happened that truly deserved a tantrum, Orlando felt he couldn’t be blamed for letting it all out.

It happened after filming had finished, when he was walking toward the makeup trailer. The four hobbits were standing in a corner between a trailer and a tree, huddled and talking conspiratorially. As he got closer, Orlando could hear their conversation, though judging by what he was hearing, they could not see him.

“So which bar tonight?” Billy asked casually.

“Nah, we cancelled, remember?” said Sean.

“We didn’t cancel,” said Dom. “We only said that so Orli wouldn’t come.”

There was a moment’s silence, and then Sean spoke up again. “Why don’t you want him to come?”

“We don’t have a problem with Orli,” said Elijah. “He’s great. It’s just that I think – and Dom too – that alcohol probably isn’t the best thing for him right now. I mean, maybe this disease is the reason he’s such a lightweight. Don’t you think that says something?”

“If Orli couldn’t drink the doctor would have told him so,” said Sean reasonably. “That’s really nasty, not to mention childish.”

By the silence that followed, Orlando could tell Sean’s words had hit home. He decided he would give his “best friends” one chance to tell him that to his face. He walked up and slung an arm around Elijah casually, hoping his falsely cheery demeanor was realistic. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

He saw Sean glaring at Elijah and Billy looking at the ground, but his main focus was on Elijah and Dom.

“Uh… nothing, Orli,” said Elijah in a relaxed tone, batting away Orli’s arm.

Orlando felt his resentment rise at that and fought to control his emotions. Just wait a few moments… maybe the others will speak up…

When nobody did, Orlando began to get seriously pissed off. “You know, if you worry about me, you could check with me rather than just not let me come out with you.”

Elijah’s head snapped up and Orlando could imagine the feeling of ice cascading into his stomach.

“Yeah, I heard you,” he said. “Why didn’t you just ask me if I was all OK for that? I could have told you that alcohol is fine. Stop worrying about me!”

“Orli,” said Billy, “we’re just trying to look out for you –“

“You know, you were in my good books until you said that, Boyd, now I know you agree with them. So just shut the fuck up.” He said it all in a voice as cold as steel, glaring daggers at him.

“Look, you can come!” said Elijah desperately. “I like you fine, Orli… I’m just… worried about you.”

“Didn’t I just tell you I don’t need your worry?” Orlando snapped. “You’re all being fucking assholes, and I wouldn’t want to come anywhere with you anyway!” He had turned and began walking away, resentment still burning in his mind, when something Dom said made him turn.

“Please calm down, Orli,” he implored. “The doctor told us about this, it’s not you talking, it’s the disease –“

“OH WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING WASTE OF SPACE CAN’T GET A JOB SMALL DICK LOSER?”

There was a stunned silence, and Orlando turned on his heel and walked away.

A/N: Some of you Aussies might recognize part of Orlando’s tantrum… Also just want to add that Orli’s not going to be an angsty hormone ridden teenager, he’s just getting used to his body right now. And frankly I’d punch the hobbits in the face if they said something like that about me.