Kevin Ford (becomedeath) wrote in devolve2, @ 2011-04-02 23:39:00 |
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Entry tags: | josh_foley, kevin_ford |
Who: Josh and Kevin
When: A week or two after Kevin first got sick
What: Kevin gets his final check up and decides to move back into the mansion
Where: Josh's office in the medlab
It was strange. He hadn't been in the mansion itself more than a handful of times in the last two years, and then it had almost always been for some task. Helping with repairs, bringing in supplies...he just didn't have any reason to be there, otherwise. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it until he'd woken up in Josh's room after the pneumonia had hit him so hard that first day. And coming back in for the regular checkups the healer had insisted on had just reinforced it. He missed the warmth, he missed the sound of other people in the halls, he missed not being alone through the dark and cold as the winter wind howled around the walls of his trailer.
He almost regretted that this was meant to be his last check up, and his last excuse to come into the mansion. And to hang out with Josh. He poked his head through the door and rapped lightly on the frame. "Is the doctor in?" he called.
Josh looked up from the medical text he'd been studying and smiled when he saw Kevin. He couldn't help it. He was glad Kevin was there, but more glad that he was okay and over his illness. It was risky, getting something like pneumonia these days, especially if Josh couldn't help him. "I'm here," he called, waving from his desk.
Kevin smiled in return and tucked his hands into his pockets as he came the rest of the way in and wandered towards Josh's desk. "Think you managed to work your medical miracle the old fashioned way. I haven't coughed in ages."
"That's promising," Josh agreed. "Let's take a look at you."
"Yeah, I'm sure not complaining." He nodded as he stripped off his coat and dropped it on a chair, then turned his back and took a deep breath before stripping off his hoodie and then starting in on the buttons to the shirt under it. He knew what to expect now, so he'd come prepared to strip down enough for the exam while still keeping as much skin covered as possible. When he was fairly sure he'd opened his shirt far enough he turned back around and pulled himself up onto the exam table. "Okay, go ahead and tell me how healthy I am," he invited, though his smile had gone a bit weak. He wondered if it would ever not make him nervous as hell to bare so much skin in front of someone.
Josh pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed his stethoscope before going over. The gloves probably weren't necessary, but he used them with just about everyone anyhow unless he was actively healing. It made people feel better. "Right, so, deep breaths."
Kevin nodded and tried not to tense up as Josh approached. It wasn't like they hadn't gone through just this routine repeatedly in the last couple of weeks, after all, and Josh had never once shown any sign of repeating that one, ill-considered attempt to touch him from years ago. He wore gloves. He was meticulously careful. Kevin was actually almost disturbingly comfortable around him most of the time. He tried to cover the tension by sitting up straighter and squaring his shoulders as he took slow, deep breaths as instructed.
Josh was careful. He was painstakingly careful. He listened to Kevin's breathing, checking his lungs as best he could without touching him. And he sounded good. He sounded fine, really. Josh pulled back and hung the stethoscope around his neck. "Well, I'd say you've got a clean bill of health for now."
"For now," he agreed with a wry quirk to his lips. "I'm screwed if this happens again once the antibiotics all run out or expire, though." Which...was just a fact of life, though an unpleasant one. He didn't look at Josh as he said it, and busied himself buttoning his shirt up again as an excuse. It was harder to do the buttons up with his gloves on than it had been to undo them, and entirely aside from being uncomfortable with skin bared he didn't really need to leave his bony ribs out on display any longer than necessary either. "Guess I'll just have to make sure not to get sick again, huh?"
Josh watched him for a moment, then had to turn away. It was so hard to see him like this and not reach out and try to fix things. But he couldn't, so he busied himself with stripping off the gloves and putting the stethoscope away. "Right. No more sickness for you."
"Well there you go." Kevin smiled, even if it was at Josh's back since he'd turned away. He couldn't blame him, really. He wouldn't want to look at him either. It hadn't been as bad before the outbreak, back when resources hadn't been at a premium and there'd been protein shakes and vitamin supplements to choke down, and he hadn't felt like he was taking food out of someone else's mouth if he made use of them. But he didn't actually need them, and other people did. "Doctor's orders, can't go against those, right?"
Josh shook his head and turned back. "While we're on the subject of doctor's orders, I think we need to talk about your nutritional intake. I know your powers... well, they make it hard. But you'll be more susceptible to disease if you're not careful."
Kevin did up the last button and ran his hands through his hair, standing it on end. "It's a pain in the ass," he agreed with a grimace. "And it's not like I actually need it." He spread his arms slightly, putting himself on display. "It seems to be a matter of this far and no farther, y'know? So long as I use my powers enough, anyway-" he added, dropping his arms and looking down.
Josh sighed. "Just be careful, please? I can't... I can't heal you. So we need to think about prevention, not just treatment."
"Yeah." He nodded and looked back up. "It's just...there really isn't that much I can get down anymore anyway," he admitted, biting back a sigh. "And...I hate the idea of wasting something that someone else might actually need."
"Can you promise me you'll try to get something at least once a week? Vitamins, if nothing else."
"Yeah, okay." For so long as they had vitamins left, anyway. "At least once a week, just for you."
Josh sighed again. In relief this time. "We'll figure something out. You can't just go without completely, Kevin. Not if we have real food coming in from the farm."
