Testertosterone(Phoenix, Dr. Nik)

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Really, it wasn't even that bad. Phoenix was just over-reacting. Over-reacting so he could have an excuse to fawn all over the younger boy like a mother hen.....which wasn't....bad....but just....

ARG! Oriel was still getting used to this whole "having someone actually care about you" thing. He still didn't know what he was supposed to do, say, act, react to any of this and it so far has just made him grumpier than usual, especially when it came to situations like this.

If Oriel hadn't have make a total fool of himself that morning at the pool, right there in front of his Phoenix, only to be ignored by the stupidly slow and apathetic Wren, then maybe Oriel would be able to go back to how he was acting that morning, utterly shameless.

But as it was, Oriel's pride had been injured far more than any part of his body which had put him in a sour mood...and unfortunately Phoenix was the only person around to take the brunt of it. "Get offa me, I told you I'm fine," he lied, pushing Phoenix away with his elbow. He may have been dragging his feet, but Oriel was still slowly but surely making his way to the infirmary to get himself checked out after a fairly unprofessional fall from the swimming pool high-board. Despite his insistences that he was fine, it didn't take long for Phoenix to notice that Oriel was hiding something and promptly forced the boy to get himself treated.

Oriel vocalized a grump as Phoenix held open the door to the infirmary and forced him inside. This was all Phen's gig, Oriel refused to do anything slightly cooperative such as call out for the doc or sit down or wipe that scowl off his face. He found a corner and gloomed in it.

[Deleted]

Phoenix and Oriel had an interesting relationship. While Oriel enjoyed putting Phen through certain sorts of torture in the bedroom, Phoenix had a habit of panicking over the slightest injury on his lover, fawning about and making sure he did all he could to get better as soon as possible. He hated seeing the boy in any kind of pain, especially the kind that could have been avoided had Oriel not felt the need to show off his masculinity and take a tumble from the high dive.

As such, he had nagged, pleaded, and persuaded Oriel to finally go to the infirmary. Phen would happily (well, maybe not happily, but he would) put up with the boy's grumpy behavior as long as he got his wrist taken care of.

He pouted as Oriel rudely pushed him off, settling with walking beside his lover as they made their way to the nurse's office. "I promise I'll make this up t'you later," he cooed, amazed at his own patience. "I'll getcha as many danishes as you want. An'..." He pondered, tapping his lip. "I'll... Let you tie me up however you want tonight, no complaints." Those had to be good incentives, right? "But you gotta behave," he added, leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek as they reached their destination.

"Hello?" he called out as they went inside, his spine immediately stiffening in anxiety. He had never been great at interacting with adults; he tended to shy away from them as much as possible. But this was important enough that he was willing to go through discomfort in order to help Oriel get better. Phen glanced at the boy, who was, as expected, glooming away in a corner. "C'mere," he said softly, holding an arm out to wrap around Oriel's waist if he decided he wanted the touch.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

There were a number of small duties that the doctor and nurses at Hammel had to do that most of the students didn't really think about - requisitioning supplies from the local hospital, cleaning the spare rooms flanking the Infirmary after an extended-stay patient finally left, filing, paperwork, organizing, updating information, even folding blankets and spare clothes. The last is what Nakia had been doing in one of the side rooms, and she'd come out with an armload of neatly folded blankets to be put away just as a voice called out from the main room. Placing the pile on the nearest bed, she rounded the frame and saw two boys there. Both of whom she knew.

Oh, this was going to be a good story.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Tang," she greeted, somewhat bemused. "Mr. Vanguard. What seems to be the trouble today? And is it just you, or do I have someone else waiting outside my door with a security escort?"

[Deleted]

Oriel was definitely not happy. Nope, not at all. And also in denial. Nope, there was nothing wrong with his wrist, not even if he couldn't heft up a single duffel bag without wincing and crying out in pain, it was nothing nope.

But he was here, attempting to be a good boy, because Phoenix asked him to(and because he secretly knew he needed treatment), but that didn't mean he had to be pleasant….at least, Oriel didn't think so. But since Phoenix asked, he'd do his best.

