A medical emergency

[fadingworld]

A deep navy cloak hides his features and the more ornate tunic the courtesan usually wears to greet his clients. Mal hunches his shoulders and slides through the crowds hoping to avoid notice. He keeps his head down until he reaches the home of the doctor and wraps smartly on the door. "Open up," he calls in a voice that expects to be listened to.

How much time did he have? He could not have a client bleeding out. Not this one. Not one who had come to him for help, to be treated privately.

Comments

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis knows he shouldn't be enjoying this. Or, well, he could take some simple satisfaction in it, that Mal does seem to have a talent for this, that his enthusiastic studying is paying off. And Regis does take pride and satisfaction in that. But that isn't all.

It's touch. He hadn't known how much he'd missed touch.

"You read right," he says keeping his voice perfectly steady and calm, just like for any other lesson he's had with Mal. "They are of course hard to avoid around joints, but should be avoided where they can be."

[fadingworld]

Mal finishes brings the bandages around the chest and brings the ends to be pinned in. Carefully he runs his fingers around the edge of the bandages testing for comfort and for errors.

Carefully he lits Regis' shoulder and is pleased that everything holds. "How does it feel?"

[mandragoraspiritus]

This is ridiculous, Regis thinks as he suppresses a shiver. He should put a stop to this right now. But, Mal isn't doing anything wrong, so what is there really to put a stop to? All there really is is a sudden realization of how much Regis has missed contact, of touch, being touched. But that is all on him and not on Mal, and, he does have better self-control and more self-restraint than to go and do something foolish.

Once Mal is done with his work Regis starts moving his shoulder and arm, testing mobility. "A little bit tight, perhaps, but all in all not bad. It would serve its purpose, if most likely get a bit uncomfortable after a while."

[fadingworld]

"Again then," Mal says and sounding pleased at the prospect. He crouches down to check closely where the tightness is. "Yes, I can see what you mean when you move," he says smiling up at Regis.

"You are a good patient," he compliments him as he starts to unwind the bandages, rerolling it as he goes along. Mal finds plenty of little excuses to touch fingers to skin in the process.

He prepares to start again. This time he traces his fingers up to the neck. "There is also tension here."

[mandragoraspiritus]

At that touch there is actually gooseflesh rising up over the skin of Regis' neck even if he again suppresses any other visible shivers.

"Perhaps, but not relevant to the task at hand," Regis gently chides, turning his head just a bit to cast something of a look over his shoulder. "It is best to keep from getting distracted."

[fadingworld]

Mal notices the goosebumps but merely says, "Let me attend to your neck later then. If you were a real patient I would insist on checking it out."

His hands drift down to where they should be and get work. He goes a little slower this time, carefully checking every inch of the bandage. He's standing a little closer to Regis, and there might be a faint scent of lavender around him.

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis is always aware of Mal's scent, his sense of smell being just as acute as his hearing, or even more so. It is always pleasant but even more so today, from the oil Regis can tell the man has used on his skin. It's nice and compliments him somehow and Regis finds himself drawing marginally deeper breaths through his nose to catch it.

Mal is meticulous in his work and Regis approves, even if he's starting to have to scold himself for not being able to keep his focus completely on the task at hand.

After Mal is done Regis again tests motion, rolling his shoulders and lifting his arm. "Much better," he says in approval. "It would still keep any compresses in place and gives some support without being restrictive."

[fadingworld]

Mal beams his face glowing. He finds such simple pleasure in a compliment for his work. Eventually, he thinks he may be able to do some good.

"Where shall I tend to next?" He touches the centre of Regis chest, "Here, or," he brushes his hand down over the ribs, "here?"

[mandragoraspiritus]

This time there's just the slightest, softest hint of a hiss from the vampire, barely there at all. This should not feel as good as it does, and Regis wonders if Mal is at all aware.

"Ribs, I should think," he responds.

[fadingworld]

There is a slight curve to Mal's lips which suggests he might just know. "Very well," he says, his voice warm. "Let me examine them first." He suits his hands to his words, tracing over each of the ribs before he reaches for the bandage.

He stands between Regis legs and gets to work. "Are you comfortable like this?"

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis has actually closed his eyes by the time Mal starts wrapping the bandages around him, just sitting still with his arms somewhat out from his sides to let Mal work.

"Quite," he responds, for once slipped into the taciturn rather than the overly talkative.

[fadingworld]

A soft laugh escapes Mal as he works. He leans in close as he passes the bandages around Regis' back. "I think you may be enjoying playing the patient a little," he teases gently.

