"Phil, I'm home!" Dan shouted as he entered the apartment. But he didn't get his usual greeting from Phil.
"Phil! Where are you?" Dan shouted once more, frowning. "Philip?"
Dan was really starting to get worried. Phil never leaves the house without informing him first. Dan slowly started checking all the rooms, still calling out for Phil. What could have happened?
When Dan reached Phil's bedroom, he carefully opened the door a little and peaked inside. What he saw made him cry out.
Phil was lying unconscious on the floor.
Dan couldn't percieve what he saw. His heartbeat quickened and his eyes were starting to well up. This could not be happening.
"Dude, get off the floor. It isn't even funny", Dan said, convincing himself that Phil was playing a prank.
Finally coming to his senses, Dan moved towards Phil's body. ecome even paler, He checked for breathing and a pulse. Thankfully, both were there, and Dan brethed a sigh of relief.
Dan stared at the other boy through watery eyes for a second. Phil did not look well at all. The pale boy's complexion had become even paler, if that were possible, and the area around his eyes and nose was burning red.
Dan quickly picked up his phone and called an ambulance. He was full-on crying by now, although he was extremely relieved that Phil was alive. For now, at least. Dan didn't even care if Phil happened to wake up and see him in such a pathetic condition, atleast Phil would be awake. That was all that mattered now.
***
Eventually, the ambulance arrived. When the nurses brought in the stretcher, it wouldn't fit through their narrow stairwell. Dan didn't miss a beat, and immediately picked up his boyfriend and cradled him tightly in his arms, ignoring the weight of the older boy. He coculdn't resist giving Phil a little kiss on the forehead. He would surely get better.
He took Phil to the ambulance, and sat with him in the back while the nursees attached an oxygen mask to Phil's nose and mouth, and took him to the hospital. Tears were still streaming down Dan's face, and he couldn't stop looking at his boyfriend's unconscious body and crying even harder. Dan's face was red and blotchy, and his fringe all haywire because of the number of times he'd run is fingers through it, but he just didn't care anymore. He just couldn't lose Phil. Phil had been his life and his everything. Phil and he did everthing for each other, and with each other. Phil made Dan forget about his troubles with his bubbly personality, and see the good in the world. Phil made him happier than he'd ever been. He could not let Phil go.
"Do you need a tissue, sir?" a nurse called out from the front.
"N-no, but th-thanks", Dan stammered.
***
When they reached the hospital, Phil was rushed to the ICU, while Dan waited right outside his room.
It had been almost 3-4 hours since Dan had found Phil lying on the floor, but he still couldn't get his head around it. There was absolutely no way he was ever leaving Phil alone again. Not even for a minute. Call him overattached, but he couldn't handle something like this happening over again. Dan couldn't help but despise himself. He should have known better in the first place. Although Phil was older than him, he was way more innocent and oblivious. Dan should not have left him alone.
Dan was just sitting there crying, upset, worried, and angry, when suddenly the doctor came out of Phil's room.
"He's absolutely fine now, he'll just need to take some medications for a few weeks. He needs a lot of rest. He'll be awake any moment, though. You can go see him now", the doctor told Dan.
With a mumbled 'thank you', Dan rushed towards Phil's room, without even bothering to ask the cause of the problem.Dan burst into the room, and ran over to Phil's side. He kneeled beside the bed, and took Phil's hand in his, kissing it lightly.
"I'm never letting you go", he whispered to the boy still lying unconscious.'I love you, Phil.'
Dan took a stool, and sat next to Phil, his hand still in his, till the early hours of the morning, dosing off every know and then. at about 2am, Phil's eyelids fluttered, and his hand tightened around Dan's. Dan woke up immediately, and sat bolt upright, staring intently at Phil's face, waiting for him to regain consciousness.
"D-Dan? Is that you?" Phil mumbled incoherently, his voice hoarse. "Dan?"
Dan couldn't speak. He'd started crying again, this time from joy. Phil was okay. He was absolutely okay. He was safe. Phil turned his head to look at Dan, only to find him staring back. A tear rolled down the side of Phil's face.
"I-I'm so sorry, Dan. I'm s-so sorry. I didn't mean for this to h-happen", Phil said to Dan, hugging the younger boy's arm tightly. "I'm s-sorry to have scared you. B-But I'm okay n-now.'
Dan finally composed himself and said, "I'm so glad you're awake, Phil. I was so worried, you know? Scared shitless. I-I thought you were going to... to die", his voice breaking at the last bit.
"Dan, I love you. I won't let this happen ever again", Phil consoled Dan.
"How did you even manage to get yourself in this situation?" Dan asked.
"Uh, well...." Phil hesitated.
"Well, what?"
"I, well, there was a cat stuck in the tree outside my window...."
"OHMYGOD, PHIL!"
"Well, I couldn't just leave it there! I had to help!"
"For God's sake, Phil, you could've called a fireman. Didn't you think of the consequences?"
"I...I kinda forgot about my allergy to cats", Phil said sheepishly, sitting up, running his fingers through his fringe.
"FORGOT?" Dan half-screamed at Phil.
A nurse rushed into the room and told them to keep it dow, and then rushed back out.
Dan took a couple of deep breathes. "I could kill you right now, Philip. Metaphorically, of course. But I can't be angry at you. You nearly escaped death. I'm just glad you're okay", Dan told Phil, moving in for a proper hug. As Dan wrapped his arms around Phil, Phil cupped Dan's face and put his lips to his boyfriend's, their tears mixing together.
"I'm never going to leave you again, Phil", Dan murmered against Phil's moist lips. "I love you so fucking much."
"I love you, too, Dan, I love you, too. And don't swear."