Oriel sighed and crept closer to Phen, allowing the arm to curl around his waist. He didn't reciprocate, but he would probably end up doing more later anyway.

It was only a few moments before the lady doctor came out to greet them….in a way that made Oriel instantly regret ever coming here in the first place. He grunted from the back of his throat and glowered. As if he wasn't feeling sick enough over things, she just had bring that up again. "It ain't like I'm fucking proud of that. But if all you're gonna do is stand there make me feel like shit, then I'll be more than happy to get out of your hair." With that, Oriel started off towards the door, fuming even more than when he'd come in.

Fucking adults, always looking down on him...

[Deleted]

Phoenix allowed a small smile to cross his face as Oriel eventually moved into his embrace, giving the boy a comforting squeeze and another smooch on the cheek. He was glad Oriel had finally let him be dragged down here; otherwise, Phen wasn't sure what he would have done. He didn't want the boy to make his wrist any worse than it already was, but he knew nothing about healing injuries, and would have been useless to try to help.

He looked over as the exotic doctor entered the room, not for the first time stunned by her strange beauty. Phen almost missed what she was saying until Oriel shifted angrily and he blinked, glancing between the two of them as he caught on to what had been said. He, too, felt bad about the greeting, but was more embarrassed and ashamed than angry. "Oriel hurt his-"

But before he could explain, Oriel spoke over him, clearly upset. Phen turned wide eyes over to him as he began to stalk towards the door, and automatically reached out to grab his wrist, unintentionally gripping the injured one. "Babe, please," he mumbled. "You need t'get it looked at."

As soon as Oriel cried out, though, he would cower as he realized his mistake and flinch submissively, feeling absolutely awful for causing his lover even more pain.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

Phoenix's response, and the subsequent interruption by Oriel himself, caused the pale woman to lift an eyebrow in curiosity. Well now... that was different. Looking over the boys and specifically paying attention to the taller of the two, Nik categorized symptoms in general. He's holding that hand close to him, and his mood is more irritable than usual... given the light bruising and swelling, he likely injured himself and doesn't want to admit it. The sharp cry of pain punctuated that statement, and with a slight sigh she shook her head.

"Usually students like you seem more relaxed by sarcasm," she mused, pulling her white hair back from her shoulders. "Sit down and let's have a look at it - you don't want to make it worse."

[Deleted]

As soon as Phoenix accidentally grabbed his left wrist, Oriel instinctively cried out, about as much as he had when he first realized there was something wrong, and turned himself in, cradling the injury within the grip of his other hand as he waited for the sharp jabbing pain to fade. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck...." he hissed out, caring far more about breathing through the pain rather than paying attention to his explicative outburst.

He shot a glare at his lover, then turned and sent an even sharper glare at the doctor. Yeah, maybe if he wasn't feeling so vulnerable and irritable right now, he might have retorted with something more "friendly" himself, but as it was he didn't have the mindset to guard himself against careless words with his usual snark. If he had to be there at all, Oriel just wanted to get it over with and leave so he can go nurse his wounded pride in the privacy of his dorm.

After another moment of Oriel trying to calm himself, and with some assumed coaxing from Phoenix, Oriel finally sat down with a sigh and held out his left arm, palm up, fist clenched. He continued to stare hard and fierce at the pale doctor.

[Deleted]

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Phoenix apologized over and over, his voice high and horrified from making his Oriel cry out in pain. He retreated from the injured wrist, hovering uncertainly with his back slumped, gaze wide and anxious. He had only wanted Oriel to get his wrist taken care of, and now look what he had done... Phen was just useless as could be, wasn't he?

The glare might as well have been a blade for as much as Phoenix flinched away, but worry for his lover's wrist overrode his own anxieties and he carefully stepped close once again, taking care to avoid the injured area and guide him by his waist back to the cot. Keeping his arms firmly wrapped around Oriel with worried adoration written all over his face, he rested his cheek against Oriel's shoulder and stared solemnly up at the doctor, relieved she wasn't making them leave or anything.

