Doctor Daze- part three

I weakly opened my eyes and blinked at the ceiling.

White.

Too white.

And the room smelled like anesthesia.

Hospital.

I was in a hospital.

I blearily sat up and rubbed my eyes.

I could make out two people.

Ash and Red.

Ash was pacing around the room.

Red was sitting in a chair, still as a statue.

I moaned and sat up. "Mmm... Reeeed? Aaaash? Is that you?"

Ash's face snapped to mine, and I could see the unshed tears.

"Mia!"

He pounced on me, and I let out a small "oof!", arms wrapping around him.

"Hiya, Ash."

I felt a pair of calloused hands on my shoulder, and I looked to see Red.

Crying.

My older brother, the Living Legend, THE silent protody, was crying.

Over me.

And then he hugged me as tight as he could.

"What happened?" I asked, confused.

Ash sniffed. "Mia, your appendix burst."

I blinked. "...so? It's been like that for a while now."

The boys looked horrified.

Then Ash walked to the door and said something to someone.

Next thing I know he's back on with...

"Silver?" I mumbled. "Isn't today your day off from medical stuff? You only work two times a week."

Silver raised a brow as he took my wrist to check my pulse. "I think my friend collapsing is for more worrisome."

I blinked.

"... Why is everyone acting like I was dead?"

Silver didn't answer right away. He was focused, lips in a thin line as he watched the second hand tick on his watch while his fingers held my wrist. His grip was firm, but not rough—steady and clinical. Familiar. He was back in his "Doctor Silver" mode.

Ash wiped his nose with his sleeve. "Because you almost were, Mia!"

That made me blink again, slower this time.

Silver finally let go of my wrist and pressed the back of his fingers gently to my forehead. "Your appendix didn't just burst, Mia. It ruptured. Bad. You collapsed in the hallway. You had a fever of 104. You were septic."

Red, still silent, reached out and held my hand again. His thumb gently brushed over the back of it, like he couldn't stop checking if I was really there.

I frowned. "I just thought it was stomach pain."

Ash gave a watery laugh and buried his face into the crook of his elbow, pacing harder. "You always think it's nothing! 'Oh, it's just a little dizzy.' 'Oh, I've had this cough for like two months, but it's probably allergies.' 'Oh, my stomach feels like it's being stabbed, but I'll walk it off.'"

"I was gonna walk it off," I mumbled.

Silver deadpanned at me so hard I actually leaned back. "You were vomiting blood. You passed out. And you tried to push the nurse away while apologizing for being 'a burden.'" He squinted. "That ring a bell?"

I flushed and looked away. "...Maybe a little."

"Mia," Silver said, in that voice. That low, doctor-voice he only used when he was trying not to yell. "You could've died. You had fifteen minutes left before your organs started shutting down."

I swallowed.

Fifteen minutes?

Red reached over with his free hand and gently moved a lock of hair from my forehead. His hand lingered there a second, like he was checking for a fever himself. Or grounding himself. Maybe both.

"Red carried you," Ash added quietly. "All the way to the ER. He wouldn't let go, even when they told him to."

I looked at my brother. Red didn't speak. He just stared at me with this expression I couldn't place—equal parts relief and heartbreak.

"...Did I scare you?" I asked.

Red nodded. Just once.

That hurt more than the IV in my arm.

Silver was checking the monitor now, tapping something into the machine. "Vitals are improving. Still a bit of a fever, but manageable. You're on antibiotics and fluids. No food for a bit, clear liquids only when you're ready."

I groaned. "Not the gross broth again..."

"You almost died, you don't get to be picky."

"Okay, okay!" I held up a hand in surrender.

Ash finally came back over and knelt beside the bed, his hand on mine, right beside Red's. "You've gotta start telling us when something's wrong, Mia."

I chewed the inside of my cheek. "I didn't want to bother you guys."

"You're not a bother," Silver snapped, and I flinched—not from fear, but shock. Silver never snapped. Not like that.

He softened immediately and sat at the edge of the bed. "You're not a burden. You're our Mia. If you're hurt, we want to help. Even Red. Especially Red."

Red nodded again and gently squeezed my hand.

I blinked back tears. "I didn't think anyone would care this much."

All three of them gave me the exact same "are you kidding me?" face.

"Okay, okay!" I laughed weakly, my chest still sore. "Lesson learned."

Ash leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine. "Promise?"

"Promise," I whispered.

Red didn't say anything. But he held on.

And for once, I didn't try to wriggle free.