(no subject)

[nicotinized]

The first thing Toshi was aware of, in a vague, almost-still-asleep sort of way, was that he was uncomfortable. He shifted, hoping it would be more comfortable and he could slip back into the embrace of sleep. Instead, it sent a spike of pain through him and he was far more decidedly awake, much to his misfortune. He still hurt, and he could actually remember why. Some inconsiderate asshole had shot him. And even if he'd missed the most important bits - heart, lungs, major arteries - getting shot still hurt like hell.

He tried to shift again, and gave up with a hiss of pain. "Fuck."

Comments

[inexecution]

"You've looked worse." And recently, too. He might look beyond tired, and his hair was a mess, but it was still a marked improvement to how he'd looked in the hospital, or even when Souji had helped him home.

[nicotinized]

"I like to think I usually look better, though." It was a weak joke, but he was trying. He finished his coffee in far too few sips, and put the mug down on the nightstand with a sigh. He'd have liked to have more, but he knew better than to try to push it.

"I'd like to get my hair clean at least, though." That had turned out to be one of the dangers of long hair - he couldn't just leave it for days on end and still look vaguely presentable.

[inexecution]

"Usually." Other than when Souji woke him up far too early after a late night, and he looked like some sort of demon grump monster, anyway.

"Hm. We can probably do that..." Although how, he wasn't quite sure. The logistics were a bit complicated. Of course, he could probably carry Hijikata to the bathroom if needed, but that would no doubt cause some awkwardness.

[nicotinized]

Toshi knew this was probably going to be a pain - literally and figuratively - but but he could feel the grime on his skin from days of not bathing, and he wanted it off, along with getting his hair clean.

"The plastic step-stool in the kitchen - it should be sturdy enough to sit on." He knew he wasn't going to be able to stand long enough to shower properly, given how much trouble sitting up had been. And he'd done something similar after the bombing, when he'd still been too weak to stand up in the heat long enough for a decent shower.

[inexecution]

"That's a good idea." And it would let Hijikata have a bit of autonomy in the whole affair, because Souji was pretty sure showering wasn't something Hjikata wanted his assistance with. "I'll go set things up. It shouldn't take long." And then he was off, moving things around and making sure everything Hijikata was going to need would be within reach.

[nicotinized]

While Souji left to find the step-stool, Toshi ran a hand through his hair and confirmed it was, in fact, gross. Now he was completely certain he needed to shower. Though that brought with it other concerns - namely, how much he'd healed up. He carefully pulled the hem of his shirt up - which hurt a little, but not nearly as much as trying to sit up had - and peeled back on of the strips of adhesive on the gauze. It was... well, not pretty, but it didn't look like ground meat either, so that was something. Just puckered and red - but mostly closed, at least. He'd probably have to still be careful to not open it up again, but it should be okay to be cleaned. For the moment, though, he pressed the dressing back down and relaxed back against the pillows.

[inexecution]

He came back into the room once he'd finished rearranging the bathroom, looking rather cheerful for someone who'd essentially been stuck with nursing duties. "Do you think you're ready to try getting up?" Maybe he should have tried getting a wheelchair from the hospital for this sort of thing... but it would have been difficult to manage in the apartment.

[nicotinized]

Toshi knew the answer was probably 'no', but damnit, he was going to try anyway. "As ready as I'm going to be." He swung his legs over the side of the bed, using the wall to support some of his weight now that he didn't have the pillows supporting him. It helped some, but he was still decidedly not comfortable, and standing up probably wasn't going to be any better.

[inexecution]

"It's not far, at least." Not that anywhere in the apartment could really be considered that, given its size. He sat next to Hijikata on the bed, and slid his arm behind his back. "Lean on me as much as you need. I can handle it." He didn't want him reopening any wounds because he thought he was being a burden.

[nicotinized]

Toshi put an arm across Souji's shoulders, and braced himself for a spike of pain when they stood. He was pretty sure Souji could probably lift him entirely on his own - and that that was half the reason he'd actually made it into bed in one piece - but that would be a little embarrassing for both of them, now that he was mostly lucid.

"On three?"

[inexecution]

"All right. Let me know if we need to stop, though." Because he was pretty sure a desire for a shower could wait, if the alternative was reopening wounds. On the three count, he stood, but did it slowly enough that Hijikata could hopefully keep up.

[nicotinized]

Even though he was prepared for it, it still hurt like hell to shift from sitting to standing. Once he was up, it was a little better, but still far from fine. Still - the reward was going to be worth it.

