You're My Way Home, You're My Backbone.

If Brendon was to put it bluntly he felt like he had been hit by a freight train. Yesterday was the collision and today was the aftermath.

The hospital food was just as bad as he remembered it too. He didn’t have an appetite begin with but seeing the mush of food in front of him was almost enough to make him dizzy.

He ate the two bites it took to satisfy the nurse that was hovering, then pushed the table away. He figured he’ll probably get told off for that by someone but with how he was feeling, he just didn’t care. He drank his orange juice. That was enough.

Brendon was trying to move the table further away so he could lie down, possibly go back to sleep so he’d be more alert when Ryan and Spencer comes back in an hour or so, when the door opened slowly.

“Food delivery for one Brendon Urie!”

Startled Brendon looked up sharply to see Dallon entering the room dramatically; holding out a plastic bag like it had something extremely valuable inside.

“And how are we today?” Dallon asked rounding the bed and placing the bag on the bedside table.

“Shit.” Brendon croaked.

He didn’t want to bring Dallon’s happy tone down, but he wasn’t going to lie. Dallon’s smile faltered a little, but bounced back as he leant down for a hug. Brendon found it hard to hug back but tried his best.

“Well, that ‘tis why I am here. You might feel like shit, but you’re going to be a happy little shit by the time I leave.”

Brendon managed to crack a smile at that. Pulling away from the hug, Dallon sat down on the side of the bed and reached out for the bag, digging around in it. He pulled out a small book and held it out for Brendon to take.

Raising an eyebrow in question, Brendon took it and held it up.

“Zack told me to buy you a colouring in book for you and that he wants a new fridge master piece. I hope you know what me means ‘cause I haven’t got a clue.” Dallon shrugged going back to digging around in the bag.

Brendon chuckled lightly looking at the cover of the ‘Lion King’ book with four little pencils and handing it back to Dallon to put on the bedside table. He thought back on the last colouring, it was a My Little Pony picture and it was, well, not coloured in like a little kid would have done. Zack found it funny, which was the main thing.

Pulling out a bunch of things, some of which looked very much like mini chocolate bars, Dallon handed over a bottle of Brendon’s favourite juice and a pen.

“Also you have fresh fruit and chocolate in here.” Dallon said putting some things back into the bag. “Another bottle of juice, a random magazine and a pen Spencer said you needed for your puzzle book. I got you two in case one doesn’t work.” He listed as he moved the bag back onto the bedside table.

“Thank you.” Brendon smiled looking surprised.

Dallon flashed a grin and shifted on the bed to face Brendon better.

“Any news on why you’re sick?” Dallon asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Brendon shook his head, looking down. Dallon frowned and even though Brendon saw, he covered it up as quickly as he could.

“Not yet. Hopefully soon, just waiting for a couple of test results to come back.”

“Hopefully sooner then later.” Dallon looked up at the window and as if remembering something his eyes widened and he quickly turned his attention back to Brendon. “Kenny said he’s sorry he wasn’t around yesterday afternoon after you got moved in here, he got a call to rush back to the doctor surgery. Turns out it was a false alarm, someone messed up his blood test results with someone else’s and it took ages to fix it all.”

Now that Brendon through back on it, only Ryan and Spencer was there. He didn’t even realise Kenny wasn’t there, too out of it to notice.

“How is his leg? I think he said it was infected.” Brendon said unsure, he couldn’t remember much from yesterday.

“It is. Nothing serious though, he’s been put on a weak dose of light antibiotics and got some cream for it. About time he sawed off the corner of that stupid coffee table of his if you ask me.”

Brendon hummer in agreement and picked up the bottle of juice. He tried to open it but the top wouldn’t budge. His grip was too weak, so he handed it to Dallon who help and even managed to find a straw in the bedside table.

Brendon took a careful sip as Dallon pulled out a pack of cards out of his shirt pocket with a wicked smile.

“So I heard you suck at playing Pick Up Two. I doubt you’ll be up for that but how about a game of Old Maid?” Dallon challenged.

Brendon groaned but couldn’t help smiling as Dallon helped him sit up against the pillows again. He didn’t have the energy to play but it would be enough to keep him awake when Dallon was here.

*

“As you’re test results show, you have a low white blood count, not dangerously low but enough to affect your immune system. What you have been suffering from was just a simple case of the flu. However with the low blood count it affected you worse.” Dr Murray explained, leaning on the end of the bed while flickering his gaze back and forward between Brendon and the file in his hand. “I say you had it for a few days before presenting here, but because it was very much like the side effects of the chemotherapy no one realised until it got serious.”

“Does that happen often? Like is that known to happen to chemo patients a lot?” Brendon asked around the cough lolly that he was sucking on.

“It’s been known to happen, yes. I’ll start you on a course of antibiotics and an immune system aid. Though with you just having a dose of chemo the other day, I would like to keep you in hospital for a couple of days longer just as a precaution measure, until you start feeling and eating better.”

