ONCE Chapter 6

[obvmluver.livejournal.com]

Title: ONCE
Author: obvmluver
Type: RPS
Pairing: Orlando/Viggo
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: These events never happened. I get no profit from this.
Beta: Not betaed
Summary: Orlando falls ill. Can he and Viggo survive through it together?
Author’s Notes: I read a wonderful story in the 90s that was in the Reader’s Digest. I can never thank the real people behind the original story enough. Send feedback to my address. Thanks.

Here's the sixth chapter.... Enjoy you guys...


The stuff Orli needs is waiting for us when we return to our own floor. A plastic bag full of cream – coloured fluid essential for Orli is connected to the IV – needle with a tube. While waiting we play cards and talk. As the shift changes Orli seems to slip in a bad mood. He pouts and rubs his scarf back and forth on his baldy head. “What is it?” I ask. “I’m itchy and I’m hot” Orli says. His scalp and face are full of splotches. They are spreading fast down onto his arms and chest. I run to get Jeannette. “The platelets have caused an allergic reaction. That is quite usual.” Our nurse says. Orli receives more Benadryl and after 15 minutes all the itchy splotches disappear. He feels sleepy again. “I hate sleeping” he mutters.
While Orli sleeps Patti Trull brings me a huge milk shake. Patti is pretty, happy, sensitive and a former cancer patient. Twelve years ago when she has been 15 she has lost both her legs because of a bone cancer. She should be our rehab person but right now she’s just making us feel better. Orli suffers from something that resembles a hang-over but is caused by the drugs. He’s mean and crying as dr. Baker tells us about the biopsy. “Darling, you won’t feel anything. You’d be asleep.” “But I hate sleeping!” he screams.
In the morning doctors tell Orli about the anesthetic they are injecting to his system. “Let’s see how you are in sort of a drunken state.” Orli is stroking my arm and asks: “Will you be there the whole time?” “Of course.” I promise. His vision starts to be blurred. He spreads a silly smile on his face and he can’t focus on anything. Doctors start to push him to the operation room. He still has that silly expression on his face as I run next to him.

Orli wakes up injured and cries in pain. I try to soothe him. Dr. Baker receives a cold reception. “How are you?” “My back hurts so much that I can’t walk.” “It’ll pass.” Dr. Baker says. “Tomorrow I won’t give you any drugs. I’ll let you recover for a few days. How’s that?” “Good.” Orli says. He stares at me as I leave with dr. Baker. “The biopsy didn’t give anything to us. It’s almost paralysed. We have to let it recover a bit before we strike again. We’ll carry on giving antibiotics and let him rest.
We look at Orli through the window. He’s pale and looking back at us an angry expression on his face. “We’ll see tomorrow.” As I enter again he insists: “What did he say?” “The doctors want that the cells in your bone marrow recovers for a while before they are stricken again. You may feel good for the couple of days now. Let’s try to have fun!” Then I leave for the café to grab a bite.
In the next morning Orli feels awkward, pained and bored. But then he wants to go for a walk. “I’m sorry.” Nancy says. “But you’re too fragile to go. Yet. But let’s see tomorrow.” “Possibly so.” Orli says and turns the radio on. “Orli, I’ll go and eat something. I kiss him goodbye and I feel like I’m flying because I’m so happy about his good mood.
On Saturday morning Orli and I prepare for the others. We clean up the room. Then we wait. Everyone is happy because they get to meet Orli again. I sit onto the bed and while all the others tell us about the things that have happened to them. Ian draws a deep breath and wants to talk to me. I slide onto my feet and say: “Okay. Let’s take a walk. Orli, we’ll be right back.”
Ian and I walk the corridors in a slow pace and then we step outside to a June drizzle. Ian tells me that there’s founded a foundation that has Orli’s name. Donations come with a rapid pace. The whole city helps Orli. We find a place to sit and I start to tell about the experience I had this week. “It happened at night.” I start. “Orli was sleeping and suddenly I was filled with with an icy apprehension I always get when I’m somewhere dark. I rose up from the couch I had been sleeping on and I started walking to get away from it. And when I stood at a window watching the night, something happened. I felt warmth seep into me and then I felt good like a heavy burden was taken away from my shoulders. The experience soothed me but at the same time it was scary. It felt so real.” Ian tells me he has felt something like that this week. He hasn’t been quite sure of its meaning but admits that it helps us pull through. “Let’s go back” he whispers. We walk back leaning against each other.
Jeannette promises that if Orli keeps the mask on and we stay away from crowds we’ll get to see the hospital. We go to see all the paintings and we stop by in the bar. Orli shows Ian the pool and says he’s hoping to get to swim in it. “Maybe you will.” Ian says. I think that Ian shouldn’t make promises he can’t keep. Jeannette suggests that she’d keep Orli company while we went to eat. “Go to the Mulligan’s.” She says. “It’s quite near.” Orlando starts to pout. “No pouting!” Ian orders. “I’m sure you’ll manage alone for an hour. We’ll come back by seven.”
The restaurant is just like Jeannette pictured it, quiet and peaceful. We discuss about Orli, about the hospital, about home, life and death. Elijah says he’s never thought of Orli. I confess that I think about it all the time. “I know.” Elijah says. “But the most important thing is at the moment that everything’s fine. We shouldn’t think about the future.” I cry because he’s right. After we’ve eaten we go back to Orli and Jeannette.