"Go - let's just get this over with."

[inexecution]

"Okay." There wasn't much more he could do to help Hijikata out, other than make sure they got there quickly. Thankfully, the bathroom was close by, so hopefully it wouldn't be too bad.

[nicotinized]

Toshi had to lean on Souji more than he expected - everything seemed three times the effort, and by the time they made it to the bathroom, his legs felt like the might be made out of rubber. He hadn't felt this worn out since the explosion - which was probably down to blood loss and too much time spent horizontal in both cases. He grabbed the edge of the counter with his free hand for support, so Souji could get out from under him.

"Did they give you extra adhesive bandages when we left? I'm not sure these'll survive a shower."

[inexecution]

Souji didn't mind the extra leaning in the least, and though he ducked out of the way when Hijikata grabbed the counter, he stayed close in case it looked like he wasn't going to be able to hold himself there.

"I'm sure there are some in bag they sent." He hadn't really rifled through the contents other than to retrieve the prescription bottles, but there had definitely been bandages of some sort.

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"If you could grab those, and some clean clothes...?" Toshi was pretty sure that while he could manage to get to the shower without actually falling over, making it back into his bedroom unassisted was probably unwise.

[inexecution]

"I can do that." Although he was a little wary of leaving Hijikata there on his own, even if it was going to be a necessity, eventually. "But if I hear any loud 'thunk's, I'm coming right back." So he'd better not fall over.

[nicotinized]

Toshi gave him a small smile. "Believe me, I don't want to fall over either. I'll be careful."

It was far from comfortable to get himself undressed and into the shower, but he managed it without reopening anything. Once he got his hair washed, he sat back against the wall of the shower, content to just bask in the heat for a little while.

[inexecution]

The medical supplies were easy to gather, as they were still in the bag from the hospital, but clothes took a little longer. It felt a bit strange to be rummaging through Hijikata's things, even with his permission, but he was able to locate a soft teeshirt and pajama pants, things comfortable to lay around in, and folded everything neatly into a pile. Then it was just a matter of waiting an appropriate amount of time before going back to check on him. He started heating some water for tea, and then finally gathered his things and went back to the bathroom, knocking gently on the door.

"Still alive in there?"

He hadn't heard any crashes or cursing, so he assumed Hijikata was probably all right.

[nicotinized]

The knock shook Toshi out of the unfocused daze he'd been in, relaxing in the hot water.

"Yeah, just a minute."

Getting up again was even more painful than expected, given how much he'd relaxed, but he managed it. He braced himself on the wall as he shut off the water, and then carefully made his way to where he could reach a towel, one hand still on the wall.

"Okay, safe to come in now."

[inexecution]

He waited for the all clear before coming in, then set the bag of medical supplies down on the counter, and the folded clothes on top of the toilet tank.

"You look better."

Not great, or even good, really--he could tell Hijikata was in pain--but compared to the sight of him lying largely incoherent in bed that he'd gotten used to seeing, this was a vast improvement, a final, reassuring sign that things were going to be all right again.

[nicotinized]

Toshi raised an eyebrow in clear indication of well, obviously, though out loud he said, "Well, I certainly feel better - less like a sweaty unwashed panhandler."

The extra towel he'd been using on his hair went on a hook, and he carefully made his way to sit on the edge of the closed toilet seat. The shower hadn't completely unstuck the bandage on his stomach, but he could tell it had gotten loose, and peeling it off all the way only stung a little. It looked disgusting, though, and he gave it a grimace before folding the sticky edges together and dropping it in the trash. The one on his back was a little harder to peel up, and he winced as he accidentally put pressure on the wound trying to get a grip on the edges.

"...Don't think I'm going to be able to clean that one myself - not properly anyway."

[inexecution]

"I'm glad." Both that he was feeling better, and that this had worked out without aggravating his injuries unduly.

"That's all right. I can take care of it." It wasn't as if he was easily bothered by that sort of thing. He'd seen some of his own insides before, after all. A bullet wound was nothing, in comparison.

[nicotinized]

Toshi gave Souji a tired, thankful smile. "Ah, thanks. Should I put some pants on first, or...?" He was tired and sore enough to mostly not care, but a part of his brain was still very aware of the fact that he had basically nothing but a towel on.

[inexecution]

Souji hadn't really given it much of a thought, himself, but now that he'd pointed it out...

"I'll let you get dressed first." Probably better to just get all that over with.