Brendon nodded showing that he understood. Inside though he was melting in relief. With how sick he was Brendon thought it may be something really serious. Still have the flu was serious but a much better outcome then most and easily treated.

“Thank you.” Brendon smiled, wishing he could get up to give the doctor a hug.

“You’re welcome. I hope you feel better soon,” Dr Murray smiled snapping the file shut. “I’ll come by during my early evening rounds. The nurse will be in soon to start you on the antibiotic course.”

Dr Murray pushed himself away from the bed, heading towards the door. He waved before walking out and Brendon sunk back onto the bed tired and relieved.

He couldn’t wait to tell the guys when they get here. But first, until they arrive, a nap.

*

“Should we wake him up?” Ryan asked.

Spencer shrugged, thumping down into the chair not bothering to keep quiet. He had been in another label meeting, about yet another magazine or something wanting to interview the band to get the latest gossip.

It has only been two-three months since it was officially announced they were on hiatus and since then it’s been a constant bugging for interviews and such. When they made the hiatus official it was also decided that everything would be kept quiet and private by Brendon’s request.

Apparently ‘no to all interviews’ is too hard to understand, even for some people on the label who kept booking the damn things. Spencer wasn’t sure about Dallon, but it was starting to really piss him off. No means no, end of story.

Brendon stirred on the bed from the chair squeaking on the lino floor, but didn’t wake, just made a light sleepy sound before going still again. Ryan shot Spencer a pointed look and sat down in one of the other chairs quietly. Spencer didn’t point out that Ryan was the one who asked about waking Brendon up.

Ryan glanced over the bedside table and spotted a pack of playing cards. Picking them up, he waved them around to catch Spencer’s attention with a hopeful smile. Spencer raised an eyebrow and smirked. Challenge accepted.

When Brendon stirred awake twenty minutes later, that’s how he found them, playing some version of poker or maybe Go Fish while using Brendon’s stomach as a card table. He frowned at them but neither noticed, too busy staring at their cards. Brendon silently moved one of the stacks of cards further up his chest.

A moment later Spencer placed down three cards and blindly reached for the stack, only to find nothing. He looked up and blinked surprised.

“Good morning.” Spencer smiled, eyed quickly roaming Brendon’s face before picking up three more cards and going back to the card game.

Ryan muttered something similar reaching out with his free hand to squeeze Brendon’s before picking up a card of his own. Brendon figured he should say something about how he was not their personal card table, but shrugged it off, reaching for a glass of water.

“I heard from the doctor,” Brendon said taking a drink.

That got both of their attentions instantly. Brendon smiled behind the cup at the way they both moved exactly the same way at the same time. They do it all the time but it still never fails to amuse and creep Brendon out.

“And?” Ryan pressed.

“I have the flu,” Brendon said swallowing down a mouthful of water hoping it would sooth his throat. “I’ve been put on antibiotics and some other meds, I also have to stay here for a couple of days longer to be watched.”

“The flu made you this sick?” Spencer asked lowering his cards down a little, but careful not to let Ryan see.

“Yeah-“ Brendon coughed and cleared his throat. “My immune system is a little weak. With being sick from the chemo I could have had it for a while but didn’t know.”

Pressing his lips into a flat line, Spencer looking thoughtful for a minute before nodding and looked back down at the cards in his hand. He threw out a couple and picked news ones up.

“That’s good then. At least everyone knows what it is now. You had us scared for a while there.”

Brendon nodded, it had him scared too. He watched as Ryan slowly looked back to his cards as well. He didn’t make a move, just shuffled them around in his hand a little. Brendon tried to see both of their cards but they were sitting just out of peeking range.

He watched them for a while, mind still foggy and suddenly cut the silence with a loud sigh. He tried lifting his head up from the pillow but as he did he could feel the dizziness nudging at the side of his mind and quickly put his head back down. That required too much effort.

“Can I join?” He asked after a beat.

Ryan picked up five cards and placed them in his hand. Brendon lifted them up high enough to look at them. They were a little blurry but he could make out the numbers and letters.

“Upper deck poker. Three changes only. You better hurry up if you want to join this round or wait for the next one.”

Brendon threw all the cards down and picked up a new hand. He wasn’t really playing, not feeling all that well to put much effort into anything but it was better than watching.

Eventually Spencer helped him for a round, so at least he won once, though he was sure Ryan let him.

*

The plate of food looked horrid. If Brendon was going to be picky, he’s guess that half was cooked while the rest was undercooked and in one mountain of mush. It didn’t help Brendon’s will to eat it, if anything it made the heaviness in his stomach worse.

At least the desert looks nice.

He managed to force himself to eat half before he pushed it away and quickly shoved a spoonful of the jelly in his mouth to flush out the bad taste. When the nurse walked in later, before the lady came back to get the dishes, she smiled looking please.

It was a start.