"It's not.... Broken or anything, is it?" he asked anxiously. He figured even he would know if it was, but he tended to assume the worst in things. "Did I make it worse?" His voice cracked a bit.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

This pair was always something interesting to behold, ever since they first appeared in the Infirmary together. They weren't so much in sync as they were connected, and there was so much resistance on both sides whenever certain situations cropped up. Though it wasn't in her duty to speculate, Nik still felt like these boys had a lot more going on than normal teenage hormones. But then again, she was a physician, not a psychiatrist; she could not make those claims or assumptions accurately, so other than patiently waiting for the two to sit, the pale woman made no comment.

Once he'd taken a seat on the bed, Nakia sat across from him on another and took the outstretched forearm in her hands. They weren't as cold as normal today, but they were still fairly chill, and turning the wrist over in her hands showed some normal if interesting things. "There's no bruising," she told Phoenix idly, tracing her fingers carefully over the injury and prodding it in certain places to see where the curly-haired boy would jerk about (pain is a symptom, after all). "And from the amount of swelling, deep tissue damage is unlikely. So, no; I don't think it's broken. Sprained almost assuredly, but no broken bones. Not even a dislocation."

Looking up to injured teen curiously, the albino woman asked, "So how exactly did you hurt yourself, Oriel? I don't see any impact marks, nor any injuries to the rest of your hand. If I know how you sprained it, I can better treat it."

A brace would be required for a couple weeks, more depending on the severity of the wounds to the muscle tissue. But knowing how the injury occurred (including the angle of impact, if there was one) would tell her something more about how much stiffness in the brace was required for healing.

[Deleted]

Hearing Phoenix apologize so profusely for something as small as grabbing his wrist actually stabbed at him worse than the wrist itself. As disagreeable and grumpy as Oriel was, he didn't want Phoenix to start thinking that he couldn't ask him, push him into doing things, especially if Oriel was being too stubborn to do it himself. He appreciated it, actually. Or at least, he knew he would later.

Of course, Oriel's death glares were doing nothing to get that message across. He'd have to make it clear later…when Oriel wasn't about ready to rip someone's head off.

He grunted lightly when the doctor prodded into spots that hurt enough for him to twitch. Oriel growled, "That hurts." A step forward for him to actually admit it, yet a step backward considering the misplaced anger. He scowled even more, not wanting to tell the story of how he humiliated himself by acting like such an asshole and only had this stupid injury to show for it. He looked up at Phoenix, hoping that the other boy might set in and explain for him. But then he gave in, he didn't need to go into the specific details. "Landed wrong on a dive from the highborn." And that was all she was getting from him!

[Deleted]

Phoenix stared meekly at the floor against Oriel's glares, fingers twisting together in his lap. He knew it was good that he had brought Oriel in, but he hated having his lover angry at him. It would be better in the long run, he told himself. Oriel would thank him later. Right?

He watched carefully as Nik took Oriel's wrist in her hands, squeezing Oriel's waist whenever he flinched. Phen almost felt like the pain was his own, but that was silly. He was just far more concerned than he really needed to be. He looked up as Nik spoke, relaxing just a smidgen when she assured him it wasn't broken. "Good," he sighed. Sprains weren't bad. He didn't think. Took less time to heal, at least.

His gaze met Oriel's as the boy looked over at him, and he rose a brow, waiting to see if Oriel would be stubborn and make him say it, or would explain himself. Eventually, he smiled faintly as the boy responded, leaning against him again. "I didn't know he was hurt for a while," he admitted softly. Phoenix swallowed. "So what's he gonna need t'do?" Phen knew little about injuries. "I can help, if I need to..." He shot Oriel another look before glancing away again.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

Nodding in understanding, the doctor handled the wrist and hand a little more, testing the flexibility of the fingers and how much they could bend before coming to a conclusion. The sprain wasn't bad, just painful. Ice and a wrist brace would be more than enough for the next couple weeks. The wrong landing into water probably just added a little extra pressure, creating just the right circumstances. Nothing more. If it'd been from a twist (such as in a fight), falling on the ground, or catching himself wrong, those all would "feel" different.