[mandragoraspiritus]

"It as a rare event," Regis says as a halfhearted explanation. Rare, but not unheard of, and not even so recent, but that is a story for some other time. In this moment Regis practically feels a pull to lean forward, in against Mal, though he does resist. He can smell the scent of the man's skin, lavender, soap, just slight hints of clean sweat. All good smells. And the sounds, of air in Mal's lungs, going in and out, the whisper of the blood flowing in his veins.

[fadingworld]

Mal hums to himself. He doesn't quite believe that. It pleases him that Regis isn't quite immune to him. What he will do about it, he isn't quite sure yet. He triple checks the bandage before he steps back, his heart racing a little.

"Check it. Please."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis wouldn't believe himself either, and like Mal he is wondering what to do about this.

But, lessons first. He straightens up a bit and checks Mal's work. He can't help but to look somewhat amused. "This time you erred a bit too far on the side of caution. Too loose." Indeed, after just a few movements there are signs of the bandages slipping.

[fadingworld]

Mal makes a faint noise of frustration at himself. "You are starting to look like some lopsided creature," he agrees. He blows out a breath of air and sets a hand on Regis' thigh to still him again.

He sets to work removing the bandages. "Perhaps you could demonstrate on me how tight they should feel?"

[mandragoraspiritus]

It is a very reasonable request, one Regis can't find an excuse to refuse, even if the hand on his thigh makes him think he really should. Surely, Mal has to be aware of what he's doing.

"I can, yes," he agrees, and once Mal has unwrapped the bandage from him he stands to retrieve his shirt, pulling it on and buttoning it down.

[fadingworld]

Mal unbuttons his shirt slowly and pushes it off his shoulders. "Thank you," he says as he sinks gracefully unto the stool. He knows Regis has seen him naked when he was a real patient but this is different. There is a different atmosphere in the room, a slight tension.

He looks up at Regis. "I am ready when you are."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Yes, Regis has seen Mal naked and during Mal's illness Regis touched practically every inch of his body. But this is different.

Still, he sticks to a professional approach. Rather than placing himself between Mal's legs, as Mal had done with him, he kneels at his side and with practiced ease starts wrapping the bandages around Mal's ribscage firmly but not overly tight, checking as he goes. But even when sticking to his task is is acutely aware of Mal's skin under his hands, of the warmth of him.

[fadingworld]

Mal's lips part as he tries to stay perfectly still. Regis hands set his skin tingling. "It feels," he pauses and runs the tip of his tongue over dry lips. "Like a supportive cage."

[mandragoraspiritus]

"Which is very much what it is supposed to be," Regis says, tucking the end of the bandage in under the lengths wrapped around Mal's chest. It doesn't seem like he's being overly careful with his sharps nails, but even so not even once does a sharp point so much as prick Mal's skin.

"Try moving so you get a better feel of it."

[fadingworld]

Mal stands, and his body sways in a few swift movements of a dance. "Yes, I think I am getting it," he smiles and brushes his fingers over the bandages himself. "I think I could replicate it."

[mandragoraspiritus]

Regis almost sighs. Mal truly is beautiful, in hos appearance, in his form, in his movement. While is does know it, he can't not know it with the life he's led, there are times like this when he doesn't actually seem aware of it. And that only make shim all the more striking.

"Good. As, of course, you should." Regis goes to help him get the bandages back off, rolling them up as he goes. Once they are off, it's his turn to again remove his short and take his place on that stool to be the practice dummy.

[fadingworld]

Mal doesn't bother putting his shirt back on, he simply returns to the work. He takes up the same position he had before. As he concentrates he bites at the corner of his lip. A hand stays resting against Regis' back as he brings the bandages around ensuring the tension remains.

He tilts his head close to Regis' just before he finishes. "Does it feel right or should I unwind and begin again?"

[mandragoraspiritus]

This time, with how Mal places himself, with how he moves, how he touches his teacher, Regis becomes convinced that Mal is very much aware of what it is he's doing and of the effect he's having. Still Regis can' help but to wonder why. He doesn't at all think that Mal is only doing it to play with him. So there is an interest there, then? Pairing this with so many other moments, Regis would say so. What he does wonder about then is the cause for this interest.

This time he hasn't closed his eyes. Even now with Mal so close as if inviting him to touch, perhaps to kiss, Regis only watches him steadily. "No, you have it right," Regis says, but he answered without moving an inch.