He didn't point out that, actually, he could. It was oddly comforting having Josh care, even if it was only in his role as his doctor. "It really isn't so bad, you know," he assured him quietly instead. "Not eating, I mean. I don't really get hungry much anymore."
Josh really didn't want to consider that. It was hard enough to maintain objectivity with Kevin regularly, let alone when thinking about him not eating. "Still," he insisted.
"Yeah, I promise." He couldn't help but smile, even if he felt a bit ridiculous about feeling good over Josh's clinical concern. "I've been thinking-" He paused for a moment and fiddled with his gloves, pulling them up higher and his sleeves down lower. "It, um, was kind of a pain in the ass having to go back and forth when I was sick...if there's a spare room and no one minded I might move back into the house. Keep you from being stuck putting me up at least, if I do manage to catch something again, yeah?" he asked without looking up.
Josh tamped down an instant urge to offer to room with Kevin. It wasn't necessary, after all, and it would be too obvious. So he just nodded. "I think that's an excellent idea," he told Kevin. "Not that I minded putting you up, but I'm sure we can get you a room."
Kevin nodded and looked back up at Josh. "Figure the little kids have been around long enough to know to give me plenty of clearance, so it's not as bad as it would have been back at the start." When he'd been too worried about one of the smallest Guthries or the other little kids around the place rough housing in the halls and running into him to consider staying in the house. "It's, um...kind of too quiet out there too," he admitted with a shrug and a self-deprecating smile. It wasn't quite the same as saying he'd been lonely, except it really was.
Josh immediately knew what he really meant and nodded. "I would think it would be. Nice sometimes, I'm sure, but I like a little more activity going on around me."
"Yeah. I suppose the kids running up and down the halls get a bit much sometimes." Except he wouldn't even really mind that so much. "But in the middle of the night with the snow piled halfway up the side of the trailer the quiet gets kind of eery." And felt a little too much like maybe being the last person left.
"Sometimes, but yeah, better than being all alone out there." Even if it did put Kevin dangerously close for Josh. "It'll be good to have you around more."
"Yeah?" And how pathetic was it that that simple comment, probably nothing more than a throwaway to Josh, made him feel suddenly awkward and shy? He'd blown his chance, whatever kind of chance it ever could have been with his mutation, over two years ago. That didn't stop him from opening his mouth and sticking his foot right in it, though. "You can check in and make sure I'm keeping my promise."
Josh smiled. He certainly wasn't going to pass up an offer like that. "Definitely. So you'd better beware."
Josh's response was a pleasant surprise. It didn't stop him from blushing - and how lame was that? - but he smiled without even thinking about it. "Uh-oh, that mean I'll be in trouble if you catch me slacking?"
Josh bit back a reply that would have led down exactly the road he was trying to avoid. He shook his head instead. "I'm tough, but fair. I'll just make you take your vitamins."
"Yes, mom." Kevin grinned, feet swinging slightly like an overgrown eight year old. "I promise to brush my teeth, wash behind my ears, and wear clean underwear too."
Josh nodded. "Just see that you do. I'll be checking behind your ears. That's very important."
"Can't let standards of hygiene slip just because it's the end of the world."
Josh smiled and sat down in a rolling chair nearby. "Exactly. Some things you just need to keep up or who knows what will happen? First we stop washing behind our ears, next thing you know it'll be Lord of the Flies."
Kevin leaned back on his hands, feet still swinging idly as he grinned back at Josh. "And here I thought it just led to potatoes growing behind them. I didn't realize the kind of disaster I'd be courting if I got lazy."
"Really, people need to understand just how high the stakes are," Josh agreed, nodding.
"Maybe you should do a public service announcement. Or a seminar. It would suck if we devolved into chaos all for the lack of a bit of scrubbing behind the ears."
"I really should. It's only right to let everyone know," Josh said. He watched Kevin for a moment, then stood up again. "Want to go take a look at empty rooms?"
Kevin started slightly when Josh got up again, but covered by sitting forward. When he realized why he was getting up he grinned again. "Sure." He slid off the exam table and grabbed his hoodie off the chair. He'd been remarkably relaxed being stripped down so far around Josh, but he was definitely putting all his layers back on before going out in the halls, and he tugged it back over his head before grabbing his coat as well. "Are there actually many?" He probably should have thought of that before deciding to move back. Wouldn't work so well if the rooms were all full.
"There's one or two that are open. We can look around a bit." Josh made sure everything was put away, then took off the lab coat he'd been wearing and replaced it with a sweater from the back of his chair. "Let's go."
He tugged his gloves straight again, making sure his sleeves overlapped them, and debated flipping his hood up before deciding against it. It was too warm inside for that. Too warm, really, for all the layers he had on as it was, he could manage with a slight relaxation of his paranoia. "That'd be great. Though...you sure you have time?"
"Yeah, no problem. If anyone needs me they'll call," Josh assured him.
"Awesome." He tucked his hands into his pockets and headed out the door, watching Josh sidelong and trying almost desperately not to read too much into the whole situation. "You don't think it'll freak anyone out, do you?" He asked. "Me being in the halls and stuff?"
"Nah," Josh said as he closed the door after them and grinned at Kevin. "You'll be fine and so will everyone else."