"Sorry about the pain," she started, looking up with an expression of genuine contriteness. Glancing between them both, the ghostly woman added, "You'll need to wear a wrist brace for the next couple weeks, especially when you're asleep. Ice it with either a gel pack or some frozen vegetables every hour or so; just use something with a little give. No more than fifteen minutes at a time, no matter how much it hurts. Don't put pressure on it, try not to write with that hand, etcetera, etcetera. Come back after Thanksgiving if it's still giving you trouble, and I'll take another look.

"Sound like a plan?" Since she wasn't giving out pain medication, nor anything of major value (braces were lost and found all the time, especially the sports ones Oriel would be using for this), there was no need for a prescription. It'd go in the boy's record, of course, in case another injury came up on that arm, but it was nothing of vital note.

[Deleted]

Oriel winced slightly as the doctor bent his fingers. It hurt. But he still refused to believe that it was anything bad. Nope. But sure did hurt a lot.

He mostly sat in silence as she spoke of the kind of care it required, scowling all the while. This was dumb, why'd he have to wear a brace? It wasn't even that bad! Oriel wasn't a pussy, he could deal. And plus...this seemed like a lot of work to him. Oriel had better things to do than treat a dumb sprained wrist.

Still...He looked up at Phoenix, who had offered to help. It was...weird. Nice, actually. Oriel spent so much time taking care of Phoenix it was no wonder he never took care of himself. It was, honestly, kind of nice being fussed over like this. The thought of being injured and not being able to do things himself when he felt like it made him anxious and grouchy, but.... "Thanks..." he finally said softly, letting the tension he had dissipate. Well, most of it. "Where do I get one of them braces?" he asked quietly, avoiding her gaze and pulling his wrist back towards himself. His other hand found one of Phen's still wrapped around his waist.

[Deleted]

Phoenix watched Oriel's hand as the woman moved it around, wincing at the pain he was sure Oriel was in. But the boy was being strong, and Phen was even more proud of him for it. This was all gonna be just fine. It must not be that bad!

He listened intently as Nik told them about what Oriel needed to do, nodding in understanding and trying to tuck it all into memory. A wrist brace... Okay, okay, that wasn't too bad. And ice, they could handle that. Phen looked at Oriel, who was, as expected, scowling, and gave his shoulder a nuzzle. "I'll make sure he takes care of it," he promised Nik. Knowing Oriel, he'd probably try to tough it out and just make it worse. "Right, babe?"

He turned his attention back to the woman, smiling faintly despite his worry. "Yeah, thank you," he repeated, giving Oriel's waist a squeeze. He was about to ask about the brace when Oriel asked first, and he shut his mouth, smiling broadly. At least his lover was taking this seriously. He felt Oriel's fingers wrap around his hand and held it tight, hoping to provide all of the support that he could. "I'll go get you some danishes after this, alright?" he whispered under his breath into Oriel's ear. Hopefully that would cheer him up a little.

[Dr. Nik Kenjutsushi]

"Good," the doctor stated dryly. "I'd rather not have to see either of you again until it comes off." Not to say that they shouldn't come by if something did go wrong or they were injured; it was a form of wry affection for the pale woman to wish not to see the students. Most of the time, if the student body was seeing her, they weren't feeling well in one form or another. Seeing them all active outside her walls was a much more encouraging proposition.

Standing from her perch, Nik replied, "I have a number of them here. The first one is on loan - if you lose it, come back for another. But the third one is on you; I do need to keep some for the sports teams."

Still, she smiled at them and retrieved the brace, holding out her hand so she could apply it. Once the stiff black fabric had been settled into place and firmly fastened, her cool hand patted the wrist gently. "There - that should hold you down. Remember - ice for fifteen minutes every hour. Sleep with it on. No writing or putting weight on it. Do that, and it should be better in a week."